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Posted 2 years ago
Daddy_Nobu…
(105 items)
Must be Friday because I have a cool sign to show you. A nice little porcelain job marked "Bierman Signs 1927 Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis". If you recall, the auction listing had very poor quality pictures. I had reservations about purchasing, based on my research of similar signs which had qualities indicating reproduction. I used my usual tactic of negotiating a buy it now price rather than get caught up in a bidding war (this practice often yields sweet fruit... and the occasional rotten apple!). After putting this thing under the magnifying glass, I'm nearly satisfied it's authentic. The color, script, and aging of the painted side is very much like my tin arrow from same period. The maker's detail on the back of the sign I believe was originally red print (still some visible) but has faded to a light black color.
Awright Guys, need your stamps of approval. As always I welcome all comments, critiques, insight, and info. Thanks.
Dave
Coca Cola SignsFew brands have been as effectively and aggressively marketed as Coca-Cola,…
Porcelain SignsFrom the 1880s until the 1950s, one of the most dominant forms of outdoor a…
Saw this one as well Dave, was'nt sure about it! Is it heavy ? porcelain? It looks better in your pictures, looks like you scored!! Nice sign!
Hi Bernie. Yes, it's heavy and porcelain. Seems right to me. And the guy I purchased it from really felt it was something special. I can't find it in Petretti's 12th, but I believe one of the CW gang said it's in the 11th. I'm happy with it. I always feel better when you guys validate, still not 100% sure of myself. Thanks for the kind words. Hope you have a good weekend!
OK thanks. How can you tell?
That's COLD Ray! You need to change your name to KingSizeIceColdCoke. Come on, lay it on me, are you kidding or just pulling punches? I had concerns about this buy until I opened the package and saw this beauty. But I have a case open on the Seller because it took a month to deliver. I haven't closed it yet, was just getting ready to. I know you know a lot about these signs. Is it The Real Thing????
I agree with KingSize
Dave, I have to side with Ray here. The trademark positioning and that top "Drink" kinda gives it all away. Sorry Buddy! You don't how bad I wanted it to be better for ya man. The trademark position is a little too far to the right and not centered over the tear of the long "C". Just doesn't look like anything in the book.
Well, so what's the big deal about calling a spade a spade? Is this like High School??? The great thing about this site is people sharing their experiences. If this is a repro, I'll be glad... no, I'll be happy to know it. I'll send it back and chalk up another to experience. It would be really nice to know how you guys can tell, so I can address any questions from the Buyer Protection reps. Thanks OldPop for your comment.
Thanks Perry. I'm a 48 year old father and business professional, no need to worry about this causing me irrevocable harm. :) I appreciate the honesty and the details. It's all good! (Hey Ray, If that's your way of getting the ball rolling, I'll just say Thanks to you too. Just give it to me straight, no dancing around it required.)
Poor quality pictures almost always means someone is trying to hide something...they like to get someone to bite and get them "on the line and reel em in" for something that is anything but REAL
I think the main thing that threw me was that a few weekends ago we were out pickin and saw a guys place that had 2 of these hanging outside and I thought about you showin this one. His were very fried and destroyed but you could still read them. I don't know why he was letting them get that bad but he wouldn't let me in his barn, to see the rest of his signs. Think he's hiding the good stuff.
Thanks again Ray, Perry, OldPop.
True, I've never seen that stencil stamping either.
Dave, I agree with Perry and Ray, that whole font on "DRINK" is tell tale. I got bit on that too. I also checked Pet's 11 and the only one I saw close is a 1930's , 5 3/4" X 17 3/4" made by Dasco. Sorry man!!
Hey Tommy! Thanks for stopping by. Appreciate your comments. This is all good stuff to know. The sign is going back. Boy, collecting Coca-Cola signs sure ain't boring!
DN, how much did that seller hit you for on this sign?
300 delivered.
It ain't boring and it sure ain't easy, lol!!! I haven't seen a decent Coke sign around my neck of the woods in a long time, and it seems the ones on feebay keep going for more and more. Did you see that C-C match striker piece go for $1200??
good luck on the refund...we've all been there!...goes with the territory!
For sure Dave! I keep my books very close when buying online or in person. While not everything is in the books, I bought my Marching Bottles 1937 sign from an antique store for $375 after making 3 trips over to re-inspect the thing,,,lol. Boy, taking a camera over the first time, would've been alot easier huh?
I did see that one Tommy and the buttons are going for insane money too. More than I'm willing to give. I have a budget and it has to meet those numbers first. Then I have to find a place for it, what am I sayin? There's always room for Coca Cola!
I still "love "it Dave, it's a "lesson learned" sign!!
I did try to cancel this transaction twice. The day after I purchased it, then 3 wks later after I found out Seller hadn't shipped it yet ("problem at the post office"). The guy just wouldn't hear of it. That should have been my first clue. Any business person knows, courtesy goes to the buyer, always. Yes, lesson learned, for sure.
Hey Dave this is the only pic I could find of one like Ray was talking about.
Yellow border, sorry bout the crap pic but basically the sign you were tryin to get.
[IMG]http://i39.tinypic.com/a4tzdl.jpg[/IMG]
ok, that didn't work.
Sorry, dave, I hope you didn't pay a fortune for this...
This is why I've stopped buying from ebay. For one, they don't back the buyers anymore...they back their sellers, who are the ones that pay their fees anyways, I guess...
Second reason is that as a vintage-antique-previoulsy owned-whatever...collector, I need to touch the item. Sometimes just holding an item tells you more than the seller wants you to know. No amount of pictures can duplicate the information you get from running your fingers across a porcelain face (in my case, dolls) or a certain fabric, or the weight and chippyness of a sign.
Sorry it turned out wrong, hope you get your money back, including shipping to and from the seller.
Thanks everybody for your comments.
Ray, Thanks for the additional info. I had no doubt it was a repro/fake once I realized you were serious. At work we call guys like you "gurus"! ; )
cckid, I'll get my money back, no worries.
Hi Esther, I agree it would be nice to see these items in person and hold them. Once received, this one looked pretty good to me, felt good in my hands. It's a damn fine repro! :) There's no making up for lack of experience and knowledge, which is where I'm at. But I'm actually quite happy to know it's a fake. I'm most grateful to have found this place to spend a few minutes daily enjoying with other collectors, who are honest and forthright and just downright interesting characters!
Received a full refund this morning! Thanks to Ray and Blaine for providing expert assessment. After proving it was a fake, I had to destroy the sign as part of the process, which was good "hammer therapy". Getting my money back completes restitution. Thanks to everybody who helped me understand why this thing wasn't right. I'm a better collector for the experience, having learned a tough lesson. Thanks too to CW for providing the forum.
Dave
Seller called me yesterday after he was notified by PayPal that they refunded my purchase. He was not happy and wanted to know when he would receive his sign back. I had to break the news to him that PayPal required me to destroy it. (Bet he wishes he hadn't sent it after I tried to cancel TWICE, then he refused to honor his return policy and forced me to go through PayPal). Well, he sent a very nasty text message to me basically threatening legal action and ruin of my reputation as a buyer. What a piece of work! Sells me a fake sign, refuses to cancel twice before it ships, it takes a month to deliver, he refuses return, forces me to jump through hoops to get justice, then has the nerve to send threats! Calgon, take me away!!!!!
What color is the sky in that guys world!!
Coca-Cola Blue!