A couple of years ago I stopped by my parent's house and they were having a garage sale.
Among the items for sale was this old Hamm's beer sign. It belonged to my grandpa for years. I remember as a boy asking him to turn it on so I could watch it. It was made sometime in the early 60's. My grandpa bought it and kept it over the bar in the basement of his home for over 40 years.
My mother had marked the price tag for it at $20.00.
I quickly snatched the sign up and told her that I could get a much higher price on ebay!
She agreed to let me take it home, clean it up, photograph it and post it for sale online.
Here's the description I provided to potential buyers on ebay:
"
This is an authentic vintage Hamm's Starry Night's motion beer sign. Sign # 782
It is in excellent condition and has been well taken care of over the years.
When plugged in, the stars twinkle and then the word "Hamm's" appears from left to right.
Then it disappears, the stars twinkle some more and then four glasses of beer appear.
The word Hamm's on the left side of the sign also lights up.
The cord has been repaired with electrical tape...other than that, this great looking sign has no damage at all. The bricks and chimney are made of plastic.
All of the lamps inside work well.
The sign dimension are 22"wide, 16" high, and 5 1/2" deep
If you're looking for a great collectible beer sign, this is the one for you!
PLEASE NOTE THAT PAYPAL PAYMENTS ARE ACCEPTED FROM CONFIRMED ADDRESS PAYPAL USERS ONLY
MONEY ORDERS ARE ALSO ACCEPTED"
How much do you think this sign sold for?
You're probably thinking $50. Maybe a hundred dollars, right?
You'd be WAY OFF.
This sign sold for $750.00!The bidding was furious. I'd never watched an item be fought for so hard like I did with this sign. At least 15-20 people were bidding on it.
Apparently, there's an entire subculture of people who specifically collect beer signs. And a sign like this...one this old that had been well taken care of and still worked was solid gold to them.
Some guy in Temecula California was the winning bidder. He promptly payed and we shipped it immediately.
I had the last laugh at my mother. She was absolutely floored when she learned how much I'd sold it for. And to think she was going to sell it for $20!
How about you?
Ever sold something for $$ on ebay?