Richmond Auctions’ Three-Day Sale

Richmond Auctions will bring the Barkheimer Collection and “The Nines” to market September 19 thru 21. Packed with a variety of original advertising and promotional pieces from the gas & oil, food & beverage, and auto industries ranging from pumps to globes to neons to porcelain and various other needful things. One item of particular interest is an obscure Sterling Ignition Cable sign. A quick search online shows a number of modern Sterling spark plug wires, but finding much information about the company will take more than a search engine sweep. But, this sign is comprised of etched glass with a metal can and a blue neon surround. Showing some wear, the neon is said to work fine – all in all, the look and mystique of a company we know nothing about is luring us in. Check it out here. Another interesting piece is a “Watch Out for Children” cloth banner. Showing great graphics, the single-sided cloth has tiny holes in the field, but otherwise seems to be in remarkable condition. While it seems rather pedestrian, no pun intended, to get excited over a cloth banner, the fact of the matter is, these and paper products are very hard to find. Most were simply used up and discarded – or even just discarded. Thus, very few remain. They’re not getting easier to find, and experts agree, the value will continue to quietly climb on these beautiful pieces. See this one here. Meanwhile, learn more about the whole sale here.