Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Non-Petro Discussions Non-petro Discussion and Showcase Frostie Root Beer sign big $$$$$$

Sign is a modern made limited edition reproduction. NOT AN OLD ORIGINAL SIGN.

What does the limited edition have to do with anything?

I understand that this is a 20-30 year old sign rather than a 50-60 year old sign, but people keep using the term 'limited edition'. This is still a sign that was hung up in gas stations and the impression I got from the manufacturer is that the production size was just what they listed on their signs at the time. It's not a piece that was made to be sold directly to collectors.

YES IT WAS A SIGN MADE TO BE SOLD TO COLLECTORS, It is a reproduction of the ones that hung in gas stations. The manufacturer misled you and beat around the bush in his response.

Original signs will NEVER have the words "limited edition" on them. . .EVER. Period

Original signs will NEVER have a "production run number" on them. . . EVER. Period

The above mention sign may have been approved for reproduction, but the reproduction signs were not made for advertising use, collector use as described above.

This forums is frustrating.

The sign doesn't say "limited edition" it says "Total Production" which is not the same. Ans for Chad's comment, I have found SEVERAL Stout Signs with production run sizes on them and the Stout Sign Company isn't a marketer of collector signs they are a POS sign manufacturer. They don't make commercial products for their own marketing, they make signs by order of a client such as the MONARCH BEVERAGE CO. Why a manufacturer would lie to me about a 20-30 year old sign that is no longer being sold in any stores and they are no longer making any money off of is beyond me and I don't see how he 'beat around the bush'. He answered the questions I originally asked him.

I will continue to gather facts to support my conclusion but I won't accept speculation as a counter argument. I have a manufacturer that said run sizes were printed on signs 20-30 years ago and multiple pictures of signs that corroborate that statement. If you have sources that prove your position that aren't strictly opinion, I would be glad to listen to them.

the bottom line on that sign is this:
made no more than 30 years ago.
the graphics are inspired or a direct copy of an older Frostie sign.
There are several diecut bottlecap shaped signs with ruffled edges that are original from the 50-60's. I've seen modern Frostie graphics versions with bent ruffled bottlecap edges.
The sign in question has some shape to it, but no actual bent edges.

I'm not sure who the sign would have been marketed to, could have been places that actually sell Frostie or sold to nostalgia websites that sell modern reproductions of old signs. Whatever the use, its not that old.

The reason this type of sign is an issue is this:
people out of either ignorance or outright deception try to market this very sign as an old, new old stock original. Or play ignorant so its up to the unsuspecting bidder to guess what they are getting.
the selling price would vary greatly between an old original and this sign. Most collectors on this website want an original, and they want to be certain it is an original because they payed big money for such.
A quick Google search would find them a reproduction if they wanted one.
A new old stock original is hard to find.

If this sign is sold as original, then it sometimes gets resold as an original with the "it was sold to me as original" giving creedence to it being original when it isnt.

Stout signs continue to make signs as they have for many years.
Total production is on there to instill value, limited edition or total production in this case is doing the same thing, instilling a value to the sign. If they made 100k of this sign, they would have a total production # on it. The terms arent defined the same but end up with the same anticipated result.

Marx, thanks for that post.

I agree with most everything you say in your post. I knew it was not an older sign, something I had admitted previously. Actually I think you might be the same person I have been speaking with via e-mail on my craigslist ad.

The only part of your post that I debate is the "total production" to add value. Stout Signs is a POS sign maker. I believe they made this sign for Monarch Beverages. Therefore, including the "Total Production" to the sign never added any value to the sign for the MFG because they were commissioned to produce a quantity of 850 signs at whatever the flat rate would have been. They made exactly what they would have made on this PO when Monarch gave it to them and the Total Production was just the run size of this particular order but was never meant to add value.

WOW, what more can be said. Appears someone may have been the winning high bidder on the sign in question and refuses to believe they bought a reproduction sign.

Was thinking the same thing this whole time.

x2

X3.

That is a reproduction sign.

Oh Lordy....I just looked at this post for the first time....yikes!
X4!!

Frostie Soda is available. I have had a few in the past year or so. I am not sure but I believe it was not available for many years and then was reintroduced, like several other sodas.

Here are a few pictures of an original sign that was used to promote the sale of Frostie Root Beer.

The one in question was made in a limited production of 850 as a reproduction of the original for the decorator market. There are several other soda related signs with the same limited production marked on the bottom of the signs. There is also a repop of the taller Frostie thermometer with a limited production.

The original is stamped Stout Springs Sign Co. St. Louis Mo. in very small print on the bottom.

Gee, thanks for the vote on confidence everyone. You'd think that but you'd be wrong. I'm just an amateur that likes to base what I know off of facts rather than speculation.

But on that note, I got a new e-mail with information from the manufacturer of the original sign and it looks like this is in fact a reproduction. So I was wrong, my bad and I came back just so I could admit I was wrong and also to protect the reputation of the manufacturer!

" I happened to be in my St Louis office this week so I mentioned your sign to a man who has worked here 40 plus years. Unfortunately what he said doesn’t bode well for the authenticity of your sign. He is not aware of a period of time when we put run quantity on signs. A few things to check to see if it is in fact “old”; is it steel or aluminum? If aluminum we made it after 1973. If it is steel it needs to have a green back with light streaking of white paint to be truly a sign we made long ago…this is a process issue. In the old days we coated the signs with white paint after they had been formed and punched to seal the edges of the steel.

Thanks for your interest.

Bill "

Here's one for sale on the Dallas, Tx. Craigslist for $75. HMMMMM could this be MonkeyToe?

nmrn7-3480986352@sale.craigslist.org