Hello all,
Just signed up here as I have an old Good Year sign I hope you can tell me more about. Here’s what I know about it:
It's 100 inches long and made of solid brass with blue enamel lettering. I bought it in 2005 at an auction here in Denmark. I asked the seller where it came from and he told me he found it in 1988 while digging in his garden. He was curious to know how a thing like that could end up in his garden. It turned out that until the 1940's the area was used as a junkyard. It's still strange though how a sign like that could end up in Denmark. Some think it's a sign from a merchant ship and that the ship ended its days here but I doubt that.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898, so maybe the sign is from a time before then. Perhaps from Charles Goodyear's earlier years (google his name and check his history - tough life). When I google the exact words "Goodyear Rubber Co. New York", not much more than an add from 1884 in an old paper pops up.
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90059522/1886-05-06/ed-1/seq-2/ Pics:
Any info appreciated. If you have idea of the value, please let me know.
Thank you.
Paul
Sorry for my lousy English :-(