Here's a once in a lifetime chance to own a piece of Americana that I just couldn't pass up. Had to make a spilt second decision to purchase it and I almost lost it while trying to secure someone to move it.

The McD's it came from was built in 1957 and the sign has been in place since the restaurant opened. Once home, my wife asked me what am I going to do with it? Well haven't really thought that far ahead but I knew I had to have it!

The pics show the sign being taken down and transported along with a picture of what it looks like all lit up.

Got to thank a few fellow Old Gassers for turning me on to it......thanks guys!

A few more....

Killer sign!!! I couldn't have turned it down.

CHUCKY'S FANTASY LAND on the High Plains of Colo.

Awesome, iconic piece. Congratulations.

Very Cool Awesome Neon Sign! But I won't eat there LOL!

Very neat sign Chuck....just curious though, why were they getting rid of it? Seems to me the sign itself would attract a good deal of customers!
Darin

Awesome save there, Chuck, wish I would have known about it, glad someone rescued it.

McDonalds wants all their signs standardized, so, when you see one, you've seen them all.

Wow, that is iconic & super cool ! I recently saw this one in Union Gap, Wa which is done inside & out with a 50's theme ..... don't compete with owning the "real deal" though !

NICE!...We have the McDonalds Museum here in Des Plaines Il. today.

Great Save! Love it!

Forgot to mention, the sign company that took it down nearly scrapped it. The gentleman I got it from literally purchased it for the cost of scrap metal.

The savings didn't get passed on to me but I was happy just to have the chance to buy it especially against an onslaught of competing bids. Once the deal was made, the gentleman kept his word and sold it to me despite higher bids afterward.....it was so good to see REAL integrity is still out there in the collector world!

Cool that under the "Coast To Coast",it shows 15¢.

Man, they were going to scrap that. Nice buy!

The other day, Yahoo had a short newsclip on the Downey, CA location...

Downey McDonalds

The link worked for me, but it's Yahoo, may not work for everyone.

You & me both!!!

I tried to buy one here in the NY that was just the arches with their logo in the center. They already had it down and the company was just firing up their torches to cut it all up for scrap...I stopped and offered the contractor 1500...It would only be about 200 in scrap..I had a flat bed down the road as well that could have got it out of there in about 15 minutes...He turned me down and explained he was not allowed to sell it and it had to be destroyed. Cut it right in front of me...WHAT A WASTE and SYMBOL OF CORPORATE STUPIDITY. That is an awesome save you made and someone will be happy to have it in their collection.

Couple of em around here,maybe not exactly the same. Des plaines has what I think was the first MickeyDs(wonder if I can get em for name infringement?) and another very old one in Libertyville. Great sign,ya gotta love this stuff!

Here is a "little blurb" about Ray Kroc and the Des Plains Restaurant:

http://pdxretro.com/2011/04/mcdonalds-founded-on-this-date-in-1955/

Checkout this "McDonalds".... This article says that it is the first....

http://thatslikewhoa.com/retro-photos-of-the-very-first-mcdonalds-restaurant

Definitely agree with you guys and try to avoid eating there when possible although I didn't have that same feeling back when I was 10. I can remember visiting my local McDs in PA and standing under a similar sig with the neon lighting up the night sky. It's a memory that's burned into my brain....

Thanks for the articles. I'll be doing lots of research and will probably start a thread of the restoration progress when I get around to the rstoration.

Very nice! That is huge, but very awesome. Have fun finding room for it haha!

Chuck, Glad Greg and I could help!!!
Thanks for the finders fee Much Appreciated!!!!

Awesome! Very nice Chuck!

Where did this McDonald's sign come from? The photos show the location in Muncie. However, I just called them and have been assured that their sign is still there. It was restored just a year ago. The only other vintage Speedee sign that I believe still exists (excluding those in museums) is the one in Green Bay, WI.

Perhaps the past history I have on it may be off. I'm basing it on the folklore I have. One thing is certain, its a early sign and I'm looking forward to restoring it.

Cool Chuck!

I went ahead and removed several pics of the McD sign being taken down. I had the opportunity to talk with another gasser who is an expert on these signs in their own right. It seems my sign is a different sign than the one shown in the photos so I removed them from the page. My sign has been out of service for quite a number of years compared to the one in the removed photos.

Thanks agilitynut for helping piece the history together a little more.

Here's a link agilitynut was kind enough to send me and allow me to post showing history of where many of these signs still exist or existed.......Enjoy

http://www.agilitynut.com/eateries/mcd2.html

So here's a photo I can share of a similar McD sign lit up. This one is at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. It will take a while before mine looks like this!