Press Release

New Hamburg, ON, Canada, March 7, 2025 -- An Indian Motorcycles neon dealership sign, made in America in the 1930s or ‘40s, climbed to $112,100, a Texaco Marine Motor Oil double-sided porcelain sign from 1953 achieved $21,240, and a Canadian single-sided metal door push bar for Stubby Beverages hit $6,490 in auctions held Feb. 28-March 2 by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.

All prices are in Canadian dollars and include an 18 percent buyer’s premium. All three days of auctions were online-only, with Internet bidding on LiveAuctioneers.com as well as the Miller & Miller website (MillerandMillerAuctions.com). Telephone and absentee bids were also accepted.

Things got going on February 28th, with a Soda Advertising & Push Bars auction, nicknamed ‘When push comes to shove’. It was a high-grade, fresh-to-market offering of over 100 push bars, door pushes and soda advertising. Most of the push bars came from the same 50-year collection. It included examples from Stubby, Co-op, Peer’s, Cloverdale and Lyons’ Tea.

Many of the higher-ticket items came up for bid on March 1st and 2nd, during the Petroliana & Advertising auction – nearly 600 lots in total. Saturday was called ‘a Bud thing’ because it contained the exclusive collection of the late Arthur ‘Bud’ Irving. Sunday featured petroliana, soda and county store advertising. Many items had been held by private collectors for decades.

“Texaco and Irving collectors rose to the occasion to grab a piece from Bud’s vast collection,” said Ethan Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. “High-grade racks and pumps were bringing spectacular numbers - and as always, porcelain was king. Sunday’s sale of premier advertising resulted in some record highs in soda and petroliana. The upper limits for signs grading 9 and above seem limitless. We saw spirited bidding all day.”

The overall expected top lot of the three days was the Indian Motorcycles neon dealership sign, and it did not disappoint. It was a stunning piece of motorcycle and advertising history and it breezed past the $50,000-$60,000 pre-sale estimate to top six figures. Graded 8.25 out of 10 for condition and impressive at 66 ½ inches by 35 ½ inches, the sign boasted strong color and gloss.

The detailed nautical scene in the Texaco Marine Motor Oil double-sided porcelain sign, made in America in 1953, put the sign among the most desirable and highly sought after of all the Texaco signs. Graded 9.09/9.25 in excellent condition and measuring 11 inches by 21 ½ inches, the sign was expected to hit $20,000-$25,000 and a lucky bidder scored it for just above the low estimate.

The 3 inch by 32 ¼ inch Stubby Beverages single-sided metal door push bar, made in Canada in the 1950s, the orange script version and marked “WS 208” lower right, came into the sale with a modest $800-$1,000 estimate, but bidders took note of its 8.5 grade and eye-catching graphics.

Following are additional highlights from the auction, which grossed $1,182,006. A total of 977 online bidders placed a combined 18,407 bids. 100 percent of all lots were sold all three days. 46 percent of the top 50 lots exceeded estimate on Day 1; 80 percent of the top 50 lots exceeded estimate on Day 2; and 94 percent of the top 50 lots exceeded estimate on Day 3.

A Canadian 1946 McColl-Frontenac Gasoline Service Station double-sided porcelain sign, round and a monumental six feet in diameter, graded 8.25/8.5 and marked “P&M 46” to the lower edge, sold within estimate for $19,470. The sign had an estimate of $15,000-$20,000.

To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions and the firm’s calendar of upcoming auctions, visit www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com.

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