Website Updating: Signs (part 2)

More sign news — not all of it bad…

This sign in Burley, ID is gone now:

This jewelry store sign in Boise, ID is “down but not out.” It was donated last year to Vangie Osborn who has a collection of Boise signs, some of which were restored and put on display last year:

The Cowboy Oil Co. sign in Pocatello, ID…:

… was repainted and the metal stabilized last year by Relight the Night:

The Fashion Cleaners sign in Pocatello, ID had the neon removed and the panels were painted white by 2018. The sign is gone now. I don’t know if Relight the Night has it for possible restoration or if this one is gone for good:

Skip’s Snack Bar in Merrimac, MA closed in 2022 and this sign was sold for $8,100 at an auction:

I finally tracked down where the Owl Shop sign in Worcester, MA went. Here’s my photo of the sign:

It’s now inside Rhino’s Cigar Lounge in Windham, NH — photo from their website:

The Tops Bar & Restaurant sign in Harrisburg, PA… :

… has been replaced with a backlit plastic sign. It sounds like “parts” of the old sign are displayed inside now:

The Pepsi sign in St. Marys, PA…

… has been replaced with one about half the size:

This sign in Titusville, PA is gone now:

Last year, the Master Muffler chain in Utah changed their name to Master Auto Tech. The signs have all been, or will soon be, repainted to reflect the new name and man’s looks. Here’s the “before” of the Salt Lake City State St. location:

and the “after” – note that the readerboard is also gone:

This location in West Valley City, UT hadn’t been repainted in the November Street View but it probably has been by now. Note the readerboard announcing the rebranding. I’m gonna miss these guys with their flattop haircuts, bow ties, and grins. There were about 22 of these signs made in the late 1960s but only about six are left now:

The Cowboy Bar sign in Meeteetse, WY…:

… had fallen onto the awning in November — I’m hoping that they put it back up by now but that “for sale” sign has me nervous:

This sign in Thermopolis, WY is gone now:

This sign in Bedford, IN…:

… has been painted brighter colors — no neon but the bulbs are working:

The Rihm’s Drive-in Liquor sign in Cambridge City, IN:

… has a new name and panel. At least they didn’t replace the whole sign with a plastic box:

I came across this bit of news while looking for info for my next sign news column for the SCA newsletter, I discovered that the Bruno’s Pizza sign in Kalamazoo, MI is now at the Midwest Sign Co. in Kansas City, KS. No local museums or buyers could be found for the sign but Midwest took the sign in exchange for creating a new plastic sign for the restaurant that now occupies the building. Midwest has a bunch of other vintage signs in storage inside their huge shop — photos at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/signs/kskc.html#Midwest

Here’s a photo of the Bruno’s sign from the article:
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2025/04/iconic-pizzeria-sign-taken-down-in-kalamazoo.html