Sign that I'm having painted
On columbia motor alley.
Robbie: Yeah?
Mike: I mean, it's nuts, dude.
What I did was, I got this photo for inspiration.
It was a columbia motor company,
A shop that used to be in columbia.
So I'm using the font and I'm using the same size.
So I got these 2 girls, it's called "I saw the sign,"
From nashville.
They're painting this thing on the building.
Like this is no small-
Robbie: Right now?
Mike: Like hand -painting it.
Robbie: What!
Mike: So- you know what, let me just facetime them,
I want to see what's going on anyway.
You're going to freak out when you see this, man!
[facetime ringing]
Mike: Mefford!
Mefford: Hey mike! What do you think?
Mike: It's unbelievable!
Meg: Mike, hello!
He wasn't supposed to see it.
Robbie: That thing's insane!
Mike: I absolutely love the font!
Meg: Dude, it's so sick.
I'm really stoked.
Mike: So is the off-white, what we were talking about?
Meg: Yeah. Do you like?
Mike: Are you kidding me? Yes!
Meg: Told ya.
Mefford: Yeah, these girls have been out here since the
Crack of dawn for the last 2 days, braving the cold.
I can't believe how quickly they worked.
Mefford: And you know what, look at these cute
Little uniforms they wear, check that out.
Robbie: [laughs] mike: Woo!
Mefford: Is that incredible?
Mike: You guys are nailing it! [laughs]
Meg: Ahh!
Mike: Keep me posted, I'm so excited, man!
Mefford: Okay.
Meg: Bye, mike!
Mefford: Bye.
♪♪
Mike: Okay, so tell me about this brian guy again.
Robbie: Brian and I have been friends for years.
And he was the guy at hershey that was
Always buying the big stuff, literally.
He had a truck with a swing-away crane on it,
You know, you pick it up, put it on the truck.
Mike: He did?
Robbie: Yeah. It was-
Mike: That's cool.
I'd love to have a truck like that.
Robbie: Take a left.
You know, I got a phone call from his wife,
Jill, and I had just seen him at hershey,
And she said hey, brian's in the hospital,
And I was like, wow, I mean, what's wrong with him?
She's like, they really don't know.
I called her back a couple of days later,
And she said that, uh she thought he was
Going to be coming home, he was getting better.
And the next day she goes to the hospital,
And he passed away.
Mike: God, are you kidding me?
Robbie: So, it's been 2 years since brian passed away.
Mike: Okay.
Robbie: So jill has been dabbling with
Selling things here and there.
And she might be selling the property off and there's
No way in heck she could take this collection with her.
Mike: So she doesn't collect any of this stuff?
Robbie: No, she's not really a collector.
She's got pieces that she's set back that are hers.
She's pretty excited about getting some
Of the stuff out there.
Mike: I'm glad she's at that point,
That's really cool.
Robbie: It's right up here. This is the back way.
Mike: Dang.
Okay, I see what you're talking about.
I like that bear, that's really cool.
I need some weird lawn art.
Oh yeah, I see the gulf sign!
Robbie: Yeah, see?
I mean, it's just a bunch of scrap iron.
Mike: [laughs] yeah!
Look at that bell.
Look at the size of that bell.
Which way?
Robbie: Here, it's right around the corner, the machine shop.
Mike: What! This place is nuts. Alright.
Robbie: I'm going hit jill with a flyer,
She'll think it's funny.
Robbie: Jill. What's up?
Jill: Hey rob, what's up!
Mike: Hey.
Robbie: Good to see ya.
Jill: Yeah, it's nice- robbie: How're you doing?
Jill: I'm good.
Robbie: Good to see ya, you look good.
Mike: Hey, I'm mike. Jill: Hi
Mike: Nice to meet you, I heard a lot about you.
Jill: Oh geez...
Robbie: I'm going to hit you with a flyer.
I told my brother you had a few neons.
Mike: Look at that, railroad stuff.
Jill: Right.
Mike: [laughs] robbie: Cast iron.
Jill: I got a little bit of that here.
Mike: Yeah?
Robbie: Just a couple things?
Jill: Yeah.
Mike: What do you got going on here,
You got any heat in here?
Jill: No. Mike: [laughs]
Robbie: It's not that cold out.
Mike: Wow, I think this is the biggest vise I've ever seen.
You could clamp a railroad tie in there.
Jill: You could.
Mike: Wow.
Robbie: What are you doing, cleaning stuff up?
Jill: Cleaning stuff up.
Robbie: Still? It's a new adventure here.
Jill: Every day, yes. Finding new things.
Robbie: I met brian 5 years ago at a swap meet.
He was always smiling.
And he was always buying.
He's got more stuff here than I've ever seen in my life.
Mike: I never met brian,
Because I haven't been to hershey in a while.
He told he met brian at hershey and he said
That he had a truck there with a crane on it?
Jill: Yeah.
Mike: So he was prepared for the big stuff all the time.
Jill: He was.
Mike: I could see that, 'cause when I rolled in here,
I was like... Wow, this guy does like big stuff.
Jill: He does. Anything big and heavy.
Mike: Yeah.
Jill: That was him.
Robbie: So, what'd you find today?
Jill: Oh my god, trying to figure out what he was
Going to do with some of the stuff back there.
Jill: Brian passed away about a year and a half ago.
It was a shock to everybody.
Jill: My husband was a huge collector.
Railroad was his passion, and I have been trying to go through,
Sort out, figure out the right way to
Start liquidating his collection.
Jill: He's got a bell cradle back there,
And I don't know what he was going to do with it.
Robbie: I noticed there's a gigantic bell in the back,
Where did that come from?
'cause it wasn't here last time I was here.
Jill: One of brian's picks.
Mike: Is that something like, he actually would have put up?
Jill: Yeah.
Just like all the ones along the driveway there.
Mike: Oh yeah, okay yeah, wow.
Jill: They all ring.
Mike: Do they really?
Jill: Yeah.
Mike: So would he ever freak you out like come out there early
In the morning and nail some of that stuff down?
Jill: No. No.
Well the neighbors always say, if there's no noise coming
From back here, brian must have been gone.
[group laughing]
Jill: Brian was very hardworking.
He never took a day off, and if it he wasn't at a job site,
He was out in the barn, working, repairing,
Putting things together, putting things up.
Jill: This was a car maintenance shop for the railroad.
So you can see where-
Robbie: Yeah.
Mike: Oh I can see where all the beam are older, yeah.
Jill: Right.
'cause we labeled them so we knew how to
Put them back up again.
Mike: What possessed you guys to do that?
Jill: Well we're in the demolition business.
We owned a demolition and salvage business for 33 years.
Mike: You didn't tell me that.
Robbie: Yeah, that's where all this stuff came from.
Mike: Did he tell you our grandfather did that?
Robbie: Yeah.
Mike: In chicago.
Jill: No.
Mike: Yeah, yeah.
Robbie: Nowhere near what this is, I mean-
Mike: No, no we-
Jill: Yeah. I mean, this was a corn field.
We built this out of all used materials,
From building we tore down.
Mike: From- robbie: Every piece.
Mike: So you got, most of the work you guys were doing that
Was like big commercial work you were taking on.
Jill: Correct. I ran the cutting torch.
Mike: You were doing it too?
Jill: Yes.
Mike: This guy was in the business of moving
And dismantling massive properties.
Jill: Let me show you some things.
Mike: Okay.
Jill: I got a few things outside here.
Mike: I want to see- I want to see that bell.
So where did this bell come out of, philadelphia?
Jill: I honestly, I honestly do not know.
Robbie: What's it say on it?
"james mccullough jr. Hardware, kittanning, pa."
Mike: Uurrghh...
Robbie: Damn, looks like a freakin' anchor hanging
Out the bottom of this thing.
Jill: [laughing]
Mike: I can see that brian was not afraid to
Buy the big stuff, man.
Robbie: Yeah, this thing's cool.
Jill: He drove all the way out to california.
Robbie: To get this. Everybody wants a train.
It's an old milk truck.
Jill: He's going to buy that thing from me, you watch.
Robbie: Yeah.
Mike: Jill, I'm definitely not going to buy thing.
[laughing] jill: Aww please!
Mike: What does this spell?
Jill: I don't know what all the letters say.
Robbie: Yeah, they're all porcelain,
They got sockets in them.
So it's white porcelain with cobalt blue.
Jill: I don't even know when those got here.
I have no clue!
They were just up there.
Mike: They're made really well.
Robbie: Huh.
Mike: There's a lot of s's. Yeah.
Jill: A lot of s's. Mike: There is.
Robbie: Back in the day, porcelain letters were
Made to go on any building.
Spell out what you want.
The great thing about these letters are,
That they all match.
The bad thing about them is, they don't spell anything.
Jill: You interested in that?
Robbie: Not just one, the whole pallet.
Jill: The whole pallet?
Robbie: Yeah.
It'd only be worth it if you bought the whole pallet.
Jill: I don't know... Make me an offer.
Robbie: Just think, that's a gigantic
Headache out of your way.
Jill: [sighs] make me an offer.
Robbie: 6... 650.
Jill: Could you do 8?
Mike: You want me to try to count how many there are?
Jill: How many, how many are up there?
Robbie: I don't know.
Mike: I mean, right now,
From what I can see on top, there's...
There's 1, 2... 3, 4, 5, 6...
7, 8, 9 letters on top.
Robbie: 700.
Jill: I can do that.
Robbie: Alright.
Mike: Alright, awesome.
Robbie: Look at that. Thank ya.
Jill: Thank you.
Robbie: They're not just porcelain letters,
They're porcelain neon letters.
I'm going to sell them off to people that
Are looking for decorator pieces.
Jill: [laughing]
Mike: Do you guys ever use this bulldozer?
Jill: Yeah. Mike: Really.
Jill: I mean, that's a lot of money.
It's a 93b cat loader, with a demolition 4-in-1 bucket on it.
Oh my god, did he love wrecking.
Jill: He'd tear down those buildings and he was like
That little kid with his building blocks
And he'd knock it over and he would laugh and laugh.
"did you get that picture?"
"yeah, I got it." [chuckles]
Brian: Did you get it?
Off-camera: That's the man right there.
Man in charge, brian maiher.
Jill: You can get up there. It runs nice when it runs.
Mike: Oh yeah...
I can't even imagine running something like this. [chuckles]
Jill: Yeah. [laughs]
Mike: Seriously, this thing's massive.
Jill: This is massive, it is.
Mike: It's massive, man.
Robbie: Is this for sale?
Jill: I don't think so.
Robbie: Yeah?
Jill: This is our cheapest piece of equipment we
Ever bought and it made us a lot of money.
I don't care if this never sells,
This can stay on my property forever.
Robbie: Jill was so much more than just brian's wife.
She was the person that went to work side by side
With him every day.
She helped him build the demolition company.
She was knocking buildings down right there along next to brian.
Mike: Robbie, just think how much we would have made with
This thing if we were plowing snow with this at walmart.
Jill: [laughs]
Jill: Start that engine up and I literally get goosebumps,
'cause it doesn't sound like any other diesel engine out there.
Mike: Alright.
Jill: It is freakin' awesome.
Jill: So this was our equipment barn,
It had a dirt floor in it and everything.
And then brian kind of started filling it up.
Robbie: Yeah.
Mike: Man... [laughs]
Robbie: What'd it say- what- what'd you say,
Brian took like 7 years and filled this up?
Jill: Nope, less than...
Robbie: There's a cool bulldozer in here,
You can check it out.
Jill: Less than 7.
Robbie: [giggles]
Mike: Gosh... What!
Mike & robbbie: Whoa!
Robbie: Less than 7 years.
Mike: Oh my gosh, look at that!
Robbie: Rotating pegasus.
Mike: Wow...
Mike: I've never seen so much neon,
Rare neon, in one space.
Robbie: Grand daddy of them all.
Mike: And these are things that you see every once
In a while, hard to find stuff.
But to see all of it collected under one roof,
Such high-test stuff, is unbelievable.
Mike: Man...
I love hearing that neon buzz.
♪♪
Mike: I can't believe how much neon's in
This room and gas pumps and everything.
Robbie: And it's- it's not even on.
Mike: I mean, the roman column right here?
And then you've got the double-headed wayne.
I can't believe you never told me about this place, robbie.
Robbie: Dude.
Do you tell me about every place?
Robbie: I didn't tell my brother about this place,
Because he never asked.
Mike: I mean, this is a life's work.
Jill: It is.
Mike: I mean, I- I... Wow.
Robbie: Mike, you're only in the first corner.
Mike: I'm- look at this!
Jill: You're a third of the way.
Robbie: Yeah, you're a third of the way in.
Mike: Ohh man...
Robbie: [laughs] mike: Wow.
Mike: The way he had everything displayed was brilliant.
Because you could see it, man.
A double-sided sign, he's got it where you could see both sides.
The gas pumps, there's space far enough to
Where you could literally walk around each pump.
Mike: So when you guys met,
Did he have a huge collection already?
Jill: He collected railroad. And that-
Mike: That was it. Jill: -And that was it.
Mike: And how much of that did he have?
Jill: There was a lot. Mike: Okay.
Jill: You haven't seen any of that yet.
And then he went into the fire alarm,
And into the gas pumps and neon signs
Mike: Dang... Beautiful counters, man.
These double cathedral cases are really,
Really hard to find.
And this one's got flat glass, which is cool.
It's got these iron shelving brackets so
You can put glass there, yeah.
Jill: The glass is down in here.
Mike: There's another piece of glass.
Robbie: There's the shelves.
Mike: Oh yeah, there's the shelves.
Jill: There's the shelves.
Mike: This is made in st. Louis, missouri.
Mike: If you look at it, double... Cathedral.
Imagine back in the day, you're walking into a store
And that is gracing the counter.
And remember, the nickel-plating on this
Thing was incredibly bright back then.
And the beauty of anything that went into this case,
Had to be so special.
That's why cases like this were made.
If they could grab you and keep your attention for
More than just a moment, whatever was in this case,
Chances are you were going to buy it.
Mike: I mean, it needs a little bit of work,
You know but, nothing too crazy.
I'd be interested in it for like 2,000 bucks.
What are you thinking?
Jill: 3 grand.
Mike: I don't think you're out of line on it.
I've just got another one I've had for sale
For quite a while. 2,500.
Jill: Sure.
Mike: You want to do it? Jill: Yep. It's a deal.
Mike: Alright, thank you. Jill: Thank you.
Mike: Alright, robbie!
Jill: Get this out of here!
Mike & jill: [laughs]
Jill: I walk around here a lot, looking at everything.
And I'm like, what am I going to do with all this?
Who is going to want it?
And then mike and robbie show up and they love it. Crazy.
Mike: Ahh... Look at that, robbie. You see that.
Robbie: Yeah.
Mike: Got your name on it, son.
Robbie: I know.
Jill: Are you interested?
Robbie: I had a chance to buy one like
This about 8 months ago.
Screwed up, the guy gave me a price on it,
And I was like, [snaps fingers] that split second that I had to
Think, and it was gone.
Mike: Does that work? Look like the-
Robbie: No, the neon's broke. Mike: Is it?
Robbie: Up at the top right there.
But that's no big deal.
Mike: Oh yeah.
Robbie: Look at that green neon around it.
Robbie: To find any wolf's head oil original clocks
With the original patina, impossible.
This has one tube that's broke, it's a neon tube. Easy fix.
Robbie: 1,500. Jill: How about 2?
Robbie: 16.
Jill: [sighs] can you come up a little bit?
Mike: [laughs]
Robbie: Man, you're giving me that look,
You're giving me that look, jill, I just love it.
Jill: Just a little bit.
Robbie: Okay, listen, I'll split-split
The difference with you.
Mike: What's the difference?
Jill: Yeah, what's the difference?
Robbie: 6- 1,650? You're at... Jill: I was at 2.
Robbie: 2. Okay, where do you want to be at?
Jill: 17.
Robbie: Okay. Deal. Jill: Thank you.
Robbie: Thanks.
Mike: Alright. Robbie: Alright.
Jill: Finally, god, that was awful...
Robbie: So here, while we're standing here though...
Jill: Yes?
Robbie: Is it for sale today?
Jill: For you?
Robbie: Well yeah.
Jill: I'd have to think about that.
Robbie: What!? Holy cow!
Jill: I've been waiting for you ask about this.
Mike: It's beautiful, man.
Robbie: This internationals sign is probably from the early '30s.
Back in the day, international harvester
Was one of the big 3 when it came to farm machinery.
The difference is, international made trucks.
Robbie: This actually lights up inside.
Mike: Does it work?
Robbie: I don't know, there's a cord...
I mean, this thing's heavy, man.
There's the cord right here...
Mike: Let's see how- robbie: No heck...
Jill: No.
Robbie: ...We ain't plugging that thing in.
Mike: [laughs]
Robbie: Look at the wiring on that.
Jill: [laughs]
Robbie: That looks like a brian wiring job right there.
Robbie: This thing has reverse-painted glass.
Behind the glass is another layer of glass
To give it a ripple effect.
I've seen signs like this before,
They're lit with a neon tube on the back side.
The condition on this sign is crazy,
It's almost 90 years old.
There's no paint flaking off the back of it,
There's no glass broken on it.
Robbie: 2,800 bucks.
Jill: [exhales] there's no damage on it.
Robbie: No?
Jill: What would brian do? [laughs]
Mike: Heh.
Jill: Um... How about 32?
Robbie: How about 3?
Jill: I could do 3. I'd be happy with 3.
Robbie: I'm happy.
Mike: Alright.
Robbie: I'm happy that you're happy.
Jill: I'm happy.
Robbie: Alright.
Robbie: I'm taking a chance on this.
But because it's in brian's collection,
I'm pretty sure it's going to work.
Mike: Robbie, do you see this?
Jill: Yeah, it's a velocipede.
Robbie: -Locipede.
Mike: I like that you got 3 different versions.
You got the hand -pumped one.
You got the gasoline engine.
And then you've got the steam engine one.
Mike: This is like the railroad velocipede museum.
All 3 points of evolution.
Robbie: That's the wheel that goes to it, mike.
Mike: Okay, this is the out, this is the out-rigger piece?
Robbie: Yeah.
Jill: Yeah.
Robbie: Yeah, it goes in there, right here,
Right where these holes are.
Mike: This is what an inspector would have
Cruised around on to inspect the rails.
Robbie: See, fits right in there.
Mike: This was an incredibly important job.
I mean, this was the person that was inspecting the rails that
Passengers rode on, that serious freight rode on.
Mike: This engine looks so much like a
Single cylinder thor engine.
There's a brass tag here that says,
"the buda company, chicago."
This was made in illinois and thor engines
Were made in illinois, in aurora.
But the casting is obviously different because
It's got a casting that would mount to this wood.
The casting is specific to this application.
Mike: I've never seen anything like this before.
It's a thor motorcycle engine that's a utility
Engine made for buda. Like pre -1907.
Mike: This thing's like, some forward foot pegs, man.
Robbie: [laughs]
Mike: Imagine kicking it down there.
Mike: This was literally like a motorcycle on rails.
Mike: This is like an as-found condition.
This has not been cleaned, it has not been messed with,
And it's amazing that it's all still here.
Mike: The most incredible thing, seriously,
About this piece is, it's just so untouched.
Mike: It's just a neat piece.
Do you know where he got this at?
Jill: No I don't.
Mike: Imagine going through the mountains,
Over train trestles, you're just traveling in these majestic wide
Open, wild spaces, on this gas-powered rail motorcycle.
Mike: If you would consider selling it,
What do you think it's worth?
Jill: I'm thinking close to 4. 4,000.
Mike: I think you're right there on it.
I'd pay 37, you know, I really like it a lot.
It hasn't been touched, you know,
And so much of this stuff is restored,
And that's just personal preference.
It's neat that he never messed with this, you know.
Jill: Right. So you're saying 37.
I could come down to that.
Mike: You want to do that?
Jill: I could do that.
Mike: Oh my gosh, urgh!
Robbie: Man. Mike: Thank you.
Mike: I love it, I really love it a lot.
Jill: Mike was so sweet.
He gave me a good offer, I couldn't pass it up.
And... I've got to start letting things go.
Mike: And I don't get excited about
Railroad stuff, do I, robbie.
Robbie: No, you don't.
♪♪
Mefford: Mike and I have been working around the
Clock on this columbia motor alley building.
It used to be a 1947 chevrolet dealership,
And we're trying to bring that look back.
So mike hired the girls from "I saw the sign."
They have done some really cool stuff,
And we are so lucky to have them around,
Especially for this cool project.
It's so nice to see it coming together.
Mike: Like, how many times have you been in this room,
Have you bought anything out of this room before?
Robbie: No, but I've sold brian some of these big air meters.
Robbie: When brian started collecting
Anything, he went 200% in.
Mike: That's pretty beautiful man.
Robbie: He wanted to know every single thing
That was connected to the petroliana side,
To the country store items, to the trains.
Mike: I like that a lot.
Even the wheels are wood.
Robbie: He had it all, and he never stopped buying.
Robbie: Told you, man.
Mike: Dude, this is nuts. I mean,
I could see why you were absolutely speechless,
Are you kidding me?
Robbie: Well, you asked me to describe it,
How do you describe something like this, mike?
Mike: I mean, I don't know, I guess you just say...
Petroliana nirvana.
Robbie: [laughs]
Robbie: It's just insane to come here every time.
It puts a smile on my face.
Jill: So I wanted to show you something else.
Robbie: Okay. Yeah.
Mike: Slow down, I'm trying to take it all in.
Robbie: Trust me, I've been here so many times,
You can't take it all in.
Jill: There's a lot.
Mike: Is that... Wow.
Robbie: Every time I come in here,
I miss something.
Jill: I'm going to show you another area.
It's the country store we're going.
Robbie: I like this area over here. Yeah.
Mike: Well hey, slow up on the country store room.
Jill: What?
Mike: Robbie, did you see this?
Robbie: I know. And it's frickin'...
Mike: Ahh... You've seen this before, right?
Robbie: Well, I saw it here.
Mike: And you didn't tell your big brother about it.
Mike: This cast iron funeral sign is incredible.
I've never seen anything like it.
Mike: Yeah, they get you coming and going too,
They're in the ambulance, if you don't make it...
Robbie: And then the funeral.
Mike: Take it over here.
Robbie: I love the phone number.
Jill: 80. Robbie: Yeah.
Mike: You remember where you got this?
Jill: I remember when he brought it home.
Mike: Yeah?
Jill: He was very excited about it.
Mike: And you were just like, that's kind of morbid.
Jill: [laughs] you're right.
Mike: I- it- it is and it's...
Robbie: It is, but it isn't.
Mike: It's just so incredible that when you look at it,
You're like... Is that real?
Mike: That car is in iron.
Mike: Now on top is this like massive cast iron packard.
Jill: It's like a gangster car.
Mike: It's a gangster car, yep.
It's pretty amazing that it is double-sided.
Robbie: Yeah. Mike: Yeah.
Robbie: You know it's like, you want to stick
That out in front of your business.
Mike: This is it. This is everything to me. The car.
Mike: I'm totally showing my cards here.
I'm letting jill know I love this piece.
Jill: You really want that?
Mike: Yeah.
And there are people that collect funerary,
You know, there really are.
Robbie: Oh trust me.
Mike: A lot of people that collect caskets.
Jill: Really?
Robbie: Yeah.
Mike: And... And embalming equipment.
You know, it's a thing.
Robbie: We're just happy that brian didn't collect that.
Mike: You know, it's a thing, you know.
Jill: So am I. [laughs]
Mike: But I mean, obviously the date's a 2,
With the phone number 80,
And then the time period of the car here.
Definitely '30s, late '20s.
Jill: Make me an offer.
Robbie: I like the paint on this thing, mike.
It's crazy.
Mike: [exhales] 2,500.
Jill: I was thinking more like 1,500.
Mike: Oh, I'd do that.
[group laughing]
Mike: I'd do that. No, I'd pay 2,500.
Jill: Really?
Mike: Yeah. I love it. Jill: You're nuts.
Mike: I know- well you know what, you know how...
You know, look- me...
Robbie: Wait a second. Mike: Me?
[group laughing]
Robbie: We're looking around here, come on.
Jill: The ambulance sign.
I don't understand the passion. [laughs]
Why brian liked it, and now mike likes it. Holy cow.
People are crazy.
Mike: Alright, we doing it?
Robbie: It just, it just blows you...
Jill: Alright.
Mike: Alright, we're doing it. Thank you.
God dang, this is crazy!
Mike: Obviously brian was really into advertising,
So he knew how rare and unusual this sign was.
And I am beyond happy to own this.
Mike: I'm stepping back in time here. Um-hm.
Robbie: Holy cow.
Mike: What. Robbie: Yeah.
Robbie: So I got to ask, jill.
I asked about it last time I was here...
Jill: Yes you did.
Robbie: Thermometer freak.
I love early advertising like this.
Hey, this thing ain't like, man.
Robbie: This would have been placed
Anywhere where people gathered.
It was the town crier.
Robbie: Thank god I'm skinny.
Robbie: It actually told you what businesses
Were going on in town and where to find them.
Robbie: Ugh... Ugh.
Whew, man it's a bruiser.
This came out of pennsylvania, it says.
It's got a model a on it, so that'd be like
'28, '29, '30.
I just love the subject matters, I mean,
You've got coin-op down here, you got radios,
You've got rexall pharmaceuticals,
And then you got automotive stuff, you know.
So it really appeals to a lot of different collectors.
Robbie: It also had a thermometer on it to tell
You the temperature, and a barometer to tell you
What the weather was going to do that day.
Robbie: Big plus these thermometers aren't broken.
It's huge. 2,800.
[dramatic music]
Jill: 34.
Robbie: 3 grand.
Jill: 31.
Robbie: 3 grand.
3 grand, I- I'm just, it's got some water damage,
I'm hoping I can peel some of these cards off here
And see what's underneath there.
Jill: Okay.
Alright, alright, alright... Alright.
I'll do 3 grand.
Robbie: Alright.
Robbie: It's crazy to find these in this condition.
The original advertising cards, none of the glass is broken,
And it's probably one of the biggest thermometers
I've ever found.
Robbie: Thanks. Jill: Thank you.
Robbie: I appreciate ya. Thank ya.
[kisses sign]
♪♪
Mike: Man, look at that.
See I look at that and I'm like...
That needs a motorcycle engine in it.
Jill: [laughs] oh my god...
Mike: I mean, doesn't it? It does. It's nuts.
Jill: Brian did a lot of buying, selling, and trading.
He went to a lot of different antique shows,
Swap meets, auctions.
Mike: Ah, ah...
Jill: Did you see the cabinet there?
Mike: Are you kidding me?
This is western frontier, man.
"a.J. Anderson hardware & gun shop. Fort worth, texas."
Jill: He got that down at round top.
Jill: Brian called me up when he was down there and he goes,
"you will not believe what I just found."
And just... Loved that item.
Mike: There's no pairs of spurs.
But that allows them to have a bigger selection.
You know, the biggie for me here is... Ahh...
The winchester.
If you look at the ammunition, that's around 1910.
It says "established 1870."
Look how long they've been in business.
Jill: Right. Mike: You know. I mean, wow.
Mike: The case is ornate, it's all there,
It's untouched, it's...
It's just... Unbelievable!
Mike: And then you look at this side of it,
And it's like, even mind -blower, you don't think
It can get any better, and it's early barbed wire.
So this is like a brilliant display piece
That the retailer made.
The retailer made this piece.
Winchester didn't make this piece.
Mike: It's literally 3 different categories of western americana,
Authentically placed in this case.
Built by a retailer to show off some of his
Best product in a small area.
Mike: Come on, the claw feet are like, ugh!
You know, that silvered mirror, it's kind of faded out.
Mike: This is one of those pieces that's like
A once-in-a- lifetime find.
Mike: [sighs] it's a mind-blower, man.
Uh... Man...
Jill: I don't think I want to sell that.
Mike: You don't? Ugh!
Jill: Sorry.
Mike: I talked you out of selling
It 'cause I was like, so excited.
Jill: [laughs]
Mike: Um... I'd pay 4,000 for it.
Jill: Really?
Mike: Yeah, I love it, man, I really do.
I mean, I don't think there's a huge amount
On the back end at all.
But I just, I love it.
I would love to own that. It's... Unbelievable to me.
I'm excited just like he was.
Jill: Can I think about it?
Mike: Absolutely. Jill: Thank you.
Mike: Absolutely.
And then there's this empty case,
Which has absolutely nothing in it... That I love.
Jill: [laughs] right.
Can you- can you read what is written on it?
Mike: What does it say?
Jill: Chewing gum on it.
Mike: Oh, oh barely.
Oh okay, really barely you can read it, okay.
It's made in chicago.
That's not too far from us. I'd pay...
200 bucks for an empty like that.
Jill: I'll take 200 on that. Yeah.
Mike: Yeah, I can- these are the cases that
Are manageable for anybody.
Jill: Right.
♪♪
Mike: You know, I used to own retail stores,
I used to have 2 bicycle shops.
And it was in a very small space.
So I was always looking for interesting
Ways to display things.
And I had to make a lot of that stuff.
So when I see this, it's obviously mass-produced,
You know, "h.E. Platt saw rack. Johnstown, pa."
It's just brilliant.
Mike: They displayed the saws in a way that they're far enough
Apart to where you can see all the way down the blade,
But what you're really looking at too there, is the handle.
Where you're going to spend the most time with it.
How it's going to feel to you.
Mike: I love this piece.
I mean, if you would think about selling this...
You know it's just, it's brilliant.
I haven't seen this one before.
Jill: Everybody loves that piece.
Mike: Everybody loves the saw display?
Jill: Yes.
Mike: And it's still here.
Jill: Yes.
Mike: Okay, so what's that telling me? Ugh...
Jill: I got to think about it.
Mike: Alright.
Well let me ask you about this...
This big rack on the wall over here.
Jill: The meat rack?
Mike: The meat cathedral.
This is the largest butcher rack I've ever seen.
Usually you find one bracket with a marquee on it.
But you can see that this was manufactured this way.
These all come off, you know, to hang the meat or to clean it.
And obviously to move it.
Jill: I know I was with brian when he bought that,
At an auction in northwest ohio.
I cannot remember what he paid for it.
Mike: To the right person, I think it's worth
As much as 3 grand.
The problem is, is finding the person...
Jill: Right.
Mike: ...That could utilized it.
Like when I look at it, I think it still needs to be in some
Sort of a retail setting, unless you got a massive kitchen.
Jill: [chuckles]
Mike: You know I mean it's, it is what it is.
Mike: On the top are what I like to call the meat marquee.
It's got the bone saw, it's got the cleaver,
It's got the steel to sharpen the knife.
I mean, that's where it starts.
And then you look down, and it just kind of drapes into
This medieval meat market.
The arms that mount to the wall, they're cast iron,
They're heavy, they're very ornate.
This was obviously in a very large butcher shop.
I've never seen one so big.
This is a very cool piece.
The fact that it's got wax wieners on it,
Takes it over the top.
Mike: I'd pay um...
I'd pay 2 grand for the meat rack.
And here's what I'm thinking - 2 grand for the meat rack,
4,000 for that little tiny display with the bullets in it,
And 1,000 for the saw display.
$7,000.
I would want the rubber hot dogs with it too.
Jill: [laughs]
Jill: Those are pieces that brian really liked.
But there's a lot here. I got to look at it,
I can't keep everything.
Jill: 75?
Mike: Hmm... Split it with me.
Jill: Okay.
Mike: We're doing it? Jill: Yeah.
Mike: Urgh! God I love this. It's incredible.
Jill: With the meat, with the meat. You're crazy.
Mike: Yes! I'm buying, like the dogs.
Jill: You're just crazy like brian was.
Mike: Arrr...
Jill: I think mike and brian would have got along.
Mike: It's like the meat altar. Cathedral of meat... You know?
Jill: Okay, you're crazy.
Mike: It's incredible.
Jill: Again, you guys are all nuts. [laughs]
Just saying.
Every single one of you collectors.
♪♪
Jill: It was nice to walk around and look at everything,
And show it to robbie and mike.
Mike: Alright...
Jill: I got a taller ladder.
Jill: I'm glad robbie brought mike to see
This massive collection that I have.
Mike: I think this is what heaven looks like, robbie.
Robbie: [laughs] mike: Neon heaven.
Jill: I tried to get brian to downsize,
Or not do the demolition anymore.
He didn't want to do any of that.
He loved it.
He loved every minute of it.
Jill: He smiled all the time, he had the best smile.
Oh my god, he had dimples, they were awesome.
Jill: You got it done?
Jill: He enjoyed every single one of these days.
Robbie: So you know I've been telling you all
Day long about trains stuff, you know.
Mike: Huh.
Robbie: Okay. Just don't freak...
Jill: I have a few things down in the basement to show you.
Robbie: Just a couple. Mike: Okay. I'm ready.
Robbie: Remember what we said about neon signs?
Jill: Go ahead.
Mike: Oh wow. Whoa...
Robbie: Yeah.
Mike: R.J. Wolfe & son, what!
Robbie: Yeah. Mike: Wow...
Robbie: That's nothing. Mike: [laughing]
Robbie: Take a gander to your right.
Mike: Holy crap!
Robbie: [laughs] mike: Whoa!
Mike: You know, it's like a lifetime.
Like literally someone's lifetime collection,
But he has all these different phases
And stages in his life. It's like...
When he threw himself into something,
Man, he went full throttle.
Mike: Whoa! Holy crap.
Robbie: This basement just keeps on going and going.
But the neat thing about it is, you can walk through it.
I've been down here 10 times,
And I still find new things that I've never seen before.
Mike: So is he the one that did all the displays in here?
Jill: Yes.
Mike: He's great at it.
Jill: Yes.
Mike: I mean, they look really great job.
Mike: Brian's collection was so deep in quality,
Rarity, and quantity.
Mike: To be honest with ya, I've never been a railroad guy,
And now...
Jill: You want to be a railroad guy?
Mike: Now I'm thinking about it.
Jill: I got some items I could sell to you.
Mike: I mean, I'm from a railroad town.
And the railroad helped build my community so much;
That and the river.
And I can understand his passion and his love for it,
Because the railroad is what built this country.
Mike: Whoa...
Mike: Coming from a guy that's not a railroad collector,
I'm walking around...
And I'm enamored by a lot of it.
Mike: I like the way his mind worked.
Mike: So when you romanticize about the open rails,
And the scenery and that time period in america
When everything was steam-driven, it's intoxicating.
Robbie: I like these, mike.
Mike: Yeah.
Jill: The bulletin boards?
Mike: I know, I mean, what's there not to like,
I like everything in here!
Mike: I'm seeing so many things that I've never seen before.
Never seen before. 30 years of doing this.
Jill: Are you lost back here?
Mike: No, hell no. Robbie: This is nuts.
Mike: Robbie, do you see this?
Robbie: What is it?
Mike: Ugh... My god!
Jill: [laughs] robbie: What's...
Jill: ...Careful your back. Mike: Ugh!
Robbie: It's a cast iron plaque?
Mike: Yeah...
Jill: It's bronze, isn't it?
Robbie: Bronze? What is it?
Mike: Ahh...
Robbie: Oh, the pennsylvania railroad.
Safety trophy, holy cow.
Mike: 1931. Robbie: '31.
Mike: "best safety record of freight
And yard train service department.
Awarded to group c grand rapids division."
I'm not sure what year it was, but I've seen this piece,
And I think it's striking.
With the radial engines on the airplane,
And then the engine coming at you,
It's like they're both almost like, they're both racing.
Mike: On this plaque, you have the stability and power of the
Railroad, and they're connecting that to the
Cutting edge technology of the tri-motor airplane.
Mike: Everything that was modern in this era,
All packaged together.
Mike: The plaque is dated 1931.
This country was in the depths of the depression.
But what this plaque is saying basically is,
This is the future.
There is light at the end of the tunnel,
We're going to get through it.
Mike: Do you have any idea of the value of this?
Jill: A friend of brian's...
Who he collected the railroad stuff together with,
He told me that, you know retail price is probably $1,000 on it.
Mike: Yeah, I know, it's gorgeous.
[sighs] would you do 7 on it?
You know, if that's the back end of it is a grand?
Jill: [grunts]
Mike: Where do you need to be on it?
Jill: 800?
Mike: Alright, I'm doing it.
Jill: Okay. Thank you.
Mike: I love it. I absolutely love it.
I know it's not anything that I'm going to find
Anywhere, anytime soon.
Mike: This is a work of art.
The image is forged in metal,
And the subject matter is incredible.
Mike: For a guy that was into demolition,
This is obviously how he expressed himself artistically.
Jill: Yes.
Mike: Through his collection.
Jill: I could see that, yes.
Mike: Yeah, absolutely.
And I really appreciate this piece too. I- I totally do.
Jill: Anybody that is a collector,
No matter what it is that they collector,
Appreciates another collector.
Mike: Thank you for that.
Jill: No, thank you.
Mike: Alright.
Jill: I appreciate it.
♪♪
Robbie: This is that piece I wanted you to look at.
I think it's absolutely amazing.
Mike: Wow...
Robbie: I mean, it's just... It's crazy.
Each individual piece, each guy was hand-painted.
Every one of those, it- the banners.
Mike: Yeah, I love the circus banners.
Robbie: Oh it's nuts.
Jill: He got it at an auction, probably 18 years ago.
Mike: Um-hm.
Robbie: This is all wood, mike. It's crazy.
Jill: Look at the people in the bleachers.
Robbie: Look at how they displayed the elephants!
Mike: Oh wow!
Robbie: I just love it.
Mike: It'd be great to sell it to a place or
Somebody that has the room to display it.
Robbie: I know.
Mike: I'm just blown away by the layers of his collection.
My eyes are just going all over the place.
Robbie: You can't keep them in one-
Mike: My eyes aren't keeping up with my brain.
Jill: Right.
Mike: I'm not a railroad collector.
But as I'm walking through the depths of this collection,
I'm very intrigued by it.
♪♪
Jill: What does that say?
"new york, new haven & hartford railroad"?
Mike: Yeah, it says... "for best safety award."
Robbie: It doesn't have a date or year.
Jill: No.
Mike: Well, that was underneath,
The engraving plaque's missing on it.
Jill: The guy that collects trains said about 400.
Mike: Okay.
They're both different.
Robbie: I kind of like that one better.
Mike: Yeah.
Mike: Things that I really connect to,
Are the trophies.
The image is forged in metal, and the subject matter and
The time period, you know, that grabs me.
Mike: How about- what would you take for both,
If it's 800 retail on them, what would you
Feel comfortable with both?
Jill: 600?
Mike: I'll do 650.
Jill: Aw thank you.
Mike: Alright, thank you.
Robbie: You got to remember.
Brian had a demolition contract with the railroads.
He was going into take these things down anyhow.
They were going to go to scrap.
But he saw value beyond that.
He saw value in saving the history of them.
Robbie: You know I like early traffic stuff.
Jill: Yes?
Robbie: I found one piece down here that's traffic.
Jill: That is a cool piece.
Robbie: Yeah.
Jill: That is way cool.
Robbie: You know, and it says right there
"traffic signal company."
This is early like, model t era, I guess.
They'd light the red lantern,
And it was telling you to go to the right.
Robbie: I've seen lights like this before.
But I've never seen one that was gas-lit.
The fact that this still says "patent applied for,"
It probably wasn't mass-produced.
This thing is so primitive,
I highly doubt that many of these survived.
Robbie: This is an early one.
The fact that it's complete,
I just love it. $1,200.
Jill: [exhales]
...I can do that.
Robbie: That's a long...
You were thinking on that a long time,
You were like, okay.
Jill: I was, I- I was.
It was a nice piece, brian liked that one.
Thank you, rob.
Robbie: Thanks.
Jill: You'll be happy.
Robbie: Yeah. It's cool, it's way cool.
I love that.
Jill: Brian always said that he wanted to have an auction while
He was still alive, because he wanted to see who was getting
His stuff, and he wanted to enjoy that part of it.
And unfortunately he never got that chance.
Jill: It's going to be tough...
And I hope I'm doing the right thing
And I hope brian will be proud of me.
Mike: Alright robbie, I think you did okay on these letters.
Robbie: Yeah.
Robbie: Today was bittersweet.
Over the years, brian became not just a friend,
But he taught me so much about this industry.
It was an honor to actually be able to
Walk through here with jill today, share some stories,
And actually come away with a few pieces.
Mike: Alright, here we go.
Robbie: Every one of these pieces eventually
Are going to end up being somewhere in the world,
A little piece of brian's going to live on forever.
Mike: Woo! [chuckles]
Robbie: Well jill, I don't even think...
Jill: Rob.
Robbie: I don't even think we put a dent in it.
Jill: No.
Robbie: Still we're going to say,
You're going to go out to the barn tomorrow and go,
"god, did we get rid of anything?"
Jill: [laughs] right.
Mike: Hey.
Jill: Nice meeting you.
Mike: Thank you for sharing your history with us,
I appreciate it.
Jill: Oh thank you.
Mike: I'm going to come back.
Jill: Okay, anytime.
Mike: Alright.
Alright, thank you.
Jill: Call first.
Mike: Come to nashville, we'll go honky-tonking.
Robbie: Honky-tonking.
Jill: Yes please.
Robbie: You know, jill's got her hands full,
But I'm sure brian understands looking down on her,
That she's easily going to handle the task.
[honks horn]
Mike: Sweet picking! Jill: Be safe!
[honks horn]
♪♪
Meg: It looks so good.
Mefford: I mean, just the detail.
Meg: Ah guys. I love it so much.
Mefford: I'm just amazed.
You guys, up and down the ladders, all over.
Driving the equipment back and forth, oh...
Meg: [laughs] it was a big of a doozy, right? Oh...
[honks horn]
Mefford: Op...
Meg: Ahh!
[screaming excitedly]
Mefford: Ah, he's here! Stinky, get down here!
Stinky: Okay, alright.
Mefford: What do you think? What do you think?
Does this look good?
Mike: What! Are you kidding me?
Mike: Oh my gosh, you guys!
Meg: Dude! Stinky: Hey...
Mike: You guys nailed it!
Mike: I've been in love with this building since the first
Time we saw it.
Mike: I came over the hill down here,
And it was like I saw the stripes,
And then the stripes went into this.
Meg: It's so good.
Stinky: I love that.
Mike: It's so cool!
Meg: It's like glowing right now.
Stinky: Yeah, the sign...
Mike: Seriously yeah, it's like the golden hour.
Meg: It's like the golden hour.
We've got like an hour left, we are so close
To get that last little corner.
Mike: Oh my god, are you kidding me?
It looks so good.
Meg: Ah.
Mike: I'm glad you talked me into the off -white.
Meg: Right.
Mike: Because that bright white would have been just too much.
Mefford: No, no. With the black.
Meg: Way too much.
Mike: And then the font, you guys nailed it.
That looks just like the photograph.
Mike: I found an old photograph of the
Hudson terraplane dealership down the road.
So that is the inspiration I gave them for this project.
Mike: Were people freaking out when they're driving by?
Meg: Oh, people did not know what we were doing at first.
And then we got columbia up there,
And it was just like, thumbs up, people freaking out...
Stinky: Party...
Meg: ...They're like what!
[group laughing]
Stinky: Small town cred out the wazoo.
Mike: No kidding?
Meg: It was like, it was really sweet.
Mike: This is something for all of us to be proud of.
Mefford: Oh yeah.
Mike: I mean, it's like, the first time we put
Anything this big on the outside of the building...
Meg & mefford: Um-hm.
Mike: ...That represents this district,
Represents all the car dealers and the mechanics,
And the body shops and all that stuff.
Mike: Every car dealership was represented in this town,
Where there was hudson terraplane,
Buick, pontiac, volkswagen, chevy, ford, I mean...
Mike: ...4 of them were on this street.
We were the chevy dealership.
So within this small radius, there was
So much automotive history.
Mike: So now we're kind of putting a label on it saying,
Hey this is motor alley...
Meg: Oh yeah.
Mike: ...This is the history of this area.
Mike: We are huge advocates of transportation history.
Mike: You're the one who threw gas on the fire.
Meg & stinky: [laughing]
Mike: We are dedicated to finishing this project and
Bring this dealership back to the way it looked
When it was built in 1947.
Mike: Okay, we need to inside to celebrate,
It's cold out, let's go.
Meg: [laughs] it's cold.
Jill: Lots of bloopers, right?
Mike: Wow...
Mike & jill: There's the... Front end!
Jill & mike: [laughs]
Mike: Bru- depth...
[sputters]
[chatter & laughing]
Off-camera: ...Right in front of mike's face.
Robbie: How about your whole pallet?
Off-camera: Jill, over to camera, so...
Jill: He had just...
Mike: I'll ask you again 'cause he was interrupting you.
Jill: Okay.
Mike: Sorry. He was, I mean, he was directing you,
I'm sorry directing. [laughs]
Mike: Wait... I can't say...
[group laughing]
Mike: Let me, let me say...
Jill: What are you doing?
Mike: I'm looking at repop stuff that I thought was real.
Jill & mike: [laughs]
Robbie: In la-la land, man.
[loud bell rings]
Off-camera: The basement, you know, like walking down there...
Mike: Robbie broke it.
Jill: Robbie broke it.
Mike: [laughs] jill: Oh god!
[loud metal crashing] mike: Robbie!