Honest Ed's is selling off many of its iconic, hand-painted signs in a blowout sale on Monday morning at 10am. This news, which broke a few days ago, was met with rabid excitement from Toronto nostalgiacs, history buffs, and folks who like the idea of retaining a bit of the store's legacy before it ultimately gives way to condos in the coming years. But just what will the selection be like, a few of us asked after catching wind of the sale? Ever the good marketers, the folks at Honest Ed's invited media types in for a preview of the sale and a little early celebration of the iconic store's history.
On hand were Wayne Reuben and Douglass Kerr, the employees responsible for the signage, both of whom did a few demonstrations of their work. It's remarkable just how precise and quick they are. It might be cliche, but it really is remarkable that a discount retailer employees full time sign painters in 2014. Alas, with the store scheduled to close on December 31st, 2016 this dated practice will soon be another bit of Toronto history.
Get a sneak peek of the Honest Ed's sign sale in this photo gallery.