Those who knew the late Chuck Stearman, founder and long time proprietor of SPBGMA (Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America), will know that in addition to bluegrass music, he had a passion for vintage and antique signage. Chuck had accumulated quite an aggregation of metal signs, and vintage advertising promotional items, like trays, toys, tins, and bottles.
He was quite proud of his many examples of Coca-Cola marketing merchandise, including coolers and machines, and had stored up an enviable stash over the years.
Now that he has passed, and his family has SPBGMA operations under control, they are putting his extensive collection of classic pieces up for sale at auction. Nearly 170 items are listed to be sold on September 22 at the Clark County Fairgrounds in Kahoka, MO.
McAfee/Hayes Auction Service will handle the sale, with online bidding enabled in advance of the sale date. There are a number of unique and highly collectible items, plus many others that will bring back a lot of memories for older antiquers.
There is no bluegrass content in the lot, but friends of Chuck may want to have something from his collection to better remember him by.
You can see the auction information and the various items in the catalog online.