JACOB SCHMIDT LIGHTED BUBBLER BEER SIGN - ST. PAUL, MN - mid 1950s

Description

Jacob Schmidt Lighted Bubbler Beer Sign.
This is a very cool sign, indeed!  It was produced by Blake Specialties for Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company of St. Paul, Minnesota circa mid 1950s.  Dating is based on: 1 - the bottle labels; 2 - the one-digit city code address on the manufacturer’s label on the back of the sign, and; 3 – American Breweries II by Van Wieren lists the brewery as operating in St. Paul from 1933 to 1954.
The sign begins bubbling within a minute or two and reaches full strength and bubbles all the way up to the head on the beer glass after another minute or two.  I loaded a video on YouTube to show the bubbling action and the sign lit up in a darkened room.  To find the video, search for this listing’s title on YouTube.  (Apparently, Ebay doesn’t allow direct links to YouTube anymore.)
The sign front (including tray, bottle and beer glass) and the top, bottom and sides are one piece of molded plastic.  It is in very nice condition.  There are some nicks in the bottle labels, some very minor scratches on the beer glass, and a number of small spots of plating loss on the tray that can be seen in the 4th photo.  There is some black touch up paint on the top, bottom and sides which is not visible when the sign is viewed from the front, and not particularly noticeable otherwise -- see 5
th
and 6
th
photos.
The painted sheet metal back is in good condition with no dents.  It is attached with four screws so it can be removed to replace the light bulbs if needed.  It has a hook at the top for hanging the sign on a wall.  The paint has general wear and tape marks around the perimeter.  The manufacture’s label is present and in good condition with a few nicks.
Attached to the inside of the back are the electrical components.  The plug, cord, grommet, internal wiring and other components are all original and in good safe working order.  The type of bulbs, starter and transformer are shown in the 9
th
and 10
th
photos.  I’ll include a spare incandescent C-7 bulb with the sign just in case the existing one burns out soon or doesn’t survive shipping -- it looks old.  I replaced the plastic cable clamp with a new one – the old clamp was dried out and cracked.
Attached to the inside of the front is the bubble tube and  sheet metal reflector.  Three of the five plastic posts that held the reflect to the front of the sign were gone; the fourth looked about ready to go; the fifth was cracked.  (The sign likely got dropped at some point during it’s time in service).  I carefully removed the 4
th
and 5
th
posts and neatly secured the reflector to the front with clear silicone at all five former post locations -- see 11
th
photo and upper right of 12
th
photo.
Two of the posts for screwing the sheet metal back to the sign were broken.  I carefully trimmed the broken pieces away, drilled the existing holes a little deeper, and used slightly longer screws at those locations.  The screw sizes are marked at each post so they won’t get mixed up if the back cover has to be removed to change the light bulbs.
Very nice, complete, clean, condition with age-appropriate wear from use.  Has a couple of minor interior repairs.  Lights up and works perfectly.  Please view all listing photos and read full description below.
Dimensions: 13” wide x 16” high x 2.75” deep.  Weight: 3 lb. 6 oz.
The sign photographed for this listing is the sign you’ll receive.
Any
questions?  Need more photos?  Just ask and I'll be happy to respond.
From a smoke-free, pet-free home.
This sign has been very carefully packed for shipping and will be shipped in a sturdy corrugated cardboard box.
UPS INSURED GROUND SHIPPING SERVICE TO PAYPAL CONFIRMED U.S. ADDRESSES ONLY!  REQUESTS TO SHIP TO UNCONFIRMED ADDRESSES WILL NOT BE GRANTED!
NO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING!
The cost for full insurance will be at my expense.  Depending on where the price ends, I may add delivery and signature confirmation at my expense.  The winning bidder will NOT be charged extra for any of these services.
This item will be shipped no later than the second business day after I receive payment confirmation from Ebay.  I’ll provide the UPS tracking number to the winning bidder.