Bertoia Auctions to Hold Colorful Advertising Sale on October 9

Top lots include a Mail Pouch Tobacco porcelain thermometer, a 1912 Ives fire hose reel, and a rare Reed “Gem of the Ocean” toy riverboat

Vineland, NJ — October 2026 — Bertoia Auctions will hold its Advertising Sale on Friday, October 9, beginning promptly at 10:00 AM ET at its gallery at 2141 DeMarco Drive, Vineland, NJ. The auction offers a colorful mix of antique advertising, country store items, and cast-iron collectibles, including soda pop, breweriana, early signs, coin-operated machines, more than 200 still and mechanical banks, horse-drawn toys, cast-iron novelties, and much more.

Highlights span early and graphic signs, Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola advertising, brewery trays and displays, clocks, tins, bottles, slot and amusement machines, and unusual store and countertop pieces. From familiar names to obscure regional brands, the auction captures the bold graphics and nostalgic imagery that once filled America’s stores, taverns, and soda fountains.

Advertising Signs and Thermometers

A tall, framed porcelain advertising thermometer for Mail Pouch Tobacco features a deep cobalt-blue field with yellow and white lettering reading “Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco / Treat Yourself to the Best.” Impressive at 73½ inches tall, the sign retains its central glass thermometer and wood frame and is in pristine to near-mint condition. It carries a pre-sale estimate of $1,500-$2,500.

A vertical Canadian Coca-Cola porcelain sign showing the Sprite Boy character measures 54 inches tall by 18 inches wide and is in excellent condition. It carries a pre-sale estimate of $500-$1,000.

A large curved Luzianne Coffee and Chicory lithographed-tin advertising sign, manufactured by Wm B Reily & Co of New Orleans and copyright 1938, features the familiar Luzianne server carrying a steaming cup and coffee service, along with period coupon redemption advertising. The sign measures 24 inches in diameter, is in excellent condition, and is expected to make $400-$800.

Political memorabilia is represented by an 1898 Pennsylvania Republican Party embossed tin lithographed campaign sign (Lot 28) promoting gubernatorial candidate Colonel William A. Stone and the party’s statewide ticket beneath the slogan “The Republican Party and Union Forever.” Richly illustrated with patriotic flags, a soaring eagle, and portrait medallions of the candidates, the 19½-inch by 28-inch sign is in very good to excellent condition and is expected to settle in the $1,000-$1,500 range.

Breweriana

A Ruhstallers Lager gilt-edge advertising beer tray features a humorous tavern scene with a gentleman holding a bottle and glass beside a seated woman. Signed in the image “V.A. Blom” and bearing the slogan “Best Beer Brewed,” the 25-inch-long tray is expected to change hands for $1,000-$2,000.

Coin-Operated Machines

An unusual circa-1930s French coin-operated countertop trade stimulator attributed to Bussoz, housed in a molded oak cabinet, features a colorful wheel with an early depiction of Mickey Mouse and red, green, and yellow betting fields. Players wager a pierced 25-centime coin on a chosen color, and a winning spin dispenses a 50- or 75-centime token. The piece retains its original French instruction card, coin mechanisms, and key, and stands 27 inches tall in good working condition. Comparable examples are identified in French collections as Roulette Bussoz: Mickey. It is a compelling crossover piece at the intersection of early coin-operated amusements and Disney collectibles, estimated at $1,000-$1,600.

Soda Fountain

A Wards Lemon-Crush syrup dispenser is an early ceramic soda fountain piece molded in the form of an oversize lemon with a textured yellow surface, raised black lettering, and applied floral decoration around the base. It comes complete with its metal lid and is in excellent condition, estimated at $800-$1,600.

Toys and Cast-Iron

A Reed Gem of the Ocean toy riverboat, a large and deluxe production rarely seen in the marketplace, measures nearly 30 inches in length. Such paper-lithographed wood toys are fragile by nature and susceptible to condition issues, but this example presents in pristine condition. It is estimated at $1,000-$2,000.

An oversize 1912 Ives fire hose reel, 26 inches in length and complete with original figures, is in very good to excellent condition given its size, weight, and age. It carries an estimate of $1,500-$2,500.

Banks

Among the more than 200 banks on offer, a White City barrel-on-cart still bank, manufactured by Nicol & Co Mfg and standing 5½ inches tall, is in excellent to pristine condition with a pre-sale estimate of $600-$1,000.

A fine example of The Best Kast Iron Clothing safe, made by Regent Mfg Co of Chicago and measuring 4 inches high, is in very good to excellent condition and is expected to bring $500-$1,000.

“Together, these collections create a colorful and wide-ranging auction filled with advertising, banks, toys and nostalgic objects spanning some of the most popular categories of American collecting,” said Michael Bertoia, president of Bertoia Auctions and the firm’s principal auctioneer.

Remote bidding options include absentee, phone, or live online via Bertoia Live, LiveAuctioneers, or Invaluable. For catalogues and bidding information, visit Bertoia Auctions.