Iconic Honest Ed’s signs up for sale, one last time
Posted October 19, 2016 11:46 am.
Last Updated October 24, 2016 11:04 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s your last chance to own a piece of Toronto retail history. Honest Ed’s will begin selling off its last remaining hand painted signs this weekend, before the store permanently closes at the end of December.
This will be the fourth – and final – sign sale. More than 20,000 have already been purchased since Honest Ed’s first began selling the collectibles in 2014.
“There will never be – in a million years – a place like this.”
“People consider these to be treasured keepsakes… customers have so many connections to them,” general manager Russell Lazar told CityNews in a phone interview. Lazar, who has been working at Honest Ed’s since 1957, says “over the last couple years some people have been stealing some [signs], but we’ve still got fabulous beauties and classics, literally thousands, and this is the final sale.”
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Taking a piece of history from Honest Ed’s
Ed Mirvish first opened his store in 1948 and the signs became a familiar sight in the window displays at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst streets. If you’re looking for a bargain, Lazar says they will have items for all budgets, with some as cheap as $1. The most expensive is an old caricature of Ed Mirvish with a price tag of $850. The sale is scheduled to take place Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Edward’s son, David Mirvish, will be there Saturday to meet with customers. During past sign sales people lined-up for hours to get their hands on a souvenir. Lazar says it’s a bittersweet time for patrons and workers alike.
“The store has been around 68 years. We know people value it … they visit more and more, [we] see third generation families to take a walk down [our aisles]… Honest Ed’s, there will never be – in a million years – a place like this.”
Honest Ed’s scheduled closing date is Dec. 31, 2016. No formal closing celebrations have been announced.
SIGN SALE HOURS
Oct. 22
8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Oct. 23
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Oct. 24
11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
