Page 6 - Advertising & Breweriana Auction Sunday 28 November
P. 6

 The Johnny Eaton Collection
BBR has built a unique, unrivalled, reputation for effectively dispersing single owner collections - some with a one off specialist catalogue, others split across a handful of sales. We kick start this auction with two pages of varied items from the late Johnny Eaton, Midlands, Collection to be sold in this and on Sunday 29 May, 2022.
Hard really to put into a few sentences about my dad. From 15 years old he worked as a welder, working on Pullman carriages and forever retained an interest in steam trains, as did all kids.
Back in the late 1960s, when the railways closed, dad me and my brother would go out for walks along canals and disused railways. I remember as a young kid of about 5 years old railway stuff was everywhere, left abandoned on derelict stations - benches, lamps, totems - all G.W.R. We once had every totem from Winson Green to Great Bridge all over our house and garden.
One day whilst out walking(dad did not drive) we found a few signs in situ on Swan village station -
Hudsons, Virol, Vianola Soap and Lipton Tea, all held on by iron nails. We took them home and my mum
responded with something along the lines - not more sh**!.
Once cleaned they looked ace, lots of colours which really stood out, different to totems. I’ve still got the Hudsons and would never sell that one
We both loved these enamels and wanted more! Slowly all the railway stuff disappeared from the old stations but the enamel bug had started and I could not wait for the weekend. We would walk for miles looking for enamels that were still in situ on shops - a pleasure to see. Back then half the shop owners did not know what they were or did not even know what we were after.
My old man paid as little as 50 pence or £1, nobody wanted them back then. Some days we got on a bus with 5 or 6 good signs and the looks we got were mad off other passengers.
Then we discovered Birmingham rag market, every Monday - I never went to school on a Monday for ages, it shows now though. There we met a bloke called Chris Gordon who was a big collector and he invited us over to his house one night - we were blown away. He had enamels everywhere, all round the house, in every room, cabinets, tins, display cabinets, mirrors. We visited once
 We asked Spence, Johnny’s son, to give a little background to his dad...
every two months and buy enamels off him when dad had saved enough money. Stuff wasnt cheap, but in hindsight we secured some bargains. We did not collect to invest, we just loved them.
Anyway the bug became worse and we started going to London - Alfies, Liz Farrow, Dodo, Portobello - very found memories.
 Dad loved anything Robin - ciggy or starch. His name on the Advertising site was English Robin or Little Jonny Eaton.
The best result was a Frys five boys still on a shop in Wednesbury, about 40 feet up in the air.
We approached Council for permission to remove at the princely sum 54 pence. So off we went for about a 4 mile walk carrying our trusty wooden ladders and my dad climbed
 up and prized it off. Another sign I will never sell.
NB: Every item from this collection will carry a small provenance sticker.
2. SOVEREIGN DEVON TREACLE TOFFEE . 6.3 x 3.8 x 6.4ins. Similar front & rear pict. image - best side shown here, other less good - see easylive for additional images.
1. BISTO LARGE 3D CUT OUT SHOP DISPLAY
ADVERTISEMENT. 24ins tall, 5.5 deep, 16.5 wide. Multi
coloured image of period clad boy & girl swooning over the prospect of a meat pie - with Bisto. Crease to top right edge
but generally very good.. Johnny Eaton
Johnny Eaton Colln. 7.7/10
 Colln. 8.7/10









































































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