Interesting Auction...Very interesting auction!...

Larry White · Post by **Larry White** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:24 am

Hmmm...check this out...

Esoteric Sign Supply is for sale

also...

Commonwealth Varnish Co. is for sale

...better check my Lotto ticket quick!

Post by **Danny Baronian** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 12:42 pm

When checking out the Esoteric sale, snag the photos of the store.

According to Larry, the photos are representative of what the store currently looks like, as Larry was down there a few months ago for a restoration course by Dave Trujillo.

Post by **Mike Jackson** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 12:45 pm

Hi Larry,
Danny just let me know about the auctions and I was coming on line to write the same post you just did. I wonder if they will get a bid? Without a reserve, the place would sell for that amount by the first bidder, unless more than one are bidding. Maybe the most interesting part of the whole thing is the concept of selling the businesses on eBay.

There are a couple of photos of the inside of the old store if anyone wants to view them.

You can also SEND the auction page to yourself by going to File>Send>Page by email.

Mike

Post by **Mike Jackson** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:33 am

Hi gang,
Not too late to pick up Esoteric Sign Supply!

You might want to notice one of the last lines in the auction:

Furniture and cabinets are negotiable

Happy bidding!
Mike Jackson

Bob Ficucell · Post by **Bob Ficucell** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:35 am

Hi,
I feel a real sense of sadness seeing those pics, and the fact the business is up for sale.
Maybe the fact that it's up for sale may answer the question, but is anyone buying from them? is it making any money?,
cause if not, that is a lot of money for "Blue Sky" Bob

Post by **Danny Baronian** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:42 pm

Too late, auctions ended.

No takers, no bids.

Unless they re list it like Commonwealth, but that ended the second time as the first.

If anyone read what was included with Commonwealth, everything was for sale but asphaltum, which was purchased from a local supplier.

Check out the green page for supplies. If you can't find any in your area, check out local printing suppliers, as in offset presses. In my area you can get it at numerous shops for about $ 28 a gallon.

Post by **Mike Jackson** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:04 am

Danny,
Therre is more to the story about asphaltum.

When Steven Parrish passed away, I was able to purchase some of his sign making estate. Included in that were quite a few cans of varnishes and sealers, plus several cans of asphaltum. When Rick came out to one of the artcamps, I gave him a can of asphaltum from Steven's stuff. All of the asphaltum cans had a Sherwin Williams label. When Rick returned home, he contacted Sherwin Williams. They had more or less officially discontinued selling the small pint and half pint cans of the material in their stores, but were still selling 55 gallon drums of it. Rick bought one, then repackaged it under his label, and later Commonwealth. So, there was no need for him to have a formula for Asphaltum...just a phone number to a local Sherwin Williams supplier.

Mike Jackson

Post by **Danny Baronian** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:37 am

I'd forgotten about that, you'd mentioned that or posted it on the forum.

Added to that, in one of your SignCraft articles on glue chipping, in a photo accompanying the article, there was a can of Sherwin Williams asphaltum sitting near a glass piece that was being prepared for glue.

Once Esoteric II ran out, they probably never ordered another 55 gallon drum.

I've always wondered where Rick stored all the bulk materials. Must have been in the trailer in the back, it was nowhere in or around the shop.

Larry White · Post by **Larry White** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:11 am

So, gentlemen, if no one purchases the rights to continue the Commonwealth Varnish line, is there an alternative source or brand of varnish products to replace the varnishes we're so used to using?

Perhaps we'll have to get a few folks to go in on one of those 55 gallon drums of ashaltum... or maybe I'll just get one for myself, that could be quite comforting....

Post by **Mike Jackson** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:35 am

http://www.dickblick.com/zz452/05/

http://www.letterheadsignsupply.com/asphaltum.htm

Larry, I don't think you'd need to go out and buy a drum of it, since the product is still so readily available. I just relayed the story to explain why the asphaltum formula is not included in the Commonwealth list. Rick bought it from Sherwin Williams and repackaged it. Looks like Ron at Letterhead Sign Supply picked up a supply of it.

Still, you might contact Sherwin Williams and see if they sell it in gallons at any of their locations.

Good luck!
Mike Jackson

Tony Segale · Post by **Tony Segale** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 12:05 pm

no need to fret, boys...

there still a chance since the biz and product line are both back on the auction block

Bill Masters · Post by **Bill Masters** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:53 pm

You can still buy asphaltum from Sherwin Williams but you have to buy a 5 gallon pail.
Thats what I found on their web site back when Rick passed and Mike was looking for other sources.

Post by **Mike Jackson** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 12:11 am

Hi Bill,
Thanks for the note. 5 gallons would last most people I know a few lifetimes, even doing quite a few acid etched or glue-chipped jobs weekly. Still, it is nice to know that source is still out there.

Mike Jackson

Patrick Mackle · Post by **Patrick Mackle** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:17 pm

Hold your horses! Before you stand up for 55 gallons. Henry's sells it in 1 gallon cans at Home Depot, Its not called asphaltum outright, but some "roofing" term like wet patch BUT WITHOUT THE ADDED FIBERIOUS STUFF that keeps it stuck to the base of your chimney because you waited 'till a big rainstorm to apply it.
Its shiney, pure and thick like viscious black honey, hard to pour in winter. Asphaltum is asphaltum. Its more of what you add to it that makes it better for one thing than
another.
Back in the days acid embossers and signmen had their own secret additives that they would add to strenghten adhesion, finish, withstand the action of acids, and even
to make re-positionable tar based "backups" on thin papers for time saving backing up of goldleaf window signs.
In England I visited several embossing companies that added red lead oxide powder (TOXIC) to their "embosser's black" asphaltum to supposedly improve it against the acid. I asked "does it really make it better?" the reply, "Not really". I tried adding it when I returned home and had to agree as I watched my hand painted asphaltum linework float to the surface of the acid leaving the design to suffer.
Without being there to personally view the process, I would think that varnish is probably the most obvious additive added to asphaltum to aid in drying and adhesion.
Anything after that would be passed down in some confidence or invented (re-invented) outright by one of our very own.
Pat