As the Metro prepares to reopen its Blue Line on November 2 after major renovations, the big news is that it will now be known as the "A Line" -- as the L.A. rail system moves away from a color-coded system to a letter-based one. That also means many of the Blue Line's old signs are obsolete.
On Thursday, the Metro Shop held a Metro Blue Line Celebration and Vintage Sign Auction, pulling in at least $30,000 as people — including, yes, me —— purchased some of the old, retired signs from the line. Some of that money will go toward paying for the event; the rest will go back into Metro's general fund.
I was looking for one that said "Los Angeles," and managed to win one (although it wasn't cheap). Most of the major signs fetched $150 to $200, but there were deals for smaller signs. Around 300 vintage Blue Line signs that have been replaced were auctioned to the public; I wonder what happened to the others. (Go here to see how much each sign ultimately fetched.)
The event itself took place at the Union Station historic ticketing hall, and featured food, beverages and live music by Maria de la Vega & the Wayward Five. Some pics:
And yes, this is the one I ultimately purchased.
No comments:
Post a Comment