Bloomfield History Lovers Buy 800 Old Street Signs

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Who would shell out hundreds of dollars for an old street sign? Lots of people, as it turns out.

Recently, Bloomfield town officials held an online sale for 1,178 street signs. The pieces of local memorabilia were taken down over the past 11 months as part of an effort to replace every street sign in the township.

Instead of throwing away the old signs, Bloomfield officials decided to give people a shot to take home a piece of local history. The response was huge, officials said. During last month’s auction, more than 800 signs were sold.

Bidding for each sign began at $10. But some of the more popular offerings commanded much higher prices. The highest-priced sign went for $386, while others hit the $150 to $250 mark. Most sold for below $100, officials said.

The town plans to hold a live auction for the remaining signs in the spring, officials said.

“I would like to thank all of the township employees who helped plan and operate this online sale,” Mayor Michael Venezia said. “It was a great way to allow residents to own a real piece of Bloomfield history and generate revenue for the town.”

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