TGI Fridays

November 9 2005 at 9:20 AM
Daniel Bretta (Login slidekellyslide)
Anyone ever eaten at one of these places? I stopped in my local one yesterday for the first time and they have antiques on the walls through the entire restaurant. Mine has a very large Piedmont cigarettes tin sign which is probably 3' x 4' and an old early 1900's baseball board game that I've never seen before. It made me wonder where they get these items. The Piedmont sign would be something you'd see in a Mastro auction.



HOWARD WOLF
(Login hblakewolf)
TGI FRIDAYS-MORE THAN NACHOS INSIDE
November 9 2005, 9:46 AM

Dan-
Funny you bring this up. I travel throughout the country, and often eat at TGI's. Every one has the same type of antiques, including old signs, roller-skates, and related. The old baseball equipment looks amazing! I was told that they have a full time staff that seeks these items for the purpose of decorating the interior of their restaurants. A similar theme of old camping and "woodsy" items (i.e., boating signs, camping gear, etc). adorns the walls of Famous Daves BBQ, another national chain (amazing ribs-pathetic service). I was told that they too have a staff that locates these unique items at garage sales and estate sales.

How would you like to have the title of director of Acquisitions for one of these establishments? I'm sure the pay isn't too shabby, and just think about the benefits-all the potato skins, Bloomin’ onions and Guinness you can eat and drink!

Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net



Joe K.
(Login vintagesportscollector)
Restuarant Sports Memorabilia
November 9 2005, 12:36 PM

Interesting topic Dan. I have often wonder the same thing. Not just TGIF but many of the chains have similar sports theme memorabilia. In the Northeast we also have Ruby Tuesdays and Charlie Browns and a few others. Regardless of the quality of the items, they spare no expense in the way they display them. I am redoing my basement now, and I am using what I have seen at Tuesdays as an inspiration and for some display ideas. Most of the stuff you see isn't actually that special, it's the way they display it. But on occassion you see something that is just amazing and makes you wonder.

My wife hates it when we go the these restaurants and I spend the time staring at the walls as opposed to listening to whatever she may be talking about. At some point I'll go the the restroom and spend 15 mins walking back to our table as I take the long route through the restaurante to check out the walls.

Several years ago I saw this show about a guy who owns a business the salvages antiques for themed restaurants like this. That was years ago before ebay and other online auctions. Now acquiring these things is much easier..and given the deep pockets of the chains, really not that difficult. The interesting part is how much a restuarant is willing to pay for a valuable collectible, such as the Piedmont sign, when in reality only 1 out of every 250 people that walk in to the place would actually appreciate its true value.



Mike H
(Login mjkm90)
Re: Restuarant Sports Memorabilia
November 9 2005, 6:07 PM

A lot of the items you see in restaurants are repros. I need to quote Joe K. for a second here now that I've stopped laughing ("Whatever she may be talking about"). THAT is funny!!! You've been sneaking off to those sensitivity training courses behind your wife's back again havn't you Joe? Ha ha.


Greg
(Login HiNeighbor)
Re: Restuarant Sports Memorabilia
November 9 2005, 7:29 PM

I don't know if it's still there, but the TGI Friday's up in Boston used to have a beautiful Reuter& Company Sterling Ale porcelain round sign hanging up with the rest of their nostalgia. I'm probably the only one that ever paid it any attention.

What does this possibly have to do with Baseball Memorabilia?

The same sign can be seen hanging on the exterior facade of Michael McGreevy's Third Base Saloon in Roxbury in a contemporary photograph. (I doubt it is THE sign though....)

Neat stuff, for what it's worth (at least to us Sox and Beer guys)

And it sure is original

Nuff Ced.... <G>

Greg http://www.network54.com/Realm/tmp/1131582534.JPG



Daniel Bretta
(Login slidekellyslide)
Re: Restuarant Sports Memorabilia
November 9 2005, 7:29 PM

I don't think the Piedmont sign in my local TGIF's is a repro....luckily for me nobody was sitting at the table where it was located so I went over and looked at it. It looks like it may have been touched up some, but it definitely feels, and looks old with a little rust here and there as well. The baseball game hanging on the wall looks period also, but it was way too high up to get a real good look at it.



Max Weder
(Login baseballart)
Re: Restuarant Sports Memorabilia
November 9 2005, 9:01 PM

Great topic for posting. Hopefully, others can add a list of these restaurants in their cities, so that I can make my dining choices accordingly. Who cares about food, I want to see vintage sports memorabilia when I eat.

ax


brett
(Login imlemonysnicket)
Re: Restuarant Sports Memorabilia
November 11 2005, 2:31 PM

I remember tagging along with my dad to the Brimfield shows back in the early/mid 90's and we had a couple discussions with these decorators. They would buy everything regardless of price or condition, as long as it had "the look" for their client. I always wondered if I came across a high end item in a restaurant, would they trade for another piece that gives the same look? Just curious.

Brett Lowman
Vintage Brett's Sports Equipment Sale
http://www.geocities.com/vintagebrett/index.html



Mike H
(Login mjkm90)
Re: Restuarant Sports Memorabilia
November 11 2005, 3:25 PM

They would probably look at that as a zero sum game Brett. They would probably also assume you were an expert and knew the value of your piece was less than that of the restaurant display. I would also guess that all of those displays are the property of the parent company not the manager.
In a private establishment however, things may be very different. I had some very nice luck in a small food store last year. Joe did a write up in The Glove Collector about it.



Daniel Bretta
(Login slidekellyslide)
Re: Restuarant Sports Memorabilia
November 11 2005, 4:17 PM

What did you find in a food store Mike?



Mike H
(Login mjkm90)
Re: Restuarant Sports Memorabilia
November 11 2005, 6:52 PM

Dan, It was a great day in a small restaurant. All kinds of gear on the walls. A lot of it was junk, but he said have your pick for $35.00 per. Ok, I'll take the nice generic all leather trapper, the mint Duke Snider DS, the mint Wilson Nellie Fox (high quality 50s model), the Walter Johnson PG Sporting Goods signature model, and the near mint black Goldsmith 1" web Eddie Collins with a perfect patch and all leather construction. It is the only Goldsmith Collins I have seen or heard of. Sold all but the Collins for $750.



Daniel Bretta
(Login slidekellyslide)
Re: Restuarant Sports Memorabilia
November 11 2005, 7:53 PM

Wow!!! Nice job. Where was this at? Do you still have the Collins?


Joe K.
(Login vintagesportscollector)
You too can own a piece of TGIF!!
November 11 2005, 9:17 PM

...If you live near Shepherdsville, Kentucky and are available on Nov. 16h.

http://worleyauctions.com/auction200...vember1605.htm

Dan- Can you locate the Piedmont sign? (hint check out the thumbnails)

Check out their calendar too. They have been conducting a lot of these TGIF auctions all over the country.

Dan- Seems like your TGIF may still have the "Old" look. Wait for that auction near you and you can grab that sign.





Daniel Bretta
(Login slidekellyslide)
Re: You too can own a piece of TGIF!!
November 11 2005, 9:59 PM

Wow! Go through their auction list and you can see they have already closed down a ton of these stores. I'll be keeping an eye out for when they close ours down.



Mike H
(Login mjkm90)
Re: You too can own a piece of TGIF!!
November 12 2005, 7:03 AM

I do have the Collins Dan. It's a keeper for me. It was a small out of the way shop in Michigan.


re: Great Finds, Strange Places
(Login imlemonysnicket)
Re: You too can own a piece of TGIF!!
November 12 2005, 8:02 AM

Based on Mike's great find at this store, has anybody else had good luck finding something in an odd place? I haven't had such luck myself but my dad got a Gabby Hartnett game bat out of the local dump for $1.

Brett Lowman
Vintage Brett's Sports Equipment Sale
http://www.geocities.com/vintagebrett/index.html



Mike H
(Login mjkm90)
Re: You too can own a piece of TGIF!!
November 12 2005, 8:22 AM

Nice pickup Brett! I'll bet you dad made some MAJOR finds over the years. Your dad turned a $3.00 Foxx Batrite into a $1,600 Batrite for me. It was in a barrel of axe handles at a flee market and the handle was shattered.

I did find a Tony Lazzeri glove in a decoy shop two years ago and a Pennant Mushroom bat in a junk store for $90 about six years ago.



Daniel Bretta
(Login slidekellyslide)
Re: You too can own a piece of TGIF!!
November 12 2005, 6:14 PM

I am making good finds all the time lately. So far this year I've found 2 Victor bats, a Ty Cobb decal (decal gone) bat, Spalding Ring bat, Ruth store model bat, Stall and Dean Jim Delahanty bat, numerous pre-war gloves, and a couple of nice masks. All of them at estate auctions, flea markets and garage sales.