Downtown Shop's Sign Becomes A Collectible

[Erik Sine]

Sign lives on: Downtown shop's sign becomes a collectible

Published February 11, 2006

From the Lansing State Journal

(Photo by ROD SANFORD/Lansing State Journal)

Collector's prize: Pat Burkhardt of Higgins Electric Signs helps take down the Capitol Fur Co. sign Friday in downtown Lansing. Jim Switalski plans to add the sign to his collection of more than 100 historic nameplates and some day open a sign museum near Leslie.

Capitol Fur Co.'s longstanding neon sign has spent its last day in downtown Lansing.

The sign's new owner, sign restorer and collector Jim Switalski, and a crew from Higgins Electric Signs of East Lansing removed the sign Friday from its perch at 408 S. Washington Square. Switalski said he'll add the sign to his collection of more than 100 historic nameplates.

He hopes to open a sign museum near Leslie to display some of his pieces, which include a previous version of downtown's Linn & Owen Jewelers sign.

Capitol Fur, which had operated downtown since 1922, was sold in March 2005 after going into bankruptcy. Its new owner, Lee Steavens, reopened the business as a fur storage and repair company, but recently closed the store. He had worked for Capital Fur since 1976.

From staff writer Jeremy W. Steele