THE WRITING ON THE WALLS
Honest Ed’s prepares for third wave of sign sales on Saturday
For 68 years, Honest Ed’s has dominated a block at Bloor and Bathurst Sts. Its famous marquee — complete with flashing lights — has become a symbol of Toronto, but with the store set to be shuttered later this year, the handpainted signs found inside are being sold as souvenirs of the iconic bargain bin boutique.
He’s a sucker but you can’t ‘lick’ his prices
Saturday marks the third time Honest Ed’s has opened its doors to sell some of the iconic signs. For the first sale, shoppers lined up around the block, waiting hours for a piece of Toronto’s retail history. Wayne Reuben was one of a handful of sign painters who crafted the advertisements. During the first sale, he said, he autographed so many of the cardboard cutouts that his hand cramped up. Honest Ed’s is a nightmare, but his prices are a dream! Reuben said Honest Ed Mirvish came up with many of the store’s memorable slogans himself, writing them down on napkins at restaurants or on scraps of paper at home. He had a clear idea of how he wanted them painted, too. “He always said: ‘I don’t care what colour you paint the prices, as long as it’s red,’ ” said Reuben. Honest Ed’s an idiot; his prices are ‘cents-less’ Russell Lazar, the longtime manager of the store, said Ed always made sure the jokes were pointed at himself, not his employees or products. Lazar’s favourite quip? “Honest Ed’s a slob, he keeps dropping prices.” Honest Ed’s a heel, his ‘sole’ purpose is to crush prices Years ago, the store ran a contest asking people to send in their best slogans. Lazar said that for every catchphrase Honest Ed’s used, the author received $25 and his or her name in the paper. “We received thousands,” he said. “We’re using them over and over again.” Honest Ed is filthy but his prices keep the place cleaned out In the store’s heyday, Reuben said, he hand-painted 70 to 80 signs every day. The designs were delicately drawn by hand in pencil or chalk, then coated over with the store’s classic blue and red on a bright yellow background. Honest Ed’s a slob, he keeps ‘dropping’ prices Newer additions shuffled into the pack of vintage designs are pearls of wisdom from Mirvish’s bestselling book How to Build an Empire on an Orange Crate, or 121 lessons I never learned in school. All 121 lessons have been painted on placards. Honest Ed has holes in his sox, but his prices are darned good Reuben describes his style as a “casual slash.” He’s seen people frame and hang his work. But he has no plans of buying one himself. “Are you kidding me? . . . I make them all the time, so it’s not the same for me.” Don’t just stand there, buy something! Although hundreds of signs will be on offer, employees say they are finding boxes full of dozens more, so there will probably be another sale. With prices for the designer doodles ranging from 50 cents to hundreds of dollars, what will be your final bargain from Honest Ed’s is up to you.