BLOOMFIELD, NJ -- The Township of Bloomfield will be auctioning off street signs to all residents next week.
The Township replaced all street signs in town over the past 11 months, and rather than throw away the old signs, wanted to make sure residents interested in Bloomfield history could claim signs of their choosing.
“When people saw the new signs, they were thrilled but wanted to know what would become of the old signs. There are a lot of our residents and former residents who wanted their old street signs from their old blocks. I’ve had wonderful calls from friends who wanted to know if I could get them their sign,” said Mayor Michael Venezia. “We felt this was a great way for everyone to have a fair shot at getting the sign that they want. I thank Councilwoman Davis for the great suggestion to use an online approach to making these signs available. Everyone has a chance.”
The online auction will be taking place from October 14 at 8:00 am - October 19 at 8:00 am and will have 1,178 Bloomfield Street Signs available for sale to residents who want to own a piece of Bloomfield history. The online auction can be accessed at stores.ebay.com/townshipofbloomfield. The bidding will begin at $10 per sign and the highest bidder will be awarded the sign at the time of closing. All winning bid payments must be submitted by Wednesday, October 23, at noon.
The auction site only accepts PayPal payments, but customers can check out as “guests” through PayPal. No other method of payment will be accepted for security purposes.
Winners will need to show proof of payment/bid via a printed paper receipt or email confirmation on their mobile device at the time of pickup. Pick up dates are Friday, November 1, from 1:00-8:00 pm, Sunday, November 3, from 1:00-5:00 pm and Monday, November 4, from 5:00-9:00 pm in the Civic Center, located at 84 Broad St.
Many street names are represented by more than one sign, including 42 Broad St., 17 Bloomfield Ave., 32 Broughton Ave., 14 Watchung Ave., and 13 Watsessing Ave. signs. Most signs are the recognizable modern green, a significant minority are the older-looking blue and two are yellow.
The auction, operated by local Ebay proprietor Daniel Diner with assistance and resources from the Mayor’s Office, Department of Public Works and Parks Recreation & Cultural Affairs, will benefit the Township of Bloomfield. Any residents with questions can call Diana Aviles in the Mayor’s Office at (973) 680-4077.