Relish the Hunt: Saving a Classic Hot Dog Sign

Some treasure hunts last decades, and this is the story of one of my most memorable rescues.

I first encountered this sign as early as 1963, stopping for a hot dog on the way to Dover Drag Strip in Wingdale, NY. Back then, my fascination with vintage signs hadn't started yet, that would come later in the '80s when I began focusing my attention on acquiring rare pieces.

We began our restoration quest with the intent to make the sign shiny and glossy—like new. It needed new neon tubes and electrical work. However, after much consideration, we made a different choice: preserve the authentic rust patina and encapsulate it with a matte clear coat, ensuring it would last for years to come while maintaining its character and history.

After completing the initial work, I delivered it to a neon artisan in Massachusetts. What should have been a straightforward job turned into a two-year chase! I eventually discovered he had gone out of business and lost his lease. I tracked him down to his house and the sign was lying unfinished in the snow his driveway. He hadn’t touched it in two years. Through another sign collector I pressured him and he finished the job at a different studio. 

This ad for Roessler’s hot dogs appeared in the Waterbury Republican in 1939. Roesseler’s got its start in 1915. Carl Roessler began making his Frankfurters in New Haven.

Roessler’s was a Connecticut-made favorite. The “all-meat” hot dogs were available everywhere from grocery stores to roadside stands 

In early 2024 there was an effort to re-launch Roesseler’s hot dogs but the idea failed to raise the capital needed.

credit : Waterbury History Facebook page