Dining Car Coffee 1 ½ oz. Free Sample Box & Store Display Sign 5753

1 ½ oz. Free Sample

Dining Car Coffee

Box & Store Display Sign

This set came from the large Blauls Iowa warehouse auction in 2002. John Blaul's & Sons were a major player in the coffee bean importing, and roasting and grinding then selling to re-packagers from the early 1900's through WW II. They brought up shiploads of imported foods on the Mississippi to their Cedar Rapids and Burlington Iowa processing plants and then shipped them west on trains to the new western frontier towns.

They would ship large barrels and gunny sacks of roasted coffee beans along with retail packaging materials so the Ma & Pa General stores could fresh grind and bag their coffee on the premises. Phenomenal graphics. Here is a shot of the back of the box with an illustration of a ship docking in South America.

See Photo of Front Below

This box is 3 ¾ inches high, 2 ¼ inches wide and an inch thick. It held enough to brew a sample pot of Dining Car Coffee. Free samples were a method to compete even though the coffee beans were roasted by the same processor, other major shippers would make up a brand name and supply retailing materials.

See Photos Below

These were all sent on different Railroads leaving from St. Louis on tracks that took several different routes out west to supply the growing population centers west of the Mississippi. Here is a photo of the box flap with the printers logo.

See Photo Below

Each 100 Lb. gunny sack of roasted coffee beans would be shipped with a dozen or so Dining Car 5 Lb. coffee bags (Sorry, none left), A dozen or so 1 Lb. Boxes (Sorry, None Left), a dozen or so "Free Sample Boxes" like these, and a few window or counter signs that advertised Dining Car Coffee. The sign is 10 inches by 3 ½ inches.

This lot consists of one of the sample boxes and one of the point of sale signs as shown in the photo below. These have been sealed in a cardboard box in a dry warehouse. Minor age condensation marks, some warpage on the sign, otherwise no fading, no mildew. Excellent Condition!

See Photo Below

You get both the unused sample box and the sign! We carefully package them and send it first class mail.

Illinois residents pay sales tax. We're happy to combine shipments where practical to save you $$$. We accept personal checks or money orders, Paypal, etc. To see our list of Unique and Unusual Items on Ebay, Click Here, Then Bookmark it! Check us occasionally. We list neat stuff like this all the time!

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Esnarf Item . #5753

Price . . $17.85