The neon sign at the now-closed 66 Bowl in Oklahoma City sold for $3,900 at auction today — well under the $50,000 expected, reported The Oklahoman newspaper.
The sign was won by Chuck Clowers, 44, of Luther, who said he grew up near the bowling alley. He said he plans to refurbish the sign for resale.
Clowers, who owns Junk Yard Daddies, said the sign sold for less than he expected. Auctioneer Louis Dakil had thought the sign would fetch between $10,000 and $100,000. […]
Clowers said he also owns a sign from a former Hollie’s Drive-In, a bygone Oklahoma City hamburger restaurant. He said he’s happy to be able to restore a piece of Okahoma City history in the 66 Bowl sign.
“I bought my first bowling ball here in this pro shop,” said Clowers, who said his wife also grew up near the bowling alley. […]
Clowers said anyone interested in buying the sign after he restores it can contact him at www.jydteam.com.
Other memorabilia from the bowling alley, which opened on Route 66 in the 1950s, also were auctioned.
66 Bowl was sold for $1.4 million to the nearby Spices of India grocery store, which intends to use the facility as a new home for its grocery. Longtime 66 Bowl owner Jim Haynes said he was forced to sell the bowling alley after one of his investments went bad.
A report on this auction, backed by a video clip, was just now on Dayton, Ohio, TV news. I’m guessing there were no robberies, murders, or kidnappings in Dayton today.