A Bellingham Bay beer sign was the standout lot in a two-day sale of advertising memorabilia and breweriana, held on April 13-14 in Michigan.

Due to their fragile nature, reverse glass signs of this age and quality are rare at auction

The reverse glass sign made $27,500, topping its $25,000 high estimate by 10%. It was hailed by Showtime Auction Services as one of the most graphic and colourful reverse glass examples ever made, and "a wonderful addition to the collection of the most advanced collectors".

The sign originates from the historic Bellingham Bay brewery in Washington state, which was opened in the early 1900s on Boundary Bay, which shares its borders with Canada. During the prohibition era, the bay became famous as a crossing point for rumrunners and bootleggers.