Merle West sign, Whittier CA - SAVED!

Our goal in Signs United is to always try to preserve and restore a sign in place, but when a city orders that a sign must be removed, and efforts to secure variances fail, we try to do the next best thing – take it to a place that respects the artistry that went into making the sign – a place where anyone and everyone can come and enjoy it for years and years to come.

The Merle West sign hung in Whittier since 1953, but the business itself closed years ago. The area and the sign both began to decline, and recently, with the efforts to renew the area with luxury condos and a brand new housing development being built down the street, the city of Whittier ordered the sign be removed – information only discovered by two of our founders, Mike and Steve, when they were taking photos of the sign about a year ago.

So, for the last year, and working in complete secrecy to avoid the sign ending up in a private collection, Mike worked with the building’s owner and Valley Relics Museum’s Tommy Gelinas to first try and have the sign remain in place. But when those efforts were rejected by the city, the plan was made to remove the sign so it would not find itself in a private collection, or even worse, at the local dump.

On 9/14/19, with proper permits in hand, the sign was carefully removed by crane operator Leonard and the Valley Relics team, and transported to Valley Relics where, with the building owner’s blessing and gratitude, it will be restored and proudly displayed once again in all its lighted neon glory.

Leonard the crane operator and Mike Zack

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