A time before Signs

[AUTO-FX]

Auto detailing, then hired by Trim Line of NE Phila and learned the pinstriping and autographics business. Started striping for myself. Approached a local sign shop for some vinyl letters one day, and became their favorite customer. The girls there hated doing sign and vehicle installs, so we worked out a nice business relationship! Along the way, they showed me alot about the sign business. She sold the business , and that's when I bought my first plotter.I recently did a 5 year stint as an autobody manager, but couldn't stand it. The coin was good, but ,man I couldnt wait to go back.

 

[Joe Diaz]

I've pretty much only done sign work and designing since I was kid up to today. For a year or two I had a part time job doing wire diagrams and electronic floor plans in autocad for an electronics company. From time to time they would take me on installs. We did things like intercom, telephone, fire alarm, emergency and security systems and data infrastructure. Basically we did a lot of schools and hospitals. My job was to basically take the floor plan from the architect and draw in where the devices would go and how they would be wired. I was pretty good at it and it was a great place to work, but it was boring work and didn't fulfill my itch to do creative things.

The sign shop I worked at while away attending college had me doing computer maintenance a lot too. I also made some money on the side playing bass in rock band in college (very little money... free drinks though), but I wouldn't really call that a job.:Big Laugh

 

[petrosgraphics]

grew-up in the restaurant bus. not for me...... after finishing college with 2 degrees

came back to cape cod for the summer, family friend owned a sign co. never left...

that was 1973..... holy crap! that was a long time ago......

 

[petesign]

Worked in radio promotions and websites for 8 years - those were some REALLY fun times. Taught myself how to use illustrator and photoshop while doing that work, and then worked at a sign shop after I got married and decided it was time to settle down and do something a little more marriage friendly and pay friendly too.

Then I worked for my father in law who owns a shoe repair shop. Did that for 5 years, while still doing some freelance work here and there. One day we got to talking about starting our own sign company, and the rest is history.

I forgot how much I missed the smell of a solvent printer, and the Cylon drone it makes as it prints.

 

[signage]

Worked in under ground utility construction running equipment, then went into electrical design, worked for public transit resigned and started my own sign shop.

 

[SKADSIGNS]

Food Lion-bagboy
Jiffy Lube-greasemonkey
Journyman Carpenter
Drafting/Preincident planner
Firefighter


Hey Wraps was Wargames written about you?

 

[Patrick46]

Long haul truck driver. Was an Owner Operator at 21 years old, Wow that was a long time ago.

Here too...but never owned my own truck. Why??? Sitting broke down along side the road, I make a phone call or two and wait for the calvary. No sweat off my brow.
Got to where 80% of my business was truck lettering 5 years ago. Not no more.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

Food Lion-bagboy
Jiffy Lube-greasemonkey
Journyman Carpenter
Drafting/Preincident planner
Firefighter


Hey Wraps was Wargames written about you?

I was wondering if anyone would pick up on the year. No, but it was the same year it came out. I can tell you the the locals and feds really had no clue about computers back then. They still joke about it with me.

 

[mikey-Oh]

what a long strange trip it's been... i'll cut the part-time fat, but my first job was at taco bell(when one's 16 and wants a car and gas, fast foods the only viable option)
somehow design/fine art's always been viable/profitable option. so all inbetween's have been covered by that... let's see...
phone support for creative labs(sound blaster, e-mu, cambridge sounds works, video cards); oklahoma state's internal marketing dept('til they told me i would no longer get a daily salary, but should be content/happy with an awesome referral someday for no pay) sold carpet and various flooring options for a local budget outfit; started stillwater, ok's only independent video store; offset print designer for 1.5 years; direcTV installer; at&t corporate phone support; then went on to build a variety of fencing in the okc metro until one day happening across a now hiring banner at my current employers sign shop. haven't looked back since.
god i'm only 29

 

[OldPaint]

this is gona take a while!!!! 50 years of work/jobs and most of it painting signs. parents owned a BAR, so i guess you could say i was tending BAR before i was able to drink)))))) 12 years old!!!!!!
tree planter(12-13)
introduced to SIGN PAINTING about same time.
dairy farm, tractor driver, corn husker, hay baler, cow, pig and deer butcher, chicken plucker, manure shoveler, combine sacker, 13-18.
construction jackhammer operator, carpenters helper, mostly manual laborer 18-19
also attended DRAFTING SCHOOL same time. also a steel mill worker.
19-23 USAF, gassing airplanes.
23-28 working as a draftsman for a butler metal building contractor, who also owned a NAPA auto parts store. this was in caribou, maine, so summer i worked drafting, winter i was in the NAPA PARTS STORE.
got divorced 1st time, at 29, left maine, mid 73, went back to pa helped run the BAR, worked NAPA auto parts for couple years, till i was on divorce #2, did a lot a bad things, wound up in rehab, and then on to PENN STATE for 2 years.76-78. got married once more. mom passed nov 78, so i quit college and became a "biker bar" owner/operator.78-80
wife # 3 left, sold the bar jun of 80. jan 81 i headed for florida in a motor home and single.
81-85 worked at NAPA auot parts, got tired of workin for dumber people then me........and picked up my brushes, in all these other jobs i was painting signs as side jobs. 1986 i went full time and never had another job since!!!!!