Mike Cunningham of North Royalton, OH

If the walls could talk, the ones at Mike Cunningham’s house would clearly speak to his dedication to collecting. Like so many collectors, Mike is interested in history and is fascinated by how many different breweries once existed in the wide swath of cities across the country—some of which were in business for only a few years. But if those breweries—especially ones from the 1930s through the 1950s—made advertising signs, there’s a good chance Mike has at least one of them.

Mike’s collecting started after he and his friends turned the entire first floor of their rented house in Patterson, New Jersey into a bar. He wanted to decorate the space and started collecting beer signs to accomplish the mission. That collection eventually moved to his Ohio home, where he and his wife have set up a basement bar. While shooting the interview, it was evident that Mike’s passion for the hobby runs deep.

Mike likes cardboard, tin and lighted signs and has many excellent examples of each of these that present the kind of colorful, appealing graphics that he appreciates. But what he is best known for within the breweriana collecting community is his extensive and awe-inspiring collection of tin-over-cardboard signs. Mike has seemingly captured the crown as the renowned aficionado of this highly popular category of breweriana.

Fun Fact: The bar in Mikes Basement is made from hatch covers salvaged from Liberty Ships!