Four days on a lift, a few thousand LEDs, and the blue glow is back over Pacific Avenue...
The Sign That Went Dark
For years our tall blue roadside sign stood quiet over Pacific Avenue. A state highway survey video from 1990 shows the lot without it, so the sign went up sometime after that year. By most accounts it had not lit up in well over a decade. Drivers still recognized the sign by daylight, but after dark the cabinet stayed dark and the round clock on top sat still.
Four Days on the Lift
Bringing it back meant going up to it. We rented a scissor lift, parked it beside the poles, and worked the height of the sign for four days. The job was internal. We strung LED lights inside the blue "Antique Mall" cabinet and inside the white below it. The old wiring had given out long ago, so LEDs were the practical fix. They run cool, they last for years, and they throw an even light across the whole face.
What Is Lit Now
Both panels are working again. The blue cabinet glows with its cream lettering and its pink and teal double border. The white marquee below it lights up too, welcoming drivers and tallying the over 60,000 collectibles inside. At night the sign glows the way it was built to.
The Clock Is Next
One piece is still on the bench. The clock that crowns the sign is not lit yet, and it is not yet keeping time. That is the current project. We are wiring it for light and getting the movement running again so the hands are honest. When it is done, the whole sign, clock included, will shine to the road.
Come See It After Dark
The sign stands out front at 10228 Pacific Ave S, easy to spot along the Pacific Avenue corridor. If you are passing through the Tacoma Area in the evening, the blue glow is back on. Inside you'll find over 120 collectible shops, and the marquee now flags current happenings like our West Wing shows. Learn more on our West Wing Shows page, then stop in, look up, and watch for the clock to come back online over the coming weeks.
Pacific Antiques Mall - 31,700 sq ft of Collectibles in the Tacoma Area Open Daily 10AM till 7PM
Serving Collectors Since 1990
10228 Pacific Ave S Tacoma, WA 98444
253-539-0117
Located between Seattle, Olympia, Puyallup, Fife and Parkland. Free parking, easy access from I-5.
Connect With Us:
- Website - PacificAntiquesMall.com
- Facebook - facebook.com/PacificAntiquesMalls
- Instagram - instagram.com/pacificantiquesmall
- YouTube - youtube.com/@PacificAntiquesMall
- TikTok - tiktok.com/@pacificantiquesmall
- X - x.com/PacificAntiques
- Pinterest - pinterest.com/PacificAntiquesMall
Your Next Bright Treasure is Waiting
Day one of the project: the orange SkyJack scissor lift parked alongside our pylon sign, the marquee still empty, and a sign tech up on the platform ready to begin. Up close on the same afternoon: a blank marquee, the lift raised to sign height, and Pacific Avenue rolling by behind. Lift fully extended, platform empty for a beat, the sign and marquee waiting between passes of work. A wide look at the lift in position next to the sign, sun overhead, Pacific Avenue traffic and the VCA neighbor in the frame. Mid-install: the sign tech on the platform, the clock above him, the marquee message in plain view below. The work platform from below: lift extended to the right edge of the sign, tech crouched in for the next step. Looking straight up: the clock and ANTIQUE MALL panel against blue sky, with the tech reaching in to work the right edge. Day two: the marquee says hello to the over 60,000 antiques inside, while the lift goes back up for more work on the panel above. A pause for the camera: the access panel open at the right edge, the wiring exposed and ready, the sign one step closer to lighting back up. The first night with the lights back on: the ANTIQUE MALL panel glowing blue across Pacific Avenue, the clock keeping watch above, and the marquee welcoming Pokemon collectors to the over 60,000 antiques inside. A dusk-to-dark look at the marquee in its current run: West Wing Shows up top, Pokemon and our over 60,000 collectable antiques right below.
