Slice of the past available in ongoing auction

Jan. 12—MOUNT HOPE — A dose of treasured Mount Hope history is currently for sale via an online auction.

The auction — being overseen by Beckley's Entrusted Auctions — features many of the contents of the Bon-Bon Confectionery & Hardware store on Main Street. The store, which was featured in an episode of History channel's "American Pickers" in 2021, closed in 2020 after 100 years in business.

The auction features over 1,000 lots and will run through mid-January. A special walk-through preview tour is set for 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15. The bidding begins closing at 6 p.m. on Jan. 17.

To assess the online auction, visit https://bids-entrustedauctions.com/auctions/jdBbnYGu6nEjoAsNcPot/a/ENT-326---Historic-Bon-Bon-s-Confectionery---Hardware.

The introduction of the auction listing on entrustedauctions.com reads as follows: "ENT 326 — Historic Bon Bon's Confectionery & Hardware. Over 1,000 lots. Welcome to Bon Bon Confectionery & Hardware Store. We are proud to offer the contents of this 100-year-old landmark store to the general public. This large collection includes antique and vintage breweriana and beer signs and other advertising items, 1930 Ford Model A coupe with rumble seat, Coca-Cola collectibles, soda fountain collectibles, fancy antique stained glass backbar, Mount Hope and Princess Theatre collectibles including schedules, tickets, tickets bins, film slicers, movie light, posters and more. Many Mount Hope collectibles, Seeburg booth music boxes, lots of new and used hardware and tools, drink and ice machines, jewelry, antique wall phone, mid-century modern furniture and accessories, wicker, vintage glider, pool table and lots more."

A 17 percent buyer's premium will be added to the final high bid for each lot. Lots begin closing at 6 p.m., with seven lots closing every two minutes. Shipping will be handled by The Packaging Store of Roanoke, Va. Bidders are told to call or email their offices at 540-772-0999 or va203@gopackagingstore.com with Visa and MC registration.

Those wanting to bid have to register beforehand.

Former Mount Hope mayor, Floyd Bonifacio, and his wife, Phyllis, were the proprietors of Bon-Bon until their deaths in 2011 and 2019, respectively.

Their surviving sons, Dean and Doug, say the time is right to sell the store's contents and some of the family items. The two men still reside in southern West Virginia.

The brothers have kept some personal items for themselves and a few items on the premises aren't currently available for sale, such as centerpiece soda fountain.

After selling the personal property, the plan is to sell the real property, Dean Bonifacio explained.

"Our family's been in business for 100 years, but the people who grew up in this town or would come to the movie theaters (Princess Theater and Mount Hope Theater) that my dad operated, this was part of their life, too," he said. "It gives them the opportunity to buy a piece of what they remember."

"The one thing about this auction is it gives a chance ... We've got 100 years, our family was in business here," said brother Doug. "They never got rid of things. If people watched the American Pickers show, they aw that my dad and my mom, my family, my grandma and all of them, they kept things. They bought things and never let things go to waste.

"It would take us 50 years to (try to sell individually)." With the auction organized in lots, it offers "the best way to get somebody to have enjoyment out of a lot," Doug added. "There's no use of them sitting on a shelf."

He also said the auction should serve as a "kind of like a walk down memory lane ... for us and anybody that knew them."

"It's exciting. It's real," said Dean. "We've been working on it hard, getting it ready.

"To actually see it online and you see your family's history flashing before your eyes, it's a little emotional. I also know it's the right thing to do."

Dean said one of the main draws will be the beer advertising memorabilia, which reaches the neighborhood of 300 pieces. "That was just being in business," he said. "It wasn't like my dad said, 'I'm going to collect beer signs.'

"He was in business seven days a week, 364 days out of a year."

The imprint, he pointed out, is still on the walls from where the signs were taken down.

He also said the auction will be easy to participate in, and most lots start at $10. Addressing the Jan. 15 preview, Dean Bonifacio said, "If you just want to come in and look, or if you're interested about a (particular item), you can do so."

Tara Jones, an associate auctioneer with Farmer Auctions, of Salem, Virginia is helping Entrusted Auctions and the Bonifacios set up and proceed with the auction. She says the auction gives the community a "great chance to step in ... and purchase a piece of history."

"There are many items here that were displayed during their business," said Jones, things such as advertising signs and household items. "A little bit of something for everybody," she said.

According to Dean Bonifacio, the Model A is a vehicle that "Dad would drive it around when he was mayor." It was operational when the mayor was still living and shouldn't require too much of a financial outlay to get up and running, Dean said. The high bid on the Model A as of Wednesday morning was $9,650.

The store evolved over time, said Dean Bonifacio. "It started as a shoe shop, then it evolved into Bon-Bon's Confectionery (soda fountains, ice cream, beer). Then, they got into hardware items, then it progressed to more of a convenience-type store. You could buy groceries, toiletries. You could buy a little bit of everything."

And, it was a popular gathering place for locals. "The local morning coffee drinkers always showed up, and we solved the world's problems." Dean has pleasant memories of growing up around the store, which is comprised of three connected buildings. "I can remember as a kid taking a nap on a shelf," he said. "This is always home. A lot of good memories."

Among the other available items are a pulley system to run show curtains in the former theater, as well as a former exterior Bon-Bon sign that was painted over a vintage Coca-Cola sign. "It's an interesting item" for collectors and history buffs alike, Dean noted, adding, "If you grew up in Mount Hope and you didn't know where Bon-Bon's was, you didn't come from Mount Hope."

Anyone with questions about the auction can call 304-207-0808.

Email: skeenan@register-herald.com; follow on Twitter @gb_scribe