Deer-O Paint (Closed)
Phoenix, AZ
Photo and info courtesy Elgin MacMillan

Here's an old closed business called the Deer-O, located in Phoenix. It was still in operation in the early 90's and may have still been operating as the original Deer-O business. A few years ago it became a Salsa dance club. Today, the business is no longer in operation but it appears like someone is doing something inside - possibly getting it ready for a new business. Hopefully, it will be something that will keep the building and sign as original as possible.

UPDATE 07/05 : I am 98% sure that the Deer-O sign read "Paint" or "Paints" at one time instead of "Salsa", since Deer O Paint is a brand that still exists. They did have a store in Phoenix and someone told me it was on Van Buren (the location of this sign pictured above). Many thanks to James Twardy for this info. 07-05

UPDATE 01/09 : Deer-O Paint was a vibrant business in Phoenix, having started in the 1950's and was still going strong when I moved away from Phoenix in 1980. In those days, before latex paints were perfected (they were just coming about in the 60's), the Arizona climate was very rough on paint. Deer-O's marketing angle was that it was "climatically controlled," meaning it was formulated for the difficult Arizona weather conditions. Deer-O maintained two large testing panels that doubled as billboards, one on the highway to Wickenburg and the other just west of Apache Junction. Deer-O was marketed through hardware stores and directly to contractors, their principal emphasis.

The company's primary advertising vehicle for many years was a 5-minute weather show on KTAR-TV (channel 12), in those days the NBC affiliate. The weatherman was Frank Peddie, for whom I wrote dozens of commercial scripts, which were delivered live in those pre-tape times. Many thanks to JIm Sullins for update on the Deer-O. 07-05

UPDATE 11/20 : Here's another photo and close-up of the Deer-O sign from back in the early 2000's. It appeared during a recent drive-by that the building is advertising availbility for rent.

Deer-O sign marquee
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Alamo Grocery
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

The Alamo Grocery along Van Buren in Phoenix is an example of a small neighborhood grocery store. This was the type that used to be quite common even twenty years ago, before the supermarket chains really forced these small mom and pops to close. Nowadays, it's the Walmarts that are causing threats to the supermarket chains. How things change.

Dex Knows Billboard
Phoenix, AZ
Photos and info courtesy Elgin MacMillan

Here is a modern billboard for Dex Knows, but it's real eye-catching nonetheless. It appears to be a good trend - seems we're or should I say they're moving towards doing more 3D billboards. Lets hope the next wave of visual competition is a more space-age like neon look.

(Far left) A close-up of he 3D guy on the billboard

(Near left) The billboard