Hess Auction Group is pleased to announce its upcoming Country Store and Advertising Auction, scheduled for Friday, Sept. 19, at 9 a.m., both live and online at the Conestoga Auction Gallery, located at 768 Graystone Road, Manheim, Pa. The anticipated event will showcase an extensive collection of country store advertising, signs, tins, and Lancaster County memorabilia drawn from several prominent central Pennsylvania collections. Highlights include rare porcelain, tin, and cardboard signs; antique store counters and display cases; and a wide variety of general store memorabilia such as tobacco tins, gas and oil advertising, soda signage, and vintage sewing and clothing items. A special selection of high quality early chocolate advertising will also be offered, with notable pieces from Hersheys, Ideal Cocoa, Wilbur, and Nissly, including vintage tins, trade signs, and other advertising rarities. An item of note is a leather blacksmiths apron, which will be the first lot in the sale. This is a ca. 1920s, leather apron worn by R. H. Elmore, with an embossed and painted scene of a blacksmith shop serving as a trade sign with great leatherwork. A reference to an R. H. Elmore, who was a farmer in Virginia, was found in the 1936 Virginia Chronicle with a blacksmith shop being built either on his property by John Harman or for John Harman. There is some wear and staining from use and some loss in the middle from being folded, and the ends of the belt have been cut, maybe for a smaller waistline. It is estimated at $200 to $400. Another intriguing lot is a historic Lancaster, Pa., Key to the City. Cast in brass and gold-plated by Lancaster Malleable, designed by Thomas Blank and Ralph Getz, it was given to notable citizens and visiting dignitaries. The first key was given away in 1960. This key is the earlier version with Home of the Conestoga Wagon inside the Keystone. Around 1969, the design was changed reading Oldest Inland City in the USA. The ceremonial key features a team of horses and the Conestoga Wagon and says Red Rose City on the handle. Several laminated Lancaster newspaper articles accompany the piece and provide more detail on who has been gifted the key over the years. This comes from the Dean Getz collection and is seven inches long. It does have some wear to the finish and spots of green tarnish on one side. The estimate is $300 to $500. A cast-iron door stop in the form of a cow engraved with New Holland Machine Company Compliments of A. N. Zimmerman is presumed to have been made by Hubley. It is rare to find a door stop meant as a premium giveaway, and it was possibly to commemorate the opening of the business; Abram Zimmerman started the New Holland Machine Co. in 1895. He was known as a mechanical genius who made improvements to engines used on farm equipment. His business was sold in 1947 to Sperry Corporation, the international seller of farm equipment. This important piece of Lancaster County history goes to the roots of one of the most successful companies created in the state. It is 8.5 inches high and 13 inches wide with some surface rust along the base. The estimate is $2,000 to $2,500. This auction is a treasure trove for collectors, said John M. Hess, president and lead auctioneer of Hess Auction Group. The sale reflects the rich history of advertising and country store culture, offering bidders the opportunity to own a unique piece of advertising history. The online bidding will be facilitated through HiBid and LiveAuctioneers. A public preview will be held on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 1 to 5 p.m., at the Conestoga Auction Gallery. For more information, visit www.hessauctiongroup.com.