Original Gilley's sign on eBay

Houstonist doesn't have much luck on eBay — some sneaky bidder always comes in at the last minute and gets that Astrodome souvenir ashtray we wanted. So we're not even going to try to bid on the original Gilley's sign.

That's right: The sign from the famed Pasadena honky-tonk is up for bid on the famed Internet auction site. According to the listing, the sign is about 16 feet wide and 30 feet tall; it comes complete with one of those plastic-letter marquees and a gigantic, ultra-modern flashing arrow. So far, 46 people have bid on the sign; the maximum bid stands at $10,350, and the reserve hasn't been met.

"Well," you're probably saying to yourself, "I have the cash on hand, but what would I do with the sign?" Fortunately, the seller has a suggestion:

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO “GILLEY’S” IN DALLAS, TEXAS WAS INQUIRING ABOUT A PURCHASE. 10 – 12 MILLION VISITORS A YEAR TO THE DALLAS AREA. JUST IMAGINE ONE MILLION VISITORS A MONTH IF ONLY ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND VISITORS TOOK THEIR PICTURE IN FRONT OF “THE ORIGINAL GILLEY’S” SIGN @ $5.00 PER PICTURE. THAT’S $500,000 A MONTH FOLKS.

Hmm, maybe we should try to buy it. Houstonist could definitely use an extra $500 grand a month, but we're not sure our landlord would like having the Gilley's sign out front. Oh, who are we kidding? Of course she would!

Gilley's, a local icon during the oil boom, became "the world's most famous nightclub" after it was featured in the 1980 movie Urban Cowboy. The club closed in 1989 and was partially destroyed by fire the next year; earlier this month, the remains of the building were razed to make way for a middle school.

Note that if you do buy the sign, you're responsible for transporting it from Pasadena. It might be a little tough securing the sign to the roof of your Miata, but we're sure you'll manage. Happy bidding!