Advertising

About Vintage Advertising

Many vintage advertising and promotional items hold great appeal to collectors. They can be a colorful and vibrant reflection of life in the past, and also make for highly displayable, interesting discussion pieces.

Starting in the 19th century, numerous media were used to convey commercial messages to the public. In addition to the now much sought after antique signs and vintage posters, examples of interesting forms of collectible vintage advertising include vintage crate labels, tobacco tins, thermometers, calendars, pinbacks, trade cards, and advertising clocks.


Interviews & Articles

An Interview With Comic Character Advertising Pinback Collector Mark Lansdown

I started off collecting comics, and still do, but I’d been given a few early Disney pinbacks as a child an… [more]

An Interview With Porcelain Advertising Sign Collector Michael Bruner

I liked to collect things even as a child. Things that didn’t cost anything, like different colors of stone… [more]

An Interview With Antique Advertising and Porcelain Enamel Sign Collector Alex Renshaw

How did I get started collecting advertising antiques? My dad was a lecturer and tutor in graphics and art fr… [more]

Early American Packages

One of America's famed industrial designers sat at his quite modern desk (which he thinks was designed in 193… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Advertising Antiques

Advertising Antiques

This classy looking British site features hundreds of high resolution photos of antique porcelain pre-war (enamel) … [read review or visit site]

Ad Access

Ad Access

Duke University's library has pulled together an impressive collection of over 7,000 ads printed in U.S. and Canadi… [read review or visit site]

Plan 59

Plan 59

From the Nostlagia Factory in Virginia comes this celebration of 'mid-century automotive advertising illustrations'… [read review or visit site]

American Package Museum

American Package Museum

Ian House's gallery of early 20th Century American package designs. Browse the exhibits in slide show mode or view … [read review or visit site]

Found in Moms Basement

Found in Moms Basement

Paula Zargaj-Reynolds’ blog, an extensive collection of 20th century vintage advertising, is a visual feast. Scro… [read review or visit site]

Ephemera Society of America

Ephemera Society of America

Great reference on ephemera... includes examples and descriptions of various ephemera categories, selected special … [read review or visit site]

Truth in Advertising

Truth in Advertising

This gallery of cigarette magazine advertising from the 1940s and 50s contains no surgeon general's warning, just p… [read review or visit site]

Ephemera Blog

Ephemera Blog

Marty Weil's wide-ranging, in-depth blog on ephemera, including lots of great interviews with ephemera collectors. … [read review or visit site]


Got a site to suggest? Let us know.




Clubs & Associations: Advertising


Other Great Reference Sites: Advertising

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Vmc 81 7up 7 Up Round Top Soda Machine Very Rare 50's$4,550 Ends Tuesday 13 bids 56 watchers
Red Ripple Gas Pump Globe Body **original**gas & Oil$2,525 Ends Tuesday 5 bids 53 watchers
Old Near Mint Coca Cola Thermometer "coke Refreshes"$2,125 Ends Sunday 21 bids 53 watchers
'50s Rexall Porcelain Neon Drug Store Sign All Original$1,999 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 1 watcher
Gargoyle Mobiloil Gas Pump Globe$1,525 Ends Monday 12 bids 61 watchers
1945 Black Cat Cigarette Steel Enamel Porcelain Ad Sign$1,475 Ends in 18 hours 22 bids 71 watchers
Reproduction Wayne 800 Clockface Gas Pump Pumps $1,203 Ends Sunday 3 bids 22 watchers
Rare 1969 Amerada Hess Truck Mint In Box Marx!!!!$1,025 Ends Sunday 13 bids 50 watchers
American 550 Clockface Gas Pump Pumps W/ Globe Holder$1,009 Ends Sunday 4 bids 28 watchers
H-c Sinclair Sign W/original Pole$1,000.00 Ends in 3 hours 2 bids 50 watchers
Old Porcelain Evinrude Outboard Motor Sign Ca. 1920's$949.99 Ends Monday 5 bids 57 watchers
25 1/2" Conoco Minute Man Gas Sign Two Sided Porcelain$933.00 Ends in 8 hours 9 bids 29 watchers
Authentic & Rare Rolls Royce Dealership Sign$910.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 15 watchers
Cocacola 1935 Fountain Service Porcelain Sign Mint Cond$898.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 25 watchers
Northstar Gasoline Visible Gas Pump Globe New Old Stock$810.00 Ends Thursday 13 bids 27 watchers
Gas Pump, Mobil, Old Buy it Now$785.00 Ends Thursday 3 bids 10 watchers
Antique Stoneware Script Jug Chester Nj Distilling Co$777.77 Ends Thursday 17 bids 21 watchers
Lance Cracker 1960s Jar Wire Rack With Sign$720.00 Ends in 18 hours 20 bids 15 watchers
Antique 1920's Koken Wall Barber Pole St. Louis Usa$700.00 Ends Tuesday 9 bids 40 watchers
Vintage Porcelain "edison Electric" Employee Badge$698.88 Ends Sunday 13 bids 40 watchers
Eterna Matic,new Men's Watch$650.00 Ends Friday 1 bid 3 watchers
Golden Fleece Firezone Tin Stand & Bottles $644.37 Ends in 18 hours 18 bids 92 watchers
Autolite Parts & Service Advertising Thermometer Sign$610.01 Ends in 10 hours 38 bids 29 watchers
Ford Porcelain "the Universal Car" Sign$579.69 Ends Wednesday 8 bids 19 watchers
Coca Cola 1941 Double Spigot Porcelain Sign$565.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 26 watchers
Coca Cola Coke1927 Tray$525.00 Ends Sunday 24 bids 45 watchers
Rare Edison Masda Antique Car Lamp Advertising Cabinet$510.00 Ends Monday 2 bids 11 watchers
Original Wayne Clockface Gas Pump Buy it Now$500.00 Ends in 4 hours 1 bid 40 watchers
Winfield Carburetor Sign, Rare Two Sided Flange$500.00 Ends Wednesday 5 bids 43 watchers
Panerai Ferrari Granturismo Chrono Clock Display, Swiss$495.00 Ends Monday 13 bids 11 watchers
Rare Orginal 1964 Hess Truck With Org Box !!!!!!!!!!$483.99 Ends Sunday 9 bids 45 watchers
Sheep Shearing Stewart Hand Turn Plus Handpiece$445.18 Ends in 18 hours 16 bids 21 watchers
Sterling Tire And Battery Sign$431.00 Ends in 8 hours 4 bids 19 watchers
Armour's Veribest Peanut Butter Advertising Store Sign $427.87 Ends in 7 hours 6 bids 22 watchers
1930s Canadian Porcelain Coca Cola Coke Palm Press Sign$425.00 Ends Thursday 5 bids 19 watchers
1949 Northwestern Orange Crush Gumball Peanut Machine$406.50 Ends Wednesday 15 bids 32 watchers
Porcelain Michelin Sign-- Bibendum$406.09 Ends Sunday 10 bids 37 watchers
Rare Set Coca-cola Door Push & Pull Advertising Signs $405.00 Ends Sunday 13 bids 64 watchers
Rare De Laval Cream Separator Advertising Cabinet $405.00 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 22 watchers
Vintage Coca-cola Coke Flange Sign 1950s Original $401.97 Ends Monday 5 bids 31 watchers
Eco Tireflator #25 Air Meter Service Station Equipment $401.01 Ends in 8 hours 7 bids 67 watchers
Hamilton Ventura Wristwatch New In Box$400.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 14 watchers
Neon Sign, Chalmers Motor Car Co. Detroit, Michigan$399.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 14 watchers
1947 Texaco 6 Ft Porcelain Sign$395.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 6 watchers
Panerai Ferrari Granturismo Chrono Clock Display, Swiss$390.00 Ends Monday 8 bids 13 watchers
1940 Indian Gasoline Curved Porcelain Pump Sign$387.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 37 watchers
1960's Camaro - Showroom Lighted Sign$380.00 Ends Monday 11 bids 16 watchers
Authentic Ronald Mcdonalds Life Sized Statue 77" High$380.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 19 watchers
Vintage "chevrolet Time" Neon Clock$375.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 89 watchers
Double Sided Beacon Penn Motor Oil Porcelain Sign$371.66 Ends in 6 hours 8 bids 33 watchers
Vintage Otis Elevator Measuring Tape - Deco Style$360.00 Ends Sunday 22 bids 15 watchers
Rare Holmes Chincoteague Va. Oysters Tin Oyster Can$357.54 Ends Monday 7 bids 26 watchers
Vintage Coca Cola Coke Fishtail Tin Sign Rare 50s/60s$355.00 Ends in 12 hours 2 bids 27 watchers
Whistle Pam Thermometer 12 Inch Round 1940's Near Mint$355.00 Ends Sunday 13 bids 33 watchers
Double Bubble Clocks Buy it Now$355.00 Ends Tuesday 4 bids 13 watchers
Coca Cola Lunch Flange Sign From Early 1950's $354.99 Ends Sunday 9 bids 56 watchers
Sohio X-tane Gas Pump Globe$350.00 Ends in 5 hours 1 bid 7 watchers
Scarce Bulstrode Pimm Flour Mill Enamel Sign Clock$340.48 Ends Sunday 12 bids 65 watchers
Vintage Oil Sign 2-sided Tydol Veedol Porclain Exc! $338.33 Ends Sunday 7 bids 37 watchers

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Recent News: Advertising

Source: Google News

Appraisers could surprise antique owners, help out charity, too
Nashua Telegraph, November 5th

Inc., specialize in firearms and military equipment, lamps and art glass, fine art and antiques as well as antique advertising toys and dolls...Read more

Somerset Auction Gallery
Antiques and the Arts Online, November 5th

baskets, coffee grinders, knife trays, vintage cameras, country post office sign from New Hartford, huge roulette wheel, antique advertising displays,...Read more

New buyers added punch to Dan Morphy's $1.5M Fall Auction
News-antique.com (press release), November 2nd

Antique advertising signs, salesman's samples and an extraordinary collection of decorative 19th-century folk art “bride sticks” (implements once used to...Read more

Campaign Spotlight It's a Fine Broth of a Campaign
New York Times, November 2nd

A vintage advertising slogan is being revived by a marketer of kosher foods as it seeks to make further inroads into the mainstream. An ad for Manischewitz,...Read more

Mosby & Co.'s Fall 2009 Auction a colorful mix of toys, advertising, Civil War ...
News-antique.com (press release), October 27th

2009 Auction featuring 468 lots of toys, antique advertising, sports-related antiques, carnival and circus items; and Americana and Civil War articles...Read more

Gary R. Wallace
Antiques and Arts Weekly, October 16th

Vintage advertising items, Hall seat, Photo albums, Luster ware, Dolls stove, Toys, Marble top table, Mantle clocks, Buttons and notions, Early mirror,...Read more

Masquerade Mash at museum
Akron Beacon Journal, October 14th

furniture (photos only), decorative art, historic militaria, Indian artifacts, historic Americana, toys, dolls, antique advertising and patriotic items...Read more

Large Antique Advertising Auction
Maine Antique Digest, October 14th

Restored Peanut Wagon - a wonderful fully restored Bartholomew Company 1890's “The Boss on Wheels” peanut wagon manufactured in Des Moines, Iowa...Read more

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