From colorful Victorian trade cards of the 1870s to the Super Bowl commercials of today, advertising has gone from a small component of everyday life to a ubiquitous presence.
Perhaps the most easily recognizable advertising medium of the late 19th and early 20th centuries is the porcelain sign. Starting in the 1880s, companies saw the advantages of porcelain as a material that was both durable and weather resistant. Although these signs were first made in Germany, the manufacturing technique soon spread to America, where their bold colors and eye-catching graphics were put to good use advertising cigars, motor oil, railroads, and soda pop, especially Coca-Cola. With the onset of World War II, however, many of these signs were destroyed for the base metal they contained. Their resulting rarity makes them attractive to collectors.
A similar fate befell tin signs, which were often produced as a cheap alternative to porcelain ones. Unlike their porcelain companions, however, tin signs were prone to rust and degradation, so many of those that have survived the years are in poor condition...
On the other end of the size scale were celluloid pinbacks, cheap buttons that were meant to be worn and displayed. Some companies distributed pinbacks to encourage newspaper subscriptions or the purchase of particular brands of cigarettes, while others were handed out at political rallies as campaign pieces.
Alongside ads that were meant to be seen were ads that were meant to be used. Coca-Cola, for one, realized that practical pieces of advertising would last much longer than signs and posters, which were routinely discarded. Common types of “utilitarian” ads included thermometers, calendars, mirrors, and clocks, all of which bore a company’s brand name and image in some way or another. Some small storeowners, for example, kept their vintage Coca-Cola thermometers displayed in their stores, for the simple reason that they remained useful. Items that were never or barely used, of course, command the most attention from collectors.
Other advertising collectibles include produce crate labels, salesman samples, tobacco tins, beer trays, and door push and pull signs.
Interviews & Articles
What Were We Thinking? The Top 10 Most Dangerous Ads

Often the criticism of vintage ads focuses on their inherent sexism, racism, or other displays of social prejudices, which we find… [more]
When the Wild Imagination of Dr. Seuss Fueled Big Oil

Ever had an encounter with a Zero-doccus, a Karbo-nockus, a Moto-raspus, or a Moto-munchus? These fantastical creatures are some o… [more]
Who's That Kodak Girl? Early Camera Ads Depict Women as Adventurous Shutterbugs

My father had a camera store, so I grew up with cameras and used Kodak film. These days I like digital better, but I still have a … [more]
Signs, Tins, and Other Advertising Antiques

How did I get started collecting advertising antiques? My dad was a lecturer and tutor in graphics and art from the 1960s onwards,… [more]
The Disappearing Art of Porcelain Signs

I liked to collect things even as a child. Things that didn’t cost anything, like different colors of stones. There was somethin… [more]
Early American Packages

One of America's famed industrial designers sat at his quite modern desk (which he thinks was designed in 1936 but which was alrea… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
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]
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

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

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

Paula Zargaj-Reynolds’ blog, an extensive collection of 20th century vintage advertising, is a visual feast. Scro… [read review or visit site]
Clubs & Associations: Advertising
Other Great Reference Sites: Advertising
Top eBay Auctions
Recent News: Advertising
Source: Google News
Morphy's auction a high-quality mix of antique advertising, coin-op machines ...
Art Daily, May 23rdMorphy's is like a second home to antique advertising collectors, who regard the central Pennsylvania company's auctions as a premier source of fresh-to-market pieces from long-held collections. On June 1st, Morphy's will conduct a 537-lot specialty...Read more
Samsung 'Evolutionary Husband?' Ad Outrages Fox News, Men's Rights Activists
Huffington Post, May 23rdLeave us a comment, or join the conversation on Twitter @HuffPostWomen! Also on HuffPost: Loading Slideshow ... Working Wife. Via <a href="http://www.tressugar.com/Vintage-Advertising-21966615?slide=41" target="_hplink">Tressugar</a>. It's A Man's...Read more
Vintage Ladies Home Journal Ad Shows Some Interesting Stereotypes
Huffington Post, May 22ndLeave us a comment below, or join the conversation on Twitter @HuffPostWomen. Also on HuffPost: Loading Slideshow ... Working Wife. Via <a href="http://www.tressugar.com/Vintage-Advertising-21966615?slide=41" target="_hplink">Tressugar</a>...Read more
Laurence Juber to reveal life with Wings and solo career details in new book
Examiner.com, May 22ndThe book will also feature 250 photos, including never-seen-before color and black & white pictures, vintage advertising materials, guitars, equipment and memorabilia. “In the thirty-something years since Wings folded, I would look at the boxes of...Read more
Email “That's Amore: Travel Posters to Love” at International Poster Gallery
ArtfixDaily (blog), May 22ndIn addition to gallery shows and special exhibitions, IPG's award-winning website, www.internationalposter.com offers one of the largest, most comprehensive online collections of vintage advertising posters in the world. Originally launched in 1998...Read more
'Cosmopolitan' Magazine Parody: 'Inner Beauty' Issue By Nathan Yaffe
Huffington Post, May 17thtips in the joke illustration. We've gotta say, we might actually buy this issue if it existed. Also on HuffPost: Loading Slideshow ... Working Wife. Via <a href="http://www.tressugar.com/Vintage-Advertising-21966615?slide=41" target="_hplink...Read more
Retro-Fantastic Posters from Mads Berg
Visual News, May 15thIt's hard to create more nostalgia than with the faded tones of a vintage advertising poster. Those glorious old ads push just the right buttons, bringing back memories of blissfully warm days, breathtaking views while traveling and good times spent...Read more
How To Figure Out How Much You Should Pay For A Car
Jalopnik, May 13thVW is known for some spectacular vintage advertising, ads which were instrumental in their success as a viable large-car alternative in America, itself a stepping stone to the international behemoth of modern-day Volkswagen. During this time, the Type...Read more
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Bizarro Beauty Products, from 1889 to Now
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Pin-Up Queens: Three Female Artists Who Shaped the American Dream Girl
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
Tokens for Sweethearts, in Times of War
American Picker Dream, Part I: Mike Wolfe On His Love Affair With Bikes

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