Signs

About Vintage Signs

Antique and vintage signs are highly sought after by collectors for their beauty, enduring historic value, and because they make great discussion pieces. Used to advertise everything from soda to farm equipment to household appliances, key genres include wood, porcelain (aka enamel), tin, and neon.

Porcelain enamel signs were first produced in Europe in the late 1800s, and became popular in the U.S. in the 1890s. Porcelain signs were made of powdered glass fused onto rolled iron. Different colors were stenciled on and fired, creating a different layer for each color; although later porcelain signs were silkscreened. Porcelain signs were durable and able to withstand exposure to the elements, so tens of thousands were made. But during the World War II scrap drives, many were melted down. Eventually high labor costs caused porcelain signs to fall out of favor in the 1950s...

Tin signs were also melted in WWII scrap drives, halting production almost permanently. Although some tin signs were made after the war, their reemergence was short lived. Tin signs reached their peak of popularity in the 1920s and were usually painted, screenprinted, or stamped. But they were not as durable as porcelain signs, and were prone to rust.

The first neon sign was introduced in 1912, for a Parisian barber. Neon signs contain tubes filled with neon or inert gasses that glow when a high voltage is applied. Though popular in the 1920s and 1930s, they were expensive to make and very fragile. In the 1940s and '50s, custom-made neon signs were produced in small quantities for businesses like restaurants, clubs, bars, hotels, and auto dealerships. More modern mass-produced neon signs for companies like Budweiser and Coca-Cola can also be collectible.

Some collectors also seek out vintage cardboard signs, which were popular in the mid-20th century and were used to advertise a broad range of consumer items (soda, beer, candy, etc.) and upcoming events, like the circus. Other sign formats, like and door pushes and pulls, are highly sought after as well.

Although some collectors focus exclusively on signs, many pursue the hobby as an adjunct to another collecting interest. Therefore antique and vintage signs related to these areas are in high demand, like automobile, oil and gas, travel, farm, food, smoking, beer, and railroad signs. Signs from the west coast are in especially high demand.

With antique and vintage signs, condition, visual appeal, and scarcity are important influences on value. Many signs have bullet holes from being shot at or rust or crazing from exposure to the elements. Do your homework before buying - many reproductions have been made and many signs have been restored.

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Interviews & Articles

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]

Signs for Mariners

Signs have always furnished a vivid means of advertising wares and attracting the attention of prospective bu… [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]

Historical Marker Database

Historical Marker Database

If you're the type who pulls over when you see a 'historic marker ahead' sign, you'll love this site. Orchestrated … [read review or visit site]

Pittsburgh Signs Project

Pittsburgh Signs Project

This group artistic effort to catalog the signs of Pittsburgh captures many vintage signs (porcelain, neon, wood, t… [read review or visit site]

Falvo Collectables Gallery

Falvo Collectables Gallery

Ralph and Carol Falvo's excellent collection of automobiles, petroliana, jukeboxes, soda, and general store items. … [read review or visit site]

Jersey Vintage Ford Collectibles

Jersey Vintage Ford Collectibles

Sam Baker's excellent collection of vintage Ford porcelain and neon signs and related memorabilia from the 1920s an… [read review or visit site]


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Original Ford Neon Sign, Double Side With Wings$5,000 Ends Monday 1 bid 26 watchers
Original 48" Studebaker Porcelain Sign W/hanger ~nice!~$2,325 Ends Monday 15 bids 55 watchers
Old Vintage Orig. Ford Porcelain Neon Dealership Sign$1,125 Ends Sunday 3 bids 45 watchers
Coca Cola Investment Grade 16" White Button Sign $1,021 Ends Tuesday 20 bids 32 watchers
Antique Old Porcelain Sign Speedwell Motor Oil Flange$898.00 Ends in 21 hours 18 bids 73 watchers
Old Mobil Porcelain Gas Oil Auto Not Tin Pegasus Sign$795.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 44 watchers
Original Sinclair Gas Station Sign$750.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 29 watchers
Vintage Full Size Texaco Gas Station Sign And Post$737.00 Ends in 21 hours 14 bids 87 watchers
Pep Boys Manny Moe & Jack Vintage Statue/sign$730.00 Ends in 3 hours 3 bids 26 watchers
Rare 30's Budweiser Beer Neon Antique Advertising Sign$610.00 Ends Sunday 4 bids 33 watchers
1950's Oldsmobile Service 60" Porcelain Sign Mint Rare$565.00 Ends Tuesday 6 bids 27 watchers
Old Pennzoil Porcelain Gas Oil Auto Not Tin Sign$500.00 Ends Sunday 12 bids 32 watchers
Ind Nyc Subway Front Destination Roll Sign (wash Hts)$499.95 Ends Sunday 3 bids 8 watchers
Hamm's Beer Motion Sign Moving Waterfall / River Scene$455.00 Ends Sunday 14 bids 97 watchers
1947 Coca-cola Sprite Boy Tin Sign-nm$405.00 Ends Sunday 12 bids 48 watchers
Hood Tires Neon Sign$405.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 16 watchers
Van De Kamps Bakery: Original Neon Motorized Sign$405.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 8 watchers
Old Penotol Porcelain Gas Oil Auto Not Tin Sign$405.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 36 watchers
Vintage1950's Coca-cola Lightup Countertop Sign W/clock$405.00 Ends Sunday 13 bids 50 watchers
Large Original Texaco Three Color Enamel Sign Nice!!!$401.00 Ends Sunday 15 bids 50 watchers
Standard Oil Porcelain Enamel Large Sign No Reserve$375.00 Ends Saturday 1 bid 6 watchers
Old Freedom Oil Porcelain Gas Auto No Tin Sign$372.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 20 watchers
1930s Budweiser Beer Litho Antique Advertising Sign Nr$370.00 Ends Sunday 7 bids 34 watchers
Large Mobil Pegasus Sign Original 1935$365.00 Ends Sunday 12 bids 39 watchers
Antique Standard Oil Gold Crown Gas Pump Globe Sign A++$350.00 Ends Monday 12 bids 48 watchers
Vintage Antique 4ft. Sinclair Gasoline Porcelain Sign$350.00 Ends in 16 hours 4 bids 53 watchers
Sunoco Lighted Oil And Gas Plastic Sign$326.00 Ends Monday 4 bids 21 watchers
Very Large Original Conoco Porcelain Sign No Reserve$321.09 Ends Sunday 5 bids 28 watchers
1954 Pepsi Palm Press / Sign$316.00 Ends Saturday 8 bids 45 watchers
United Service Motors Double-sided Neon Sign Original$305.96 Ends Sunday 4 bids 28 watchers
Rare Large 1907 Tin Hires Root Beer Sign Boy W Mug Nr$305.00 Ends Tuesday 10 bids 32 watchers
Very Rare Coca-cola Light Up Sign Fishtail Logo $305.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 29 watchers
42" Shell Sign Buy it Now$305.00 Ends Saturday 10 bids 23 watchers
Rare Wartime Coca Cola Coke Cardboard Display Sign $304.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 45 watchers
Big Goodyear Porcelain Sign Gas Station Motor Oil$302.80 Ends Sunday 8 bids 56 watchers
Palisades Amusement Park Sign Palisades Park Vintage $299.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 6 watchers
Wagner Lockheed Double Bubble Advertising Clock Sign $286.00 Ends Sunday 13 bids 53 watchers
Vintage Coca Cola 24" Button Sign Mint Porcelain Bottle$282.00 Ends Tuesday 10 bids 15 watchers
Dr Pepper Porcelain Advertising Sign Rare Old (tile)$280.00 Ends in 3 hours 8 bids 49 watchers
Antique Standard Oil Red Crown Gas Pump Globe Sign A++$272.00 Ends Monday 12 bids 63 watchers
1950 Coca Cola 12" Tin Button Sign-mint$267.00 Ends Sunday 9 bids 26 watchers
1930s Chevrolet Bowtie Neon Dealership Sign ! ! !$263.99 Ends Sunday 3 bids 25 watchers
Hamm's Non Motion Scenarama Beer Sign W / Clock....nos$255.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 13 watchers
P&r Pennsburg Cast Iron Sign Reading Railroad Rdg Rr Pa$255.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 30 watchers
Antique Old Western Bucking Bronco Roundup Coal Sign$255.00 Ends in 21 hours 9 bids 28 watchers
Vintage Antique Gas Sign Socony Oil And Mobiloil$255.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 32 watchers
Mobiloil Gargoyle Porcelain Sign Buy it Now$250.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 10 watchers
Original Porcelain Double Sided Goodyear Tire Sign$250.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 17 watchers
Rambler Sign, Nos Tin Sign, Amc, Muscle Car, Car Sign$249.99 Ends Monday 6 bids 14 watchers
Rare 1941 Coca Cola Masonite Sign$235.50 Ends in 17 hours 7 bids 9 watchers
Castrol Wakefield 6 Oil Bottle Rack Enamel Sign Cradle!$233.07 Ends Saturday 4 bids 41 watchers
Rare Vintage Coca Cola Light-up Sign Buy it Now$227.50 Ends Tuesday 5 bids 11 watchers
Antique Standard Oil Gold Crown Gas Pump Globe Sign$224.50 Ends Thursday 2 bids 4 watchers
Vintage 16" Metal Button Coca-cola Sign - Central Pa$224.50 Ends in 19 hours 15 bids 32 watchers
Case Eagle Tractor Neon Sign$222.50 Ends Monday 8 bids 8 watchers
Vintage Smokey The Bear Sign-prevent Forest Fires$218.49 Ends Sunday 4 bids 14 watchers
Original Dx Gas Station Sign$217.50 Ends Sunday 6 bids 19 watchers
Trailways Bus Terminal-queen City-porcelain Sign $217.50 Ends Sunday 5 bids 14 watchers
Scarce 1940's Drink Coca-cola Porcelain Sign Drugs Soda$212.50 Ends Monday 4 bids 28 watchers
1963 Evinrude Outboard Motor Tin Dealer Sign- Rare!$204.49 Ends in 4 hours 8 bids 43 watchers

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Recent News: Signs

Source: Google News

Daytona in the Barn: Barn Two
Car Domain, November 16th

So many vintage signs and tools. An spark plug cleaner from the 50's it looked like and a Carter Carburetor little display. Everything that a gearhead would...Read more

Cabin fever
Boston Globe, November 14th

Vintage signs point to places like “Uncle Frog's Cabin,” painted oars hang alongside Native American scenes, and red and black plaid lumberjack coats hang...Read more

Vintage neon fades to black
Vancouver Sun, November 14th

But even as downtown basks in a new neon glow, many of the city's best vintage signs continue to disappear. Ted Harris Paints recently closed at 757 E...Read more

Vintage neon shines on in Las Vegas
Press-Enterprise, November 12th

By BRUCE CAMENGA They may be glitzy to some but bring back memories to the 1950s visitors to Las Vegas. They are some of the neon signs that helped define...Read more

James Julia presents Important Toy, Doll & Advertising Auction on Artfact Live!
News-antique.com (press release), November 12th

The auction offers almost 400 lots including: rare character dolls, tin wind-ups, military toys, antique signs, coin-op, clocks, displays, arcade,...Read more

Crowds drawn to Junior League's Christmas Carousel
Abilene Reporter-News, November 7th

If someone wanted an antique sign to hang in their home or office, Dalia Stokes of Abilene had something for them. Her shop, filled with antiques,...Read more

Car show rolls out antique treasures
Opelousas Daily World, November 5th

Today, the four buildings that used to house the dealership gleam with fresh paint, new roofs and a dozen or so antique signs for such staples of the open...Read more

Santa's House migrates northward
Review Times, October 27th

Eventually, the FRPS plans to make its secondhand building look more like a train station and erect vintage signs outside. The depot will officially...Read more

Signs

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