Tin Signs

Tin signs came into widespread use in the 1920s, as a cheaper alternative to porcelain signs, used to advertise everything from gasoline to soda pop. Tin proved a good material to paint or to use with color lithography, and could also be stamped to achieve some texture.

The outbreak of WW2 halted tin sign production (in fact, many signs were melted down to be used in the war effort), and tin's reappearance after the war was short lived (replaced by steel and later plastic). Be careful when buying vintage tin signs: they were prone to rust, which can greatly reduce value, and are also easy to reproduce.