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Signs For Sale
Late 17th/Early 18th Century Polychrome Tobacconist Figure Sign Folk Art Carving
Located in Lowestoft, GB
A large carved and polychrome painted tobacconist's figure almost certainly 17th or early 18th century
For a related example see Edward H. Pinto, Treen and other Wooden Bygones, Bell and Hyman, London 1969. Page 412, plate 436.
Originally this may well have been a tobacconist's shop window figure. For a similar, but slightly earlier unpainted example, see Sotheby's, The W. J. Shepherd collection of treen, 30th November 1983, Lot 393, illustrated in Pinto "Wooden Bygones of Smoking and Snuff Taking", plate 1.
Carved wooden figures, often painted, were placed outside tobacconist's shops as signs from the 17th century onwards. The earliest of these figures is the 'black boy' or 'blackamoor'. 'At the sign of the black boy' or 'at the sign of the blackamoor' was a popular address for tobacconists since the early 17th century. The 17th century figures...
Category
17th Century English Antique Signs
Materials
Pine
Rare Domed Wiener Werkstaette Vienna Art Nouveau Enameled Advertising Sign
Located in Vienna, AT
A rare, domed, black and white enameled Art Nouveau advertising sign for Wiener Werkstätte, founded by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser and Fritz ...
Category
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Signs
Materials
Metal, Enamel, Iron
Vintage Framed Signed Art
Located in Seattle, WA
Vintage framed signed art
Dimensions. 72 W ; 36 1/4 H ; 3 D.
Category
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Glass, Wood
Hand Signed Written Cart Yolk
Located in Alton, GB
Hand painted cart yolk from W.lowis.
Category
19th Century Antique Signs
Materials
Wood
Vintage Original Painted California Gold Rush Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
20th Century Original painted Gold Rush Sign.
Category
20th Century American Adirondack Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Vintage Desk Sign, circa 1944
Located in San Francisco, CA
About
An original wooden desk sign for Carl J. Wilkerson from Fort Knox, Kentucky. His years of employment are written on the back as well as the signatu...
Category
Early 20th Century Signs
Materials
Wood, Plastic, Paper
Antique London Covent Garden & Borough Market Trade Shop Signs Thomas
Located in Lowestoft, GB
A decorative pair of trade signs for J B Thomas of either Borough Market or Covent Garden London, a red ground with gilt/yellow hand painted lettering.
...
Category
Early 20th Century British Signs
Materials
Pine
St Paul’s Churchyard, City of London Glass Edwardian Street Sign
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
St Paul’s Churchyard, City of London glass Edwardian Street Sign
This is a City of London Street sign, it is set in its Cast Iron Frame, it is ma...
Category
Early 20th Century Industrial Signs
Materials
Iron
Hand Painted 'ICE ON ROAD IN PLACES' Wooden Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Great vintage wood sign from the 1980s. Hand-painted. Deep blue background with white lettering and white border. Very good vintage condition. Perfect for a cabin or winter house...
Category
1980s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Vintage 'No Bikes' Street Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage 'no bikes on sidewalk' sign with incredible sunburn weathering patina. Steel sign featuring a bicycle encircled by a red ring with a line through it. Great faded coloring give this piece unique character. Cool vintage graphics...
Category
1970s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Steel
20th Century Italian Mix Metal Wall Art Car, C.1970
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
This classic car is handmade in Italy from brass, copper and steel, created in the mid 20th century as a piece of decorative fun and novelty.
CONDITION
In Good Condition - wear c...
Category
20th Century Italian Signs
Materials
Brass, Copper, Steel
Original Magnolia Bakery Sign
Located in Essex, MA
Original Magnolia Bakery hand-painted sign from an upper state New York bakery. White background with black lettering, charming addition to a kitchen, pantry or mudroom for a vintage...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Country Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Telephone Sign
Located in Round Top, TX
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
Los Angeles Highway Trash Removal Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles trash cleanup sign. Emerald green background with a man in work clothes picking up trash. Great coloring and patina. Cool vintage graphics...
Category
Early 2000s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Enamel Sign for Colman’s Mustard
Located in Cheshire, GB
Enamel sign for Colman’s Mustard, of rectangular form decorated in blue and yellow enamel.
Dimensions
Height 16 inches
Width 62.5 inches
Depth 0.5 ...
Category
Early 20th Century British Signs
Materials
Enamel
Glass Pedestrian Crossing Sign
Located in New York, NY
Colorful Pop Art Pedestrian Crossing sign on glass. Found vintage art at it's best! Front has 4 small rubber elements and back has rubber edging. Final ...
Category
1950s North American Vintage Signs
Materials
Glass, Rubber, Paint
Large Weathered Trade Sign "Carriage Shop"
Located in Greenwich, CT
A 12 foot long trade sign displaying the words Carriage Shop on one side and Horse Shoeing on the other. In weathered early hand painted lettering on wood, with molded edging on all ...
Category
1870s American Antique Signs
Materials
Wood
Vintage Yellow & Black Painted Steel 'FRESH OIL' Traffic or Street Sign
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine vintage traffic or street sign.
With text that reads: FRESH OIL.
In reflective yellow paint.
Simply a great vintage sign!
Date:
Mi...
Category
Late 20th Century Unknown Signs
Materials
Steel
Marvelous Antique Carved Wood Locksmith Trade Sign
Located in Hopewell, NJ
A wonderful early 20th century carved mahogany locksmith trade sign in the shape of a large key. Makes an unexpected piece of wall art as a found object with tons of character.
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood
Traditional Large Iron Hanging Pub Sign, The Boot
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Traditional large iron hanging pub sign. The Boot
This is a large and heavy piece dating from the beginning of the 20th Century, it is double sided though the paint on one side is...
Category
Early 1900s Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Iron
Vintage Enamel Letter N, 1930s
Located in Kojetice, CZ
This vintage industrial enameled letter N was made during the 1930s and comes from the old advertising banner.
Category
Early 20th Century European Industrial Signs
Materials
Iron
'Boulder' Colorado Hand Painted Wood Road Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rustic hand painted Boulder road sign in black and white. Painted on a 3/4" thick plank of wood give this piece interesting character. Taken down from a nearby trail. Sign can...
Category
2010s American Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Card Game Wall Decoration Sign, 1961
By Rob Otten
Located in Antwerp, BE
Vintage card game wall decoration sign.
1960s advertising sign with a typical card game scene:
green playing card felt, playing cards, dice, a go...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Modern Signs
Materials
Other, Tin
Elizabeth Arden Vintage Wooden Signs
Located in Milano, IT
Rare advertising sign of Elizabeth Arden, an entrepreneur who founded, in that name, her cosmetics company, dating from the 1950s, taken from the Lake...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Aluminum
Antique Reverse Painted Glass Drink Coca Cola Sign Ice Cream Parlour circa 1920
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous 10 x 21 reverse painted glass coca cola sign from the twenties. In excellent vintage condition with a bit of fixing on the upper right corner. Made by the Price Bros. from C...
Category
1920s American Industrial Vintage Signs
Materials
Brass
Chinese Signboard with Gold Coloured Calligraphy from Hardwood, C. 1900
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
With a wood coloured base this signboard (crafted entirely from wood) highlights 3 large gold coloured Chinese Characters. The signboard dates to the early 20th Century and has aged ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
English Pub Sign, Squirrel
Located in Austin, TX
An authentic English pub sign (one-sided) featuring a painting of a squirrel with a nut, untitled.
A very fine example of vintage advertising artwork and ...
Category
20th Century English Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Enamel Sign for Colman’s Starch
Located in Cheshire, GB
Enamel sign for Colman’s Starch, of rectangular form decorated in blue and white enamel.
Dimensions
Height 16 Inches
Width 62.5 Inches
Depth 0.5 Inches.
Category
Early 20th Century British Signs
Materials
Enamel
Vintage Porcelain Corona Beer Sign
Located in San Diego, CA
Super cool and hard to find vintage porcelain Corona beer sign, circa 1970s. The sign is actually a former tabletop at a roadside cantina in Mexico. The di...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Signs
Materials
Metal
Big Wooden Wrench, a Trade Sign, USA 1930
Located in Milan, IT
Big wooden sign of a machine shop depicting a wrench, with mechanic’s address and phone number. USA 1930 ca.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Signs
Materials
Fruitwood
Spanish Provincial Style Carved Horse Head Wall Plaque Sign
Located in New York, NY
Spanish Provincial (20th Cent) style painted and carved horse head wall plaque/sign (La Taberna Caballoblanco) (Related item: 049724D).
Category
20th Century Renaissance Signs
Materials
Wood
1950’s Liquor Neon Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
1950’s single sided Liquor neon and porcelain sign. New transformer and new wiring. It does work.
Category
1950s North American Industrial Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal, Enamel
Vintage Elizabeth Arden Signs in Wood and Painted Aluminum
Located in Milano, IT
Rare advertising sign of Elizabeth Arden, an entrepreneur who founded, in that name, her cosmetics company, dating from the 1950s, taken from the Lake...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Aluminum
Elkwood, Late 19th Century American Trade Sign
Located in Nantucket, MA
With carved gilt wood letters with mounted against a blue painted sand ground
American, c. 1890.
Category
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Wood
HOVIS, Etched Glass Bakery Advertising Window Sign
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
HOVIS, Etched Glass Bakery Advertising Window Sign
A great piece of social history, this is a window, the old sash type, the glass is etched and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Edwardian Antique Signs
Materials
Art Glass
Vintage School Crossing Safety Guard Folk Art Trade Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Original hand painted school safety crossing guard sign. Sheet metal and wood. Great original surface. Has original leaning brace mounted on back, but c...
Category
1950s American Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Sheet Metal
Ladies ‘Dame’ Mid Century Restroom Sign from South of France Made in Metal
Located in London, GB
A French Mid Century Modern Swimming Pool changing room sign for a Lady or Ladies. The 3 dimensional letters made from metal box cut and riveted and weld...
Category
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
Edwardian Art Nouveau Copper & Oak Shop Sign "Townrow" Hatter Hosier
Located in Norwich, GB
A wonderful English Art Nouveau period polished copper & oak mounted shop sign, "Townrow". Circa 1905.
There is some damage to the left hand side oak mount, please refer to the late...
Category
Early 20th Century British Art Nouveau Signs
Materials
Copper
Large Porcelain Sign Mauxion Chocolat, 1920s, Germany
Located in Antwerp, BE
Large porcelain sign for Mauxion Chocolat Products circa 1925.
Antique porcelain sign - enamelled sign - advertising wall sign.
This spectacul...
Category
Early 20th Century German Art Deco Signs
Materials
Metal
1950's Commercial Sign "All - Stainless Inc"
Located in Hanover, MA
Vintage commercial business sign from early 1950's for All - Stainless, Inc.
78" long by 12" high panel of patinated blue colored aluminum with 1/4" th...
Category
1950s American Industrial Vintage Signs
Materials
Aluminum
Giant Art Deco Brass Fountain Pen and Mechanical Pencil Display Models
By Wahl Eversharp Co
Located in Hanover, MA
Oversized retail advertising presentation brass fountain pen and mechanical pencil display signs from the early 1920s when they would have been featured within a wood and glass display cabinet at the pen counter of a stationary store.
Originally the fountain pen would have been marked on its side "Wahl Pen...
Category
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Signs
Materials
Brass
Enamel Parisian Metro Station Sign
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
French mid 20th century enamel metro sign.
This sign comes from the Commerce Metro Station in the 15th arrondisement in Paris.
This station is on li...
Category
Signs
Vintage Solo Margarine Enamel Mid-Century Sign
Located in Norwich, GB
A wonderful bright vintage enamel sign advertising Solo margarine. Belgian - Circa 1940's.
The sign is in very good condition for its age, ther...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Signs
Materials
Enamel
Arts and Crafts Copper Milliners Trade Sign, Copper Top Hat
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Arts and Crafts Copper Milliners Trade Sign. Copper Top Hat
This is an unusual piece, the Top Hat is made in beaten Copper it sits on an old wooden stand
The hat and stand are bo...
Category
Late 19th Century Arts and Crafts Antique Signs
Materials
Copper
Schweppes Table Waters Oak Trade Sign Board
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Schweppes table waters oak trade sign board
This charming Oak Trade Sign would have been hung on the wall at the entrance to a hotel or bar, it has gold Shadow Writing announcing...
Category
Mid-20th Century Arts and Crafts Signs
Materials
Oak
1920's English "Private Bar" Etched Glass Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
1920's English "Private Bar" etched glass sign framed in oak frame.
Category
1920s British Vintage Signs
Materials
Glass, Oak
Art Deco Box Neon "ETCHISON HATS" Wonderful Red Neon, The Neon Shop, LIMA OHIO
By Neon Products
Located in Buffalo, NY
Art Deco Box Neon sign advertizing Etchison Hats,c.1930's,, wonderful red neon, made by The Neon Shop.Lima Ohio.. Great graphics..retains original black metal housing.. curved deco...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
Los Angeles Freeway Sign 'Beach Cities"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Monumental Los Angeles freeway sign from the 90s. Beach Cities sign showing people which way to Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and other cities. Reflectiv...
Category
1990s American Signs
Materials
Aluminum
Trade Sign Depicting a Huge Skimmer Ladle, France, 1900
Located in Milan, IT
Outdoor trade sign of a kitchen tools store, for advertising. The sign depicts a huge skimmer ladle, made out of boxwood and iron, with 2 painted letters E X. France 1900 ca.
Category
Early 20th Century Signs
Materials
Iron
Chinese Signboard with Gold Coloured Calligraphy & Hanging Hook from Hardwood
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
With a wood coloured base this signboard (crafted entirely from wood) highlights 3 large gold coloured Chinese Characters. The signboard dates to the Mid-20th Century and has aged be...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
SS United States Sign Notice and Information for Passengers
Located in Hanover, MA
Hefty enameled solid aluminum framed passenger safety and information sign from Passenger Stateroom 139 on the Main deck of the SS United States.
Fo...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Aluminum
1920's Light Up Directional Service Glass Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
1920's light up Directional Service glass sign. It does work.
Category
1920s North American Industrial Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
Champagne Sign Jules Bertier, circa 1900, France
Located in Antwerp, BE
Antique French Champagne Sign circa 1900.
This Art Nouveau metal sign - tin sign was made for Wine & Champagne House Jules Bertier & Cie, Brest, France.
It's an embossed sign with a bottle of sparkling wine alongside a wooden storage or transport case.
View all the details on this lithographic sign !
This antique advertising sign...
Category
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Signs
Materials
Metal
Antique Ingersoll Watches Adverting Trade Sign, circa 1900
Located in San Francisco, CA
Antique double sided trade sign for Ingersoll Watches in the shape of a pocket watch.
Excellent old sign in original condition.
American, late 19th-ear...
Category
Early 20th Century American Other Signs
Materials
Metal
Chinese Signboard with Red Coloured Calligraphy from Hardwood, C. 1900
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
With a wood coloured base this signboard (crafted entirely from wood) highlights two large red coloured Chinese Characters. The signboard dates to the early 20th Century and has aged...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Telephone Company's Trade Sign USA 1950
Located in Milan, IT
A window trade sign of an American telephone company, depicting a big phone. Carved out of fruit wood, and white enamel painted. USA 1950 ca.
Category
1950s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Plastic, Wood
Six Separate Hand Painted Hot Rod Car Theme Carry Bags or Purse
Located in Ferndale, MI
Six different hot rod auto related canvas tote carry bags. Hand painted here in Detroit. Image on one side only.
Category
2010s American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Canvas
Pair of Mid-20th Century French Enameled Blue and White Hommes and Dames Signs
Located in Fayetteville, AR
This pair of mid-twentieth century French enameled signs are marked Hommes and Dames which translates to Gentlemen and Ladies. In a charming blue an...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Signs
Materials
Enamel
Antique, New and Vintage Signs
Vintage and antique signs are popular collector’s items loved not only for the charm and pops of color they add to a space but also for the unique story each one has to tell. An interesting sign can help set the mood for a room and spark dozens of lively conversations.
Before and during the 18th century, many European peasants and colonists in the Americas couldn’t read, so shopkeepers, in an effort to promote their goods and services, hung trade signs with limited amounts of text.
Indeed, symbols and representational physical objects comprised early-day advertising efforts. In lieu of painted words on a wooden board, trade signs made use of handmade three-dimensional symbols to indicate the function of the shop. The iconic red, white and blue pole could be found outside barbershops, while a figural trade sign mounted to an apothecary’s storefront might be a mortar and pestle sculpted from bronze in order to indicate to passers-by that inside there were apothecary cabinets full of remedies for common ailments and a druggist to carefully dispense them.
As literacy rates improved, signs evolved into rectangular, round or square shapes that featured text. Short and sweet, early iterations were characterized by a mere few words, such as “tavern,” “boarding room” or “apothecary.”
During the 19th century, proprietors endeavored to render their signs more appealing. This meant the introduction of more color, font types and other pictorial representations. After the Civil War ended, logos, branding and advertising became increasingly more important, and the design of signage evolved. Trade signs were still in use during the 20th century, and you will likely find hand-painted tin eyeglasses for an optometrist’s office or an oversize bowling pin that likely had a home in the front window of a bowling alley.
Today, collectors and art aficionados alike collect and display antique and vintage signs. Old signs hearken back to a long-gone era, infusing any interior with warmth and nostalgia.
A vintage sign can help anchor a room — think of decorating with signs as you would arranging any kind of wall art. A large-scale sign in particular can prove a distinguishing feature in a living room or dining room, a focal point so prominent that it might lessen the burden of introducing any additional decorative elements to this particular space. Smaller signs work wonders too — pepper sparsely decorated corners with small colorful signs or add a humorous or graphic element to your gallery-style hang with a small text-based sign or two.
On 1stDibs, find metal, wood and glass antique and vintage signs that span a number of styles, including mid-century modern, industrial and folk art.
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