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
Antique Late 19th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood
American Trade Signs
American Folk Art Fishing Lure Trade Sign
Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Early 20th century fishing lure trade sign. Hand forged and hand painted oversized trade sign.
Category
Early 20th Century American Signs
Materials
Metal
1940s Native American Trading Post Wooden Sign
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
1940s Native American Trading Post Wooden Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1940s Native American wooden painted trading post sign. Colors are vibrant.
Category
Vintage 1940s American Adirondack Signs
Materials
Wood
American Folk Art Workshop Wrench Wood Trade Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Fantastic and substantial wood and iron wrench tool sign. Hand written fractions and original yellow paint. Very sturdy and well made. Great industrial workshop turned folk art. The ...
Category
Vintage 1930s American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Iron
Pair of Cat Trade Signs
$4,500 / set
Pair of Cat Trade Signs
Located in Branford, CT
Incredible pair of cat trade signs. Braced plywood with red glass eyes. Original paint. They can either hang on the wall or lean. Circa 1930.
Category
Vintage 1930s North American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Plywood
19th Century, Apothecary Trade Sign
Located in Nantucket, MA
Figural trade sign in the form of a mortar and pestle, both the mortar and pestle are hand turned and gilded, with strong ring turnings. The top is capped with zinc and still bears i...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century North American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Zinc
American Wrought Iron and Gilt Trade Sign Bracket , Circa 1880
Located in Charleston, SC
American wrought iron and gilt trade sign bracket with decorative scroll work and gilt ball motif.
Category
Antique 1880s American Folk Art Signs
Vintage Large Wooden “Bakery” Trade Sign
Located in Dekalb, IL
The design speaks to an era when hand-painted and carved signage reflected both craftsmanship and local identity in American trade advertising. While the specific maker is unknown, ...
Category
Early 20th Century American American Colonial Signs
Materials
Wood
19th Century Gold Giltwood Carved Letters William Trade Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Classic 19th century American wood trade sign with chunky hand carved and gold painted letters.
Category
Antique Late 19th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood
Set of Three Folk Art Straight Edge Razor Trade Signs
Located in Stamford, CT
Three whimsical American folk carved wood art trade signs in the form of straight edge razors.
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood
Samuel Robb Carved Tobacciana Trade Sign
Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Tobacciana trade sign carved by Samuel Robb, New York, Circa 1885.
Category
Antique Late 19th Century American Native American Objects
Materials
Wood
Horse Head Trade Sign, Last Quarter of the 19th Century
Located in York County, PA
An exceptional, painted American trade sign made from carved wood in the full-bodied form of a race horse’s head.
Category
Antique 19th Century American Folk Art Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Early 20th Century Pharmacy Sign 'DRUGS' Painted on a Single Board
Located in Nantucket, MA
American folk art trade sign from an apothecary or pharmacy with the word 'DRUGS' in black paint with white shadow lines on an orange ground.
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Pine, Paint
Carved Cigar Store Native American Indian, Shop Trade Sign
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Carved Cigar Store Native American Indian, Shop Trade Sign This is a very rare find, he is an almost full size American Indian Chief, he is carved from one piece of wood ( a tree tr...
Category
Vintage 1930s Folk Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Boston Fish Market Trade Sign
Located in Norwell, MA
Carved flounder trade sign with lettering for "Chatham Fish Market".
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Boston Fish Market Trade Sign
Located in Norwell, MA
Carved flounder trade sign with lettering for "Boston Fish Market".
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Carved Tuna Fish Trade Sign
Located in Norwell, MA
Six foot carved big eye tuna with painted decoration. 'Washington St. Fish and Oyster Co.' of Boston in blue paint. Distressed finish. Carved gills, fins, tail, eyes, and snout. Fitt...
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Six Foot "Osterville Seafood" Trade Sign
Located in Norwell, MA
Carved wood tuna fish trade sign with "Osterville Seafood" in hand painted lettering of gold, outlined in black.
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Anthony's Pier 4 Carved Trade Sign
Located in Norwell, MA
Six foot carved Atlantc tuna trade sign with handpainted distressed finish. Lettering reads "Anthony's Pier 4".
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Trident Sushi Bar Carved Trade Sign
Located in Norwell, MA
Six foot carved Atlantc tuna trade sign with handpainted distressed finish. Lettering reads "Trident Sushi Bar".
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Carved Flounder Trade Sign "Fresh Fish"
Located in Norwell, MA
Hand carved flounder trade sign with painted lettering for "Fresh Fish".
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Edgartown Seafood Carved Flounder Trade Sign
Located in Norwell, MA
Charming trade sign of a carved flounder with painted blue lettering for "Edgartown Seafood" with a subtle pickled white finish.
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Harvey's Boat Yard Carved Trade Sign
Located in Norwell, MA
Six foot carved mackerel trade sign with hand painted distressed finish with deeply carved scales, fins, gills, eyes, snout, etc.
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Six Foot Carved Fish Trade Sign
Located in Norwell, MA
Six foot Atlantic tuna with painted finish. 'Fresh Fish' is painted in red block letters on its right side. Distressed finish. Fitted with two pieces of iron chain. Awesome look. We...
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Six Foot Menemsha Fish Market Trade Sign
Located in Norwell, MA
Six foot carved fish trade sign. The Atlantic mackerel is hand-carved with gills, fins, tail, eyes, and snout.
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Harvey's Boat Rental Carved Flounder Trade Sign
Located in Norwell, MA
"Harvey's Boat Rentals, Quincy, Flounder Capital" is painted on this carved flounder. Details include carved scales, fins, tail, eyes, mouth, etc. Fitted with two iron hanging chains...
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
A Pair of Carved & Painted Cigar Store American Indians, Shop Trade Signs
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A Pair of Carved & Painted Cigar Store American Indians, Shop Trade Signs This is a rare find, an American Indian Chief and his Princess.
Category
Antique 1890s Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
American Oval Timber Trade Sign with Two Masted Ship and Rope Boarder. C. 1850
Located in Charleston, SC
American oval hand carved timber trade sign with a centered two masted ship, rope border, upper painted banner "The London and New York Trading Company" and lower painted trademark "...
Category
Antique 1850s American American Empire Nautical Objects
Materials
Rope, Wood, Paint
"The Big Tuna" Six Foot Carved Trade Sign
Located in Norwell, MA
Six foot carved Atlantic tuna wood trade sign with lettering for "The Big Tuna" sushi bar.
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
An American Life, Signed by Ronald Reagan, First Trade Edition in DJ, 1990
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Presented is a first trade edition of Ronald Reagan’s An American Life.
Category
1990s American Modern Books
Materials
Paper
Carved Fish Trade Sign for "Beach House Inn, Brant Point"
Located in Norwell, MA
Hand carved flounder trade sign with painted lettering for "Beach House Inn, Brant Point".
Category
2010s North American Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Folk Art Embroidered 1800s Primitive Crazy Quilt Exceptional initialed Textile
Located in Amsterdam, NY
Primitive animals and human figures have a charming flatness and directness associated with nineteenth-century American trade signs, chalkware figures, and schoolgirl needlework.
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Quilts
Materials
Cotton
Recent Sales
Antique Early Hatter Trade Sign w/ original paint
Located in Acworth, GA
Several repairs where brackets were once located Metal hat 13” high 10” wide, on stand 17” high. American trade signs fall into two general categories: 18th-early 19th century,...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century American American Classical Signs
Materials
Tin
Early American Surveyor's Trade Sign
Located in Hadley, MA
COLORFUL GRAPHIC TRADE SIGN
Rare, early, double sided trade sign, for "A.H. Konkle, Surveyor". Wonderful use of SEVEN color paint scheme, with excellent calligraphy. ...
Category
Antique 19th Century American Signs
Materials
Pine
American Folk Art Trade Sign
Located in Solebury, PA
Folk art trade sign painted on tin for Feigelman's Moving , Storage and Trucking Co. Strikingly graphic advertising for a moving company, signed by maker. The windshield might not pa...
Category
20th Century American Signs
American Antique Horse Farm Trade Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large sign painted on steel for "Saham Morgans" horse farm circa 1900. Hand wrought and riveted hangers at top corners. Sign is the same on the reverse side. Minor losses to the pa...
Category
Antique 19th Century American Primitive Signs
American Sheet Metal Folk Art Key Trade Sign
Located in Brooklyn, NY
American sheet metal Folk Art key trade sign, with hinges on the top and bottom sides to use as mounts.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Signs
Materials
Sheet Metal
19th Century American Double Sided Watch Maker Trade Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
19th Century American Double Sided Watch Maker Trade Sign With Cast Iron Frame And Tin Clock Face.
Category
Antique 19th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Iron, Tin
Large Old Trade Sign American Flag Shield Folk Art
Located in South Coast, CA
Large ( 31" x 23 1/2") and Wonderful old handmade trade sign: Carved wood shield having all original paint over plaster, quite heavy, too.
Category
20th Century American Signs
Materials
Wood, Plaster, Paint
Spectacular Late 1800s American Hand-Carved Wood Meat Trade Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
Spectacular late 1800s American hand-carved wood meat trade sign.
Category
Antique 1880s American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood
American Pharmacist Trade Sign, circa 1950
Located in Bodicote, Oxfordshire
A nice America pharmacists trade sign, circa 1950, it is metal with different worn layers of old paint and gold painted text and borders.
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Historical Memorabilia
Materials
Metal, Iron
Antique Carved Wooden Horse Head Trade Sign
Located in Mount Penn, PA
A wall-mounted carved wooden horse head trade sign mounted to a leather base with brass saddle hardware detailing on the bottom.
Category
20th Century American American Craftsman Wall-mounted Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Robins Egg Blue American Trade Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Great and substantial wood and sheet metal sign. Fantastic original alligatored paint surface. Perfect Oyster white background with Robins egg blue hand lettering on a double sided s...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Sheet Metal
Late 19th Century American Trade Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Late 19th century original sand and paint surface "JOHN" sign.
Category
Antique Late 19th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood
Antique American Gilt Cast Iron Optometrist Trade Mercantile Store Sign NY 1880
Sold
H 8.5 in W 24.5 in D 1 in
Antique American Gilt Cast Iron Optometrist Trade Mercantile Store Sign NY 1880
Located in Portland, OR
A rare antique 19th century American Folk Art gilded and painted cast and hand-forged iron optometrist trade sign, New York circa 1880.
Category
Antique 1880s American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Iron
Late 19th Century Wood and Iron Trade Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Late 19th century handpainted American trade sign. Very heavy wood construction with iron strapping.
Category
Antique 1890s North American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Iron
c. 1920's American Millinery And Hatter Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Fantastic American trade sign made by the hand of a skilled sign maker.
Category
Early 20th Century Signs
Materials
Sheet Metal
"B. Briscoe, Tailor" Sign with a Backwards S, circa 1810-1850
Located in York County, PA
Early American trade sign: “B. BRISCOE, TAILOR,” circa 1810-1850, with a backwards “S” and extraordinary surface Early, painted, American trade sign, made of pine, with a molded e...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century American Signs
Materials
Wood
19thC American Folk Art Trade Sign
Located in San Francisco, CA
Folk art trade sign barber pole. Wonderful untouched surface, retains most of its original first paint finish.
Category
Antique 19th Century American Signs
Materials
Wood
American Dairy Trade Sign Still Life
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Fantastic midwestern dairy trade sign. A still life of fresh Milk, Eggs and Cheese on a Breadboard. Skillfully painted and very graphic. Great paint detail on eggs and cheese.
Category
Vintage 1940s American Signs
Materials
Plywood
Vintage American Folk Art Showroom Trade Sign
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Charming vintage wooden trade sign for Showroom. The sign was original painted in with green and white colors and have been through a later restoration when a thick lacquer that has ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
C.1880 American Folk Art Top Hat Hatmaker’s Trade Sign
Located in Briarcliff Manor, NY
A hard-to-find and charming sheet iron hatmaker’s,trade sign from the mid to late 19th century. The sculptural curves of the brim and the hat itself are engaging and amusing.
Category
Antique Late 19th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Iron
Top Hat Trade Sign
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century American red painted tin trade sign in the form of a top hat.
Category
Antique 19th Century American Primitive Signs
Top Hat Trade Sign
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century American painted tin trade sign in the form of a top hat.
Category
Antique 19th Century American Primitive Signs
Hat Makers Trade Sign
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century American painted tin trade sign in the form of a top hat.
Category
Antique 19th Century American Primitive Signs
Trade Sign, Rooms or Tourists, Meals
Located in Nantucket, MA
Multicolored trade sign with shadowed fonts over a white field. Mounted in a black molded wooden frame. Found in upstate New York, circa 1940 Measures: 25 ½” x 32” x 1 ¾”.
Category
Early 20th Century North American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Pine
Antique Razor Trade Sign, Folk Art, Americana
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Antique razor trade sign, Folk Art, Americana. Razor shaving hair barber knife Folk Art.
Category
Vintage 1920s American American Colonial Signs
19th Century American Two Sided Sand Paint and Gilding Trade Sign
Located in New York, NY
Circa 1880, this wonderful shingle "sign" was created for Dr. Coolidge from black sand and gold gilded lettering. Retains the original hand wrought iron hanger.
Category
Antique 19th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Gold Leaf, Iron
Late 19th Century "House & Sign Painter" Trade Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Perfect subject matter for a 19th century American Folk Art trade sign.
Category
Antique 19th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood
Vintage Enamel and Porcelain ‘STORE’ Trade Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Graphic red, white and blue "STORE" sign, early 20th century American porcelain and enamel trade sign.
Category
Vintage 1930s American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Iron
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American Trade Signs For Sale on 1stDibs
There is a range of American trade signs for sale on 1stDibs. Frequently made of wood, metal and iron, all American trade signs available were constructed with great care. American trade signs have long been popular, with older editions for sale from the 19th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 20th Century. American trade signs are generally popular furniture pieces, but Folk Art, Industrial and Neoclassical styles are often sought at 1stDibs.
How Much are American Trade Signs?
Prices for American trade signs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, American trade signs begin at $1,300 and can go as high as $14,500, while the average can fetch as much as $2,625.
Finding the Right Folk Art for You
Folk art refers to a genre of art that shares the creator’s traditions, offering not just an artistic display but an opportunity to learn about a culture. Vintage, new and antique folk art typically reflects a heritage or location. It can include utilitarian objects and handmade art as diverse as weather vanes, portraiture and paintings, carnival art, quilts and duck decoys.
American folk art is frequently valued because of the traditional skills involved, like weaving, hand-carving wood and even stonework. Many folk artists are self-taught, while some train as apprentices within their community. By using available materials and taking a personal approach to their creations, artists ensure each piece is unique and conveys a story. Native American folk art includes functional objects reflecting their heritage, such as baskets, textiles and wooden pieces.
During the Great Depression, artistic materials in America were hard to come by, so artisans used discarded wood from cigar boxes and shipping crates to make highly stylized, notched pieces — most often picture frames and boxes — that are today sought after by collectors. This folk art style is called tramp art and was popular from roughly 1870 until the 1940s.
Folk art brings vibrant culture and traditions into your home. Browse an extensive collection of folk art on 1stDibs.
Read More
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Why Jules Chéret Was the King of the Modern Poster
The streets of fin-de-siècle Paris were set aglow with colorful poster ads, thanks to the printing techniques invented by Jules Chéret. Now, the Milwaukee Art Museum is celebrating this undersung talent in America's first solo show dedicated his exuberant works.
Why the American Flag Has Had So Many Different Star Patterns
Expert Jeff Bridgman explains the history and meaning behind the twinkling constellations that have graced Old Glory.
Peggy Guggenheim Loved Modernism, but She Also Collected Tribal Art
The iconoclastic style setter displayed African and Oceanic art, as well as works by indigenous peoples of the Americas, alongside pieces by such major modernists as Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock.
The 13-Star American Flag Had More Variations Than You’d Think
Perfect for July 4th weekend, a new show at Philadelphia's Museum of the American Revolution displays an array of antique red, white and blue flags.
Tramp Art, America’s Most Misunderstood Art Form, Is Trending in Interiors
Designers are beginning to see this enigmatic form of folk art in a whole new light.
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