Whimsical "PHOTOS" Neon sign photo booth / store display
Located in Buffalo, NY
Whimsical "PHOTOS" Neon sign photo booth / store display..
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Signs
Metal
Whimsical "PHOTOS" Neon sign photo booth / store display
Located in Buffalo, NY
Whimsical "PHOTOS" Neon sign photo booth / store display..
Metal
$17,500
Large Carved Pub Sign
Located in Greenwich, CT
A pub sign depicting a whimsical fox emerging from a gilt jug, of very large scale.
Wood
Early "spa" Sign
Located in Hadley, MA
Fantastic, whimsical trade sign, advertising a 19th C version of today's Spa.
Vintage Folk Art Fruit Stand Sign
Located in Seattle, WA
Crude hand-lettering in bright red over a soft pumpkin-color background, this piece is sized right for a casual kitchen wall or along side other whimsical signs to enhance an on-goin...
Wood, Paint
Whimsical Advertising Light-Up Sign
Located in Petaluma, CA
We are avid advertising collectors and dealers for over 30 years and here's an item that we have never seen before. The scene depicts a young child being spanked by his teacher for n...
Paper
Fairground Whimsical Figure of Strongman John
Located in Greenwich, CT
Charming mid-20th century fairground "strongman" figure, the slight gentleman wearing a beanie cap and sporting a handlebar moustache in mid squat position standing on original paint...
Fiberglass
Whimsical Violin Iron Lock and Key
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Very charming and unusual folk art iron pad lock.
Iron
Folk Art Hotel Dress Code Sign, circa 1950
Located in Nantucket, MA
Vintage Folk Art Hotel Dress Code Sign, circa 1950, a whimsical hand painted sign from a posh resort in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Wood
Early 19thc Bronze Hand Trade Sign On Iron Mount
Located in Los Angeles, CA
THIS 19THC FOLKY AND WHIMSICAL BRONZE LADIES HAND TRADE SIGN THAT IS ON A CUSTOM IRON STAND WAS PROBABLY MOUNTED ON A BRICK STORE FRONT BUILDING.WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT IT IS SUPPOSE TO...
Bronze
Sold
H 35 in W 30 in D 1 in
Charming Hand-Painted Advertising Sign – "The Two Friends, Lodgings for Seamen"
Located in New York, NY
Charming Hand-Painted Advertising Sign – "The Two Friends, Lodgings for Seamen" This whimsical advertising sign, depicting two female figures, is inscribed with "The Two Friends, Lo...
Wood, Paint
Folk Art Hand Painted Wooden Trade Sign
Located in Nantucket, MA
1930s? A wonderful whimsical sign most likely from a farm stand: they are selling something for the great bargain of 15 for 25 cents, but wait... the Second half is Free!!!
Pine
Unintentionally Whimsical Lobster Pound Sign, circa 1970
Located in Nantucket, MA
Unintentionally Whimsical Lobster Pound Sign, circa 1970, a great vintage hand-painted two board trade sign for a lobster pound.
Pine
Vintage Trailer Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Whimsical vintage highway sign from Texas. Blue sign with with graphics of a trailer.
Steel
Same Day Service Neon Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Whimsical Lucite and neon sign. "SAME DAY SERVICE" likely from a dry-cleaner.
Glass, Lucite
Midcentury Lobster Pools Trade Sign
Located in Nantucket, MA
They are not seen as often as they used to be on the Cape and along the coast of Maine, although some very old ones still survive like the famous one in Ogunquit. This sign is uninte...
Plywood
Whimsical Butchers Trade Sign
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A truly whimsical and amusing vintage butchers trade sign.
Whimsical Tin Bird Silhouette
Located in North Egremont, MA
First half of the twentieth century bird cut from a flattened oil can, strong silhouette and a collage graphic from the advertising lettering
Wrestling Club Sign
Located in Seattle, WA
Whimsical Wrestling Club sign with bright yellow, red and black paint; custom-framed in blackened angle-iron with a two-inch profile.
Steel
Vintage Cottage Sign
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A whimsical and amusing vintage sign that probably hung above the front entrance on a midwest lake, summer resort/camp cottage.
Wood
Fishing Hole Sign
Located in Seattle, WA
Twentieth century roadside goodness, right here. A colorful, whimsical make-do sign for the Rainbow Springs fishing area, Somewhere, USA.
Red Worms For Sale Sign
Located in Seattle, WA
Another whimsical 'make-do' sign made from the lid from an old steel barrel, this one advertising the sale of red worms.
Steel
Pair of 19th Century Optician Signs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of two whimsical Optician signs from San Francisco. Priced as a pair
Metal
Folk Art Fresh Eggs Advertising Sign
Located in Mt Kisco, NY
whimsical painted wood sign depicting a chicken standing on an oversized egg.
Painted Advertising Sign, "The Two Friends, " England, 20th C.
Located in New York, NY
Whimsical Painted Advertising Sign Depicting Two Female Figures and Inscribed,"The Two Friends, Lodgings for Seamen."
Wood
Mule's Head and Moon-Shine Bottle
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Fold Ard Advertisement Sign. A whimsical composition of a mule's head and "moon-shine" bottle.
Metal
Whimsical Painted Tin Sign
Located in Woodbury, CT
Lovely whimsical painted tin sign titled "The Summerhouse".
Tin
Vintage Pub Sign Advertising Daily Selection
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Pub Sign Advertising the Daily Selection of “Stewed Eels, Pie and Mash, Stout, Cockles, and Whelks”, England, 20th Century This whimsical shop sign has been recently re...
Paint
Whimsical Garden Sign
Located in Woodbury, CT
Whimsical Garden Sign. This hand-painted and very large sheet-iron sign is a wonderful example of 20th century country Folk Art.
Sheet Metal
Man's Mid 20th Century Sign Fragment
Located in Hudson, NY
From the Stephanie Lloyd Collection- a whimsical mounted metal letter sign. Old paint in a copper gold tone over earlier pink and black paint.
19th Century Folk Art "Pad Lock Sign"
Located in High Point, NC
Large and whimsical advertising sign in the form of a padlock.
Hardwood, Paint
Pink Elephant Neon Sign, 1950s Liquor Store, Animated
Located in North Hollywood, CA
This whimsical pink elephant neon sign came from a 1950s liquor store in the Palm Springs area.
Steel
Large Prancing Horse Silhouette Sign
Located in Seattle, WA
A stylized 'Prancing Horse' sign fragment with whimsical form and pose, stencil-cut from textured sheet steel; the steel strap used here is approximately 1" wide with some variation...
Steel
Folk Art Sign
Located in London, GB
An Edwardian Folk Art sign with overscale finger, insribed ‘Left Luggage’.
Hardwood
$3,968
H 13 in W 26.78 in D 6.3 in
Vintage Retro Mid Century French Neon Illuminated Butchers Display Sign, c.1950
Located in London, GB
An incredibly rare French neon butchers trade sign. c.1950. A characterful hanging neon sign from a French butcher’s shop, its metal body finished in a flocked‑velvet coating that h...
Aluminum, Brass
1960s English Carnival Sign
Located in High Point, NC
1960s carnival art sign from England. It is advertising a cake walk on one side of the sign, and on the back has a charming message "Have a nice Victorian day". Great sign for any co...
Wood
Victorian Folk Art House Table or Wall Art
Located in Litchfield, CT
Circa late 1800s, wood, and glass, American, possibly New York. Charming beyond belief, this polychrome Folk Art House was originally made to feature a mirror for grooming and tray f...
Wood
Victorian Folk Art House Table or Wall Art
Located in Litchfield, CT
Circa late 1800s, wood, and glass, American, possibly New York. Charming beyond belief, this polychrome Folk Art House was originally made to feature a mirror for grooming and tray f...
Wood
$1,226Sale Price|20% Off
H 14 in W 21 in D 7 in
Early 20th Century folk art fairground massacre knock down figure
Located in London, GB
Early 20th Century folk art fairground massacre knock down figure A folk art / primitive hand-crafted fairground knock down game figure. Constructed from pine and metal, hand painte...
Pine
Folk Art Hunter Carving, circa 1930s
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Hand-carved wooden Folk Art hunter with a sheet metal hat. Original red, white and black paint surface.
Sheet Metal
$67
H 18 in W 18 in D 2 in
Bespoke Custom Vintage Original Letters, Retro, Shop, Sign, Reclaimed, Signage
Located in Bath, Somerset
We're sure we don't need to spell it out how fantastic these vintage letters are! Most of them were salvaged from an old disused letter making factory in England along with some fab...
Metal
Vintage "B-A-R" Sign
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage "B-A-R" Sign Vintage B-A-R letters mounted to aluminum angle = "BAR" Letters are Painted Cast Aluminum by Wagner Sign Service as list on the back of each letter. "in good ...
Aluminum
Art Deco / Moderne /Googie Style "TRAVEL sOMEWHERE" NEON SIGN..
Located in Buffalo, NY
"TRAVEL SOMEWHERE" Neon Sign..GOOGIE STYLE.. originally created and built as a prop for a movie in the 1980s,,and just recently used (again) in the upcoming film "The Bell Jar" star...
Glass, Wood
Fabulous Antique British London Pub Two Sided Sign
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Fabulous one of a kind original pub sign from The Cornet Pub on Lavender Gardens just off Lavender Hill, Battersea London, having a gentleman on white horseback and the words “The ...
Wood
19th Century Cobbler Trade Sign
Located in Nantucket, MA
A carved cobbler's boot-form trade sign, in old gold paint. Carved in two pieces of pine, capped with lead, circa 1870 Very good condition, measures: 14" x 9 ½”.
Lead
Vintage Americana Mid-Century Neon Barber Shop Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Fantastic 13.5 foot long Mid-Century vintage neon barber shop sign. Total statement piece. Unusual three dimensional channel letters. Many layers of red, white and blue paint surface...
Metal
Vintage Gas Station Neon Sign, 20th Century
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage gas station "Time Gas" advertising sign with new neon glass and transformers, single sided tin. Whether you're an avid collector of automotive memorabilia or simply a lover o...
Glass
$244Sale Price|40% Off
H 12.21 in W 11.03 in D 0.79 in
Cast Iron Vintage Industrial CO Signage, circa 1920
Located in Markington, GB
Cast iron vintage Industrial CO signage, circa 1920 Measures: Height 31cm, depth 2cm, width 28/30cm approximate each.
Iron
Large Hand Painted Early Carnival Rounding Board
Located in Norwalk, CT
Bring an unusual piece of folk history into your home with this stunning early 20th century rounding board salvaged from a carnival. With hand-painted designs of putti and harp motif...
Wood
Vigneron Table
Located in London, England
Lower level French vigneron table with folding pine top on mahogany base. Circa 1860 H 64cm x W 145cm x D 103cm
Mahogany, Pine
$6,000
H 42.5 in W 37 in D 3 in
Wood Carved Folk Art Girl and Dog Carousel Chariot Original Paint Surface
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Fantastic girl and her dog Folk Art carved carousel chariot panel. Superb original paint surface. Great three dimensional surface. Excellent wall hanging.
Wood
Carnival Midway Sideshow Banner
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Original hand-painted canvas sideshow banner for carnival midway sideshow entrance. Not signed but most likely out of Chicago Tent and Awning's banner shop. Original wood strip attac...
Canvas
Handblown Murano Glass Candelabra Multicolored, circa 1940
By Murano 5
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
Handblown Murano glass candelabra, multicolored, circa 1940, Baroque style, five-arm candelabra with multicolored applied decoration, materials: glass and wood, wired for electricity...
Blown Glass
Two Walter Bosse Candleholders
By Walter Bosse, Herta Baller
Located in Wien, Au
Two Walter Bosse candleholders Original condition We not selling the candle she is only decoration.
Brass
Pair Hotel Silver Rams' Head Salts
Located in New York, NY
Pair hotel silver rams' head salts. Pair neoclassical style tripod form silver plate salts with rams' heads terminating in hoof feet with stretcher to central ball finial all beneat...
Silver Plate
French Style 1950s Plant Stand
Located in Sharon, CT
A plant stand that holds four small plants in style. Light blue over white paint. The holes are 4" in diameter.
Steel
Amuneal's Brass Pantry Cabinetry
By Amuneal
Located in New York, NY
Amuneal's Brass Pantry Cabinetry, part of our metal Kitchen Collection, is designed as a feature element for any space. The three doors on the upper cabinets are fabricated with a kn...
Brass
1958 Danish Teak Royal Cado Wall Unit by Poul Cadovius
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Highly versatile and functional Cado wall unit in walnut by Danish designer Poul Cadovius. We currently have many different Cado pieces in stock and can customize your order to incl...
Teak
$750
H 20.5 in W 36.75 in D 1.5 in
Exciting Gino Hollander Style Abstract Oil Painting Mid-Century Modern
By Gino Hollander
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Exciting Gino Hollander style abstract oil painting. This painting is not signed but we believe it to be by the artist.
Paint
Extremely Rare Georgian Peacock Green Drinking Vessel
Located in Steyning, West sussex
An extremely rare Georgian peacock green drinking vessel with six finger hole and lid. The vessel is very similar in design to earlier German vessels one of which can be seen at the...
Glass
19th Century Chinese Canopy Wedding Bed
Located in Marbella, ES
This is a wonderful example of a canopy bed from Shanghai Province, China. Made of Chinese Northern Elm, this bed features hoofed feet and multiple floral carvings. The exterior ...
Gold Leaf
Red and White Graphic New York Bus Subway Destination Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Very large New York bus destination sign. Unusual in red. Very graphic. Bottom of roll was date stamped 1951. 7 1/2 feet tall.
Canvas
English Cast Iron Umbrella / Cane Stand. Circa 1840
Located in Charleston, SC
English cast iron umbrella / cane stand with three section top, scrolled floral side mounts, four removable pans, and terminating on decorative cast egg and dart base.
$165Sale Price|40% Off
H 3 in W 3.5 in D 1.5 in
Walter Bosse Midcentury Brass Horse Figurine, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950s
By Walter Bosse, Herta Baller
Located in Vienna, AT
A lovely horse foal sculpture made of brass from the 1950s. Designed by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller. In good condition with charming patina. We offer more Walter Bosse br...
Brass
Liceu de Artes e Ofícios. 19th Century Daybed
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
This recamier/daybed was conceived and executed with utmost quality and expertise, showing a style that incorporates many influences from the eigtheenth and ninetheenth century. Made...
Wood
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.
At Waddesdon Manor, artist Joana Vasconcelos has installed a three-tiered patisserie inspired by the narrative tile work of her homeland. We take a look at the cake sculpture and how Portuguese tiles have been used in architecture from the 17th century to today.
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.
Expert Jeff Bridgman explains the history and meaning behind the twinkling constellations that have graced Old Glory.
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.
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.
Designers are beginning to see this enigmatic form of folk art in a whole new light.