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Signs For Sale
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
Large Princeton University Banner C.1914 (FREE SHIPPING)
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT
An original large Princeton University banner class of 1914. Hand sewn letters and numbers.
CREATOR Unknown.
DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1914....
Category
Early 20th Century Industrial Signs
Materials
Felt
"No Diving" POOL Sign, 1980s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage pool sign that reads "No Diving or Swimming Off Bridge". Bold reflective white letters on a classic green background. Great colors and scale...
Category
1980s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
19th Century Antique Ships Chandler Shop Advertising Sign
Located in Peabody, MA
A relic from Boston’s mercantile history and the seafaring trade. This 19th century shop sign displays a fairly detailed replica of a navigator’s octant (or sextant) and the proprietor’s name and street number...
Category
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Wood
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
Large Hand Painted Industrial British Railway Wall Sign Plaque, C.1940
Located in London, GB
Large vintage hand painted industrial signs used at a depot on the North Yorkshire Railway. c.1940
In original condition, hand painted on heavy duty aluminium. Price is per sign.
Category
Mid-20th Century English Industrial Signs
Materials
Aluminum
Vintage Carnival or Casino Neptune's Trident Lighted Trade Sign Americana
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Unique lighted Neptune's trident carnival ride or casino trade sign. Really nice graphic piece. Original layers of golden yellow and red park paint. Provides a nice amount of warm li...
Category
1930s American Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
Giant Wood Early 20th Century Hand Painted Americana Barber Shop Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Large and chunky Americana! Fantastic and original Barber Shop trade sign in the shape of a barber pole. Great statement piece. Layers of super graphic red and white original paint. ...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood
1970's ice cream sign
Located in Brecht, BE
Vibrant colors for this 1970's ice cream sign, found in the South of Spain
Category
Mid-20th Century Spanish Signs
Materials
Polyester
Rather Large Vintage Beaver Sign from a Zoo
Located in Chicago, IL
A rather large and whimsical mid-20th century American beaver sign from a Wisconsin zoo. The sign composed of two thin sheets of steel with a thin sheet of plywood sandwiched between...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Signs
Materials
Steel
Antique Folk Art Reverse Painted and Foil Exhibition Sign in Gilt Frame
Located in Nantucket, MA
Folk Art exhibition sign, reverse painted glass with reserved text backed in gold and silver crinkled foil reading "Exhibition / of / Paintings / on / Glass / By Edgar F. Curtis"
E...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Foil
Tradesign in the Form of a Brick Storehouse
Located in Greenwich, CT
An advertising device or tradesign in the form of a brick storehouse, with ten arched windows or pigeonholes to display merchandise, constructed as a roofed box mounted on wheels, fo...
Category
Late 19th Century American Antique Signs
Materials
Wood
Vintage Hand Painted British Motorcycle Shop Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Vintage graphic Motorcycles sales and service sign. Great hand-painted lettering. Wood with original paint surface. Found in the northeastern United States. Fun Americana with a Brit...
Category
1950s American Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood
Double-Sided Steeley Lane Post Office Sign, circa 1920s
Located in Faversham, GB
Wonderful double-sided Steeley Lane Post Office Sign. Hand-painted and in completely original condition with its original hanging hooks.
Cumbrian, circa ...
Category
20th Century British Edwardian Signs
Materials
Altuglas, Hardwood
Action Sports Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
Wrought iron ACTION SPORTS sign.
Category
1960s French Vintage Signs
Materials
Wrought Iron
Early 20th century barbers point of sale hair comb and brush
Located in London, GB
Early 20th century barbers point of sale hair comb and brush
We share what we love, and we love this rare example of an oversized point of sale barbers hair...
Category
1930s British Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Plastic, Wood
Plat Du Jour Rabbit Chalk Board
Located in Stamford, CT
A charming Plat du Jour Rabbit chalk board. The rabbit sits with a cluster of colorful fruits and vegetable atop a tablecloth covered table all above the plat du jour chalk board. Th...
Category
Late 20th Century French Signs
Materials
Wood
Vintage Illuminated Letter a, 1970s
Located in Kojetice, CZ
This vintage industrial illuminated letter A was made in Italy during the 1970s and comes from an old advertising banner. It features a brown metal bod...
Category
1970s Italian Industrial Vintage Signs
Materials
Iron
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
Folk Art Hand Painted Wooden Trade Sign
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Folk Art hand painted double-sided wooden trade sign dating from the early 20th Century... 1920s? 1930s? A wonderful whimsical sign most likely...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Pine
1950’s Neon Sign Diner
Located in Chicago, IL
1950’s neon sign Diner. It has new transformer and new wiring. Please note that this sign needs to be created for shipping. There will be fee to make ...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
Nevco LED Basketball Scoreboard, 2000s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic green metal LED scoreboard by Nevco. Made in the early 2000s in the US. Can be used for multiple sports. 100% functional and gone through. Running clock, guest and home sco...
Category
Early 2000s American Signs
Materials
Aluminum
Large Hand Painted Industrial Railway Number Wall Sign Plaque, C.1940
Located in London, GB
Hand painted industrial signs used at a depot on the North Yorkshire Railway. c.1940
In original condition, hand painted on heavy duty aluminium. Some numbers are double sided and...
Category
Mid-20th Century English Industrial Signs
Materials
Aluminum
Eat or Tea Large Scale 1950s American Porcelain Enameled Steel Letters Sign
Located in Pound Ridge, NY
Superb large scale American 1950s porcelain enameled metal letters, over 24" high, originally used as exterior signage from Chicago. EAT or TEA or ETA or ATE, 3 individual heavy gauges pressed and folded cold-rolled steel letters...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
Early 20th Century Folk Art Zinc Barbers Pole Trade Sign
Located in London, GB
Early 20th century folk art zinc barbers pole trade sign.
An early 20th century hand crafted zinc barbers pole trade sign. Hand painted and of naïve construction. Lots of characte...
Category
Early 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Signs
Materials
Zinc
Los Angeles County Line Freeway Sign, 1990s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Super cool Los Angeles freeway sign. Made in the late 1990s. This sign welcomed you as you entered the county of Los Angeles. Reflective letters an...
Category
1990s American Signs
Materials
Aluminum
Wood and Iron Hand Painted "Jefe" Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
Wood and iron hand painted "Jefe" sign. "Jefe" means boss. From a Buenos Aires railway station. For your boss lady/man.
Category
1920s Argentine Vintage Signs
Materials
Iron
1979 New York City Stuyvesant High School Talent Show Poster
Located in Garnerville, NY
Stuyvesant high school concert poster. Bright orange background with black lettering. Circa 1979. A talent show showcasing. Good overall condition with wear commensurate with age and...
Category
1970s American Schoolhouse Vintage Signs
Materials
Paper
Massive Hand Painted Varsity High School Track and Field Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Varsity track and field sign from the early 1970s. Hand painted red sign with yellow lettering. Horizontal wood slates to hold name cards of record hol...
Category
1970s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
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
Giant Bayer Pill Pop Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Monumental vintage Bayer pill in cream plaster/ceramic. 7" diameter. Likely used as a store display. Whimsical desktop object or paperweight. Black felted bottom. Great piece of art ...
Category
1970s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Plaster, Paint
Vintage Hand Painted on Wood Advertising Sign for Golf Equipments, 1920s
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
This vintage sign for collectors is truly special. Made of wood with relief decorations and hand painted. The sign was dedicated to the golf attire and equipment.
Category
1920s Scottish Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood
Large Folk Art Pocket Knife Store Display
Located in Brooklyn, NY
One of a kind large scale pocket knife (24" L), likely used as a store display / sign composed of a painted and carved walnut handle / bolster wi...
Category
1970s American Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Walnut, Poplar
No Loitering Street Sign, 1980s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage street sign that reads "No Loitering - Violators Subject to immediate Arrest". Red and white letters on a reflective white background. Goo...
Category
1980s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
1960s, Green & White Painted Steel 'Two Hour Parking' Street Sign
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine vintage traffic or street sign.
With green text and border on a white ground.
The text reads:
'TWO HOUR PARKING BETWEEN 7AM - 7PM SUND...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Signs
Materials
Steel
Vintage Illuminated Letter N, 1970s
Located in Kojetice, CZ
This vintage industrial illuminated letter N was made in Italy during the 1970s and comes from an old advertising banner. It features a black metal bod...
Category
1970s Italian Industrial Vintage Signs
Materials
Iron
Fair Play 1960s Electro-Magnetic Basketball Scoreboard
By Fair Play
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage basketball scoreboard by Fair Play, made in the 1960s. Taken down from a high-school in Ohio. In full working order with controll...
Category
1960s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Aluminum
Easel Style Chalkboard
Located in Chicago, IL
Easel style chalkboard for little students and artists. Very fun.
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Signs
Materials
Slate, Metal
Antique Gold Leaf Black Sign "Gebhardt Park "
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique gold leaf sign Gebhardt Park. Framed in original wood frame.
Category
Early 1900s North American Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Wood
1936 Port Sign, Les Portos Gibson, an Appetizer Drink
Located in Antwerp, BE
Art Deco Port Sign - Bar wall decoration.
An advertising sign for the Port: Les Portos Gibson.
This old sign for the Appetizer Drink Gibson's Port is dated 1936 and was made by the Company Jofico Brussels Belgium.
This sign from 1936 is a publicity sign for the four different White Gibsons's Port: Carte Noir, Ambassador, Royal and Imperial.
As well the lettering as the bottles are in relief on the sign.
This tin wall sign is great wall decoration in your house, kitchen, home bar, office, pub, cafe or restaurant.
Port Drinker, Port Gift - Old Tin...
Category
Mid-20th Century European Art Deco Signs
Materials
Tin, Metal
Antique Dutchess of Poughkeepsie NY Fire Insurance Reverse Painted Glass Sign
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique Dutchess of Poughkeepsie NY Fire insurance reverse painted glass advertisement sign. Item features "Dutchess of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Fire Ins...
Category
19th Century Victorian Antique Signs
Materials
Glass, Oak
Antique Early 20th C Hanging Trade Shop Sign "Antiques" Star of David Solomon
Located in Lowestoft, GB
Hanging double sided trade sign, sheet metal with a black ground and gilt lettering. Two pretty cast iron riveted hanging brackets.
A small Star of Solomon is located in the corner ...
Category
Early 20th Century English Signs
Materials
Metal
"Save a Life" Pool Sign, 1980s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage pool sign that reads "Save A Life". Bold blue letters on a white background. Great colors and scale. Small wave logo on the top middle of th...
Category
1980s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
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
Antique Zinc Red Hat Maker Trade Sign, France, Early 20th Century
Located in Antwerp, BE
XXL Antique hat maker's trade sign, made in France circa 1900 - 1920.
This large sign was used as advertising - eyecatcher on the storefront.
A large facade sign - advertising sign in front of the hat shop - hat maker's store - red hat facade sign
It's a spectacular XXL red hat - red top hat made of hand- painted and hand-crafted zinc. When you look at the spectacular shape, you see that the brim of the hat is completely curled, so can only be done by an art maker - craftsman.
The original metal bracket is no longer with this hat trade sign...
Category
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Signs
Materials
Zinc
Vintage Road or Street Sign from Florida, Lake Worth, Blanchette, U.S.A
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Original vintage metal road sign from the crossing: Lake Worth / Blanchette in Florida.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Signs
Materials
Metal
1950s Hand-Painted Olympia Beer Advertising Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
Oversized 1950s hand-painted advertising sign for Olympia Beer.
Category
1950s North American Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood
8 Foot Illuminated KIDDIE RIDES Metal Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
8 foot metal sign from an old carnival. Metal sign with wood backing. Hand painted wording - KIDDIE RIDES. Marquee lighting on each letter. Perfect working...
Category
1980s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Steel
Mid Century Hand Painted Double Sided Pub Sign C1950
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Double sided pub sign from the United Kingdom. Hand Painted and in excellent condition. Rough hewn wood well constructed with a heavy duty frame ...
Category
1950s British Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Iron
1930s Caruso's Old New York Restaurant Enamel Sign
Located in Garnerville, NY
Caruso's cobalt blue and white enamel wall mounted sign. From the restaurant in Poughkeepsie, NY's Little Italy neighborhood. Circa 1930-40. Originally mounted on the side of the bui...
Category
1930s American Industrial Vintage Signs
Materials
Enamel, Steel, Iron
New Jersey Lottery Tickets Lottery Clover Club Advertisement Stand Kiosk Counter
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage New Jersey Lottery Tickets "NJ Lottery Clover Club" Advertisement Stand Kiosk Counter. Item features 0riginal advertisement decals on front and ...
Category
1970s Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Rare Engraved Glass on Metal Sign from a London Cigarette's Seller, circa 1900
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This rare engraved sign is made of glass on metal. This is a a very unusual piece from a London cigarette's seller. English. Circa 1900.
Category
Early 1900s English Art Nouveau Antique Signs
Materials
Metal
Wood, Iron and Enamel "Jefe" Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
Wood, iron and enamel "Jefe" sign. "Jefe" means boss. From a Buenos Aires railway station. For your bossman/woman.
Category
1920s Argentine Vintage Signs
Materials
Iron
Vintage "We Love Our Children" Street Sign, 1980s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fun vintage street sign that reads "Please Drive Slowly. We Love (Heart) Our Children". Black lettering and trim on a reflective silver background...
Category
1980s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
Vintage "Your Father's Moustache" Wooden Pub Sign
Located in South Bend, IN
A fantastic vintage "Your Father's Moustache" three-piece wooden hanging pub restaurant sign.
Mid-20th century.
Measures: 44.5"W x 1"D x 23"H.
Good original vintage condition.
Category
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
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 Yellow & Black Painted Steel 'Slow Children' Traffic or Street Sign
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine vintage traffic or street sign.
With graphics of a child running & large block letters spelling: 'SLOW CHILDREN'.
Simply a great vintage ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Signs
Materials
Steel
Vintage Double Sided Metal Motor Oil Sign c.1930
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT
An original distressed double sided metal sign "Super Motor Oil" on one side and "Sonoco Hottest Brand Going" on the other side.
CREATOR Unknown.
DATE OF MANUFACTURE ...
Category
Early 20th Century Industrial Signs
Materials
Metal
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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