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Signs For Sale
Antique Industrial Art Deco Brass Internalite Saloon Bar Illuminated Sign, c1920
Located in London, GB
A stunning illuminated 'Internalite' directional sign made by K.F.M Engineering. c.1920. Brass frame housing the internal illuminations above polished plate glass etched with 'Saloo...
Category

Early 20th Century English Art Deco Signs

Materials

Brass

Antique Hand Painted Double-Sided French Cafe Wall Trade Sign. c.1920
Located in London, GB
A mid-20th century hand painted French trade sign. c.1940 Double sided French trade sign for CAFES MAURICE, a company still in existence today. Wonderful patination and depth of col...
Category

1940s English Industrial Vintage Signs

Materials

Metal

French 18th Century Forged Iron Folk Art Baroque Tavern Sign
Located in Buisson, FR
Important and beautiful 18th century Tavern sign depicting a rearing white horse with a crowned coat of arms on its back. Most likely from the Alsace, France due to the German influe...
Category

18th Century French Baroque Antique Signs

Materials

Iron

Antique Industrial Art Deco Brass Ladies & Gents Toilet Illuminated Sign, C.1920
Located in London, GB
A stunning pair of illuminated glass toilet signs made in England by Burnham & Co, Deptford. c.1920 These original Art Deco-era signs feature solid brass frames with their origina...
Category

Early 20th Century English Art Deco Signs

Materials

Brass

Large Carved Pub Sign
Located in Greenwich, CT
A pub sign depicting a whimsical fox emerging from a gilt jug, of very large scale. Hand-hewn from solid wood and skilfully relief carved - the fox has distinct fur, legs, ear, snou...
Category

1930s English Folk Art Vintage Signs

Materials

Wood

Hand Made Wooden Dairy Farm Bull Wall Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large hand made bull sculpture came out of a dairy farm from the Midwest. Made from planks and carved and painted on one side. This item is very strong and sturdy. Large and has grea...
Category

Early 20th Century American Adirondack Signs

Materials

Wood

Incredible Rare Neon Vintage Hotel Sign
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Eye popping one of a kind vintage Hotel neon sign, 2 sided mounted on a tin horizontal box. It’s a sculptural work of art. Freshly rewired with 12 ft. cord with standard plug.
Category

1950s American Vintage Signs

Materials

Steel

Large Channel Letter A Circus Lettering Advertising Sign from the the 1960s
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful and decorative large vintage tin channel letter “A” made of sheet metal, painted in a vibrant yellow with red sides. It is dated around the 1960s, though it may be older....
Category

Mid-20th Century Austrian Industrial Signs

Materials

Sheet Metal, Tin

Rare 1920's can "Drugs" Sign /Arrow, LIGHT UP milk glass letters, double sided
Located in Buffalo, NY
Rare 1920's can "Drugs" Sign /Arrow, LIGHT UP milk glass letters, double sided,, Pre-dates NEON,, Truly amazing sign,, Salvaged from an old Pharmacist,, apparently hung outside (late...
Category

1920s American Art Deco Vintage Signs

Materials

Metal, Cut Steel

Vintage Hand Painted French Patisserie Sign c.1930-1940
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT Vintage French wooden sign for "Boulangerie Pattisserie, Pain cuit au feu de bois." (Wood fire baked bread). Framed in steel. CR...
Category

Early 20th Century French Industrial Signs

Materials

Metal

Fair Play Basketball Scoreboard, 1980s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An authentic slice of American sports history, this massive original 1980s scoreboard was manufactured by Trans-Lux Fair-Play, a leader in athletic display technology. Bold in design...
Category

1980s American Vintage Signs

Materials

Aluminum

Vintage Double Sided Hand Painted Rat Terrier Puppies Sign c.1930
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT An original hand painted, metal sign advertising rat terrier puppies for sale. Painted over another sign. Size of dog varies with one side much larger. This piece has retained...
Category

Early 20th Century Industrial Signs

Materials

Sheet Metal

Antique Harvard Ave. Porcelain Sign c.1900-1910
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT An original double sided enameled porcelain Harvard Ave street sign. Shown with life size hand model for scale. CREATOR Unknown. DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1900-1900. ...
Category

Early 20th Century Industrial Signs

Materials

Enamel, Steel

Double Sided Vintage Marlboro Light Up Cigarette Pack, 1990s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is the perfect Americana statement piece to add interest to any interior. This incredible vintage advertising light up box by Marlboro is eye-catching showpiece. These lights we...
Category

1990s American Signs

Materials

Steel

Vintage Metal "B Avenue" Street Sign - City of Coronado, California
Located in San Diego, CA
Super cool vintage metal "B Avenue" street sign from the city of Coronado, California, circa 1970s. The piece is in good vintage condition with a distressed patina and measures: 24"W...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Signs

Materials

Metal

19th Century French Cast Iron Butcher's Shop Trade Sign in the Form of a Cow
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
French cast iron butcher shop trade sign retaining old paint and cast in low relief in the form of a steer wearing a tasseled blanket and with it's head turned. The blanked cast with...
Category

Late 19th Century French Folk Art Antique Signs

Materials

Iron

Rare 1970s Adult Peep Show, Books & Magazines, Large Plastic Embossed Sign XXX
By Terry Richardson
Located in St. Louis, MO
Large 1970s sign with embossed letters, Adult Peep Show - Books & Magazines. Sold without its original aluminum frame, can be back lit with LED. Small star crack to top of Red "S", minor loss of paint and scuffs. Subject matter is in the style of photographer Terry Richardson...
Category

1970s American Vintage Signs

Materials

Plastic

Zinc and Gold Horse Head Butchers Trade Sign Flemish 1860
Located in Hastings, GB
19th century Flemish gilt zinc horse head trade sign. This beautiful hand made sign was used by a Flemish butcher and dates to circa 1860. There are still remnants of the beautiful g...
Category

1860s Belgian Folk Art Antique Signs

Materials

Zinc

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

Oversized Carved Boot Trade Sign, Early 20th Century an Arresting Cobbler’s Sign
Located in New York, NY
Oversized Carved Boot Trade Sign, Early 20th Century An arresting cobbler’s sign hand-carved from solid wood and fashioned as a Victorian lace-up ankle...
Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs

Materials

Metal

Think Big Giant Matches and Matchbox
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic set of oversized matches and matchbox, made by Think Big NYC in 1984. Set contains all 8 original matches. Box slides open as a normal matchbox...
Category

1980s American Vintage Signs

Materials

Plastic, Paper, Felt, Wood, Paint

English Pub Sign, "Nag's Head"
Located in Austin, TX
An authentic English pub sign (two-sided) featuring a painting of a horse's head in a bridle entitled: Nag's Head. A very fine example of vintage advertising artwork, ready for disp...
Category

20th Century English Signs

Materials

Metal

aRT dECO 1940s / 50s Modernist Light -up "TELEPHONE" SIGN.... 40" LONG
By Ilka Plast
Located in Buffalo, NY
aRT dECO 1940s / 50s Modernist Light -up "TELEPHONE" SIGN.... 40" LONG...eMbossed form plastic lettering,,Stunning graphic, pull chain on/off switch.Retains original metal can,,orig...
Category

1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs

Materials

Metal

Early 20th Century Handmade Folky Carved Menu Board Adirondack
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous hand painted and handcrafted Adirondack carved menu board. Fantastic classic example of an early 20th century piece of an woodsy menu board from an upstate New York restaura...
Category

1940s American Adirondack Vintage Signs

Materials

Hardwood, Paint

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

Early 20th Century Handmade Folky Carved Menu Board Adirondack
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fantastic old school menu board from the forties and in excellent vintage condition with minimal wear. Jagged edges with colorful writings for an upstate New York restaurant. This is...
Category

1940s American Adirondack Vintage Signs

Materials

Hardwood, Paint

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

Mounted Asafo Flag of Ghana c.1820-1920
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT Contact us for more shipping quotes: S16 Home San Francisco. An original Asafo flag depicting the Fante people of Ghana, Africa and the Union Jack of the United Kingdom. Mou...
Category

19th Century Industrial Antique Signs

Materials

Wood, Fabric

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 r...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Signs

Materials

Metal

Antique Vintage French Double Sided Glass Pharmacy Chemist Apothecary Sign
Located in Sale, GB
- A beautiful and rare double sided glass 'Pharmacie' sign mounted in its original frame, France circa 1930. - The sign is of exceptional quality and has glass to both sides, light w...
Category

Early 20th Century British Signs

Materials

Glass

Spanish Provincial Style Carved Horse Head Wall Plaque Sign
Located in Queens, 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

Monumental 1930s Wood No Smoking Sign from New York City
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Monumental hand carved wood sign from the 1930s. Made by H.H. Upham & Co. Interestingly, this company owned a huge sign manufacturing business in the ...
Category

1930s American Vintage Signs

Materials

Wood

Breitling Retail Store Display Advertising Sign
Located in Forney, TX
A scarce vintage Breitling watch three-dimensional retail store advertising display stand window sign. Rare large free-standing example, only given to select dealers, featuring a tall rectangular solid wood frame, raised chrome Breitling letters, over a yellow jet plane in sculptural relief form, on a most distinctive artistically distressed background; the reverse finished with a flueele fabric and adorned with the Breitling 1884 logo; rising on metal feet. Dimensions: (approx) 29.5" High, 24.5" Wide, 5.5" Deep Condition Report: Great original unrestored vintage condition. Presents well. Some condition issues/retaining vintage character marks and charm, including scattered nicks, mainly to the front top right frame, minor scuffs to the letters, scratches, slight bend to left foot pad, all typical wear consistent with age and indicative of industrial use. At the time of writing this, we also have some other luxury watch store signage / merchandising displays, including Rolex, Panerai, Cartier, antique clock...
Category

Late 20th Century Industrial Signs

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Vintage French Christian Dior Advertising Statue, 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Beautiful and intruiging advertising statue for Christian Dior. This would have been used on a shop counter or to draw attention in a shop windo...
Category

1960s French Art Deco Vintage Signs

Materials

Plaster

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

“Whistle” Railway Sign, England 1870
Located in Culver City, CA
“Whistle” Railway Sign England, 1870 Painted backboard with alloy letters and glass “cats eye” reflectors. 96"L x 2.5"d x 18"h Ref. SIGN1682
Category

19th Century English Antique Signs

Materials

Metal

Classic Motion Action Ad Neon Advertizing Clock
Located in Buffalo, NY
Classic Motion Action Ad Neon Advertizing Clock.. Wonderful light blue neon,aLL Original., Clock working and keeping perfect time,, Outer wood case in original condition,, Top finish...
Category

1950s American Industrial Vintage Signs

Materials

Metal

Antique Oil On Board Painting by Paul Henri Schouten - Belgium, c.1925
Located in London, GB
A large and detailed, early 20th century portrait painting of a cockerel. Belgium, c.1925 Painted and signed by Paul Henri Schouten, renowned for his finely observed oil studies of ...
Category

Early 20th Century English Victorian Signs

Materials

Pine

Vintage 'Lodging" Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cool vintage highway sign in cobalt blue reflective metal. Depicts a person sleeping in bed. Sign was used to direct drivers to hotels/motels up ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Signs

Materials

Steel

'COME ON IN' Neon Sign , 1990s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Custom neon sign with aluminum channel cut letters. COME ON IN, lights up with green neon gas. Just under 6 feet long. Welcoming sign and fun piece of...
Category

1990s American Signs

Materials

Aluminum

Monumental Los Angeles 101 Freeway Sign, 1988 USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cool Los Angeles freeway sign retired from the 101 freeway. Made in the the 1980s. This freeway takes you north/ south along the entire west coast of the United States from San Diego...
Category

1980s American Vintage Signs

Materials

Steel

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...
Category

1960s English Folk Art Vintage Signs

Materials

Wood

Vintage French Christian Dior Advertising Statue, 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Beautiful and intriguing advertising statue for Christian Dior. This would have been used on a shop counter or to draw attention in a shop windo...
Category

1960s French Art Deco Vintage Signs

Materials

Plaster

Hand-painted sheet metal swordfish sign England 1950s
Located in Milan, IT
Curious sign depicting swordfish in hand-painted sheet metal. English manufacture 1930s. Bon état. Measures 161x50x18 cm - inches 63.4x19.7x7. The swordfish is distinguished by it...
Category

Mid-20th Century Signs

Materials

Metal

Carved Wood Rabbit Chalk Board, France, Late 20th Century
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

Old School 1940's / 50's NEON "MOTEL" Sign..Classic Font
Located in Buffalo, NY
Classic vintage NEON "MOTEL" sign salvaged from a motel in Niagara Falls Canada,, Retains original finish & patina,, New transformer, metal replaced to bottom of can,, (see photo)
Category

1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs

Materials

Metal

English Pub Sign, "The Ship"
Located in Austin, TX
An authentic English pub sign (one-sided) featuring a painting of a British brigantine or two-mast sailing ship featuring flags with St. George's cross, entitled: The Ship. A very f...
Category

20th Century English Signs

Materials

Metal

Antique Art Deco Brass Illuminated Advertising Cinema Ladies Flambosign Sign
Located in Sale, GB
- A fabulous Art Deco illuminated Ladies sign from renowned manufacturers 'Flambosign', England circa 1930. - The worn brass casing marked 'Flambosign' houses an etched lucite perspex...
Category

Early 20th Century British Signs

Materials

Brass

Early 20th Century Double-Sided "Kings Head" Hand Painted Metal English Pub Sign
Located in Brooklyn, NY
English two-sided handmade and painted metal pub sign depicting a king of clubs with the text "Flowers" above and "Kings Head" below (ca. early 1900s, England). Identical imagery and...
Category

Early 20th Century English Folk Art Signs

Materials

Metal

1950s Aluminum on Wood General Electric Logo, Sign Plaque
Located in Buffalo, NY
1950s aluminum on wood General Electric logo, sign plaque. Salvaged from General Electric Buffalo NY office, stunning, original plaque, cast aluminum depicting famous G E Logo, mount...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Signs

Materials

Aluminum

Vintage Blue Plastic Illuminated Letter Z , 1970s
Located in Kojetice, CZ
This vintage industrial blue plastic illuminated letter A was made in Italy during the 1970s and comes from an old advertising banner. It is equipped with a LED strip. The letter can...
Category

1970s Italian Industrial Vintage Signs

Materials

Plastic

Fair Play Basketball Scoreboard, 1980s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An authentic slice of American sports history, this slim original 1980s scoreboard was manufactured by Trans-Lux Fair-Play, a leader in athletic display technology. Bold in design an...
Category

1980s American Vintage Signs

Materials

Aluminum

Cigars Store / Trade Folk Art Wooden Carved Sign. c 1900
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
American Folk art wooden "CIGARS" sign from the 1920's. Great old Store Trade sign. Wood cut to cigar shape. Lettered in Gold Paint. In good conditions, it was a in doors sign. Perfect for any cigar smoker. Cigars History: A cigar is basically dried tobacco leaves that are rolled and wrapped by other tobacco leaves in order to give you a full tobacco smoking experience. Cigars are becoming more popular all around the world recently because they are exposed to a pop culture where a lot of famous people like Michael Jordan and Arnold Schwarzenegger smoke them. In order to understand why cigars have become very well-known, we need to take a good look at their history and where they came from. That way, we can truly understand this pop phenomenon. Here is a brief history of cigars. Origin of Cigars The exact origin of cigars is not entirely known but historians believe that cigars were first invented by the ancient Mayans. The ancient Mayans would collect tobacco leaves and wrap them up in a plantain leave in order to smoke it. An ancient Mayan pot...
Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs

Materials

Wood

Art Nouveau Moriz Jung Cabaret Fledermaus Vienna Enameled Advertising Sign
Located in Vienna, AT
A domed, black & white enameled Art Nouveau advertising sign for Cabaret Fledermaus in Vienna. Artwork by Moriz Jung from the early 1900s, the production date is around the 1960s. Hi...
Category

Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Signs

Materials

Metal, Enamel, Iron

19thc Original Blue Dated 1913 Cutting Board
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 19thc Original blue painted round cutting board was signed and dated as it was given to someone in 1913 ! It is in very good condition and painted on the front and unpainted on ...
Category

Mid-19th Century American Adirondack Antique Signs

Materials

Wood

Original Mid-Century Porcelain Wildlife Warning Sign, “Danger – Grizzly”
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Original mid-century wildlife warning sign reading “Danger – Grizzly,” produced in porcelain enamel on steel and dating to the mid-20th century, most commonly used from the 1950s thr...
Category

1950s Vintage Signs

Materials

Enamel, Steel

Early 20th century double sided English chemist sign
Located in London, GB
Early 20th century double sided English chemist sign Made from double sided glass with reflective silver illuminated text, this early 20th century example of an English chemist tra...
Category

1930s British Late Victorian Vintage Signs

Materials

Metal

1940s Native American Trading Post Wooden Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1940s Native American wooden painted trading post sign. Colors are vibrant. This is what paint collectors appreciate. The natural fade and slight crackling of the paint showing true ...
Category

1940s American Adirondack Vintage Signs

Materials

Wood

Elks Club B.P.O.E. 2 Sided Enamel Sign
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Elks club enamel two sided sign, incredibly vibrant colors with minimal chipping to edges very clean example of a great graphic image. Much harder to find is this 30" round model!
Category

20th Century American Art Deco Signs

Materials

Enamel

1970’s New York Bus Stop Sign
Located in Bradenton, FL
A 1970’s New York bus stop sign made of metal. An art deco stylized bus in blue is set in a white rectangle above the words “BUS STOP” in blue and “NO S...
Category

1970s American Vintage 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.