Signs
Antique, New and Vintage Signs
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Folk Art Painting On Board "To The Fun House" from Coney Island, NY
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Early 20th Century. Original condition Folk Art painting on board "To the Fun House" from Coney Island, NY depicting a young man running in shorts and tank top on white ground and mo...
Category
Early 20th Century American Industrial Signs
Materials
Wood
Large Pitch Pine Art Nouveau Blackboard Chalkboard, 1900s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and rare Art Nouveau blackboard chalkboard.
Striking Dutch design from the 1900s.
Solid pitch pine frame with double sided blackboard chalkboard.
This decorative piece...
Category
Early 1900s Dutch Art Nouveau Antique Signs
Materials
Pine
Gilt Verre Églomisé, Cheap Funerals Trade Shop Sign Oliver Twist
Located in Lowestoft, GB
A rather tongue-in-cheek reverse painting and gilt doubled sided trade sign, reading "CHEAP FUNERALS" flippant to say the least.
The sign shows signs of age related wear, as you w...
Category
Early 20th Century English Signs
Materials
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Double Sided Enameled Little Apartments for Rent Sign
Located in Fayetteville, AR
This early 20th century French blue and white enameled bombe sign is double sided. Written on the face of each side and surrounded by a fine border is "Petits Appartements a Louer" o...
Category
Early 20th Century French Signs
Materials
Metal
Huge Ghirardelli Chocolate Parrot Mascot Painted Wood Advertising Sign, 1930s
Located in San Francisco, CA
A very rare and full of character 1930s six-foot-tall Ghirardelli Chocolate hand-painted wood advertising sign featuring the company's early and iconic parrot mascot.
Fantastically ...
Category
1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Paint, Plywood
Shop Sign for Horse Shoes, American, Late 19th-Early 20th Century
Located in Stamford, CT
Shop sign for horse shoes, American, late 19th-early 20th century. Painted with "J. KLYNE. HORSESHOEING AND GENERAL, REPAIRING"
Provenance: Keno Brothers Auction, Important Americ...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood
Early 20th Century American Enameled Double-Sided Cafe Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
The best American early 20th century double-sided enameled light-up 'Cafe' sign with white letters on a blue background and white floral border. Stamped "Federal Electric Co., Chicag...
Category
Early 20th Century American Signs
Materials
Metal
Huge 19th Century 'Aitchisons' Pale Ale Edinburgh Brewery Advertising Mirror
Located in Leek, Staffordshire
Huge 19th century 'Aitchisons' Pale Ale Edinburgh Brewery advertising mirror, circa 1873.
Reverse glass hand painted and etched mirror in overpainted original frame. - Solid timber...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Signs
Materials
Glass
Giant Double Sided Wood Peach Trade Sign from California Farm
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Great wooden trade sign from a California farm. Giant peach with graphics on both sides. Sign reads 'Hamilton's Tree Ripened Peaches 1/2 Mile' on one side, and 'Remember Hamiltons On...
Category
1980s American Vintage 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 city and owned the building they...
Category
1930s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood
1930s Harvard University Cloth Banner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Unique Harvard University school banner from the 1930s. Great piece of Americana. Original red and white coloring with great patina. Hand stitched. Newly framed and mounted on linen ...
Category
1930s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Fabric
Incredible Carving of the Standing Ram Golden Fleece
Located in Nantucket, MA
Intricately carved and gilded with an iron hook and chain.
This sculpture is a copy of a traditional trade sign of a London woolen
draper’s shop. The trade sign was an accessible m...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Gold Leaf
Life-Sized 1950s Metal School Girl Speed Limit Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning metal sign of a school girl letting you know the speed limit in the school zone. 48" tall. Double sided. Great coloring, with grey, light blues and black. Really great detai...
Category
1950s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Steel
19th Century Blue Glass Tram Window Advertisement
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
19th century blue glass tram window advertisement
A rare find, these advertisements were once so common in the tram windows and tram shelters but few have survived probably becau...
Category
Late 19th Century Great Britain (UK) Industrial Antique Signs
Antique French Tole Cobbler Sign
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
19th century hand-painted tole shoemaker sign.
Category
19th Century French Antique Signs
Handmade "FLAT FOR RENT" New England Wood Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This fun and very folky trade sign was found in New England and is handmade and all original paint. What a great sign and is very thick plank piece of wood. Special notice to how the...
Category
1920s American Adirondack Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood
Mid-19th Century Italian Funerary Sign with Stylized Skull
Located in Pasadena, CA
A vintage funerary sign with skull motif and marbleized background in yellow and green tones. Framed panel of painted wood.
Category
19th Century Italian Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Wood
Cigars Store / Trade Folk Art Wooden Carved Sign. c 1900
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
American Folk art wooden "CIGARS" sign from the 1900's.
Great old Store Trade sign. Wood cut to cigar shape. Lettered in Gold Paint.
In good conditions, it was a in doors sign. Per...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood
Early 20th C. Church Bulletin Board with WW2 Photos, c.1940
Located in San Francisco, CA
About
An exterior wooden church bulletin board with glass door and original WW11 black and white photos.
Creator unknown.
Date of manufacture c.1940.
Materials and technique...
Category
Early 20th Century Rustic Signs
Materials
Wood, Glass, Paper
Vintage Custom Neon "Antiques" Sign
Located in South Bend, IN
A fantastic custom vintage neon "ANTIQUES" sign
USA, circa 1990s
Measures: 53"W x 4.75"D x 13.13"H.
Good working condition.
Category
Late 20th Century American Modern Signs
Materials
Blown Glass, Acrylic
Vintage Highway Carpool Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cool vintage highway sign depicting a family in a car. Used for the carpool Lane. Great black and white graphics. Great condition. Reflective decals on metal.
Category
1990s American Signs
Materials
Steel
American Folk Art Wood and Iron Farm Bureau Weathervane Advertising Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Great looking cartoon Midwestern Americana weathervane. Farm Bureau Insurance started in 1921. This great piece most likely was a premium or advertising piece. Hand painted wood with...
Category
1940s American Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Iron
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 could also be easily hung on a ...
Category
1950s American Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Sheet Metal
Rare 1880s Handmade Copper/Bronze Sign, Plaque "J.W.Williams Drop Forgings"
By E. N. Little & Sons 1
Located in Buffalo, NY
Rare 1880s handmade copper/bronze sign plaque "J.W.WILLIAMS DROP FORGINGS." Monumental sign/plaque salvaged from the turn of the century J W WILLIAMS factory in Brooklyn New York, ex...
Category
1880s American Industrial Antique Signs
Materials
Bronze, Copper
Walk, Don't Walk Traffic Light
Located in Paris, FR
Traffic light Walk - Don't Walk,
from New-York, pedestrian traffic
light in forged iron, yellow painted.
With green and red light system in
perfect condition.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Signs
Materials
Iron
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 and white, this pair would be ideal ...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Signs
Materials
Enamel
Los Angeles Slippery Road Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage plastic road sign from Los Angeles. Slippery road ahead. Large in scale. Yellow background with black graphics. Cool piece of wall art.
Category
1970s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Plastic
Large Hand-Painted Buffet Line Sign
Located in Seattle, WA
Direct your guests to the food with this sign that had been used at a Grange hall. The back side had been more recently painted as advertising sign for antique/gift shop
Great for p...
Category
20th Century American Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Antique Tin Advertising Sign for Bicycles Delta, Belgium, 1934
Located in Antwerp, BE
Large Art Deco tin advertising sign for bicycles of the Belgian Brand Delta.
This Belgian tin sign is dated 1934.
It's a lithographic tin store sign - agency display sign - billb...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Art Deco Signs
Materials
Metal
Art Deco Tin with Crane Birds and Flowers, 1930s, The Netherlands
Located in Antwerp, BE
Stylish black Art Deco tin with crane birds and flowers in Asian style.
This Art Deco storage tin dates from the early 1930s and was made by the Dutch Company Bekkers Dordrecht Holl...
Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Art Deco Signs
Materials
Metal
Vintage French Christian Dior Advertising Statue, 1960s
Located in Ottenburg, BE
Beautiful and intriguing advertising statue for Christian Dior.
This would have been used on a shop counter or to draw attention in a shop window.
It has some minor user traces...
Category
1960s French Art Deco Vintage Signs
Materials
Plaster
Rare Wiener Werkstaette of America Inc New York 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 Waerndorfer in 1903 in Vienna)
Wi...
Category
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Signs
Materials
Metal, Iron, Enamel
Large Vintage Coca Cola Metal Bottle Sign / Advertising
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A large all embossed vintage metal Coca Cola bottle sign advertising piece having ribbed green bottle design and lettering to the front " Coca Cola Trade Mark Registered Min. Content...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Signs
Materials
Metal
"De Laval" Tin Advertising Sign, American, circa 1905, Near Mint
Located in Incline Village, NV
Having started in Sweden, the company opened up in America in 1888 as the "De Laval Cream Separator Company" in New York City, with a production plant in Poughkeepsie, New York. They...
Category
Early 1900s American Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Tin
1961 Tin Advertising Sign MARTINI BLANC , Apéritif Beverage
Located in Antwerp, BE
Vintage " MARTINI BLANC " or WHITE MARTINI Metal Advertising Sign.
This Tin Sign has a gold colored metal frame, is mounted on Cardboard and dates from 1961.
This Sign for the fa...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Signs
Materials
Tin
Mid-Century Beach Sign, circa 1950s to 60s
Located in Nantucket, MA
Vintage mid-century beach sign, circa 1950s to 1960s, a hand painted sign with heavy municipal construction, with a delightful demand to preserve modesty on a public beach! What a jo...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood
3 Foot Long Original Hollywood Blvd Street Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very cool street sign from the city of Los Angeles. Hollywood blvd sign with white lettering on blue background. Extremely good condition. Marked city of Los Angeles on the front.
...
Category
1990s American Signs
Materials
Steel
19th Century American Trade Sign 'Crook', Medina, NY
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
19th century American trade sign 'Crook', Medina, NY
Craftsman made, with sand-painted back ground with 10" x 12" giltwood letters spelling 'Crook'
Inscribed on back " (obliterated...
Category
19th Century American Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Wood, Giltwood
Vintage Big Fish Wood Trade Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Almost six foot long wood fish double-sided trade sign. Original hand painted surface with heavy iron strap hangers. . Found in the northeast. Perhaps for a fish market or fishing su...
Category
1950s American Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Iron
Imperial Tea Co. Sign
Located in Aurora, OR
The Imperial Tea Company was founded in the late 19th century in Cincinnati, OH and at one time managed by the founder of the Kroger grocery Empire, Barney Kroger. This early 20th ce...
Category
Early 20th Century Signs
Materials
Paint, Wood
Early 20th Century Red Star Trade Sign Folk Art "Boot Repair" R Kennetts
Located in Lowestoft, GB
He we have a wonderful early 20th century double sided boot repair sign that once hung outside R.Kennetts
R.Kennetts was based on the high street, Sheernes, Sheppey, Kent
The...
Category
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Signs
Materials
Wrought Iron
Very Large Scissors and Needle Trade Sign, Mounted
Located in New York, NY
Brass scissors and needle trade sign with pivoting needle, 19th century. Measures: height 35”, length 28.5”, depth 10”.
Category
Late 19th Century American Industrial Antique Signs
Materials
Bronze
Chinese Signboard with Red Calligraphy, Early 20th Century
By Asian Style
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
With a black 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 age...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Other Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
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
1920s Van Melle's Toffees Tin - Antique Candy Box Holland - Dutch Windmill
Located in Antwerp, BE
Exceptional large lithographic Candy Tin - Toffee Tin - Candy Box
for Van Melle's Toffees Holland.
This 1920s Antique Tin made by Wed. J. Bekkers and Son - Holland was made in the...
Category
Early 20th Century Dutch Art Nouveau Signs
Materials
Tin
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
Early Original Blue Painted Beauty Shop Trade Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This fantastic original painted trade sign was found in the mid-west. The blue lettering is on a grey painted ground and double blue trimmed border. The backing is in a old dirty whi...
Category
Early 20th Century American Country Signs
Materials
Wood
Rare Mulholland Street Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very rare vintage Mulholland street sign. Rare orange color. Cool piece of Los Angeles history. Piece of old Hollywood ephemera. Large-scale.
Category
1950s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Steel
American Country Tole Gold Clock Sign
Located in New York, NY
American Country (19th Century) painted tole gold trimmed double sided clock sign in the form of a pocket watch.
Category
19th Century American Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Tôle
Advertising Tin Sign "The Delaware Insurance Company of Philadelphia" Circa 1885
By The Delaware Insurance Company of Philadelphia
Located in Incline Village, NV
This is a very rare and early (circa 1885) tin advertising sign, commissioned by the Delaware Insurance Company, located and founded in Philadelphia in 1835. It was probably made by ...
Category
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Tin
Hand Carved Wood "Deposit Trash Here" Sign c.1940
Located in San Francisco, CA
About
This is an original hand craved and hand painted wooden "Deposit Trash Here" sign.
Creator: Unknown.
Date of manufacture: c.1940.
Materials and techniques: Wood, paint....
Category
Early 20th Century Rustic Signs
Materials
Wood
Late 19th Century French Cafe de la Mairie Sign
Located in Pease pottage, West Sussex
Original double sided heavy gauge sheet metal sign with original fixing points. Cafe de la Mairie. Similar condition and fading to both sides. France Circa 1880.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Signs
Materials
Iron
Double Sided 1940s Porcelain Enamel Public Phone Sign
Located in Garnerville, NY
Porcelain enamel round Public Phone sign, circa 1940-1950. Round double side flanged sign with grommets that would attach the sign to a phone booth. Wear commensurate with age and ex...
Category
1940s American Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal, Enamel
Robot Neon
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Life is not a malfunction. Collaborative original artwork by neon artist Tory DiPietro and street artist Jules Muck. Depicting the 1990s nostalgic robot from the movie Short Circuit ...
Category
2010s American Signs
Materials
Blown Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century American Odd Fellows Lodge Over-Door Arch
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Wood with original paint featuring the all seeing eye and F L T friendship, love, truth in the chain. Dates to the late 19th century and is a fantastic size at 19" x 67" with a great...
Category
19th Century North American Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Vintage Porcelain Sign Belgian Beer Hunter Beer, 1954
Located in Antwerp, BE
Vintage porcelain sign for Belgian beer.
The beer is called Jager Beer, it shows an abstract - modern design of a hunter with typical green hat and clothing.
This green with red an...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Modern Signs
Materials
Metal
Iron EXPO Sign, 1950s, Belgium
Located in Antwerp, BE
Iron EXPO sign, 1950s, Belgium awesome vintage EXPO - Sign from the 1950s.
This late Art Deco sign is made of solid metal.
Comes from a former exposition building in Ieper Belgium,...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Industrial Signs
Materials
Iron
Hand Painted Oversized Fiberglass Cheeseburger Pop Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Oversized vintage cheeseburger pop art in fiberglass. Likely used as a store display. Hand made in fiberglass and hand painted with great detail. Triple layer bun, two hamburger patt...
Category
1970s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Paint, Fiberglass
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.