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Signs For Sale
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. ...
Category
1970s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Paint, Fiberglass
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
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 advertising sign was dedicated to the golf attire and equipment.
Category
1920s Scottish Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood
1930’s Enamel And Neon Braumeister Beer Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
1930’s enamel and neon sign Milwaukee’s Choicest Braumeister Beer Sign. New transformer and new wiring. Please note that it will be additional fee for shipping crate.
Category
1930s American Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Enamel
Rare & Hand Painted Near Antique Folk Art Metal Salmon Sign from Fish Monger's
Located in Lisse, NL
Large size and all hand-crafted metal salmon sign.
This vintage salmon sign is another one of our recent great finds. The former owner told us how he, about three decades ago, had purchased this unique antique in France. Over the years we have seen and sold all kinds of antiques, but this was only the second time that we had the opportunity to purchase a vintage (or near-antique) fish sign and we were immediately thrilled. Not only because of the extraordinary size, but also because of the rarity, the details and the marvelous colors. This kind of workmanship you simply don't find anymore in this day and age. We have searched the worldwide web and you simply cannot find these sculptural signs anywhere. The aging has made this salmon even more beautiful and realistic, because the crazing of the paint makes it look like you can see its scales. This handcrafted, folk-art-like antique looks like it is made of zinc, but we think it is thick tin. This large salmon will look great in a fish monger's, but it can also be the perfect decoration in the office of a salmon farm, in a fisherman's lodge, in a mancave or in a fishing (gear) shop. It was originally made to hang, either in an open space or up against the wall (as shown in our photos) but with one or two brackets this work of art could also be displayed on a very large desk...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Signs
Materials
Metal
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
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
Wall Mounted Telephone Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
Wall mounted telephone sign on an iron bracket. Old school and very fun!
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
Vintage Desk Sign, circa 1944
Located in San Francisco, CA
About
An original wooden desk sign for Carl J. Wilkerson from Fort Knox, Kentucky. His years of employment are written on the back as well as the signatu...
Category
Early 20th Century Signs
Materials
Wood, Plastic, Paper
Original 1950's Route 66 Neon Café Sign
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
An original Route 66 double sided neon CAFE sign in its original paint, circa 1950.
Category
20th Century American Signs
Materials
Tin
Art Deco Port Advertising Sign, 1930s
Located in Antwerp, BE
Art Deco port sign of Porto Rolaria.
Old advertising sign for the aperitif drink Port - Porto.
What a beautiful design:
2 bottles of Port:...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Art Deco Signs
Materials
Paper
1890's Gilt Painted Timber Printer's Trade Sign
Located in Downham Market, GB
An early printer's trade sign.
A wonderful 19th century painted timber trade sign for 'Wheeler' printer's, delightfully original & untouched with the p...
Category
19th Century British Rustic Antique Signs
Materials
Pine
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
Pressed Zinc Facade Panel
Located in Chicago, IL
Pressed zinc exterior panel from the Red Cross building.
Category
20th Century Signs
Materials
Zinc
Vintage Framed Signed Art
Located in Seattle, WA
Vintage framed signed art
Dimensions. 72 W ; 36 1/4 H ; 3 D.
Category
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Glass, Wood
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
20th Century Blacksmith's Sign on Custom Mount
Located in Chicago, IL
A bold and striking 20th century American blacksmith's sign with an arm swinging a hammer against a block of metal on an anvil, and with sparks flying from the impact. We've had this...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Signs
Materials
Steel
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
St Paul’s Churchyard, City of London Glass Edwardian Street Sign
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
St Paul’s Churchyard, City of London glass Edwardian Street Sign
This is a City of London Street sign, it is set in its Cast Iron Frame, it is ma...
Category
Early 20th Century Industrial Signs
Materials
Iron
Hand Signed Written Cart Yolk
Located in Alton, GB
Hand painted cart yolk from W.lowis.
Category
19th Century Antique Signs
Materials
Wood
Vintage 'No Bikes' Street Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage 'no bikes on sidewalk' sign with incredible sunburn weathering patina. Steel sign featuring a bicycle encircled by a red ring with a line through it. Great faded coloring give this piece unique character. Cool vintage graphics...
Category
1970s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Steel
Vintage Original Painted California Gold Rush Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
20th Century Original painted Gold Rush Sign.
Category
20th Century American Adirondack Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Hand Painted 'ICE ON ROAD IN PLACES' Wooden Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Great vintage wood sign from the 1980s. Hand-painted. Deep blue background with white lettering and white border. Very good vintage condition. Perfect for a cabin or winter house...
Category
1980s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
20th Century Italian Mix Metal Wall Art Car, C.1970
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
This classic car is handmade in Italy from brass, copper and steel, created in the mid 20th century as a piece of decorative fun and novelty.
CONDITION
In Good Condition - wear c...
Category
20th Century Italian Signs
Materials
Brass, Copper, Steel
Antique London Covent Garden & Borough Market Trade Shop Signs Thomas
Located in Lowestoft, GB
A decorative pair of trade signs for J B Thomas of either Borough Market or Covent Garden London, a red ground with gilt/yellow hand painted lettering.
...
Category
Early 20th Century British Signs
Materials
Pine
Chinese Signboard with Gold Coloured Calligraphy from Hardwood, C. 1900
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
With a wood coloured base this signboard (crafted entirely from wood) highlights 3 large gold coloured Chinese Characters. The signboard dates to the early 20th Century and has aged ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Marvelous Antique Carved Wood Locksmith Trade Sign
Located in Hopewell, NJ
A wonderful early 20th century carved mahogany locksmith trade sign in the shape of a large key. Makes an unexpected piece of wall art as a found object with tons of character.
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood
Card Game Wall Decoration Sign, 1961
By Rob Otten
Located in Antwerp, BE
Vintage card game wall decoration sign.
1960s advertising sign with a typical card game scene:
green playing card felt, playing cards, dice, a go...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Modern Signs
Materials
Other, Tin
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
Antique Reverse Painted Glass Drink Coca Cola Sign Ice Cream Parlour circa 1920
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous 10 x 21 reverse painted glass coca cola sign from the twenties. In excellent vintage condition with a bit of fixing on the upper right corner. Made by the Price Bros. from C...
Category
1920s American Industrial Vintage Signs
Materials
Brass
Telephone Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
Vintage Yellow & Black Painted Steel 'FRESH OIL' Traffic or Street Sign
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine vintage traffic or street sign.
With text that reads: FRESH OIL.
In reflective yellow paint.
Simply a great vintage sign!
Date:
Mi...
Category
Late 20th Century Unknown Signs
Materials
Steel
Traditional Large Iron Hanging Pub Sign, The Boot
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Traditional large iron hanging pub sign. The Boot
This is a large and heavy piece dating from the beginning of the 20th Century, it is double sided though the paint on one side is...
Category
Early 1900s Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Iron
Los Angeles Highway Trash Removal Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles trash cleanup sign. Emerald green background with a man in work clothes picking up trash. Great coloring and patina. Cool vintage graphics...
Category
Early 2000s American Signs
Materials
Steel
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 c...
Category
1950s American Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Sheet Metal
Big Wooden Wrench, a Trade Sign, USA 1930
Located in Milan, IT
Big wooden sign of a machine shop depicting a wrench, with mechanic’s address and phone number. USA 1930 ca.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Signs
Materials
Fruitwood
Large Weathered Trade Sign "Carriage Shop"
Located in Greenwich, CT
A 12 foot long trade sign displaying the words Carriage Shop on one side and Horse Shoeing on the other. In weathered early hand painted lettering on wood, with molded edging on all ...
Category
1870s American Antique Signs
Materials
Wood
1961 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 famous Italian Drink was made in Belgium for the Belgian Market by Etabl. J. Schuybroek S.A. Hoboken-Anvers ( Belgium ).
It is in good but used condition.
If you keep the sign in a certain angle to heavy light , you will see stains of teh old wrapping paper.
Do view all our items ,
we do have a matching Rossi Sign...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Signs
Materials
Tin, Other
English Pub Sign, Squirrel
Located in Austin, TX
An authentic English pub sign (one-sided) featuring a painting of a squirrel with a nut, untitled.
A very fine example of vintage advertising artwork and ...
Category
20th Century English Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Vintage Solo Margarine Enamel Mid-Century Sign
Located in Norwich, GB
A wonderful bright vintage enamel sign advertising Solo margarine. Belgian - Circa 1940's.
The sign is in very good condition for its age, ther...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Signs
Materials
Enamel
Enamel Sign for Colman’s Mustard
Located in Cheshire, GB
Enamel sign for Colman’s Mustard, of rectangular form decorated in blue and yellow enamel.
Dimensions
Height 16 inches
Width 62.5 inches
Depth 0.5 ...
Category
Early 20th Century British Signs
Materials
Enamel
Spanish Provincial Style Carved Horse Head Wall Plaque Sign
Located in New York, 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
Enamel Sign for Colman’s Starch
Located in Cheshire, GB
Enamel sign for Colman’s Starch, of rectangular form decorated in blue and white enamel.
Dimensions
Height 16 Inches
Width 62.5 Inches
Depth 0.5 Inches.
Category
Early 20th Century British Signs
Materials
Enamel
Elizabeth Arden Vintage Wooden Signs
Located in Milano, IT
Rare advertising sign of Elizabeth Arden, an entrepreneur who founded, in that name, her cosmetics company, dating from the 1950s, taken from the Lake...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Aluminum
Vintage Elizabeth Arden Signs in Wood and Painted Aluminum
Located in Milano, IT
Rare advertising sign of Elizabeth Arden, an entrepreneur who founded, in that name, her cosmetics company, dating from the 1950s, taken from the Lake...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Aluminum
'Boulder' Colorado Hand Painted Wood Road Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rustic hand painted Boulder road sign in black and white. Painted on a 3/4" thick plank of wood give this piece interesting character. Taken down from a nearby trail. Sign can...
Category
2010s American Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
HOVIS, Etched Glass Bakery Advertising Window Sign
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
HOVIS, Etched Glass Bakery Advertising Window Sign
A great piece of social history, this is a window, the old sash type, the glass is etched and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Edwardian Antique Signs
Materials
Art Glass
Giant Art Deco Brass Fountain Pen and Mechanical Pencil Display Models
By Wahl Eversharp Co
Located in Hanover, MA
Oversized retail advertising presentation brass fountain pen and mechanical pencil display signs from the early 1920s when they would have been featured within a wood and glass display cabinet at the pen counter of a stationary store.
Originally the fountain pen would have been marked on its side "Wahl Pen...
Category
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Signs
Materials
Brass
Chinese Signboard with Gold Coloured Calligraphy & Hanging Hook from Hardwood
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
With a wood coloured base this signboard (crafted entirely from wood) highlights 3 large gold coloured Chinese Characters. The signboard dates to the Mid-20th Century and has aged be...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Edwardian Art Nouveau Copper & Oak Shop Sign "Townrow" Hatter Hosier
Located in Norwich, GB
A wonderful English Art Nouveau period polished copper & oak mounted shop sign, "Townrow". Circa 1905.
There is some damage to the left hand side oak mount, please refer to the late...
Category
Early 20th Century British Art Nouveau Signs
Materials
Copper
Antique Ingersoll Watches Adverting Trade Sign, circa 1900
Located in San Francisco, CA
Antique double sided trade sign for Ingersoll Watches in the shape of a pocket watch.
Excellent old sign in original condition.
American, late 19th-ear...
Category
Early 20th Century American Other Signs
Materials
Metal
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
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Wood
Enamel Parisian Metro Station Sign
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
French mid 20th century enamel metro sign.
This sign comes from the Commerce Metro Station in the 15th arrondisement in Paris.
This station is on li...
Category
Signs
Vintage Enamel Letter N, 1930s
Located in Kojetice, CZ
This vintage industrial enameled letter N was made during the 1930s and comes from the old advertising banner.
Category
Early 20th Century European Industrial Signs
Materials
Iron
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
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
Vintage Masonic Lodge Rotating Sign Liberty Hall Strict Order Candle Holders
Located in GB
Wimbledon-Furniture
Wimbledon-Furniture is delighted to offer for sale this vintage Masonic Lodge rotating wood sign with brass candle holders
A g...
Category
20th Century English Modern Signs
Materials
Wood
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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