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Signs For Sale
Style: Mid-Century Modern
Style: Folk Art
19th Century Gold Giltwood Carved Letters William Trade Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Classic 19th century American wood trade sign with chunky hand carved and gold painted letters. Ready to display.
Category

Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Signs

Materials

Wood

1950’s Enamel and Neon Corner Sign Cafe
Located in Chicago, IL
1950’s enamel and neon corner Cafe sign. It has new transformer and wiring. Please note that there will be additional fee for making shipping crate.
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs

Materials

Enamel

Vintage Illuminated Nut Crackers
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large signs plastic nut crackers. Set of two nut crackers, industrial plastic and illuminated sign from the Bullock department store in L.A.  
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs

Materials

Plastic

Circa 1890 Hardware Store Wood Trade Sign Carved Smaltz Black and Gold Paint
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Exceptional late 19th century hand carved letters with black and Gold paint and black smaltz background. Excellent typography. Great wall art. Simple and bold.
Category

Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Signs

Materials

Wood

Early 20th Century Pharmacy Sign 'DRUGS' Painted on a Single Board
Located in Nantucket, MA
American folk art trade sign from an apothecary or pharmacy with the word 'DRUGS' in black paint with white shadow lines on an orange ground. Painted on a single pine plank with notc...
Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs

Materials

Pine, Paint

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

“Giant” Scissors, Advertising Store Display
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Cast aluminum oversized scissors probably used for advertising and or store display. These will add interest to any room, wall, hair salon or fash...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs

Materials

Aluminum

c 1920 Brass Star of David Chandelier from Chicago Synagogue
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Historical and significant brass electrified Star of David from the last grand Chicago synagogue, Agudas Achim. Beautiful when lit. Hard to believe these were hung as chandeliers in ...
Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs

Materials

Brass

Traditional Large Hanging Pub Sign, Wethered’s Winterbourne Arms
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Traditional large hanging pub sign. Wethered’s winterbourne arms This is a large and heavy piece dating from the first half of the 20th Century, it is double sided though the pain...
Category

Early 20th Century Folk Art Signs

Materials

Metal

Large Old Hand Painted Wooden Sign for J.Drayton St Ives Cornwall England
Located in Llanbrynmair, GB
A lovely old hand painted sign J.Drayton Master Thatcher of St. Ives. Known for its surf beaches and quaint costal villages with thatched cottages, this piece is a reminder of simpl...
Category

20th Century British Folk Art Signs

Materials

Softwood

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

Italian modern Wall light sign by Lane Marzotto in plastic and metal, 1990s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Wall light sign by Lane Marzotto in plastic and metal, 1990s Rectangular wall light sign with rounded corners. On the central pla...
Category

1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Signs

Materials

Metal

Vintage Painted Wood Folk Art Showroom Trade Sign
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
American Folk Art trade sign with hand-carved "Showroom" letters and an arrow. The letters and backboard are in original paint, egg-white and petroleum green. The sign has recently b...
Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs

Materials

Pine

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

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

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

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

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

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

18th or 19th Century French Ship Chandler's Trade Sign
Located in Nantucket, MA
18th or 19th century French ship chandler's trade sign, circa 1800, an oval pine double sided sign built with large dove-tails, advertising Cooperage and...
Category

1790s French Folk Art Antique Signs

Materials

Pine

Charming Pair of Male and Female Toilet Signs
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
A Charming pair of Male and Female Toilet Signs Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls no home should be without these, painted Quirky Cast Iron Loo signs ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Signs

Materials

Iron

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

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

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

Holstein Milk Painted Metal Trade Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This folky original painted hand made Holsteins Milk metal farm trade sign has the original chain for hanging.It has spots that has paint loss and mino...
Category

20th Century American Folk Art Signs

Materials

Metal

1900s, French Zinc Shop Sign
Located in High Point, NC
This enigmatic shop sign was produced in France, circa 1900. A large zinc wall decoration hanging on a small chain, which may or may not be a piep, features a jug extremity with a lo...
Category

20th Century French Folk Art Signs

Materials

Zinc

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

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

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

1950’s Enamel and Neon TV Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
1950’s enamel and glass TV sign. It has new transformer and new wiring. There will be Additional fee for shipping crate.
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs

Materials

Enamel

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

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

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

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

Wood Carved Red and White American Folk Art Barber Pole Trade Sign Sconce, C1920
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Great Americana! c. 1920s American Folk Art wood and iron carved barber pole. Layers of thick original red and white hand painted surface. Substantial iron mounts and iron strapping around neck of sconce. Unique wall sconce...
Category

1920s North American Folk Art Vintage Signs

Materials

Iron

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Six Separate Hand Painted Hot Rod Car Theme Carry Bags or Purse
Located in Ferndale, MI
Six different hot rod auto related canvas tote carry bags. Hand painted here in Detroit. Image on one side only.
Category

2010s American Folk Art Signs

Materials

Canvas

Original Card Map Poster, Pickfords Depositories
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Original Card Map Poster, Pickfords Depositories This is a good original advertising sign, showing the locations of Pickfords Depositories The Sign is C...
Category

Mid-20th Century Folk Art Signs

Materials

Paper

2 French Market Haberdashery Stall Hanging Signs
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
2 French Market Haberdashery stall hanging signs These are Great pieces from a French market stall near Tours, they are hanging signs with applied adve...
Category

Early 20th Century Folk Art Signs

Materials

Wood

Unusual Set of German Mid-20th Century Shop Trade Sign Tools
Located in London, GB
Unusual set of German mid-20th century shop trade sign tools Every now and again we are lucky enough to acquire items that firstly we have never seen and secondly, we will never see...
Category

1950s German Folk Art Vintage Signs

Materials

Metal, Brass

19th Century Barber's Pole Hand Carved Hand Painted
Located in San Francisco, CA
19th century barber's pole hand carved hand painted Antique barber's pole 5.5" diameter x 42" high The support measures 9" wide x 34" high Good antique condition The...
Category

Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Signs

Materials

Wood

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

Antique Painted Wood "No Dumping Here" Sign
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Antique, hand-painted, folk art, wood "No Dumping Here" sign.
Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs

Materials

Wood

Large Midcentury Porcelain Letter "B" from the Stix Baer and Fuller Sign
Located in St. Louis, MO
Large 44.75" H porcelain letter B, from the former Stix, Baer & Fuller sign. This letter was once on the Mid-Century Modern Stix, Baer & Fuller department store in the Westroads Shop...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs

Materials

Porcelain

Double Sided Painted Wood Doll Furniture Sign
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Midcentury, Folk Art, double sided, painted wood "Doll Furniture" sign with jagged edges.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Signs

Materials

Wood

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

1930's Double Sided Cabin Neon Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
1930's double sided Cabin neon sign. It has new neon, new wiring and new transformer.
Category

1950s North American Folk Art Vintage Signs

Materials

Metal

1950s Light Up Double Sided Beer Mug Yellow Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
1950's light up double sided beer mug sign. It works.
Category

1950s North American Folk Art Vintage Signs

Materials

Metal

1950 Vintage American Folk Art Band Stand Hand Painted Goofy Jazz Music Stand
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Hand painted band stand folding music stand, circa 1950s. Great folk art design and Goofy dog painted. Possibly from the Jazz Mill in Phoenix. Great wall han...
Category

1950s American Folk Art Vintage Signs

Materials

Composition, Metal

Large Pop 1970s Wrangler "No-Fault" Jeans. Denim Store Display / Banner
Located in Buffalo, NY
Large pop modernist circa 1970s Wrangler "No-Fault" Jeans and Jackets, silkscreened on Denim, store display / banner, amazing original condition, appears to be new-old stock, Great i...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs

Materials

Fabric

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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