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Signs For Sale
Vintage Heavy Cast Iron Dog Lawn Sign
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this original Vintage Heavy Cast Iron Dog Lawn Sign. Made in iron with great patina
Category
1950s American Industrial Vintage Signs
Materials
Iron
Late 19th Century Milk Glass London England Westminister Kemble Street Sign
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous etched milk glass street sign from the City of Westminster, England.
Original Arts & Crafts style frame in excellent vintage condition.
Category
1920s English Industrial Vintage Signs
Materials
Milk Glass, Oak
Early 20th Century Piano Teacher Sign Board
Located in Peabody, MA
Hand painted sign for the services of a "modern" piano teacher. This would likely have meant ragtime or jazz, as these were often referred to as new approaches to the instrument as o...
Category
1930s North American Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Large Opaline Glass Pub Signs “Draught Beers” Saved During Refurbishment
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Large Opaline Glass Pub Signs “Draught Beers”
Saved During Refurbishment, these very good quality signs are framed in solid Walnut, the signs “DRAUGHT” & “BEERS” are on very attra...
Category
1960s Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Art Glass
19th Century French Brown Boot Maker Store Sign, Antique Parisian Wall Decor
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique French exterior sign of a Parisian boot maker in painted metal of beige and brown color with a spur painted in a silver color mounted on a w...
Category
19th Century French Belle Époque Antique Signs
Materials
Metal, Wrought Iron
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
Mid-20th Century Hand Painted Double Sided English Fairground Sign
Located in London, GB
Mid-20th Century Hand Painted Double Sided English Fairground Sign
A genuine English mid-20th Century double sided hand painted fairground sign. Better Game, Better Sport, Better Tr...
Category
1950s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Signs
Materials
Plywood
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
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
Cast Iron Clock Face Surround from Observatory Clock Tower Double-Sided
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Very cool cast iron clock face surround, observatory time. Double-sided with great paint surface. Substantial heavy duty iron hooks. Lots of potential...
Category
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Signs
Materials
Iron
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
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
Vintage school education display Die Baumwolle (Cotton) by Josef Galler, Germany
Located in Miklavž Pri Taboru, SI
Vintage school education display Die Baumwolle (Cotton) by Josef Galler made in Germany in the 1960s.
Josef Galler the German creator of educational displays and school manuals on va...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Signs
Materials
Cotton, Glass, Wood
Boucherie Chevaline Trade Sign
Located in London, GB
Boucherie Chevaline Trade Sign
A hand crafted Boucherie Chevaline, zinc gold leaf hand beaten butchers trade sign. A highly decorative wall hanging in untouched condition with or...
Category
Early 20th Century French Victorian Signs
Materials
Zinc
California ROADSIDE BUSINESS Freeway Sign, 1950s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Take a trip drown memory lane with this 1950s California freeway sign. Taken down from Nothern California decades ago, the sign features a black background with white lettering and c...
Category
1950s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Aluminum, Steel
Early 20th Century Double Sided French Zinc Clock Smiths Trade Sign
Located in London, GB
Early 20th century double sided French zinc clock Smiths Trade sign
We are proud to offer a rare example of an early 20th century French double sided clock smiths trade sign. With i...
Category
1910s French Victorian Vintage Signs
Materials
Zinc
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
19th Century Cast Iron Shoemaker’s Trade Sign
Located in London, GB
19th century cast iron shoemaker’s trade sign
A highly decorative example of a late 19th century cast iron French shoemakers shop trade sign. Hand crafted from a hand cut iron metal...
Category
1880s French Early Victorian Antique Signs
Materials
Wrought 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
Vintage Illuminated Letter D, 1980s
Located in Kojetice, CZ
This vintage Industrial illuminated letter D was made in Italy during the 1980s and comes from an old advertising banner. It features a black metal ...
Category
1980s Italian Industrial Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal
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
Texico Enameled Sign
Located in Alpha, NJ
Work is in good condition with few points of enamel loss and wear along edges. Otherwise, work presents well.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Signs
Materials
Steel
$10,000
Early 20th Century Wood and Canvas Painted Produce Sign
Located in Troy, MI
Wooden produce sign found in England, circa 1920s. Wood foundation is covered in strips of canvas which have been hand painted by unknown artist.
Category
Early 20th Century English Rustic Signs
Materials
Canvas, Wood
Flying A Service Enamel Sign - Double Sided
Located in Alpha, NJ
This is an original circa 1930s Flying A Service steel enameled sign, an exceptional example of vintage automobilia and classic Americana. Retaining its beautiful, period-correct pat...
Category
Early 20th Century American Signs
Materials
Steel
Antique Art Deco Brass Illuminated Advertising Cinema Reception Flambosign Sign
Located in Sale, GB
- A fabulous Art Deco illuminated Reception 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
A large wooden wrench, a trade sign of mwchanic’s shop, United States early 30’s
Located in Milan, IT
Trade sign of a mechanic's shop depicting a large wooden wrench with the mechanic's telephone numbers and address written on both sides. United States of America circa 1930.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Signs
Materials
Wood
French 1950s Enamel Sign
Located in Brecht, BE
These enamel signs were used nearby schools, great decorative object, collector’s item.
Category
Mid-20th Century French Signs
Materials
Enamel
$2,142
Old Vintage Fun Wooden Hand Painted Sign 'No Parking' Decorative Wall Shelf Art
Located in Llanbrynmair, GB
A fun hand painted wooden sign reads ‘NO PARKING THIS MEANS YOU’ – Definitely some British humour!
A very old sign, probably dates back to Mid 20...
Category
20th Century British Folk Art Signs
Materials
Pine
$247 Sale Price
20% Off
Signed Snap Wyatt Sideshow Banner
By Snap Wyatt
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Fantastic "Plenty For Two" sideshow banner painted by Snap Wyatt. Great manageable size.
Category
1950s American Folk Art Vintage Signs
Materials
Iron
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
Snip Snip! Giant French Wooden Scissor Trade Sign, Early 20th Century
Located in New York, NY
This early 20th-century hand-carved wooden trade sign, shaped like an oversized pair of scissors, is a striking example of French folk art. Measuring an impressive 40 inches in lengt...
Category
Early 20th Century French Folk Art 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 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
Antique Art Deco Brass Illuminated Advertising Cinema Showerbath Flambosign Sign
Located in Sale, GB
- A fabulous Art Deco illuminated Showerbath 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
Vintage Iron Dog Black Painted Lawn Sign Dont Eat My Dog Why Would You Do That
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Fantastic patina on this vintage garden yard dog sign. Certainly a piece that would make a statement in any yard or garden.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Metal, Iron
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
Vintage Pink Illuminated Letter T , 1970s
Located in Kojetice, CZ
This vintage industrial plastic illuminated facade letter T was made in Italy during the 1970s and comes from an old advertising banner. It is equipped with a LED strip. The letter c...
Category
1970s Italian Industrial Vintage Signs
Materials
Plastic
Vintage Simon Beer Dimensional Advertising Sign
Located in Dekalb, IL
c. 1970s/1980s; The William Simon Brewery - Buffalo, NY
Vintage embossed composite, faux wood advertising sign.
This piece advertises Simon Pure, a regional beer from upstate New Y...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Signs
Materials
Ceramic, Plastic
English Pub Sign, "Charrington - The Eagle Tavern"
Located in Austin, TX
An authentic English pub sign (one-sided) featuring a painting of an eagle in flight with mountains in the background, entitled: Charrington - The Eagle Tavern.
A very fine example of vintage advertising artwork, ready for display.
Charrington & Co. Ltd, Anchor Brewery, Mile End Road, Tower Hamlets, London E1
The partnership of Charrington and Moss was first recorded at Mile End in 1770.
Registered as Charrington & Co. Ltd in July 1897
In 1962 they merged with United Breweries Ltd (formerly Northern Breweries of Great Britain Ltd...
Category
20th Century English Signs
Materials
Metal
Giant Art Deco Brass Fountain Pen and Mechanical Pencil Display Models
By Wahl Eversharp Co
Located in Hanover, MA
SATURDAY SALE
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
$1,700 Sale Price / set
50% Off
Set of Three Folk Art Straight Edge Razor Trade Signs
Located in Stamford, CT
Three whimsical American folk carved wood art trade signs in the form of straight edge razors. Used by barbers as interior advertisements. Two have...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Wood
Vintage Critic Quality Feeds Heavy Metal Litho Advertising Sign
Located in Dekalb, IL
c. 1950s; Beardstown Mills Company - Beardstown, IL
Vintage litho livestock feed sign.
This piece advertises Critic Quality livestock feeds from Beardstown Mills, a now-defunct flo...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Signs
Materials
Metal
Vintage Metal Optician Shop Trade Sign
Located in Linkebeek, BE
vintage Metal Optician Shop Trade Sign
Shop Industrial decor - Optician sign Antique
Large yellow metal DOUBLE-SIDED eyeglasses sign with a metal wall br...
Category
Mid-20th Century Industrial 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
Double Sided Gilt & Painted "HAPPY JACK'S" Tobacconist Trade Sign, Laconia, NH
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Two-sided tobacconist trade sign of circular form with gold leaf lettering with red shadow on a black sand paint ground with green borders "HAPPY JACK'S" centers a cutout pipe above a white banner applied to the bottom of each side which reads "CIGAR, PIPE & / TOBACCO SHOP...
Category
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Gold Leaf
Vintage Trailer Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Whimsical vintage highway sign from Texas. Blue sign with with graphics of a trailer. Good vintage condition.
Category
1970s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Steel
Large Pacific Coast Scenic Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large vintage Pacific Coast Highway sign reading "Pacific Coast Scenic Byway." Green sign that features birds, water, snow-capped mountains, Ever...
Category
1970s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Steel
Original Magnolia Bakery Sign
Located in Essex, MA
Original Magnolia Bakery hand-painted sign from an upper state New York bakery. White background with black lettering, charming addition to a kitchen, pantry or mudroom for a vintage...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Country Signs
Materials
Wood, Paint
$300 Sale Price
25% Off
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
Art Deco Chrome & Glass Skyscraper Directory Sign
Located in Hanover, MA
Vintage 1940's chrome frame building directory sign with beveled glass double panels.
This came from the famous Boston (North End) restaurant 'Joe Tecce's' which closed in 2010 after...
Category
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Signs
Materials
Chrome, Steel, Aluminum
$1,395 Sale Price
44% Off
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
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
Manhole Cover Prototype Folk Art, 1960s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Extremely unique wooden sewer cap prototype. Made by by various wooden cubes and blocks as well as letters nailed to the front of the main ply of the cap giving it its design. The ba...
Category
1960s American Vintage Signs
Materials
Wood
Philips Radio Enamel Advertising Sign Wall Plaque, 1930s
By Philips
Located in Vienna, AT
An enameled advertising sign / wall plaque "Philips Radio", dating from around 1930. It was produced for the Dutch brand Philips to promote their radios in the early 20th century. Th...
Category
1930s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Signs
Materials
Metal, Enamel, Iron
19th Century French Red Boot Maker Store Sign, Antique Parisian Metal Wall Décor
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique exterior sign of a Parisian shoemaker in painted metal of red color, designed as a hanging boot in a rounded shape. The French sign holder was handcrafted in wrought iron, in good condition. Minor fading, scratches due to age. Wear consistent with age and use. Circa 1900, 14 Rue de l’Arrivee, Paris, France.
A collection of Roxane Debuisson.
Roxane Debuisson was a famous collector born in Paris, France and passed away in Paris, in 2018. Debuisson’s personal life and professional training remains lost in history. In the 1960s-1970s she spent her time collecting elements of Parisian patrimonies or heritage. Among her exceptional collection, she was collecting topographical paintings and drawings, vintage street signs and broken armatures from the metro...
Category
19th Century French Belle Époque Antique Signs
Materials
Metal, Wrought Iron
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
Monumental Early 20th-Century European Carved Wooden Axe Trade Sign, 66"" Long
Located in New York, NY
A Monumental early 20th-century European carved wooden axe trade sign, measuring an impressive 60" in length. This extraordinary piece, with its distinctively oversized design, was l...
Category
Early 20th Century French Signs
Materials
Wood
Vintage Minneapolis-Moline SSP Neon Sign
Located in Dekalb, IL
c. 1930s/1940s; Minneapolis Moline Power Implement Co. - Hopkins/Minneapolis, MN
Vintage single-sided porcelain tractor company neon sign.
This piece advertises Minneapolis-Moline,...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Signs
Materials
Metal
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
Set of 7 Mid-Century Era Painted Wood Carnival Folk Art Sign Box Letters
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This set of seven Folk Art wooden box letters were made in Canada is circa 1965 and were once mounted on a carnival sign for either a ride or an at...
Category
Mid-20th Century Canadian Mid-Century Modern Signs
Materials
Wood
Fair Play Basketball Scoreboard, 1980s USA
By Fair Play
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
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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