It was a small round sign, no more than sixteen inches in diameter. Time had not been kind to it. The rim was rusted, it was slightly dented and there was a hole where it had been attached to the wall. I looked at it hanging in the laundry room of my client’s home and debated it if was worth packing. Might as well give it a shot, I concluded. So I took it down, packed it up and sent it off to auction.
From restaurateurs and retail shop owners looking for unique decor accents, to Millennials seeking early 20th Century pop art for their homes, old advertising signs are finding a strong market this Summer.
The first hand painted or stenciled tin signs were introduced in the mid-1870s. By the end of the 19th century they had begun to feature lithographic images. Early tin signs were used to sell beer, farm equipment, tobacco, food, gasoline, insurance and household appliances. Production costs were high, causing companies to “lend” their signs rather than selling them to merchants carrying their products. Many of the early sings will have a “property of” label printed on the back. If you can find these, they are at the top of the value range.
With a strong economy and literacy on the rise, merchants of the early 1900s turned to metal signs posted on the outside of their buildings as a main form of advertising. Stamped tin signs with high relief wording and colorful lithographic figures from that era are highly sought by collectors. Those with imagery, particularly pets, kids, the female form, and companies no longer in business will be the most valuable.
Production of tin signs was at its peak in the early 1920s, but as the decade progressed their popularity decreased and they were replaced by porcelain signs. With their stylized look and detailed stenciling that mimicked Japanese woodblock designs, porcelain coated signs were the perfect compliment to the Art Deco craze of the day. In addition, their ground glass glaze made them more resilient to the elements. As a result, we still find a large number of advertising signs from 1920-1939 in amazingly good condition
Tin sign production ceased during the early 1940s and many of the existing porcelain enamel and tins signs were melted down for the war effort. When production resumed, plastic and vinyl signs became the norm and by 1950 production of tin signs ceased.
Reproductions abound in this area of collecting so look carefully at a prospective purchase. Watch for signs of rust and wear. Copy-cats can often be detected because they look too good. Weight is another indication of age. Older signs are heavier gauge metal than newer ones.
So what became of the rusty little Polk Dairy sign at my client’s home? It was offered at auction, where collectors from three states came to bid on it. The final auction value for this 1930s tin advertising piece? $3,200! Cha ching!! Until next time…Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached at 317-253-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com
