Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Collecting Vintage Neon Signs

     Vintage Neon Signs are highly collectible among sign collectors.  They are actually a triple collectible enticing collectors of vintage and antique signs, collectors of advertising and collectors of neon art or a combination of all three.  The older and more unusual the sign the more collectible.
     If you find one of these neon signs be sure it is in good working condition before purchasing.  Years ago I bought  a couple at a yard sale for $20 thinking I had hit a treasure trove.  Unfortunately, one of  the signs did not work at all when plugged in and the other only partially worked. 
     Neon signs are made by using luminous tube lights filled with special gas. They were extremely popular in business windows from the 1920's to the 1960's.  Neon signs are extremely fragile, always take extra careful measures when transporting or storing.  The glass tubes break so easily and then your sign is pretty much worthless.
     There are neon restoration business's, however, you can always tell when one has been restored as they do not shine the same.  If a partial repair has been made on a vintage neon sign it stands out and screams I've been repaired. Not all Neon signs are vintage, do a little research before spending a lot of money.
     Keep your eyes open at garage sales, yard sales, auctions and estate sales for these rare signs some are very valuable, some are highly collectible, all are pretty cool!
 These neon signs are circa the 1970's, not really old, not really new but worth around $100-$150 give or take a few dollars.


1 comment:

Neon Light Sign said...

Vintage neon signs is said to be the first neon sign used. These signs have most popularly been used for advertising purposes. Restaurants, bars, motels, automobile dealers, etc., are some of the common places where you will find such sign. Thanks a lot.