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.



Lincoln Hwy Buy-Way - 4 State Yard Sale Along Lincoln Hwy August 5-7, 2011

     Another big state to state yard sale is the Lincoln Hwy Buy-Way.  Covering five states, this large yard sale dates are August 4-7, 2011.  The Lincoln Hwy Buy-Way covers the states of Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana & West Virginia.  This Yard Sale runs the same weekend as the 127 Corridor Yard Sale so shoppers have many options to consider and literally hundreds of yard sales to choose from.
    
Information site for Iowa is   http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/iowa/buyway/buyway.html
Information site for Illinois is:   http://illinoislincolnhighway.tripod.com/yardsale.html
Information site for Ohio is:   http://olhhc.org/index.php/buy-way-yard-sale/about-the-buy-way
Information site for the 127 Corridor Yard Sale: http://www.127sale.com/

     Indiana and West Virginia do not have an official website set up with any details, however, if you live near a town or city along the Lincoln Hwy contact the local chamber office or city hall to find out if your town participates.
     Be very careful, traffic is usually crazy and people are everywhere so you drivers have your work cut out for you!  Park if possible and take a cart or wagon, or anything on wheels that can be easily pushed or pulled.  I find this a lot less stressful than driving, stopping, driving, stopping, driving, stopping.  Have fun and let me know what kind of wonderful treasures you have found this year!

127 Corridor Yard Sale in Just a Few Weeks

     If you haven't heard of the world's longest yard sale then you need to check out 127 Corridor Yard Sale.   The 127 Corridor Yard Sale is 675 miles long and is always on the 1st Thursday of August and runs through the following Sunday.  This years dates are August 4-8, 2011. 
     The 127 Corridor Yard Sale covers parts of Tennessee, Alabama & Michigan.  Jump in anywhere but be careful, some areas are super concentrated with shoppers, it's kinda dangerous for both the drivers and the pedestrians in some of the areas.  Many of the towns along 127 have citywide garage sales, festivals and celebrations during these dates to take advantage of the many bargain hunters. 
     One of the items on my bucket list is to go to this event and complete the whole 675 miles.  I think it just might be impossible to complete this in four days but I'd have a blast trying!
     If you know what area you are going to be in, do a little research before you go, you might find more fun than expected along the way!

  http://www.127sale.com/

Coming Soon - NY 50 Mile Garage Sale on Route 90

     If you live near the eastern Finger Lakes region in NY and love to garage sale then you might want to make plans to attend the 50 Mile Garage Sale coming up at the end of the month.  For bargains and treasure hunting travel down RT 90 (not the through way) from Montezuma on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake to Homer, NY.  Several homeowners participate selling everything from Antiques to Toys. 
     This event is always the 4th weekend in July, this years dates are 7-30 & 7-31, 2011.  Scheduled times are 8-4pm each day.  For more information contact  the Cortland County Convention and Visitor Bureau at (800) 859-2227.

Beautiful Amethyst Purple Vases

     It must be purple day, I found amethyst purple vases at almost every garage sale I hit today.  This beautiful pair measures a little over 6" tall.  They are from the Imperial Glass Co, both are marked on the bottom with the "I" Over "G" logo.  The base of the vase is amethyst and from there the carnival glass sheen has green, red, and violet.  The pattern has hob star & feather in it, I lent out my carnival glass books so at the moment I'm not exactly sure of the pattern name.  I got these for next to nothing, paying only $5 for the pair. 
     The solid purple vase has a crimped edge, it is 8" tall and there are no markings but very pretty. I only paid $5 for that as well.   I happen to love purple so all of these will look great with my purple glass until I decide it's time to move them out for something new.  



Super Cute Gumby & Pokey Cookie Jar

Super cute auction find - A Gumby & Pokey Cookie Jar - not old, dated 1997 on the bottom but oh so  cute.  Does anybody out there remember watching Gumby & Pokey cartoons in the 60's.  This cookie jar definitely reminds me of the good old days!!!

Salt & Pepper Shakers

     I recently went to a auction that had several sets of vintage salt and pepper shakers.  These use to be very collectible but I haven't been able to move them like I use to.  Every ceramic company under the sun was part of the salt & pepper figurine craze.  The themed character salt & pepper shakers  are still very popular among the avid collector.  Here are a few that sold at the auction.  The gulf gas pumps brought $35, the rest were in the $10-$15 range.  Many were put in boxes and sold in lots. I did good, I didn't bid on any of them as I already have several sets in my inventory and can't seem to sell them.