Saturday, March 23, 2013

Take A Glimpse Back In Time With Vintage Advertising Signs

By Ann Jordan


Advertising forms the backbone for every successful business nowadays; it has developed into an enormous media campaign when compared to previous eras. From gorgeous Victorian styled trade cards of the 1870s to the giant commercials found these days, it is glaringly obvious that advertisements are a part of daily life. Vintage advertising signs may not be hung or riveted to shop fronts anymore, however, this does not mean that they are forgotten; avid collectors have created a huge demand for these colorful items.

Porcelain signage became widely used as a means of making bold advertisements displays during the early 20th century. This material was used as it was much more durable and perfect for outdoor use as it could withstand prolonged exposure to weather conditions. Motor oil, cigar and large soda companies, mainly utilized this form of adverts to attract people. Unfortunately when World War II started, the metal used in these porcelain signs were needed and as a result many were destroyed; making them exceptionally rare and for this reason valuable and highly collectable.

Similarly during this same time period tin was also used as a cheaper alternative to the porcelain materials. However, they were not as durable and tended to deteriorate a lot quicker due to rust. Therefore any that are still found these days may be in a very poor condition, although this does not dampen the demand for them and if one were to find one in mint condition then it will be well worth the search.

Besides these "billboard" adverts, companies made use of other unique methods of drawing in consumers. Celluloid pin backs were also widely used; it was a cheap button that could be displayed by being worn on clothing items. Pin backs given out were largely to encourage people to recognize brands and were usually part of cigarette company campaigns. One other usage is during political rallies and campaigning where these "buttons" were handed out; it is still used for this these days.

A world renowned soda manufacturer upped their efforts by incorporating every day useful items into their advertisements. This came about when they realized that posters and other methods of advertising had a relatively short lifespan. They developed a method whereby normal items, for example wall clocks, yearly calendars, thermometers and mirrors could be branded with their image and name brand; making the items not only useful but easy to display as well.

Many of these items can still be found hanging in small stores simply due to the fact that they serve a useful purpose. What most collectors of these types of items look for are items that are still "brand new" or hardly used. However, there are a few limited edition items in this category that are sought after.

Various other advertisement items are also searched for, like salesmen samples, tobacco tins, crate labels, beer trays and those little push/pull door signs. Quirky humor is found in many of the older adverts. Their messages cleverly depicted in colorful drawings.

Vintage advertising signs can be seen as fundamental parts of history. These items clearly remind historians of how much humans have advanced. But more importantly, they offer one a glimpse into a long lost era.




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