Posted 14 years ago
mantique_c…
(19 items)
Barn find at an estate sale in Mount Airy, MD. I pulled this amazing sign out of an old dirt floored barn, rife with snakes, spiders & feral cats. It was screwed into a wall and barely sticking up above a heavy old display case in an area that was actually barricaded off from the rest of the sale. I had to have it so I made an offer to the owner.
This one actually has an old Dr. Pepper decal stuck to it (between the red circle and Naturally Delicious!), which I don't believe is original... Probably put there by the shop owner when this was still used as an actual piece of advertising.
I love the colors and graphics on this thing, and the bottle on the left is 3D/raised. It's not in the best shape and there's good sized hole in the top of the red circle, but it has amazing character and the graphics and colors are still there. Measures 18" x 54".
***Value??***
First I would like to say great find! Usually when I go to estate sales I rarely find old signs, most of them are in worse shape then that! My last one was a Red Jacket Water service sign. But any way, this sign is probably from the really late 50's(1958-9) or the early 60's. I can tell you right now the DP decal probably dates it to the 60's. I'll just guess the value from $60-$100, maybe lower. How much did you pay for it?
Thanks kid! Yeah, this was actually not even part of the sale, but attached to a wall in a secondary building (old barn) that was showcasing overflow items, mostly glassware for sale. Initially the seller said it wasn't for sale, but I offered him a modest amount, less than $60 and he accepted. I'm thinking it's worth more, maybe even $200. This exact sign is listed on online (in pristine condition) for $475. Would be great if other sign collectors would chime in on it's value. I realize porcelain signs are much more sought after, but this one seems pretty rare...
I have one of these tru ade signs in near perfect condition. If I recall correctly I paid $450.00 about a year ago. Its one of my favorite signs. As you probably know condition is everything when it comes to these old signs. Most serious collectors want them in really nice condition. But your sign still has value. I think cocacolakid's value is a little low. I'm not an expert but I have been collecting for awhile. I would not be surprized to see one in similar condition bring up to $150 on Ebay. Collectors come in all shapes and sizes, some are willing to buy signs that are not perfect in order to be able to offord lots of signs. Others perfer to buy only signs in near perfect condition. At any rate if you paid less than $60 you did very well.
Radonc - I almost prefer old signs that are a little beat up and showing age (and character). But, in terms of value to collectors, you're right that condition is paramount. Thanks for the input... I think this one could certainly bring $150, maybe a little more. For now though, I'm holding onto it until I build up some more inventory.
Cheers