Old advertising is a fantastic way to peek into the social and business worlds of the past. Usually vibrant, clever, witty and artistically accomplished these works of art were created for one purpose only- to grab your attention and sell ! Early examples were usually painted onto wood, carved out of wood or printed. In 1816 the invention of two-colour lithography meant bright colours could finally be added to printed adverts and posters and then the invention of enamel signs from the 1860s onwards further revolutionised how people publicised their wares around the built environment.
Today antique and vintage advertising is as desirable as ever and looks great displayed on the wall. From hard wearing signs to fragile posters these items add character and are chocked full of the fashions and fads of the day. On a more personal scale business trade cards and labels have remained popular for hundreds of years but during the 19th Century the variety of ways to advertise grew to include far more unusual objects such as mirrors, bottles, match boxes and all manner of novelty items. This continued into the 20th Century to leave us a wealth of fantastic advertising objects.
At Love Antiques we have a fine selection of antique and vintage advertising for all your needs.
Beeches Vintage
Vintage Canadian Club Whisky Water Jug
£ 47
NS Vintage
Beautiful Display Showcase
£ 400
Beresford Antiques Ltd
Seven Vintage Metal Legal Document Boxes
£ 695
The Old Yard
1940s Chemist Shop Advertising Light
£ 465
Fox & Hare Antiques & Interiors
Early 20th Century Tinplate Advertising Ruler - Garfield Whtney Liverpool c.1900
£ 15
Early 20th Century Tinplate Advertising Ruler - Garfield Whtney Liverpool c.1900
£ 15
Fox & Hare Antiques & Interiors
Sovereign Antiques
Reich Stag Staff’s Enamel Car Parking/permit Sign
£ 995
Robert Pagden Antiques
Antique Gentleman Illuminated Sign
£ 350
Casual Antiques
Quaker Oats Magic Lantern Slides
£ 125
Ian Chisnall Antiques and Collectables
Enamel "Lyons Tea" Sign of Large Proportion
£ 890
Fox & Hare Antiques & Interiors
Vintage Glass Advertising Paperweight - Edinburgh Life Assurance c.1900
£ 22
Vintage Glass Advertising Paperweight - Edinburgh Life Assurance c.1900
£ 22
Fox & Hare Antiques & Interiors
NS Vintage
Aston Martin DB5 Wheel Spinner Mounted
£ 45
Barnaby's of Battle
Six Vintage Wooden Apple Crates
£ 135
Barnaby's of Battle
Old Pine Wood Box with Lid Japanese 1960s
£ 90
Barnaby's of Battle
Vintage Japanese Tea Chest 1960s
£ 90
Barnaby's of Battle
Mid Century Japanese Tea Chest 1960s
£ 90
Avego Antiques and Collectibles
Robertsons Jams Golly Advertising Utensils Pot
£ 150
Avego Antiques and Collectibles
Robertsons Jams Golly Advertising Plate
£ 150
Avego Antiques and Collectibles
Robertsons Jams Golden Shred Golly Advertising Ceramic Money Box
£ 150
Robertsons Jams Golden Shred Golly Advertising Ceramic Money Box
£ 150
Avego Antiques and Collectibles
Graham Deakin Antiques
Pair of Art Nouveau Tins
£ 60
Vintage Garden UK
Excellent Oriental Camphor Trunk
£ 1,920
Graham Deakin Antiques
Medical Poster by St Johns
£ 125
Elmgarden Antiques
Giant Ice Cream Advertising Signs, Funky Quirky Nostalgic
£ 995
Graham Deakin Antiques
Pair of J.s Fry & Sons Ltd Display Cabinets
£ 1,200
Marylebone Antiques
Vintage Framed Marilyn Monroe Film Poster ‘Let’s Make Love’
£ 1,100
Wick Antiques Ltd
A Souvenir Paperweight for the Yacht ‘rainbow’ by Herreshoff
£ 1,600
Graham Deakin Antiques
Wills Gold Flake Enamel Sign
£ 325
Whites Antiques
Mid 20th Century Fountain Pen Trade Sign (adapted)
£ 775
Georgian Antiques
Large Victorian Pub Advertising Mirror
£ 1,250
House of Clarnold
Double Sided Framed Theatre Poster
£ 195
Graham Deakin Antiques
Stained Glass Panel (reputedly from a London Pub)
£ 275
Cloverleaf Home Interiors
Sign Folk Art Shop Sign Metal Original Advertising c.1900
£ 425
Treehouse Antiques
Antique Floor Standing Terrestrial Globe
£ 1,295
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Religious Enamel Sign Pope Vatican City State
£ 2,000
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Edwardian Enamel Copper London Road Sign Borough of St Marylebone Chiltern Street W1
£ 1,500
Edwardian Enamel Copper London Road Sign Borough of St Marylebone Chiltern Street W1
£ 1,500
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Elmgarden Antiques
Travel Agent’s P&O Poster - Orient Cruse Lines Advertising
£ 350
Elmgarden Antiques
Etched Pub Mirror Fine Whiskey Advertising Sign
£ 1,250
Marlborough Antiques & Interiors
Iconic 1971 Large Original Framed Poster 'Bullfighting Alacete, Spain'
£ 1,450
Iconic 1971 Large Original Framed Poster 'Bullfighting Alacete, Spain'
£ 1,450
Marlborough Antiques & Interiors
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Livery J Miles & Son Dorchester Hand Painted Shop Sign Master Saddlers
£ 2,000
Livery J Miles & Son Dorchester Hand Painted Shop Sign Master Saddlers
£ 2,000
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Trade Antiques
Shop Display Robertsons Set Height 16 Inch
£ 585
Vintage Advertising Antiques FAQs
When did advertising become popular?
People have been advertising their wares for thousands of years scratching into bricks and painting wooden signs and pottery. However the emergence of the printing press meant that from the 17th Century onwards printed advertising became cheap and easy to produce through newspapers, gazettes, magazines, flyers, and journals. Better quality images through copper plate processes emerged from the mid 18th Century and colour tones began to be printed from the start of the 19th Century. While the approach to advertising has not really changed over the years, the sheer quantity has, in part due to even more mediums emerging such as radio, television and internet.
What are the most popular vintage advertisement items?
Most collectors of old advertising are drawn to the works for their own unique reasons, either because of the subject, Era or artwork. Enamel signs and posters are the most popular fields collected due to their variety and versatility. In each case condition and rarity determine the price, but all forms of advertising are collected from labels, cards and signs to far more unusual novelty items.
What is the oldest antique advertisement item?
The first known purpose made advertisements were written onto Papyrus and date to at least 3000 B.C from ancient Egypt. However people will have been scratching their shop or business name on to wood or clay even before that.
Why does retro advertising create nostalgia?
In an era when marketing focuses primarily on the future, the purpose of retro advertising art is to transport us back to the past where life is simpler. This type of advertising tells us about the fashions, fads and innovations from years gone by. If we were alive at that time it can remind us of who we were at the time, and if the advert is older than us we can still be transported in our mind to that other era.