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.
Elmgarden Antiques
Double Sided Hanging Irish Pub Sign “O’Neils”
£ 700
D and A Binder LTD
Barber's Hot Towel Steriliser
£ 264
South Country Antiques
Early 20th Century Hand Painted Heraldic Sign / Coat of Arms Sign
£ 125
Early 20th Century Hand Painted Heraldic Sign / Coat of Arms Sign
£ 125
South Country Antiques
Elmgarden Antiques
3 Dimensional Metal Framed Hanging Pub Sign - The Hen House
£ 695
Elmgarden Antiques
Hand Painted Brass Bistro Menu Board
£ 650
Elmgarden Antiques
Wooden Iron Framed Hanging Pub Sign - The Raven - Signed
£ 795
Elmgarden Antiques
Pub Restaurant Traditional Greeting Sign, Welcome Board
£ 650
Marylebone Antiques
Vintage Framed Marilyn Monroe Film Poster ‘Let’s Make Love’
£ 950
Hiraeth Decorative
1950s Industrial Toilet Sign
£ 125
Elmgarden Antiques
5.5ft Long Entrance Sign Prominent Welcome Board
£ 700
Elmgarden Antiques
6ft Illuminated Menu Board & Restaurant Welcome Board
£ 1,950
Elmgarden Antiques
Fish Trade Sign, Rainbow Trout, Fishing Bait & Equipment
£ 1,250
£ 125
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Original Lord Hill’s Bridge W2 Westminster Enamel Street Sign c.1967
£ 2,000
Original Lord Hill’s Bridge W2 Westminster Enamel Street Sign c.1967
£ 2,000
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
£ 625
White’s Antiques
Original 1950s-1960s Philips Jazz Poster
£ 595
£ 250
£ 525
£ 295
£ 200
St John Ambulance Lithograph Poster - Original Anna Zinkeisen Officer & Nurse
£ 200
Krave Antiques
£ 395
£ 520
French Belle Époque Era Hand Painted Trade Sign in Original Condition 1870-1914
£ 520
White’s Antiques
Witch Antiques
Rare Briar Pipe Advertising Sign
£ 465
£ 245
£ 35
£ 200
Elmgarden Antiques
Model Double Decker Bus, Shop Window Display
£ 450
£ 795
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Large Decorative British Heraldic Equestrian Trade Sign, Double-sided Hand-painted Saddler’s Sign, J. Miles & Son, Dorchester
£ 4,000
Large Decorative British Heraldic Equestrian Trade Sign, Double-sided Hand-painted Saddler’s Sign, J. Miles & Son, Dorchester
£ 4,000
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
£ 850
£ 135
CES Home & Garden Limited
Large Vintage Hand-painted Artwork Sign
£ 495
Vavasseur Antiques
Very Scarce Pilkington's Weather Forecaster c.1930
£ 290
D and A Binder LTD
1950s Hand Painted Jeweller’s Shop Sign
£ 960
D and A Binder LTD
Early 20th Century Fry’s Chocolate Advertising Cabinet
£ 600
Matthew Coles Antiques
Cadbury Bournville Cocoa Vesta Tin
£ 35
Elmgarden Antiques
Ice Cream Advertising Sign - Funky Quirky Nostalgic
£ 550
£ 75
Marlborough Antiques & Interiors
1930 FIFA World Cup Poster (Monochrome Version)
£ 6,500
Southwold Vintage and Antiques
Framed World War 2 Miles M30 x Minor Experimental Aircraft Drawing
£ 159
Framed World War 2 Miles M30 x Minor Experimental Aircraft Drawing
£ 159
Southwold Vintage and Antiques
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.
