Can You Tell If a Porcelain Sign is Authentic (By K.J. Zeoli)
If you’re planning to invest in a petroliana sign collection you better be sure you know all the facts of real vs., fake signs before dropping down your hard earned cash. Sign reproductions do have a place in the collecting community; they are great for starter pieces or for people who cannot afford to plunk down thousands of dollars for the real deal.
If you are starting a sign collection, there are some things to consider before spending that hard earned cash. It may take some time to become proficient at telling a fake vs. a repoped sign, but with a little practice and patients it can be done.
Most reproductions are marked as a reproduction, and can also carry copyright dates, which can be found usually on the perimeter of the lenses. Most of the repoped signs are not intended to deceive people, but in today’s society money can be the root of all evil.
Firstly, the location of the mounting holes is one way to determine if the sign is real or fake. Some companies only made one sign with one specific design. If that sign has eight mounting holes and you come across one with six, an immediate red flag should go up and the sign is more than likely a reproduction.
Second, if a sign is entirely a dissimilar style than what is familiar, then red flags should go off again, and most likely it’s a fake. Check the holes and grommets if the sign has them, the grommets should be rusted and worn from use. This can also be faked, but if the rust starts from the underside of the grommet it is a good indication the sign may be real. Real signs were made from metal and not aluminum. Easy trick is to carry a magnet with you, if it sticks to the sign it means its metal and you can rule out the sign being made from aluminum. Scratches, chips and deep cut around the hang holes is another good tell tale sign of the sign being hung up and used.
The Dodge sign in picture is an authentic piece. You can see the white porcelain layer, followed by red and blue depicting the layers.
The third thing to look at is the way the porcelain is distributed on the sign and the general quality of the porcelain. Companies hired professional porcelain artists and sign makers to produce their signs for market. A real sign will be flawless; the lettering will be crisp and not pix-elated, especially on the edges. This is usually not the case with reproduction signs.
The signs were produced with the white layer of porcelain layer down first, and then the secondary colors were overlaid. The sign should display different heights from the layering of porcelain. The edges of each color layer should have produced a ridge, which can be easily felt by running your finger across the sign.
Telephone Co Porcelain. Signs Real or Fake?
I try to avoid signs from foreign countries, they can appear realistic looking, but they are fakes with artificial aging, especially Lincoln Telephone Company signs.
I steer clear of signs that have a price for phone calls on them i.e., 5 cents. Check the proportions of the sign. Fake signs tend to be disproportionate. If it looks too new it probably is
If considering purchasing a flange sign, be sure to check the flange itself. It should be white or a mix of white and blue. It should not be uniform color. Square one-sided signs. Check the back, it should be a nonuniform white glaze.Early signs (08 and 21 bell and before) have raised lettering made by building up the enamel. Reproductions are either flat or have raised letters from stamping the tin. One sided Bell signs from the fifties, should have a 2-digit model number and/or a reddish smudge on white enamel. Flange signs almost always have rust around the holes. This can be reproduced, so look for a reddish rust, newly formed rust will tend to be orange. Signs from affiliated Bell System companies are generally safe, it should be made of steel and have a white back. Reproductions of Pennsylvania Bell and Ohio Bell are made of tin and have green backs. They are also marked as reproductions.
Antique Porcelain Sign Value Guide
There are many different types of porcelain signs, they include, tin signs, painted metal signs, as well as trade signs. From these base signs there is also a sub-category which includes die-cut sign, curb signs, pump plates, embossed, and flange.
The price of porcelain signs is very dynamic and change from year to year. The information listed below is good starting point to evaluate your signs. Many things can affect the value of your signs, they include auctions, which can either drive the price of signs up, due to aggressive bidders, the market can also change due to collectors retiring their collections and thus inundating the market with signs that may not have been available before.
Determining the Value of a Collectible Sign:
Rarity: Obviously, the rarity of a sign can drive the price to astronomical heights. Signs with only a few known examples will naturally bring higher prices from collectors than those that you can buy at any show or that can be readily found in flea markets, garage sales or eBay or Kijiji. If you are having difficulty in determining your signs value, please contact us and we will do our best to give you a fair and accurate market valuation on your item.
Demand: Porcelain signs are seeing a resurgence in demand in today’s market. This new found resurgence is due partially because as many people are looking to adorn their garages for a vintage feel, or to decorate their “man-cave”, as well as T.V shows such as American and Canadian pickers etc have driven the market to new heights in the last decade.
Design: The design of a sign also affects its value, collectors worship signs with beautiful designs and high-quality colors. Other factors such as die-cut signs with interesting shapes also attract attention. The most valuable signs you’ll see on the market almost always have beautiful designs such as the Pegasus Horse, Red Indian etc signs.
Brand: Just as in advertising branding is one of the most important factors for a company; it defines who they are and what their purpose is. Brand can really drive the sign market up, as collectors tend to focus on one or two particular brands, usually collectors will focus on a brand that they grew up with or a particular brand their parents gravitated towards. Brands that are not well known will garner a much lower price.
Size: The size of a particular sign usually makes a difference in value. Signs that tend to be in the 30’’ to 40’’ range command the highest prices as they are easily displayed, and are large enough to add eye appeal from a distance. However, a few niche areas such as porcelain door pushes or pump plates command good value.
Condition: As with any type of collectibles, condition is probably the most important factor in determining value. In some cases a sign in near-mint condition will bring many times the value of the same sign as a graded a 4 or 5. Additionally, condition increases the value at an almost exponential rate where the difference between a grade 8 and grade 9 is much larger than the difference between a grade 4 and grade 5.
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