Saturday, December 22, 2012

Old Gas Station Signs And What You Should Know About Them

By Corinne Hyde


It is quite easy these days to find collectors that are willing to spend loads of money over old gas station signs. The most sought after ones in this regard are those of porcelain, considering the fact that they are extremely rare. However, if you are a new collector, make sure that you carry out ample research over your subject before doling out the money. It is necessary for you to make sure that the item you are getting is genuine and not a reproduction.

There was time when people did not purchase motor cars as frequently as we do these days. Back in those days, it was not common to find gas stations everywhere and they just existed on busy highways and major cities. But things started changing and people were more prone to getting cars for themselves. At this time, advertisement for brands seemed to have taken everything by storm as pumps were setup everywhere.

Porcelain signs that were meant for advertisements were initially made in Germany and were then exported. Initially, these were made out of iron, which had to coated with powdered and colored glass. For making them weather proof and have a sturdy appearance, the Germans fired them in a kiln. The colors that were used for their creation were rather vibrant and eye catching.

Brand advertisement back then were placed on every single existing pump and porcelain plates were used for the purpose. Not only were advertisements hung over the walls back then, but were also displayed on both sides of hinged stands as well. No matter what the product was, it was necessary for it to be advertised. To be honest, colourful signs were used for the indication of a ladies room too.

Finding a porcelain sign in fresh condition is extremely hard these days considering that a majority of them had been melted down during the World War II. Once the war was over, a number of other materials like tin started being used. The kind of old gas station signs that were being displayed everywhere changed drastically as the industry continued to evolve. The older ones got replaced by plastic ones that were internally lit.

Collectors generally have a tendency to approach their collections in a number of ways. People are very commonly interested in acquiring signs or logos of particular brands. One of the most popular ones in this category is the red Pegasus logo of the popular brand Mobil.

There are quite a few collectors out there that just wish to grab on to any sign that they come across. However, you must know that the best signs are not always those of big name brands. There happen to be quite a few coveted items that are associated with small or even regional brands.

If you are truly interested in building up a genuine collection, than you must make sure that you carry out thorough research over your subject. Expert collectors can truly help you out in this regard. They will guide you about how to recognize genuine old gas station signs and also tell you how much you should be paying for them.




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