In the last few decades, advertising signs have been a growing and lucrative sector of the auction market. Rich in nostalgia, these signs are beloved for their colorful and inviting depictions of popular brands, ranging from Coca-Cola and Carlsberg beer to Persil detergent. For decades of the 19th and 20th century, these enamel signs were an important source of marketing for companies and were found plastered all over shops and street corners in Europe and America.
Peter Andersen, the founder of Wunderkammer auctions based in Denmark, first discovered enamel signs at a flea market and after he read a Danish book on collecting signs, he started collecting as a hobby. He then decided to turn this passion into a business to consign and auction unique advertising signs to a greater audience and held his first auction this past April. Here, Barnebys talks to Peter about the history of advertising signs, the market for them today and what new collectors should know.
Barnebys: What is the history behind advertising signs?
Interest in old advertisement signs has grown steadily as this niche has been able to attract new collectors. In the golden age of advertisement signs – the 1930s – many of the best-known signs were drawn by talented and well-known artists. Advertising signs started production around the end of the 1800s and start of the 1900s. Germany was in the lead of producing, but by the 1930s then rest of Europe had caught up so there was a lot of competition between the big brands. This means that the aesthetic quality of the signs is quite high and that they in some cases rightly can be called advertisement art. The quality of such pieces, along with the still-popular design and aesthetics of the interwar period, means that these pieces enjoy popularity both in and outside the countries in which they were made.
Related: The Art of Advertising: Collecting Memorabilia
After the 1960s, the use of enamel advertising signs fell out of use. It took about a few decades for these signs to be identified as collectibles, around the 1990s. There are numerous stories of people picking up signs for free or using these signs for closing holes in the roof, as for many years the aesthetic value was not recognized.
Barnebys: How are advertising signs valued today?
Like other types of collectibles, the value is determined by the age, condition, rarity, and popularity of the particular sign. Provenance can also add to the value – but perhaps not as much as other types of collectibles.
Related: Drink Coca-Cola: How the Soda Became an American Staple
The popularity of a particular sign depends on the product and producer, which may appeal to the collector through childhood memories, personal ties, or simply due to an affinity for the type of product being advertised (coffee, chocolate, beer). The motif, colors, and production quality may also determine if the sign possesses a general appeal. Some of the most popular signs are colorful, with creative and wonderful motifs and are generously concave with thick so-called “sugar enamel” that produces a heavy gloss, capturing and wooing passers-by. Finally, the message and text of a sign also add to its popularity – the best being funny, creative, and having a certain old-timey tone that seems exotic to us today.
Related: The Art of the Alps: A History of Winter Sports Posters
One very popular advertising sign brand from Denmark is Carlsberg, which invested in making these signs early on so there's a huge number of brewing signs in Denmark. Enamel signs were often placed at general stores in the cities and countryside. Many factories had permanent crews of artists who painted these signs at a very high quality, as it was very expensive to make an enamel sign and they wanted to make sure it was effective advertisement. Though companies employed in-house artists, they also reached out to famous painters and drawing artists of the time, such as Sven Brasch, who was a well-known poster painter. This shows how these signs are true works of art and craftsmanship.
What should collectors know about the market for signs?
Today, we have seen several record prices being set for the most popular signs during the last decade as more international collectors compete for the top signs. The price for more common signs, although still popular, has not increased as significantly and is more subject to fluctuating prices. A rare sign with a wonderful motif is always in high demand. We have seen that rarity and popularity can mean that signs, even in relatively poor condition, can achieve very high prices.
At our last auction, a small door sign from Tuborg Breweries measuring only 10 x 6.5 cm went on sale. The sign only featured the label of the beer being advertised and the text "forlang" (demand). The final price was $2,000 plus premium—an impressive result for such a small and simple piece. Once again, rarity was the determining factor.
Want more articles like this straight to your inbox? Subscribe to our free newsletter!
Generally speaking, regional signs with nice images and text can start at $500 up to a few thousand dollars. Top-tier signs can fetch tens of thousands of dollars and super rare signs can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Related: Expert Insights: 3 Questions on Porcelain
More and more signs of Danish origin are now purchased outside of Denmark. For a long time the signs didn’t come back to the place of origin, such as Germany and Denmark. The collectors that are most into signs and can invest the most look at other countries to source the most valuable signs. Very text heavy signs are often not so interesting, especially if it is in a language one doesn't understand, but if the emphasis is on graphic letters and colors it’s very universal and if its good quality all people can enjoy it.
Find more articles on Barnebys Magazine
