Saturday, Oct 23 in Escondido, CA - Petroliana neon sign auction with automotive, soda and other advertising collectibles. See items and bid online on Proxibid

View & bid:
http://www.proxibid.com/asp/Catalog.asp?aid=31719

Image gallery:
http://www.matthewsauctions.com/gallery.php?action=get&id=474

I've got to tell you, by looking at the results of the neon sales I feel bad for this seller. Things have really taken a turn for neon in the last two years. Repairing signs it seems is just for your own likes and certainly not for the resale end. Would like to know what other east coast auction companies are feeling now with the turn.

Neon added, fakes, reproduction, whatever you call them, I think the signs brought good money for what they are. The original double sided Coke sign brought 12,500.00, that shows good signs still bring the money.

With the economy the way it is..
Is no time to sell through a auction
key items will bring good money..
but you don't need a auction to get it

No doubt, some of the signs cost the owner more than they sold for. I can only imagine what it cost to build some of the reproduction neon signs that sold for just a few hundred as well as the restored auto signs. The coke sign that sold for $12,500 had a break in the lower neon but sold for good money anyway. The small gas signs did O.K. but soda was low. The 18% absentee bidder fee may have had a negative effect. None of the cars met reserve which was not a surprise to me. I sold at Fred's and it was the slowest I have ever seen; I still enjoy the get together though and will go next year. The buyers that are out there, are not willing to over spend but they will buy if the price is right; which is lower on some items that got big money a few years ago.

Wow, some of the signs he lost money on after adding the neon. I should have bid.

Pretty easy to throw stones when its not your stuff being auctioned. Everyone has a different take on things and how they look. Not everyone can get a 9 or 10 sign, but they are just as proud of there 6's as others with lots of money or luck are with there perfect ones. Times are tough for auctions or the people that have to or choose to run their stuff through them. I believe that Iowa's auction showed that this year for some pretty special signs. No one likes to see somebody take a hit, even if they do not agree with its presentation.

I watched the auction and considered bidding on some signs. I have some concerns about some of the original neon signs.

Many original neon were clearcoated and/or touched up. ? True condition of the signs.
There was the added expense of crating AND shipping - both fees.
There was the buyer's fees.

This can add a large expense even to a resonable priced neon sign.

The nicest signs were probably the Desoto vertical and the Olds signs. Those went for resonable prices. I wanted the Desoto but got nervious about shipping, crating, buyer fees, etc. This could add about $1000 on a sign.

Very true on the extra cost and (original signs). Now when buying, the shipping and buyers fees seem to be a big part of the thinking process. Where as before just picking it up and taking it with you was the easy part. Fees just seem to be all around. There was a auction in Vancouver that with no reserve and NO BUYERS premium, the prices just seemed to soar. I guess just feeling bad for this seller at this California Sale.

Wow I missed this auction I'd love to had the texaco, gulf, cities service,esso and flying a. I thinking about doing that to a couple signs...........

Well all the neon signs and other signs are on eBay now.....looks like in 3 lots of 11 signs.....and major cash

What name or number are they under??

Here's one number 120639389623
Possibly the signs did not sell and this is how they are trying to sell them now.

How could a no reserve Mathews auction have things that did not sell? Someone maybe made a good buy on this stuff and is trying to sell it this way.

I didn't watch the California auction but I was at the Peotone, IL auction a few weeks ago. All things considered, prices were strong at Peotone. I heard several collectors comment that they were surprised at how strong prices were there. I wouldn't hesitate to sell at auction, or with Matthews for that matter. I think the others hit the nail on the head about the neons in CA. Touched up, neon added to signs that originally didn't have it, and the higher than normal buyers premium and shipping costs hurt the selling prices.
I bought several globes from one of the CA auctions a few years ago. Prices were considerably lower than I was expecting, even after shipping. It's easy to see why some of the big collections from the south and west were moved to a more central location to sell. That may not have helped in this case since the signs were apparently not "right".
I am curious how the total selling price compared to the pre sale estimate. I know Matthews is usually very accurate with his pre sale estimates.