Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Archives of the best of past topics For Sale Archive, Petroliana 1920's Ford Tin Punched Light Up Sign

1920's Ford Tin Punched Light Up Sign. All original. Sign has punched tabs that allow the light to shine through not jewels. About 3 foot x 6 foot. Original condition.

Asking: $7500 or MAKE OFFER

Call 765-432-6407 or PM

PayPal ( you pay fees), cash and postal money orders are all accepted forms of payment.

Isn't this pre neon? Just wondering. Nice sign!

I guess it could be considered pre neon

I'm new to old gas and a young collector but I've noticed you (bagged1961) always come up with the most beautiful signs!! My goodness!

We had the smaller version not to long ago! Great sign and is pre neon!

Just a comment: This punched sign may predate FORD neon signs....but not neon advertising signs in general. I believe the "History of Neon" indicates the first neon advertising signs were built around 1912.

Good luck with the sale of your nifty punched sign! John

I agree. Per neon is a ridiculous statement. Lots of new people to the hobby who cling to that type of jargon.

Nice sign..but just a side note.....all of the tabs should be slightly bent into the sign. If they are bending out the full effect of the sign will not be present. The tabs were meant so when cars were driving by there was a swooshing effect on the sign. The light is suppose to reflect off the tabs. Good luck with your sale great piece.

Not sure how "Pre-neon" is ridiculous jargon? I think it accurately describes a category of illuminated advertising signage that precedes the advent of arguably the most fascinating, unique and important element of advertising in the last century - neon. Pre-neon signs were lit with incandescent lamps beginning in 1881, and before that with gas lamps. Georges Claude From France introduced neon to the US market in 1923 - a pair of Packard signs for a California dealer. The punched tin Ford sign in question used incandescent lamps inside reflecting off the "punches". I think the previous commenters were right on in their description. We often categorize or date items relative to something major, which neon is in the sign world. Nothing wrong with "pre-neon", in my opinion of course. Nice sign!

A Punched tin sign could be made & sold for much less than a Neon sign. Sign could have been made anytime after FORD started using the Script & Oval shape. Does not pre date Neon.

That's true Dick, good point, I never thought about it that way. It could still have been made after neon. What i, and i think others were trying to say, is that this style or design of sign was Pre-neon, in the evolution of sign design. The punched tin with incandescent lamps design was in use prior to neon. However, as you said, they likely continued to make the punched tin signs for quite a while after neon's debut. They even combined the two systems. I have a Chevy sign that used both incandescent lamps inside and neon on the face of the sign! Of course, Neon was eventually followed by fluorescents and now LEDs are used for sign illumination.

AND at same time they are still making Painted, Porcelain, Plastic signage w/o lights/neon.

Never a dull moment in the world of signs, that's for sure! That's what makes them so appealing to me, so many different mediums, designs, and technologies coming together! This early Ford sign is definitely a nice example of that. Good luck to seller, definitely a keeper for someone.

Neon fun fact: Sword swallowers in carnivals began using looped neon tubes, they would swallow them and then turn them on, lighting up their stomachs. Several broke in their gut and they would look forward to a slow, agonizing death. The practice was outlawed quickly.

Very cool sign, I found a picture of a similar sign. The closer you look the more differences u find. Were they hand made instead of stamped?

http://jerseygaspumps.tripod.com/neon.html