Vintage Station Signs

Posted by 141drew Jul 12, 2016 at 4:42 PM and filed under News & Editorial

A very good friend of mine gave me this sign for obvious reasons… All evidence points to it being manufactured in the 1940’s, but here’s the thing – I’ve seen very similar signs in a number of different places across the country. They all share the same typeface, the same colors, and the same build characteristics, but of course, advertise various stations and repair shops. This leads me to believe that someone in the 1940’s and 50’s was selling customizable porcelain signs to service stations across the country.

Does anyone know the details of who was making/selling these and from where?

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View thread (23 replies)

Jeff Ivers

Well-known member

Jul 12, 2016

Very nice signs and a great friend!

58Yeoman

Well-known member

Jul 12, 2016

Back then, they made signs so you could read them, not like today's fancy fonts. They look good.

sublimate

Well-known member

Jul 12, 2016

Baltimore Enamel & Novelty (Maryland), Enameled Iron Company (Pennsylvania), and Ingram-Richardson (Pennsylvania) were the major manufacturers I've heard of.

joel63

Well-known member

Jul 12, 2016

Now you're ready for business. :beer:

sublimate

Well-known member

Jul 12, 2016

I can't tell from the photo, but is yours also maroon with green outlines?

http://www.icollector.com/Tune-Up-Chevron-Service-Station-Porcelain-Sign-Maro_i8514646

Jarhead0408

Well-known member

Jul 13, 2016

Looking good.

Bears Fan

Well-known member

Jul 13, 2016

Nice signs :thumbup:

maxpower_hd

Well-known member

Jul 13, 2016

I'm not sure if it is the case with these signs but I believe there are companies out there making these signs new. Here is a link to one such company.

http://www.signsporcelain.com/

marty_p

Well-known member

Jul 14, 2016

Ryan, you sir have an awesome podnuh and some sharp signage! :thumbup:

Kiwi Kev

Well-known member

Jul 14, 2016

Pretty sure they are from Chevron stations only. Station owners name and bay signs. I will try to find some pics.

1/2 Cup

Member Emeritus

Jul 14, 2016

Ryan, your sign is just awesome, thank you for sharing. :thumbup:

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Ryan

Administrator

Staff member

Jul 15, 2016

sublimate said:
I can't tell from the photo, but is yours also maroon with green outlines?

http://www.icollector.com/Tune-Up-Chevron-Service-Station-Porcelain-Sign-Maro_i8514646

Yes sir... They all seem to be those colors...

And thanks Kev!

Kiwi Kev

Well-known member

Jul 15, 2016

Here are a few pic's. Not sure what years but Chevron used these colors for a while. I have not noticed any other brands that made matching owner name porcelain signs, this may have been unique to Chevron but I have seen a few of them. Notice my GARAGE sign is the end piece and would of had owners name ahead of it.

30cal

Well-known member

Jul 15, 2016

Lots of repros out there. Every sign on Kiwi's wall has been reproduced, some really good, some badly.. Old signs are big money, a real sign in that shape, is worth a few thousand dollars. None of my friends are that friendly...

Take a pic of the backside, if you would

Chaznsc

Well-known member

Jul 16, 2016

Anyone else notice how the signs compliment his avatar? And who has friends like this? LOL

1507dennis

Well-known member

Jul 16, 2016

1507dennis

Well-known member

Jul 16, 2016

Uncle Bob

Well-known member

Jul 17, 2016

To add to Kiwi Kev's commentary, it wasn't just Chevron, other oil companies, and perhaps other lines of suppliers to the automotive trade would have these signs made for a contracted dealer/reseller/jobber. Often they were done in conjunction with some sales program such as TBA (tires, batteries, accessories), as an incentive to buy large volumes of product to resell. Sort of a reward for loyalty/team player behavior. If you frequent some of the vintage service station sites you'll see similar signs done by Union 76 in their characteristic blue and orange colors as one example. That sort of incentivizing lasted into the '70s, albeit not the porcelain signs, before self serve price competition narrowed margins to where that sort of "goombob" stuff didn't pencil out.

30cal

Well-known member

Jul 17, 2016

Check Ebay...there are people in India selling "old" signs..they build a 30 dollar repop, beat on it with a hammer, then leave it out in the rain for a while. Sell it to folks, this is the way they found it in Grandpas attic..I've seen 40 dollar repops sell this way for hundreds. If there is money to be made, thieves will do it.

This doesn't mean Ryans sign is fake...but make no mistake there is more fakes than real ones...it's tough to determine..

Here is one http://www.ebay.com/itm/ESSO-boy-ol...gasoline-oil-lubester-man-happy-/322189149679

Look at his other auctions....how could any one man have so many kewl signs up for sale? A German, with a crapload of USA signs

The answer is...he is liar..and a thief...

Last edited: Jul 18, 2016

jackson1701

Well-known member

Jul 18, 2016

30cal said:
Check Ebay...there are people in India selling "old" signs..they build a 30 dollar repop, beat on it with a hammer, then leave it out in the rain for a while. Sell it to folks, this is the way they found it in Grandpas attic..I've seen 40 dollar repops sell this way for hundreds. If there is money to be made, thieves will do it.

This doesn't mean Ryans sign is fake...but make no mistake there is more fakes than real ones...it's tough to determine..

Here is one http://www.ebay.com/itm/ESSO-boy-ol...gasoline-oil-lubester-man-happy-/322189149679

Look at his other auctions....how could any one man have so many kewl signs up for sale? A German, with a crapload of USA signs

The answer is...he is liar..and a thief...

Nice auctions, however I did not see where he is saying they are original vintage signs, just advertising them as collectible signs. If he is making them look old, then so be it. I don't see him trying to pass off any one sign as an original/vintage sign.

James E

Well-known member

Jul 18, 2016

Cool signs. I assume that Chevron (and the other gas companies) used these as an incentive, the same way that Coke and Pepsi did with signs for years.

Salesman comes into the store and offers a free (or discounted) sign with the name of the place on it and the only catch is that the top of the sign says Coca Cola.

Fishplate

Well-known member

Jul 19, 2016

30cal said:
Look at his other auctions....how could any one man have so many kewl signs up for sale? A German, with a crapload of USA signs

He claims only that they're old, and used. But I note that they are all consistently beaten up only around the edges...never a dent or ding in the field of the sign. Pretty clear that they aren't what they are implied to be: original signs.

mdmmfm

Member

Jul 25, 2016

I have a similar sign with the name of a Chevron station owner, and I believe it was from the late '40's. Someone had researched and posted the following information about it:

"He (station owner from 1947-49) said that Standard oil Co. branded all of their "company" staions in the Blue/Red colors, and that the "Chevron" stations, were "dealer owned" stations and were in the brown/cream/green colors".

Mine is buried under my parents house at the moment, so getting you a picture to show is a bit on the impossible side right now.

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