Vintage 'Lodging" Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cool vintage highway sign in cobalt blue reflective metal. Depicts a person sleeping in bed.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Used Highway Signs
Vintage 'Phone' Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cool vintage highway sign in cobalt blue reflective metal. Depicts a large white phone on a blue background.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Long 'Dead End' Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage highway sign. Dead End Rd. Over 3 feet long. Cool vintage sign with good subject matter.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Monumental Porcelain Roadside Rest Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Super rare vintage porcelain highway sign. Great green coloring with white lettering.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Monumental California Drunk Drivers Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Great vintage highway sign that reads Report Drunk Drivers Call 911.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Orange 'BRIDGE OUT' Metal Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Super cool vintage metal 'BRIDGE OUT' sign from the East Coast. Measures: 4 feet wide. Orange sign with black lettering. Bullet holes and road rash to sign.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Metal
Large Pacific Coast Scenic Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large vintage Pacific Coast Highway sign reading "Pacific Coast Scenic Byway."
Category
Vintage 1970s American Contemporary Art
Materials
Steel
Welcome to New York Metal Highway Sign, 1940s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A striking piece of American roadside history: an original "Welcome to New York — The Empire State" highway marker, hand-lettered in gold on a deep cobalt blue ground, with the New Y...
Category
Vintage 1940s American Signs
Materials
Metal
Vintage California Historical Landmark Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Interesting vintage California highway sign for Adobe Rios-Caledonia. This is a California historical landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Vintage California Highway Seatbelt Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage California road sign warning people to wear their seatbelt. White steel reflective sign with black outline of a person sitting down with a thick black seatbelt strapping them...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Sobriety Check Traffic Sign, 1990s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An authentic vintage highway sign in bold safety orange with black block lettering, reading: "Sobriety and Drivers License Check Point Ahead."
Category
1990s American Contemporary Art
Materials
Aluminum
1981 California Highway Lodging Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Massive vintage California lodging sign. Large blue sign with white lettering and white trim. Letters and trim have reflective pieces. Great coloring and condition. Fantastic piece o...
Category
Vintage 1980s American Contemporary Art
Materials
Steel
California Freeway Sign, 1986 USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cats eye reflectors throughout. Retired sign from California highway system. State Route 78 is a California State highway that runs the entire width of the state from Oceanside to Bl...
Category
Vintage 1980s American Contemporary Art
Materials
Aluminum, Steel
US Post Office Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Massive US Post Office Highway sign from the south. Steel sign with reflective lettering.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Vintage Gas Station Ahead Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage highway gas station sign from Texas. Blue sign with white graphics.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Safety First Vintage Road Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Interesting vintage highway sign. Safety First, Stay Alert, Don't Get Hurt.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Los Angeles Slippery Road Highway Sign
$395 / item
Los Angeles Slippery Road Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage plastic road sign from Los Angeles. Slippery road ahead. Large in scale. Yellow background with black graphics. Cool piece of wall art.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Plastic
Large Big Bear Lake California Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very cool vintage California freeway sign showing the way to Big Bear Lake. Iconic location in California, cool piece of history. Great coloring and worn condition. Fantastic piece o...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
1959 California Highway 'Signal Ahead' Sign with Reflectors
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare 'Signal Ahead' yellow sign from a California Highway. Letters are made of reflectors.
Category
Vintage 1950s American Decorative Art
Materials
Steel
Recent Sales
Kansas US Route 69 Highway Reflective Sign
Located in Orange, CA
Route 69 is a major north–south United States highway. This is a smaller sign so normally would be found on the freeway entrance sign or on mile markers.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Signs
Materials
Metal
Vintage Reflective Truck Road Sign
Located in Burton, TX
Once used as a street sign to inform motorist of trucks entering and exiting the highway, this sign presents great coloring, subject matter and patina.
Category
Late 20th Century American Signs
Materials
Metal
Early 20th C Signed Dorothy Sweet Etchings, “London’s Highway”, ”Tower of London”
Unavailable
H 12 in W 16 in D 1 in
Early 20th C Signed Dorothy Sweet Etchings, “London’s Highway”, ”Tower of London”
Located in Billerica, MA
Early 20th C Signed Dorothy Sweet Etchings, “London’s Highway” and ”Tower of London” sold as a pair.
Category
Early 20th Century English Victorian Drawings
Materials
Paper
Antique Rand McNally & Company Schoolmap. Ancient Oriental Empires. Historical
Unavailable
H 43.31 in W 64.18 in D 1.19 in
Antique Rand McNally & Company Schoolmap. Ancient Oriental Empires. Historical
By Rand McNally & Co.
Located in ROTTERDAM, ZH
In addition to creating maps with numbered roads, Rand McNally also erected many of the actual roadside highway signs. This system was subsequently adopted by state and federal highw...
Category
Vintage 1920s American American Classical Maps
Materials
Fabric, Paper
A 17th c. Dutch oil painting
By Eise Aetes Ruytenbach
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Eise Aetes Ruytenbach, A highway robbery, signed and dated 'F. Ruytenbach/1687' (lower right), oil on canvas, 39.5 x 49.5 cm.
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Dutch Baroque Paintings
Materials
Canvas
Will Frates, “Princeton Beach”, Impressionist Landscape Oil Painting, c. 1950
Unavailable
H 29.13 in W 34.88 in D 2 in
Will Frates, “Princeton Beach”, Impressionist Landscape Oil Painting, c. 1950
Located in San Francisco, CA
Based on Frates’ San Francisco Bay Area roots and the title, the setting could be somewhere near Princeton-by-the-Sea just north of Half Moon Bay, which is a short drive south of San...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Plaster, Wood, Paint, Paper
Large 'Scenic Route' California Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very cool vintage California freeway sign reading "scenic route" with a snow-capped mountain in the background, and brightly colored orange California Poppy (California State Flower)...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Contemporary Art
Materials
Steel
Vintage 'Buckle Up' Road Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Reverse side is "Entering Highway" sign with yellow background.
Category
Vintage 1980s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Burma Shave Highway Advertising Signs
By Burma-Vita
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Bold and graphic painted Burma-Shave highway advertising signs in red and white. The Burma Shave sign series were were found along highway roads for passing motorists to read fro...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Signs
Materials
Wood
Set of Three c. 1928 Burma-Shave Highway Advertising Signs
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Typically, six consecutive small signs would be posted along highway roads for passing motorists to read in sequence.
Category
Early 20th Century American Signs
Materials
Wood
1961 California Highway 'Not A Through Street" Sign with Reflectors
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare 'Not A Throught Street"' yellow sign from a California highway. Letters are made of reflectors.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Contemporary Art
Materials
Steel
Allan D'Arcangelo Acrylic on Canvas Painting "Moon" Signed En Verso, NYC, 1963
Sold
H 12 in W 14 in D 1 in
Allan D'Arcangelo Acrylic on Canvas Painting "Moon" Signed En Verso, NYC, 1963
By Allan D'Arcangelo 1
Located in New York, NY
D'Arcangello was an American artist and printmaker, best known for his paintings of highways and road signs that border on pop art and minimalism.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Paintings
Materials
Paint
"Landscape" Acrylic on Canvas, 1967 by Allan D'Arcangelo
By Allan D'Arcangelo 1
Located in New York, NY
D'Arcangelo's (1930-1998) reputation as a pop artist was established in 1963 with his series of paintings of American highways and signs. Signed, titled, and dated verso: A.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Vintage Trailer Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Whimsical vintage highway sign from Texas. Blue sign with with graphics of a trailer.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
California 'Dumping Prohibited' Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage 'Dumping Prohibited' California highway sign. Excellent condition. Stamped 'State of California' on the back.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Vintage Wildflowers Metal Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Great vintage highway sign that reads Wildflowers Do Not Mow. Reflective gray sign with black lettering and trim.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Do Not Pick Up Hitch Hikers Vintage Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Great vintage highway sign from the southern United States. Sign says "Do not pick up hitch hikers."
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Do Not Pick Up Hitch Hikers Vintage Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Great vintage highway sign from the southern United States. Sign says "Do not pick up hitch hikers."
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Monumental BRIDGE OUT Wood Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Super cool vintage wood BRIDGE OUT sign from the East Coast. 4 feet wide. Wood sign with white background and black lettering. Good vintage condition. Great graphics.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Wood
Large 'Scenic Route' California Highway Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very cool vintage California freeway sign reading "scenic route" with a snow-capped mountain in the background, and brightly colored orange California Poppy (California State Flower)...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Rare and Historical Colored Tourist Highway Sign
Located in Cincinnati, OH
This rare historical sign was found in the South Carolina beaches area believed to date from the early 1940s . hand-painted on both sides and signed C.L. Meyer, with a newer wood fra...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Signs
California Highway Sign, 1940s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Massive California highway sign circa 1940s. Just over 8 feet long and 4 feet tall.
Category
Vintage 1940s American Contemporary Art
Materials
Steel
Vintage Highway Carpool Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cool vintage highway sign depicting a family in a car. Used for the carpool Lane.
Category
1990s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Vintage Highway Metal Market Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare blue and white metal sign taken down from a US highway. Sign shows images of an egg, carton of milk, bread and an apple.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Vintage California Highway Watch Your Speed Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cool vintage California highway sign. Sign reads - Watch Your Speed We Do featuring a police officer riding a motorcycle in the middle.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Signs
Materials
Steel
California Highway Patrol Sign
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage California "HIGHWAY PATROL" road sign from Los Angeles. Engraved State of California on the back.
Category
Vintage 1980s American Signs
Materials
Steel
Vintage Black and White Highway One Road Sign, Enamel on Metal, Oversize
Sold
H 24 in W 24 in D 0.13 in
Vintage Black and White Highway One Road Sign, Enamel on Metal, Oversize
By US Government Printing Office
Located in Chicago, IL
Vintage American road sign for Highway One has a striking graphic impact in look, texture and size.
Category
20th Century American Folk Art Signs
Materials
Enamel, Sheet Metal
Vintage Holland Lincoln Tunnels Highway Enamel Sign, circa 1950s
Located in San Francisco, CA
Original enamel highway sign for the Holland Lincoln Tunnels, framed in a later red painted wood frame, American, mid-20th century.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Steel
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Used Highway Signs For Sale on 1stDibs
There is a range of used highway signs for sale on 1stDibs. The range of distinct used highway signs — often made from metal, steel and plastic — can elevate any home. There are all kinds of used highway signs available, from those produced as long ago as the 20th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. Folk Art and Mid-Century Modern used highway signs are consistently popular styles. Many used highway signs are appealing in their simplicity, but Burma-Vita produced popular used highway signs that are worth a look.
How Much are Used Highway Signs?
Used highway signs can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price at 1stDibs is $645, while the lowest priced sells for $325 and the highest can go for as much as $4,200.
Finding the Right Signs for You
Vintage and antique signs are popular collector’s items loved not only for the charm and pops of color they add to a space but also for the unique story each one has to tell. An interesting sign can help set the mood for a room and spark dozens of lively conversations.
Before and during the 18th century, many European peasants and colonists in the Americas couldn’t read, so shopkeepers, in an effort to promote their goods and services, hung trade signs with limited amounts of text.
Indeed, symbols and representational physical objects comprised early-day advertising efforts. In lieu of painted words on a wooden board, trade signs made use of handmade three-dimensional symbols to indicate the function of the shop. The iconic red, white and blue pole could be found outside barbershops, while a figural trade sign mounted to an apothecary’s storefront might be a mortar and pestle sculpted from bronze in order to indicate to passers-by that inside there were apothecary cabinets full of remedies for common ailments and a druggist to carefully dispense them.
As literacy rates improved, signs evolved into rectangular, round or square shapes that featured text. Short and sweet, early iterations were characterized by a mere few words, such as “tavern,” “boarding room” or “apothecary.”
During the 19th century, proprietors endeavored to render their signs more appealing. This meant the introduction of more color, font types and other pictorial representations. After the Civil War ended, logos, branding and advertising became increasingly more important, and the design of signage evolved. Trade signs were still in use during the 20th century, and you will likely find hand-painted tin eyeglasses for an optometrist’s office or an oversize bowling pin that likely had a home in the front window of a bowling alley.
Today, collectors and art aficionados alike collect and display antique and vintage signs. Old signs hearken back to a long-gone era, infusing any interior with warmth and nostalgia.
A vintage sign can help anchor a room — think of decorating with signs as you would arranging any kind of wall art. A large-scale sign in particular can prove a distinguishing feature in a living room or dining room, a focal point so prominent that it might lessen the burden of introducing any additional decorative elements to this particular space. Smaller signs work wonders too — pepper sparsely decorated corners with small colorful signs or add a humorous or graphic element to your gallery-style hang with a small text-based sign or two.
On 1stDibs, find metal, wood and glass antique and vintage signs that span a number of styles, including mid-century modern, industrial and folk art.
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