Lit-up Nostalgia: The Golden Age of Neon
Neon’s Golden Age Still Shines Bright
A 440 Six Pack plastic and metal animated neon sign featuring the cartoon
character Road Runner, graded 8.5, 87.5” h x 69.25” w x 13” d, $42,500.
Few things lure potential customers to a brand as eff ectively as a sign blazing in vibrant neon colors. Invented in 1912 by French engineer Georges Claude, neon signs quickly became a popular advertising tool for attracting attention.
Collectors give vintage neon advertising signs glowing reviews. Examples in good working condition are especially valuable and sought after as works of art and a fun way to spruce up a mancave or other spaces.
A rare Coca-Cola double-sided porcelain neon sign with “candy cane stripes” tuxedo, graded 9.5-9.0+, 36” h x 67” w x 15” d, $45,000.
Neon automobilia and petroliana signs are perennial favorites, and bidders eagerly snapped up the choice examples Richmond Auctions offered as part of its Spring 2025 Premier Advertising auction from March 20-22. They were also willing to pay top dollar for them.
The five highest-selling signs were neon examples for car and gasoline brands, bringing a combined total of nearly $1 million. The top lot was a double-sided porcelain Chevrolet Truck Service sign that sold for $230,000. The exceedingly rare sign, 89 inches high and marked “Walker & Co. Detroit” on both sides, has a condition grade of 9.25+, and its five neon colors are vivid and eye-catching—all of which likely contributed to its final price.
Chevrolet Truck Service double-sided porcelain neon sign, graded 9.25+,
89” h x 102” w x 17” d, $230,000.
The sale featured over 1,600 lots of automobilia, country store, farming, petroliana, and soda advertising memorabilia from the prominent collections of Jay Barkheimer, who had one of the most diverse and substantial advertising collections ever to come to market, and Thornton and Pam Beroth, who amassed one of the largest gas and oil advertising collections.
Rare Mohawk Gasoline single-sided porcelain neon
sign, graded 9.5+, 48” h x 48” w x 11” d, $210,000.
The other four neon signs fetching six figures included an exceptional and rare 48-inch high Mohawk Gasoline single-sided two-color porcelain sign with an image of a Native American, graded 9.5+, that brought $210,000; a rare seven-piece, single-sided 88-inch high animated sign for Flying A Service Gasoline, graded 8.0+, with unique sequencing that gives the illusion of the logo’s wings moving, that soared to $200,000; a scarce 48-inch high single-sided porcelain sign for Ford Automobiles with flasher bulbs that also sold for $200,000; and a rare 36-inch-high double-sided porcelain die-cut Pennzoil Gasoline sign, graded 8.0-7.75, that brought $140,000.
A seven-piece, single-sided porcelain Flying A Service Gasoline animated neon sign,
graded 8.0+, 88” h x 89” w x 9” d, $200,000.
The 1920s through the 1960s is often referred to as the “golden age” of neon when these signs were ubiquitous at auto dealerships, bars, clubs, gas stations, hotels, ice cream parlors, restaurants, and other business establishments.
A rare Pennzoil Gasoline double-sided porcelain
diecut neon sign, graded 8.0-7.75,
36” h x 106” w x 17” d, $140,000.
Vintage automobilia neon signs generally feature graphics inspired by classic car brands and other automotive-related themes, while petroliana neon signs advertise petroleum-related products and gas stations. Collectors avidly pursue these signs for their historical significance, nostalgic connection to the automobile industry, and colorful retro aesthetics.
A rare Marquette Auto Parts “New Used” diecut single-sided porcelain neon sign, graded 8.75+, 97” h x 83” w x 11” d, $47,500.
Hundreds of other neon signs sold for $10,000 or more. Among these was a scarce vertical Ford Jubilee single-sided porcelain sign with a crest logo, graded 8.25+, that brought $70,000; a single-sided porcelain Packard sign with its original wooden crate, graded 9.5, that achieved $55,000; a doublesided die-cut porcelain sign for Cadillac, Oldsmobile, and GMC, graded 8.5-8.0, that hammered for $50,000; and a single-sided three-color porcelain sign for Marathon Gasoline, 58 inches high, with a large graphic of the company’s famous Running Man logo in the center, that achieved $47,500.
For more results, visit richmondauctions.com.
Photos courtesy of Richmond Auctions.
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