November 25, 2008 |
Antique and Vintage Signs: Is it a Find or a Fake?
Many advertising signs have been reproduced. Unless someone has tried to “age” the signs they are easy to spot. In general they are too well preserved, too bright and shiny. Any old sign will show signs of wear. There should be scratches, chips, rust, or some discoloration. The new signs look like what they are – new. If a piece looks too good to be true it probably is.
Take a good, close look at the illustrations. Do you see any little dots? If so, then the sign is new. Modern printing methods on some reproduction signs are made up of thousands of tiny dots. The originals used another method and have no dots.
Here is a good ebay guide on Antique and Vintage Signs: Is it a Find or a Fake?