So what has happened in the neon world since my last post in 2020? Vintage Neon Signs have become fashionable in the world of restoration
Commonly associated with the 1950s, neon advertising signs enjoyed a long heyday from the 1920s to the 1960s.
Today, neon is not just for businesses, but for anyone who wants to add bright colors and a cool vintage vibe to a game room, kitchen, garage, or home bar.
A great selection of neon signs can be found, made with hand-bent neon tubes and industrial-grade materials.
These retro works of art come in a variety of themes and styles, including hot rods and classic cars, dinner food, beer, poker, billiards, and much more; and you’ll find popular retro brands like Ford, Chevrolet, Harley-Davidson, and Budweiser.
Antique neon signs for sale
Neon signs are a great decorating idea and an investment too.
Most Refurbished Neons ship direct from the manufacturer and come with a six-month warranty for your peace of mind.
To dig a little deeper into the history of neon signs and the long-standing businesses that used them.
Now that the permanent closure of several establishments with vintage illuminated signs will disappear forever, unless they are restored.
Original vintage neon signs
The original neon signs have a rich and exciting history dating back to the early 20th century. The theories that led to the creation of today’s neon signs began to develop around 1670, but it will take more than two centuries to discover neon.
Neon is a rare inert gas that can be extracted from the atmosphere. When electrically charged, the harmless gas glows red, but by adding various elements to the neon, other colors can be made.
- For signs, neon is placed inside glass tubes, which can be molded into various shapes.
- The first neon sign made for public display was erected at a car show in Paris in 1910.
- The first neon sign to be displayed in the US was at a Packard dealership in Los Angeles.
Passersby were so stunned by the bright lights that the signals literally stopped traffic.
Antique neon signs
Over the years, additional gases were introduced to create different colors: mercury glows light blue, argon and phosphorous give a deep yellow glow, and carbon dioxide is used for white.
Since many elements and gases can be mixed, “neon” tubing is available in more than 100 colors.
As the creative process got more advanced, so did the signage.
However, neon signs today still provide that wow effect that was so common in the 50s and 60s.
While different methods are used to make these types of lighted displays more affordable, multi-colored neon tubes are still hand-blown and still supported by a grid.
Neon signs decoration
The placement of interior signs is restricted only by the location of the electrical outlets. Neon signs are as popular as ever, and not just in bars and restaurants.
They are used in home decoration, mainly in game rooms, garages, “man caves”, cocktail areas and kitchens.
Because they have a warm glow, they provide plenty of light for gatherings and make great conversation pieces.
Affordability was a key factor for many retro enthusiasts, which is why reproduction signs have become very popular.
Topics include cars, games, restaurant and cafe, coffee and beer. Neon accented traditional portrait signs bring a unique glow to well-remembered pieces.
Despite their being around a century, neon signs have become an exciting new decorating trend in today’s homes, making unexpected statements in all types of rooms.
Why are neon signs so expensive?
Neon signs are the timeless classic in the lighting world. Since their invention in the 1920s, they remain quite popular around the world. Not even the invention of modern alternatives like flexible neon LED signs has managed to steal the din.
The price of neon signs has also surprisingly managed to stand the test of time. If you are looking for one, you may want to start saving early if you want a good quality sign. Which brings us to the question, why are neon signs so expensive to begin with?
To understand the price basis, it might be helpful to understand neon signs first.
Although they were conceived as a lighting solution, their striking display made them instantly a hit in the advertising world.
This is how they ended up in every restaurant, bar or business worth its salt. This, in part, made them more valuable than any other average lighting fixture.
Neon signs are made of glass tubes that have electrodes running through them and are filled with noble gases.
This is, in fact, where they get their name from since neon is a noble gas. Other gases that are used to produce different colors in signals are argon, krypton, and helium.
Why is pricing important in marketing?
From a business perspective, price and value are different concepts but they influence each other. The price is what you pay for a neon sign. Value is the service and the benefits you get from it. As such, when the value he gets from a product is high, the price is likely to be high as well.
As neon signs became a preferred method of advertising and decorating buildings, their demand and value increased.
Subsequently, its price range also went up a bit more. Had they remained undesirable, their rates may not have been as high.
Neon was first unveiled by Georges Claude, a French engineer, at the Paris Motor Show in 1910.
They hit their peak popularity from the 1920s to the 1960s. Streets were aglow with bright neon signs marketing business’s wares and services, everything from hotdogs to designer clothing at department stores to local nightclubs.
Retro Neon signs
Commonly associated with the 1950s, neon advertising signs enjoyed a long heyday from the 20s through the 60s.
Today neon isn’t just for businesses, but for anyone who wants to add bright color and a cool vintage vibe to a game room, kitchen, garage, or home bar.
Neon signs for Man Cave
It’s a place exclusively dominated by the man of the house, whether he sets up in the spare room, the basement, the shed, or the garage.