Enthusiasts who feel British enamel advertising signs are becoming overpriced may spare a thought for collectors in the US.
At Richmond Auctions in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 27 a record was set for any ‘porcelain’ sign sold at auction when a 4ft (1.2m) double-sided Musgo Gasoline sign in remarkable condition took $1.35m (£1.2m). The buyer, one of three bidders prepared to spend over $1m, was a US private collector paying $1,552,500 including the 15% buyer’s premium.
Musgo, a petrochemical firm located in Muskegon, Michigan, is thought to have traded for a matter of months in the late 1920s. Although the company logo, centred by a Native American chief, is much reproduced there are only an estimated 20 original signs known to exist.