Market for advertising is 'on fire'
‘I’m flabbergasted’ says long-time collector
Justin Miller poses with the Supertest 4' Porcelain Service Station Sign which brought $20,060 at the May 15th sale of Petroliana & Advertising.
Whether it’s due to COVID craziness, television shows featuring memorabilia, or simply a deepening feeling of nostalgia, the market for advertising is hot, hot, hot.
“I’m just shocked at some of the prices things are bringing now,” says Bev Ward, who’s been collecting general store advertising for close to 50 years. “I’m flabbergasted.”
Miller & Miller’s May 15th Canadiana & Petroliana auction was a case in point. Fully 66 per cent of the lots met or exceeded their estimates, while almost a third surpassed the high-end estimate. A Canadian Bennett 541 Supertest gas pump from the 1940s, for example, stormed past its estimate of $4,000 to $6,000 to command $20,060, while two Supertest Service Station double-sided porcelain hanging signs (from ‘Canada’s All Canadian Company’) sold for a combined $41,300.
1940s Bennett 541 Supertest pump, professionally repainted to Supertest branding, 92 inches tall, new decals, hose and globe, and original ad glass and register dials (CA$20,060).
Canadian Supertest Service Station double-sided porcelain hanging sign from the 1940s, 60 inches in diameter and nicely housed in the original aluminum frame (CA$21,240).
The one-day sale was headlined by Bill McNevan’s petroliana collection, but also featured automobilia, general advertising and soda advertising, and it grossed over $340,000.
Predictably, interest in Miller & Miller’s upcoming June 19th General Store Advertising auction on June 19th is already generating widespread interest and speculation.
So what’s the attraction with advertising?
“You can ask 10 different people and get 10 different answers,” says Bev, “but I do think the childhood connection is the driving force – it triggers a childhood memory.” She also believes the draw can sometimes be attributed to a geographical connection (where someone grew up or lived), or be a link to the collector’s occupation (insurance or automotive-related, for example). “I don’t know of anyone who collects Canadian advertising just to profit from it,” she adds.
Regardless of motivation, the advertising market is beyond robust these days. “Good porcelain and tin litho signs are off the charts,” says Ethan Miller, co-owner of Miller & Miller Auctions, which has earned a reputation for being one of the top auction houses for high-end advertising collections. “Many long-time collectors called me after the May 15th sale in bewilderment.”
Canadian 1930s Goodrich Tires “Mountie” porcelain sign, 56 inches by 20 inches, arguably Canada’s most recognizable, iconic automotive advertising sign (CA$16,520).
General Motors Products two-sided porcelain dealer sign from the 1940s, displayed back-to-back in its original frame, marked “Property of General Motors Products” (CA$12,980).
Bev, who Ethan considers “one of Canada’s foremost collectors of advertising”, believes the factors that make a great piece of advertising are rarity, subject, age, condition and the graphics featured. “The pretty ladies always sell,” she says, adding that factory scenes showcasing the product, or children and animals included in the advertising scene, also interest collectors. Condition is always a major factor, she adds, and while wear and tear might not deter decorators, it usually deters serious collectors. “Pieces that are in great condition tend to be in collections, but those collections are coming out now,” she notes, adding that generally speaking, older pieces are more desirable, but some newer advertising is also commanding surprising prices these days.
1940s Ford double-sided smaltz painted sign (“Ford Genuine Parts”), made from lithographed steel, with applied reflective sand script, 20 ¾ inches by 27 ½ inches (CA$11,210).
Ethan agrees that age does not equate to higher value in every case. Soda pop advertising from the 1960s, for example, has come on very strong, he says. (And an earlier Canadian Orange Crush steel and wood store soda cooler from the 1920s, brought over $7,500 at the recent auction.) There’s also strong interest in breweriana, general store advertising and tobacco advertising. But these days petroliana is king. “Gas has never been as big as it is now,” says Bev.
Canadian Orange Crush steel and wood store soda cooler from the 1920s, having four embossed lithographed tin panels, two with chalkboards (CA$7,670).
In many cases, Canadian collectors prefer Canadian-made over American-made advertising because, for one thing, there’s less of it. The strength of the U.S. dollar continues to give American buyers an advantage, which also boosts the competition. “We lost a lot of good Canadian advertising to the U.S.,” notes Bev, adding, “my husband and I would often find a good Canadian piece in the U.S. because of it.”
Ethan points out that at the turn of the 20th century, Canadian companies such as MacDonald Mfg. Co. Limited (Toronto) and the Thos. Davidson Mfg. Co. (Montreal) produced remarkable advertising that both Canadian and American collectors fight over. A case in point is the rare ‘Black Cat Shoe Polish’ tin lithograph advertising clock featured in Miller & Miller’s June 19th Sale. Produced by MacDonald Mfg. Co, it is considered as one of the most significant pieces of Canadian advertising ever made.
This rare ‘Black Cat Shoe Polish’ tin lithograph advertising clock sold for $11,210 in Miller & Miller’s June 19th Sale.
And not to be overlooked in the grand scheme is advertising’s visual impact – the artistic element. “The art side of a piece has always been and will always be really important,” Ethan emphasizes.
By Diane Sewell
Diane Sewell has been a writer for over 25 years, producing stories for some of the country’s top newspapers, consumer magazines and websites, as well as client newsletters and commissioned books.
Auction Details:
Advertising
June 19, 2021
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