Sign Collecting

[US71]

Half my stuff is in storage until I have a good place to hang them. Most of the places I've found that sell old signs are usually closed when I go by. I need to adjust my travel schedule.

[MNHighwayMan]

Going to go over some of the other stuff I have that I haven't yet posted here.

Of course, all the older signs (the two cutout US Route shields, and the 1920-30s steel MN route markers) are the most prized parts of my own collection. But for stuff from the modern era?

The most valuable (to me) modern signs are the four Minnesota state highway markers for routes that have since been eliminated.

MN-49 used to be a rather long route in the Twin Cities metro. The southern half of MN-49 became MN-149 when the turnback started happening, and 149 is still a state highway today. The northern half–the part north of MN-5/W 7th St in St. Paul, was eliminated, with a large part of it becoming Ramsey CR-49 (known as Rice St in St. Paul). Its final northern terminus was I-694 in Vadnais Heights/Arden Hills when it was eliminated completely in 1999. The sign has a date code of 1192 (November '92) in the lower left corner.



The next one is this MN-98 marker. MN-98 was a former alignment of US-8 which ran north of today's present alignment, from Wyoming to Chisago City. It became an extension of Chisago CR-22 in 1996. This sign was fabricated in July 1992. Unlike the 49 marker, which is all one giant screen print, the numerals on this one were adhered on top of a blank MN route marker. Both have the old circle MnDOT logo at the bottom center, under the bottom mounting hole.



Third is this MN-224 marker. MN-224 was one of the many spur or connector routes that were created in the 1940s/1950s, but now are slowly being turned back into county roads over the last couple decades. This one ran from US-59 in Ogema to the unincorporated community of White Earth in Becker County. MN-224 was eliminated in 2005, becoming Becker CR-34. The strange thing about this sign is the unusually thick gold border on it–MnDOT's Standard Signs Manual specifies a half-inch for a 24" marker, but this one is at least 5/8ths of an inch. The 8-98 code in the lower right corner (hard to see in the picture) indicates it was fabricated in August 1998.



Lastly, and this is the most recent one I acquired, is this MN-332 marker. MN-332 was a backwards L-shaped route that served as a half-assed bypass around the south and east sides of International Falls, running east/west from US-71/MN-11 SW of International Falls to US-53, immediately turning northward to terminate again at MN-11 east of International Falls. This route was eliminated in two parts, with the N/S segment eliminated around 2010 and the E/W segment a year later. This marker is actually the oldest modern MN state highway marker in my collection, with a date code at the center bottom of 12-84.

[Lancaster6]

Ended up getting one of my own out of Oregon with a 405 package deal from a scraper:
jealous.jpg

NICE find! I was on the lookout for more interstate and WA state route shields when I was out there, but they're pretty tough to find.

[Max Rockatansky]

Ended up getting one of my own out of Oregon with a 405 package deal from a scraper:
jealous.jpg

NICE find! I was on the lookout for more interstate and WA state route shields when I was out there, but they're pretty tough to find.

Both Washington and Oregon stuff doesn't really come up very much, I would venture a guess a lot of signage is recycled.  Caltrans seems to be pretty liberal in disposing of old scrap shields for whatever reason.  Really it just depends on what state you are looking for, personally I would love to find a WA 20 and call it a day.

[JJBers]

On a side note, how easily do you think I could get a sign from ConnDOT. I thought of getting one of signs, but I'm not sure if I could get it.

[MNHighwayMan]

Both Washington and Oregon stuff doesn't really come up very much, I would venture a guess a lot of signage is recycled.  Caltrans seems to be pretty liberal in disposing of old scrap shields for whatever reason.  Really it just depends on what state you are looking for, personally I would love to find a WA 20 and call it a day.

I'd venture to say that almost 100% of old signs–that is, ones that aren't saved by liberators such as us –end up being recycled. Aluminium is one of the most recyclable metals there is. It also helps that recycling aluminium is far cheaper than extracting it from ore.

[Max Rockatansky]

On a side note, how easily do you think I could get a sign from ConnDOT. I thought of getting one of signs, but I'm not sure if I could get it.

I wouldn't know directly from the DOT but they end up in second-hand places all the time.  I've bought a ton of them on eBay, they usually go for cheap given the design isn't very visually pleasing.  Both the aluminum and wooden shields are generally plentiful if you keep looking everyday.

Both Washington and Oregon stuff doesn't really come up very much, I would venture a guess a lot of signage is recycled.  Caltrans seems to be pretty liberal in disposing of old scrap shields for whatever reason.  Really it just depends on what state you are looking for, personally I would love to find a WA 20 and call it a day.

I'd venture to say that almost 100% of old signs–that is, ones that aren't saved by liberators such as us –end up being recycled. Aluminium is one of the most recyclable metals there is. It also helps that recycling aluminium is far cheaper than extracting it from ore.

That may be true, but I would imagine that if a scraper had the time that the asking price is substantially higher on the collector's market for shields as opposed to scrap prices.  I've often found it much more viable to go with scrap when there a huge amount of metal while parting out a small quantity often yields a much higher return.

[JJBers]

On a side note, how easily do you think I could get a sign from ConnDOT. I thought of getting one of signs, but I'm not sure if I could get it.

I wouldn't know directly from the DOT but they end up in second-hand places all the time.  I've bought a ton of them on eBay, they usually go for cheap given the design isn't very visually pleasing.  Both the aluminum and wooden shields are generally plentiful if you keep looking everyday.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1940s-1950s-embossed-steel-CONNECTICUT-US-route-5-genuine-vintage-shield-sign-/282503439101?hash=item41c68462fd:g:KUcAAOSwq1JZL5dd This is selling for $1,000

[Max Rockatansky]

On a side note, how easily do you think I could get a sign from ConnDOT. I thought of getting one of signs, but I'm not sure if I could get it.

I wouldn't know directly from the DOT but they end up in second-hand places all the time.  I've bought a ton of them on eBay, they usually go for cheap given the design isn't very visually pleasing.  Both the aluminum and wooden shields are generally plentiful if you keep looking everyday.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1940s-1950s-embossed-steel-CONNECTICUT-US-route-5-genuine-vintage-shield-sign-/282503439101?hash=item41c68462fd:g:KUcAAOSwq1JZL5dd This is selling for $1,000

The further back in time you go with shields the higher the price they will be.  In the case of the embossed US 5 CONN shield you just posted that $1,000 might be a relative bargain given how great of shape it is in along with the DOT markings.  Generally the more modern you get the lower the price is, I've never paid more than $35 dollars for something out of Connecticut.  Granted this isn't a "Connecticut" sign but a scraper out of Indiana is selling a US 6 shield for $30, he usually takes 15-25% lower best offers on things he sells and does package deals for shipping:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RETIRED-ROUTE-US-6-HIGHWAY-ALUMINUM-ROAD-SIGN-24-X-24-SIZE-/122528708125?hash=item1c8747b61d:g:3qcAAOSw9OFZM2uR

A little on the high side IMO but here is a CT 2:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ORIGINAL-ROAD-SIGN-ROUTE-2-MA-RI-CT-Etc-24-US-Rt-Two-/112423434098?hash=item1a2cf57772:g:3qwAAOSw4YdY0pIw

[Lancaster6]

Both Washington and Oregon stuff doesn't really come up very much, I would venture a guess a lot of signage is recycled.  Caltrans seems to be pretty liberal in disposing of old scrap shields for whatever reason.  Really it just depends on what state you are looking for, personally I would love to find a WA 20 and call it a day.

I've only seen one WA SR shield come up for sale, and that was on ebay and it was going for a stupid high price. It wasn't even a shield from a particularly interesting or significant road, either.

I'd be happy to get my hands on a SR 99 or 102 shield. There was a shield mis-signed as SR 101 instead of US 101 that I drove by pretty frequently, too. I always hoped that there would be a random DOT guy replacing it so I could ask him for the old one, but it still stands.

On a side note, how easily do you think I could get a sign from ConnDOT. I thought of getting one of signs, but I'm not sure if I could get it.

Check your local craigslist pages too. I've seen a few CT shields pop up for pretty cheap under some variation of "sign/road sign/highway sign/route sign....etc etc"

[thenetwork]

I used to have about 5  or 6 signs, but my dad (who gave me most of them -- he worked for the phone company long ago and any poles that were removed and/or replaced with the signs still on them he gave to me) chucked them shortly before I moved into my first house.

Never understood why, since they didn't take up much room in his shed.

[Max Rockatansky]

Newly obtained CA 198, the old baked enamel variety with vinyl numerals affixed:

[/url]IMG_9915 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr[/img]

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

Half my stuff is in storage until I have a good place to hang them. Most of the places I've found that sell old signs are usually closed when I go by. I need to adjust my travel schedule.

That's when you need a good size shop!

[Lancaster6]

Snagged a couple CA spades the other day on eBay and they were finally delivered today. It was one of those impulse "I shouldn't spend money on these but the price is too good" purchases. But I was pretty stoked to find these, as I became very familiar with these roads on my last road trip.

[Max Rockatansky]

Was that from a user "brentford134?"  He usually has some really good deals on California spades since he has them generally in bulk.

[Lancaster6]

It was! I messaged him and we worked a deal where he sold these to me at $55 a piece.

[Max Rockatansky]

It was! I messaged him and we worked a deal where he sold these to me at $55 a piece.

I've bought a lot of Bakersfield area stuff from him this past year.  I want to say that he had a 43 and 166 that I really regret not buying in retrospect.

[MNHighwayMan]

Two new additions arrived yesterday:





Came from a private deal with probably the best known purveyor of signs on eBay (J. Koehler). The 99 shield is pretty much perfect aside from the scrapes. The 111 shield is a little bent up but not too bad. Also interesting is that the 99 shield is all one screen-print, while the 111 shield had the numerals applied separately.

Best part is–although I don't know it for certain–that it seems extremely likely that both of these signs came from the area around Nicollet, MN (where these two routes intersect.) They were likely taken down as part of the US-14 four-laning project which is bypassing Nicollet (a consequence of which is the truncation of the small part of MN-99 west of MN-111.) So it's pretty cool to know, with some amount of precision, where exactly these signs came from.

[US71]

I found a source in Sherman, TX but they're only open Th-Sat. I saw a US 65 and several warning signs through the window. Priests Emporium 205 N Travis

[Brian556]

Quote from US 71:

I found a source in Sherman, TX but they're only open Th-Sat. I saw a US 65 and several warning signs through the window. Priests Emporium 205 N Travis

I just bought a Louisiana state highway sign from him. I bought the only one that was in decent. The others all has misaligned numbers

[cjk374]

Quote from US 71:

I found a source in Sherman, TX but they're only open Th-Sat. I saw a US 65 and several warning signs through the window. Priests Emporium 205 N Travis

I just bought a Louisiana state highway sign from him. I bought the only one that was in decent. The others all has misaligned numbers

Black & white or green & white?

[Brian556]

Quote from cjk374:

Black & white or green & white?

Black/white. He did not have any green ones

[MNHighwayMan]

I found a source in Sherman, TX but they're only open Th-Sat. I saw a US 65 and several warning signs through the window. Priests Emporium 205 N Travis

I just bought a Louisiana state highway sign from him. I bought the only one that was in decent. The others all has misaligned numbers

But the misaligned numbers give them character.

[US71]

Quote from US 71:

I found a source in Sherman, TX but they're only open Th-Sat. I saw a US 65 and several warning signs through the window. Priests Emporium 205 N Travis

I just bought a Louisiana state highway sign from him. I bought the only one that was in decent. The others all has misaligned numbers

Does he have good prices?

[SignGeek101]

Other than eBay, what (if any) other sites could I use to buy route shield signs? I'm thinking of getting a sign now, and I want to be able to have as many options available to me as I can.