Description and history
This is a circa early 20th century Vintage H. C. Cole Milling Company, Chester, Illinois, ‘home of Omega flour’ Advertising sign.
The surface of the sign is made of porcelain over an iron plaque. In the U.S., most outdoor signs made between 1890 and and 1950 were constructed of a base of heavy rolled iron, which was die cut into the desired shape, then coated with layers of colored powdered glass and fired in a kiln.
This process was later replaced by a common plastic advertising signs. Porcelain ads are really collectible nowadays, and are valuable vintage decorative items. In general, the condition of the sign is very important for collectors. In this case, the sign is in fair conditions, which is detrimental to its value. Nevertheless, I think the type of ad and size is the best for collectors willing to use the sign in flats/small houses.
We can find past auction sales, like this one:
https://www.antiques-atlas.com/antique/enamel_advertising_sign_-_wills_gold_flake_/as512a221
Appraisal Value ($)
– 300-400$
How to sell it
As this object is made from precious metals, some precautions are needed to sell it. Safety first, if you sell it directly to an individual, make sure you meet the potential buyer at a public place, for instance, a coffee shop. If you ship the object, please, make sure to use a fully-insured shipment method and specifically declare the value of the shipment goods in the forms. The increased insurance fee is an investment and most likely, mandatory all the time. If you have any doubt about the buyer, I would recommend to inmediatly decline the sale. It is really easy to sell this item, so it isn’t worth taking excessive risks.
To sell the items, I would recommend doing so through the internet. You have plenty of options, for instance:
– Ebay, Craiglist, Etsy, Facebook ads, Amazon marktplace
I would probably go ahead and take a couple of good pictures, like described here:
https://www.channelreply.com/blog/view/how-to-take-photos-for-ebay
Then I would use the provided description as a text to the ad, and an attractive ad title will make it.
There isn’t any special difference between selling it on Etsy, FB or Amazon. I would recommend to upload the same ad to at least two or three platforms. It will ensure a high visibility of the ad.
The asking price can be close to the value, it depends upon how fast you want to sell. In general, an agressive strategy of 20% price cut will work great, however it depends upon your specific location.
About the valuation method
To value this item I have considered the results from past auction sales. Keep in mind that the final price can be different from asking prices that you can find on the internet. You can see ads on the internet with different asking prices. However, a very high asking price doesn’t normally find cash from a buyer.
That’s why our method comprises searching and comparing similar past sale results that had a buyer. That’s why we can provide an accurate estimation of this item.
