It’s always fascinating to watch auction trends and there's certainly a continued interest in advertising memorabilia at auction - and in branded signs in particular.

First created in the 1880s and popular through to the 1950s, enamel signs were seen outside of most businesses and they now catch collectors’ eyes. The interest that's been building shows no sign (forgive the pun) of waning. Our top tip is to look out for food and drink signage, petrol station or brewery signs.

While the signs consistently command good prices, there are plenty of other branded items performing well under the hammer, including wooden crates, packaging, and tins.

Promotional items given with purchases are valuable too. Remember Robertson’s gollies and the Natwest piggy banks? Or going back further, cigarette cards and tea cards? It makes you wonder what the promotional items of the future are likely to be – perhaps we’ll be selling Happy Meal toys!

We regularly feature lower estimate examples of advertising memorabilia in our Antiques, Vintage, Collectables and Clearance auctions, which take place most Mondays, whilst higher value lots are set aside and sold in a dedicated section of our bi-monthly Collectors' Auctions. Trainee auctioneer, Garth, heads up this area of interest and will be very happy to talk you through likely values if you are considering commissioning one or more items to auction.

As with all of our auctions, we encourage commission and live bidding online and have a keen set of auction goers in the saleroom ready and waiting for advertising lots.