Rare Ford dealer sign drives CA$1.67 million petroliana sale

Miller & Miller Auctions' June 13-14 online petroliana and advertising sales in New Hamburg, Ontario, totaled more than CA$1.67 million, led by a rare Duncan Garage Ford dealer sign that brought CA$145,200. Canadian collectors pushed several marquee signs to record or near-record prices, underscoring strong demand for top-tier Canadian advertising memorabilia.

Why it matters: - Canadian petroliana and advertising signs drew strong bidding and record-level prices, showing that rare domestic material is attracting serious collector demand. - The sale’s results suggest the strongest prices are still being set in Canada for Canadian advertising pieces. - High-end signs, especially those with original provenance and limited survival rates, continue to outperform estimates.

What happened: - Miller & Miller Auctions held a two-session online-only Petroliana & Advertising sale on June 13 and 14 in New Hamburg, Ontario. - The sale featured items from the Cliff Love Collection. - Combined proceeds topped CA$1.67 million, with buyer’s premium included. - Session I offered 230 lots of petroliana, advertising signs and gas pumps. - Session II offered 145 lots of petroliana and advertising collectibles. - Online bidding ran through Miller & Miller Live and LiveAuctioneers. - Session I drew 743 registered bidders and 8,471 bids. - Session II drew 330 registered bidders and 2,090 bids. - Session I sold 99% of its lots. - Session II sold 100% of its lots.

The details: - The top lot was a Duncan Garage Ford “The Universal Car” dealer sign that sold for CA$145,200 against a CA$80,000-CA$120,000 estimate. - The Ford sign dates to 1912-1927 and measures 35.5 inches by 119.5 inches. - The die-cut porcelain “winged pyramid” sign is among the rarest surviving Ford dealer signs made for the Canadian market. - The sign originally hung at Duncan Garage on Vancouver Island. - The sign was authenticated by The Authentication Company, TAC #402571. - A Good Rich Safety Tires “Mountie” vertical porcelain sign brought CA$78,650. - The Good Rich sign was produced between 1933 and 1939. - The sign shows a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer promoting Good Rich Safety Tires with imagery now prohibited. - The sign was graded 8.75 and authenticated by The Authentication Company. - A Canadian Tire Corporation Associate Store neon sign sold for CA$72,600. - The Canadian Tire sign dates to the 1940s and celebrates the introduction of the company’s inverted triangle logo. - The double-sided porcelain neon sign was fully restored to original specifications and authenticated by The Authentication Company. - A Ford punched tin smaltz dealer sign also sold for CA$72,600. - The handcrafted illuminated Ford sign predates common neon signage and uses punched tin coated in smaltz to reflect incandescent light. - A General Motors Products neon sign realized CA$57,475. - The GM sign was produced during the narrow 1940-41 and 1945 production windows. - The double-sided porcelain sign features a red maple leaf and is widely considered a top prize among Canadian automotive advertising collectors. - A Chevrolet Oldsmobile dual-brand neon dealer sign brought CA$51,425. - The sign reflects General Motors’ “Ladder of Success” marketing approach. - A McColl-Frontenac Red Indian 42-inch porcelain sign realized CA$39,325. - The sign dates to about 1940-41, and only three examples of this Western Canadian variation are believed to exist. - A complete L.C. Gardner & Co. Pharmacy “Six-Pack Sequence” by Ithaca Sign Works matched that result at CA$39,325. - The six sequential roadside signs once guided motorists into Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. - The sequence promoted the pharmacy owned by political figure Lindsay Cann Gardner. - Session II was led by a General Motors Diesel Engine sign at CA$2,057. - An Orange Crush “Handi-pack” push bar sold for CA$1,452. - Ethan Miller said several price records were set in the sale and that the results reinforce Canada as the best place to sell Canadian petroliana and advertising. - Fifty-six percent of Session I’s top 50 lots exceeded pre-sale estimates. - The auction results reinforce the strength of the Canadian petroliana market and growing international demand for exceptional Canadian advertising material. - A YouTube clip of June 13 highlights is available as brief highlights video.

Between the lines: - The strongest results came from pieces with clear Canadian identity, rare survival rates and strong visual impact. - The spread of prices from six figures to four figures shows collector interest remains broad, not limited to trophy pieces. - Authentication, restoration quality and original provenance appear to have mattered as much as age. - The auction’s sell-through rate and bidding volume point to a healthy market with active competition for scarce material.

What's next: - Miller & Miller Auctions has more online-only sales scheduled, including Luxury Watches on June 24, Advertising & Petroliana on September 12, General Store & Soda Advertising on September 13 and Pre-1980 Sports Cards – The Spezowka Collection on September 27. - The auction house is accepting consignments for individual items, estates and complete collections.