Post #410554 by tikicar on Sun, Sep 28, 2008 7:56 PM

I am sure it is vintage. Unless someone shows me a pile of these and proves me wrong. The photo does not show details you can see with your eyes. First the paint is yellowed from years of age. On the back you can see where there was a price decal at one time. It is discolored in this area surrounding the once decal. The type of paint used and the way it lays on the metal and the amount of dust and dirt in it is all typical for old mass produced tin tag toppers. I have a bunch of ones for all different things and have collected them for years. These things were screen printed not hand painted. Just like anything else of that era they had type setters and lots of fonts to use. No difference than any matchbook or menu or book, magazine etc. I have seen plenty of old ads etc using that type. You could make something simular to this today. But unless you had a press and punch to produce the same feel of metal. Most would use a water jet today and it would not be the same. Paints are different today etc. This does not have that fake look of those repro gas signs etc. that you see at every swap meet. Plus if someone was repoping these things I doubt I would be the first one to find one. They would have been on ebay or listed here somewhere. If you search ebay for tag topper there are always a few vintage tin ones on there. You will see what I mean.

[ Edited by: tikicar 2008-09-28 20:00 ]