Using Vintage Metal Signs at Your Trade Show Booth
There are so many different kinds of signs that it can be hard to know which one or ones to pick for your trade show booth. There are modern style pop up banners in all shapes and sizes that will compliment any booth quite nicely. There are banners and banner displays that are sleek and stylish and many booths opt to use them to attract customers. However, it is precisely because pop up stands and banner displays are so popular that a vintage metal sign will stand out tremendously and catch people’s attention. Vintage metal signs used to be a lot more common a long time ago but now they are rare and not so often seen. Having one of these set up for your booth will be eye catching and may even attract more people to your booth than a more modern, cutting edge style sign.
Of course, you will have to make sure that the style of vintage metal sign that you are considering will go well with what you have to offer. Keep in mind that if you are offering computer based products or services that having a metal sign will almost invariably clash with your product. It also depends on what you want the overall design and style of the booth to look like. If you set up an older fashioned style of sign then your booth overall should have the same style of design to it or else it will look tacky and mismatched, repelling potential customers.
Planning the look and style of your booth is very important and needs to be given proper time and attention. Start on it as early as possible and do not leave anything to chance, or to the last minute. Decide on what will go where; see how large the booth is so that you know how large or small a sign to have. Also, you can often have more than one sign if the booth is medium sized or larger sized; plan out where to put the signs so that they catch people’s attention but do not block any products you are offering, or get in people’s way.
It is particularly important to plan ahead if your booth is to have a more ‘antique’ look to it. Often the items you need to give it the right look are either hard to find if you want them cheap, or very expensive to buy at an antique shop. Planning early gives you the time to do a bit of shopping around, either on the Internet or by looking at different shops. One good idea is to keep an eye out for older style shops or restaurants that are remodeling or closing down. These places may have just what you need and be willing to sell it to your cheaply or even give it to you to get it off their hands.
You can find vintage metal signs and other items you need at garage sales or flea markets or one Internet sites such as Craigslist and eBay. Often these signs have been sitting in someone’s storage for a long amount of time by the time they are sold and the person selling them does not value them all that much, so you can get them for quite a bargain. If you do not have the time to go shopping around for a metal sign then there are antique shops that sell them and it is a lot simpler to just walk into one, find what you are looking for, pay and walk out, but be aware that it is also a lot more expensive. Interestingly enough, antique shop owners often get the metal signs that they are selling from garage sales and flea markets so it is not like you will get a better quality sign by buying it at the antique shop as opposed to buying it at a cheaper location.
If you are selling something that is particular to another country, such as Thai, Indian, or Chinese merchandise, you may want to consider getting a metal sign from that country and using it to highlight your product. This is particularly eye catching and people will not soon forget your booth even if they do not purchase anything from you right then. It is possible, via the Internet, to buy such items from other countries. You will have to pay for the postage but it is well worth it if you want your booth to truly stand out as unique.
Once you buy a good metal sign, hold on to it even if you only plan to use it for one trade show and not future ones. You never know when these items can come in handy and be just what you need for a booth or exhibition in the future.