Another day, another dollar, and another record-breaking sale in the antiques and collectibles trade! This is nothing new, as most collecting markets are on fire at present time. That said, the market in which this sale occurred may surprise some of you, as this isnt another pop culture collectible that soared to new heights. It is no secret that vintage advertising has been a popular collecting market for quite some time. The shows American Pickers and Antiques Roadshow have definitely contributed to this trend, and when American Pickers premiered back in 2010, if you would have told most collectors that within a decade or so they would be witnessing a vintage advertising sign sell for well over a million dollars or more, more than a few would have doubted that possibility. Well, here we are today, and the year 2022 welcomes you, where record-breaking sales are the norm, from sports cards to comic books, from coins to, now, vintage advertising signs. I have often said that over the long term, history will always outperform nostalgia. Coins and currency are two collectible markets that may have ebbs and flows, but both are still going strong and serve as a valid bellwether for how the antiques and collectibles trade is performing as a whole. Therefore, before we get to talking about this record-breaking sale, we need to talk about the market for vintage and antique advertising. I tend to consider the market for vintage and antique advertising as sitting somewhere right between nostalgia and history. Obviously, if you were to begin to collect vintage advertising signs and wanted to go after something iconic, you may start with collecting authentic vintage Coca-Cola signs. After all, everyone knows the Coca-Cola brand. And if soda pop isnt your thing, perhaps a vintage John Deere or Mobil Gas sign is more your style? These are all iconic brands with a deep history that almost defines Americana. We can even compare this to nostalgic pop culture collectibles like toys and comic books. If you want to collect vintage toys and choose to begin with vintage Star Wars toys from the original coveted Kenner Toys line, you made a wise decision because a lot of vintage toy collectors also love Star Wars. Maybe you like comic books better? How about starting with some key vintage Spider-Man or Batman comic books? You cannot go wrong with either, and a lot of collectors go after those books, especially from the 1960s and 1970s. Make no mistake, I am not saying that Marvel Comics and Kenner Toys are historic. It is no secret that I really despise when that term is used to discuss pop culture collectibles simply because they are popular at present time. This always begs the question as to where do we draw the line? Can companies like Marx Toys, Mego Toys, Lionel Trains, and Atari Games be considered iconic, let alone historic, in the year 2022? My apologies, but the answer is a hard no. These companies (with the exception of maybe Lionel Trains) are no longer relevant, and the products they produced, while in some cases collectible and extremely valuable, are in a state of decline, with very few exceptions. This is why if you choose to attempt to invest in pop culture collectibles over the long term, you would be wise to choose an iconic brand or character with an established history (think Star Wars or Spider-Man). With truly historic antiques and collectibles, however, rarity and scarcity matter more, and the rarer and sometimes lesser known the item is, the better. This brings us to this record-breaking sale and why it is so different. Musgo Gasoline is not an iconic brand as far as oil companies go. I would venture to say that if you ask almost anyone alive today to give you the history of this obscure company, few could do it. For those uninitiated, Musgo was the gasoline brand of the Muskegon Oil Company, which, unfortunately for the companys shareholders and employees, was only in business for a few months in the 1920s. Therefore, most advertising signs that were made by the Muskegon Oil Company are extremely scarce today, especially in unused and near-mint condition. As a result, lightning just recently struck, making a new/old stock Musgo Gasoline advertising sign sell for $1.5 million (which includes the buyers premium) through Richmond Auctions. It is the highest priced piece of vintage advertising that has ever sold at public auction. The sign is 48 inches in diameter and double sided and made out of porcelain. The full-color Native American that graces the sign is absolutely breathtaking. This is one of the most sought-after vintage advertising signs in existence, and even pieces in poor to fair condition can fetch five to six figures or more at auction on a good day. Still, this sale was somewhat unexpected. I knew several high-profile collectors and dealers who thought that maybe it would get close to $1 million, but not over. Few expected it to get to $1.5 million, but it did, and now another collecting category has left its mark in the annals of record-breaking sales. Make no mistake, this will attract more collectors to the market for authentic and vintage advertising pieces. In comparison to pop culture collectibles like comic books, this would be akin to someone paying a higher price for an obscure book that features the first appearance of an unknown comic character than that of an Action Comics #1 (which features the first appearance of Superman) simply because it is rare. And if you are left wondering why this is important, it is just to show that different markets in antiques and collectibles work differently. History will always beat out nostalgia over the long term. As for the buyer of this Musko Gasoline sign? You have made an excellent purchase. Until next time. Shawn Surmick has been an avid collector since the age of 12. He currently resides in his hometown of Boyertown, Pa., and is a passionate collector of antiques and collectibles. His articles focus on various topics affecting the marketplace.