How to tell the difference between a real and fake route 66 sign

Summer is here and many of us want to hit the road on vacation and what comes to mind is the famous ‘Ruta Madre’ or Route 66.

While Route 66 was deactivated in favor of Interstate 40 in the early 1970s, parts of the Highway still exist, some in large sections that run parallel to the modern Highway.

After a cross country trip, why not a poster to help you remember your vacation?

If you visit eBay, you will see a lot of “Authentic Route 66 Signs”, when in fact few, if any, of these are real. Most are made from original molds and cast in tin or steel.

So, a few things to look for. We’ve all seen modern highway signs and they’re pretty big. most 24 x 24. If you see a Route 66 “Authentic” sign smaller than that, it is likely a fake.

However, some of the signs were smaller, but they were of the 1930s shield type and were made of heavy gauge steel, and very few survived and if they did, they are in collections.

When you find a sign that is 24×24, look at it. It’s worn? Nicked? A ‘shadow’ sign on the back from years of sitting outside? Also look around the mounting holes. Road crews were tough on these signs, as treating them as a collectible was the furthest thing from their minds.

Mounting holes should show signs of chips and scratches where the bolts holding the sign in place were installed and removed.

Don’t let the reflective paint fool you, some posters had it, some didn’t.

When you look at the sign and the back, look at the edges, are they worn and dirty or shiny metal?

Other factors such as stains, drip marks must run down, this is especially important on Kansas Sunflower signs. There are many out there, but they are a highway 99 backwards. Note that Route 66 ran only 2.3 miles, so while the Kansas signs do exist, they are rare.

So if you can’t inspect the sign in person, ask the seller to show you the back or the edges and the closing of the mounting holes.

Sometimes people sell ‘NOS’ which is New Old Stock, but don’t be fooled, finding a stash of Route 66 signs in a deserted Highway Department sign shop no longer happens.

All of the tips above apply to most of the signs, some of the signs were mounted on the big green boards above the flyovers and may not have many signs of wear, but over time, and the elements of the parts Aluminum backs should have a cloudy type. appearance.

If you do come across an authentic sign, be prepared to spend some money, however most can be fetched between $ 300 and $ 1000 and the competition on eBay can be fierce.

In my next article, I’ll go over how to spot a fake Route 66 reflective sign.