I didn’t come into this business from decor trends, ecommerce, or branding.
I grew up around manufacturing.
My father built and operated large-scale furniture and décor businesses for decades, including AFD Home and World of Decor. These companies weren’t small operations or hobby workshops. They supplied retailers, commercial projects, and large accounts nationwide. I spent my early years around factories, materials, finishes, and production runs—watching how things were actually made, where corners were often cut, and what separated products that lasted from those that only looked good at first glance.
That background trained my eye long before I ever thought about porcelain signs or neon.
Learning What Sign Makers Usually Get Wrong
Working around reproduction furniture and décor taught me something most people never see:
why so many reproductions feel wrong, even when they look close in photos.
It usually comes down to:
- Materials substituted to save cost
- Thickness reduced to save weight
- Processes simplified to speed production
Those decisions don’t always show up immediately—but they always show up over time.
I learned how finishes age, how weight affects presence, and how shortcuts reveal themselves after years of use. That knowledge stayed with me as I moved into the auction world.
Firsthand Experience With Originals
Later, as a licensed auctioneer, I spent years around original neon porcelain signs—handling them, selling them, and watching collectors compete for them on auction floors.
When you’re around originals long enough, certain things become obvious:
- Real porcelain has depth you can feel
- Heavy steel changes how a sign hangs and presents
- Glass neon produces a glow LED simply can’t replicate
And just as important—you learn what isn’t right. Thin metal. Flat finishes. Stickers passed off as enamel. LED tubing sold as “neon.”
Seeing originals and reproductions side by side makes the differences impossible to ignore.
Why Porcelain Advertising Exists
The Reason Porcelain Advertising Exists, I was frustrated by the same thing collectors are frustrated by.
The market became flooded with lightweight aluminum signs, vinyl decals, and LED “neon-style” products that look acceptable online but feel wrong in person. Buyers were forced to choose between:
- Paying thousands for original signs
- Or settling for signs that cut too many corners
Having spent my life around manufacturing and originals, I knew it didn’t have to be that way.
So I built Porcelain Advertising around a simple idea:
Make authentic signs the way the originals were made.
That means:
- Real porcelain enamel, kiln-fired
- Heavy-gauge steel, not thin sheet metal
- Real glass neon, not LED tubing
- Construction choices based on longevity, not convenience
Not because it’s trendy.
Because that’s what works.
How This Background Shapes Everything We Do
Every product we offer is judged against what I’ve handled in real life—not marketing photos, not modern decor standards.
If it doesn’t have the weight, depth, and presence an original sign has, it doesn’t make the cut.
This approach isn’t for everyone. It’s not meant to be the cheapest option, the fastest option, or the lightest option. It’s for people who care about how something feels when it’s on the wall—and how it will look years from now.
That perspective comes directly from a lifetime spent around:
- Manufacturing floors
- Commercial production
- Auction blocks
- And original examples that have already proven they can last
That’s the foundation Porcelain Advertising is built on.
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