Reproduction Tin Advertisement

Q: I have a tin sign advertising Rastus Cured Sweet Potatoes. It’s yellow with an orange rim and pictures a black boy holding a basket of sweet potatoes. The back is marked ‘AAA Sign Co., Coitsville, Ohio.’ When was it made?

A: Your tin sign is a fake. AAA Sign Co. sells tin reproductions of old cardboard and tin advertising signs. Any sign marked AAA Sign Co. is new. Many of the new signs reproduce ads picturing blacks or famous ballplayers, because those are the images that most interest collectors.