From eye-catching neon and breweriana to advertising giveaways and promotional treasures, the August issue celebrates the collectibles that helped America sell itself.
Antique Trader Staff
Updated Jul 31, 2026 10:40 AM PDT
What do a beer stein, a porcelain sign, a fast-food toy, and a neon cowboy have in common? They were all created to capture attention. Today, they’re capturing collectors.
The August issue of Kovels Antique Trader explores the colorful world of advertising memorabilia, where everyday promotional items have become lasting pieces of history. From roadside icons that once illuminated America’s highways to giveaways that found their way into kitchens, garages, and children’s hands, these collectibles tell the story of American commerce through the objects it left behind.
Our feature on Françoise Montague shines a spotlight on the celebrated French jewelry designer whose elegant costume jewelry continues to enchant collectors with Parisian craftsmanship and timeless style. Whether you’re already familiar with the name or discovering it for the first time, you’ll find plenty to admire in these beautifully crafted pieces.
Promotion takes many forms, and few examples are more unforgettable than the glowing signs that once defined America’s streets and skylines. This month, we head to the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, where some of the city’s most iconic signs have been preserved as works of art and pieces of cultural history. We also sit down with the craftsmen of Right Way Signs, whose passion for traditional signmaking keeps the artistry of handcrafted commercial signage alive for a new generation.
Beer lovers and advertising collectors alike won’t want to miss our deep dive into breweriana, one of the hobby’s broadest and most rewarding collecting categories. From steins and trays to signs, bottles, openers, and promotional pieces, breweriana offers collectors countless opportunities to build a collection that reflects both local history and national brands.
Nostalgia takes another turn with a look back at vintage fast-food toys, reminding us that some of our earliest collections came tucked inside a paper sack alongside fries and a hamburger. These colorful premiums remain affordable collectibles that continue to delight generations of collectors.
The issue also travels beyond promotional collectibles with Memoria y Cultura, highlighting Latin American museums across the United States and the collections preserving generations of art, culture, and heritage. You’ll also find the latest Sales Reports, our Events Calendar, Collector’s Gallery, and this month’s Looking Beyond the Block, featuring the fascinating world of salesman samples, miniature masterpieces designed to help close the sale.
In this month’s Editor’s Note, “The Signs Are Everywhere,” Editor Kele Johnson reflects on a lifelong connection to advertising memorabilia. Long before becoming a collector, she was helping create the very items businesses used to promote their brands. From motorcycle patches and silk-screened decals to promotional products and signs, her family’s livelihood revolved around producing the pieces collectors now treasure. It’s a reminder that behind every advertising collectible is more than a brand or a logo. Each carries the stories of the people who designed and produced it, as well as those who eventually used it.
Whether your collecting interests include neon signs, breweriana, fine jewelry, or nostalgic advertising memorabilia, the August issue is filled with stories celebrating the creativity, craftsmanship, and history behind the objects businesses once used to capture attention. Many were made to sell. Today, they’re collected because they tell their own part of America’s story.
A Look Inside the August 2026 Issue of KAT
Antique Trader StaffAuthor
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