funky signs

Funky Sign contribution from Pete and Shelley

North Country humor. Contributed by Pete and Shelley.

Fire Department Snub Point sign

Good luck getting a response beyond this point

Sign with missing letters

Almost like the Jumble puzzles

For The People sign

This sign could work anywhere

Male Boxes in the Adirondacks

Male boxes in the Adirondacks

Exclamation Point sign

What?

Seeing in Color and in Black and White sign

Just “Seeing” would cover it.

Do Not Climb The Hill sign

The opposite of “Climb Every Mountain”

Videotaping Agreement sign

If this company takes as much care hanging gutters as they do with their signage I might consider hiring them.

Videotaping Agreement sign

Am I agreeing to being videotaped or filmed?

Do Not Put Snow Here sign

Addressed to he who makes it snow.

Including But Not Limited To sign

Where do you go to see the full list?

Guard Dog sign

I think I can.

At the Last Trump or At Last The Trump sign

“At the Last Trump” or “At Last The Trump”

Male Boxes in the Adirondacks

Prayer time on the thrown

Evacuation Route sign in Buffalo, New York

When everything is white but this sign

Massage Therapist Social event sign

This is exactly what I would expect a Massage Therapist Social sign to look like

Curfew sign

Hard to disobey

No Parking Condensed Version sign

A lot of important stuff to say so all caps, big point size, a little bit of compression

We Speak Your Language sign

Hope you can read our English sign

Tire tracks crossing sign

How do you suppose those tires crossed one another?

No Desdalzo, Stinky Feet sign

No stinky foot oder please

Toilet Paper Only sign

Wait a minute!

Nothing In Toilet sign

Just imagine how stinky that garbage can is

Smoking Table sign

Looks like any other table but it smokes

Must be 18 and Over sign

Miss Spell?

Must be 18 and Over sign

It is impossible to be both 18 and over

Eternal Life sign

I like how the hand-cut stencil look fell apart

Kayaks Rentals sign

Pluralizing just one of these first two words would have done the trick

Mountain Man Taxidermy sign

It would be a pleasure to meet the Mountain Man

Giraffe on Do Not Enter signign

The tiny giraffe makes this sign look huge

Warning No Winter Maintenance sign

It’s true. No two snowflakes look alike.

Poor White Folks don't riot sign

Racist head scratcher

Lumberjack Mini Golf sign

I brake for I brake for lumberjack miniature golf

Hot Dog One Dollar sign

Some stickler felt the need to add the dollar sign to this beauty

Man with flag sign

his fellow has already lost a hand so please watch out for him

Not Responsible Sign with Underline

The judicious use of underscore and the circle drive this message home

Save Butler Prison Sign

Aww. I loved that place

Black Power Washing sign

Black Power Washing

Dog Shit Sign

My dog would never do that

Ice  Cream Batting Cages sign

Could get pretty messy

Prepare To Meet Thy God

You meet Thy God. I’ll meet my god.

Ban The Camera sign

Four comandss in one sign is kind of pushing it

Four instructions in one sign is kind of pushing it.

And do it with pizazz!

Do Not Hit Golf Balls On Green Sign

That makes this damn game a lot easier

The Lord Is Coming sign

It seems silly to quibble over the use of the word “accept” in this sign

Shot and Shot Again sign

Trespassing used to be kid’s stuff.

Julips For Sale ssign

Julips? I had to look this up. I could not find an entry for “julips.”

May is Mental Health Month

The cruelest month

Country Dancing sign

You know, like you have a load in your pants

Mini City sign

Everything is limited in Mini City

Animal Warning Sign

Warning sign in the animal kingdom

Warning sign in the animal kingdom

Serious signage

Black Keys sidewalk sign

Sidewalk crossing in the key of C. Black keys only.

Don't Even Think of Parking Here sign

Too late

Camouflaged Sign

A perfectly camouflaged sign!

MTM Masonry Sign

I love the religious overtones in the levitating “T” and the way the tight kearning on the numbers leaves plenty of room for the imaginary dash.

MTM Masonry Sign

They pulled out all the stops with this updated version of their logo anchoring double “M” footings with a concrete block.

Pull Up Pants sign

This is a sophisticated place

Place Nothing on Heater sign
photo courtesy Angel Corpus Christi

It’s a Zen thing

Abbott's Frozen Custard sign

Go US

Mutt Mitt sign

Mitt Romney and his dog, the one he put on the top of the car.

Clean Up After Dog sign

This sign maker toyed with the concept of encouragement but it seems to have backfired on him

Avenue U Brooklyn Food Stamp sign

One at a time

New York’s Luddite section.

Restrooms sign

Cute looking restroom

Star 24 Hour Florist

I can see there being a real demand for a florist in the middle of the night

Dirty sign

Where all at the dirty thing are

Specia lFriday Hours sign
Photo by Frank Paolo.

Note the special Friday hours

Gas Sale sign

Like my grandfather used to say, “Everything is always on sale or you wouldn’t be able to buy it.” Most gas stations are owned by big oil conglomerates but this no name station is having a sale on gas and their sign caught my eye.

Five dollar brush cut

I was imagining a five dollar brush cut as I was taking this photo but the owner came out and demanded that I delete the photo. Apparently licensed barbers in New York State have a minimum price they cannot undercut.

Wine Liquor Lotto sign

This sidewalk sign dances with excitement. Barbara Kruger, eat your heart out. 

Lawn Rolling Deep Core Aeration sign

Deep Core Aeration! Love the stencil letters, healthy kerning, yellow sun, blue sky and deep green lawn.

Penn Station Walk/Stop sign

Which is it?

Paint Sign

At first it reads like a noun but then the command form of the verb kicks in.

Closed Circuit TV sign

Closed circuit television! Video tape! What is this, 1984?

Just Wash Sign

Exhuberant lettering. No up-sell. Just wash.

Enough Corruption sign

I could handle a little more

Diabetic Strips sign

American health care system

Window Washing sign

What I like most about this sign is the way it is constructed with one pole on each side of the sign

Dunkin Doughnuts M

Coincidentally PopWars and Dunkin Doughnuts share the same pink and orange colors. The “m” above is on their men’s room door and the same letter, turned upside down and painted pink, is on the women’s room door.

Craft Bazaar

Love the tree

Car 4 Sale sign

Never seen “for sale” done this way

Gutter Cleaning sign

The phone number is easier to read when you’re driving

Repeal Safe Act sign

What this sign really means is “Don’t even think about stepping foot on our property. We’re armed to the teeth.”

a sign like this in front of your house and it actually reads, “Don’t even think about stepping foot on our property. We’re armed to the teeth.”

I find I am less likely to obey a sign when they use the word “please.”

No Dumping Town Irondequoit

Who needs prepositions? 

No Students Sign

How about law students? This doesn’t seem constitutional. 

Mattress Sign

When I think of mattresses I usually think big and cushy but this sign is so slight. And it’s mounted on wheels!

Mens Room Brighton Town Hall

The seldom used plural of men

Roses sign

We have roses too but we don’t have a sign like this

We have roses too but we don’t have a sign like this.

One arrow just wouldn’t have done the job

One arrow just wouldn’t have done the job.

I love the way the rust is creeping onto these old metal letters at Case’s Garden Store

Classic Coin Laundry sign
photo by John Vaccaro

Small time money laundry

Look Good Barbershop

If you don’t, just walk on by

Memorial Day sign

Interesting sense of space in this sign. And unusual to see the English spelling of “Honor” and the possessive of Hero.

Cemetery Trash sign

You gotta wonder how much trash a cemetery generates

Spotless Restrooms sign

Spotless because the door is locked.

Spotless Restrooms sign

A tough word to spell but a good price

Lenten Special Sign

I usually associate Lent with sacrifice and giving things up.

Hyway Sign

I love this modern spelling of highway but it looks like the kerning tables have gone awry

Open Soon Sign

I love the way you pronounce “soon”

Gutter Cleaning Sign

The shape of this sign is the long view of your gutter. The spikes illustrate debris being ejected.

Republican Picnic sign

Guns, God and Gaiety

Soft Shell Crabs sign

This is soft shell crab typography if I have ever seen it

Carle Dog And Gun Sign

We carry two products. Dog food and ammo

Designer Handbags Sign

This is a great price for designer handbags and I love the 3D action on that number one

LAwn Rolling Gold sign

 Yes, I would like to have my lawn rolled.

Bottle Can Drive Sign

This brown and white sign looks fantastic in the snow. And I love the tubular, rounded corner, framework.

Roof'n sign

Roofing is elitist. Roof”n is not.

End Of The World Sign

My family was tuned in to Family Radio on that day and we are extremely disappointed

No Slam sign

Appropriately designed in the visual language of slam dancers.

Minerals Fossils Beads Sign

Stuff the big box stores won’t carry

Pumpkin Ahead Sign

A good sign uses as few words as possible

Wood For Sale Sign

I love it when people use plumbing gear to make a sign. I like the flush left, initial cap arrangement and the way the sign is hung off center. I like how the “r” in word “for” teeters on the stem of the “l” in “sale.” Most of all I love the way the lettering sits on the bottom edge of the sign.

Good Apples Sign at Schutt's in Webster, NYs

No hype, no branding, just the gosh honest truth.

Just Don't sign

Just don’t

Huge Wig Sale sign
Steep Hill Sign

Look out below

Topper Beer Sign

My uncle worked for Topper, a long time ago. This sign is still working.

St Salome's Sign

Let’s face it. After a many centuries the Catholic Church is looking a little shabby.

St Cecillia's Bingo sign

Bingo! Looks just like it sounds.

Steep Hill Sign

Look out below

Abstract Sign on Spring Valley Road

Most signs are tediously literal

Slow Children At Play sign

The kid looks pretty quick

NYC Newport Yacht Club sign

No, not that NYC. This elegant sign is for Rochester’s Newport Yacht Club

Deja Vu Party House on Ridge Road East in Rochester, New York

I don’t get a good feeling from this Party House sign

Conifer Road Sign

This town would be a lot more interesting if all the residents made their own street signs

Senior Citizen Housing sign

Out of sight, out of mind

The KIng sign

I love the royal shape of this sign. Long live the King!

Penny Candy sign

This is why the penny is still in circulation

Over Weight Dump

Draconian new health care remedy

Open Sign

Imagine that. One of the Great Lakes is open.

Olde Bulldogs sign

Looks like a ransom note

Lyn's Life Boat

A scaled down version of Noah’s Ark

Defaced Tree

I love you so much I’m going to deface this beautiful tree

The abbreviations make this sign especially intriguing

Lost Dog Sign

The dog probably ran away. Look at that outfit!

Vern's Pumpkin Patch

Vern did the lettering himself

DNI Do Not Inventory sign

OK, I will not inventory. I was just shopping for ceiling tiles.

Sale sign with Balloon

The balloons get your attention but there is a lot left to the imagination with this little sign

Live Bait sign

This sign looks like a car license plate

Little Tree sign

For small projects

Light Years Bar

I could see spending some time in a place like this.

Lawn Rolling 967-ROLL

967-ROLL. This could be my favorite sign, ever.

Tetter Totter sign

I can’t remember the last time I saw kids playing on a teeter totter but I will keep my eye out for them

Invisible Fence sign

You could put this sign almost anywhere and get away with it

Watch For Children sign

Some strange looking children

Huge Baby Sale

Just how big is that baby?

Spray Paint House Number

This house number borders on vandalism

Keep Away sign

Anything else?

Hair Studio sign

I could see leaving here with a beehive.

Giovanni's sign

I feel as though I am flying through space as I read this sign. Maybe it’s the stars.

Gulf Gas sign

They misplaced the decimal point AND put the one up backward

Fuck You Tree

Nature can be cruel

Fish Fry sign

If this little guy serves me I’m in

Emma is one sign

I guess they didn’t have a stencil for the arrows

The Ellsworths Sign

A simple number on the house was not enough for the Ellsworths but they probably don’t need the apostrophe.

Eggs Sign

Yes, I would love some eggs

Closed Sign

A seriously playful letterpress sign

Dog Shit Sign

This little sign is almost as nasty as the infraction

Rorschach dog poster

Work Zone sign

Looks like the workers took a drug break

Deer Crossing sign

A red dot from Office Depot turned this deer into Rudolph

Deer Butcher sign

A particularly grizzly attraction

Slippery when wet siign

A wide wheel base helps navigate these curves

Heaven Taxi sign

For that last ride

Pasta Dinner Sign

A different troop member is responsible for each entry on this sign

Bowling Sign

I can almost hear the pins drop

Ring Bell sign
Photo by Brian Peterson

And plug your ears

Bah Hum Bug

Two neighbors fought a long court battle over who owned the area below the orange, spray-painted line. The neighbor above the line lost.

State Road Sign

Did they have to justify the type on this sign? We wanted to go to Auburn and almost turned right.

84 Lumber
photo bt Jeffery Munson

Pick a number and claim it as your company name

5 Dollar Parking

We usually look for free parking but I might give this guy a five just because his sign is so nice

Submarine Sign

I love the periscope sign in front of Ceaser’s Sub Shop

El Taino Sign

Hand painted by the owner

Posted sign

Posted with religious overtones

No Dumping

With some judicious kerning they squeezed the name of the town on

No Dumping

This wide orientation leaves plenty of space for “Irondequoit” and enough room to experiment with word spacing

Ninos sign

Nino’s Pizza is so good it is a wonder they offer anything other than pizza

Newport Yacht Club

The Newport Yacht Club on Irondequoit Bay has a sensational flair for graphic design

Newport Yacht Club

Lightning and sailing, an unlikely combination for the Newport Yacht Club motif

Liquor Store Geneva

The lettering and arrows on this sign in Geneva New York were both done with electrical tape

A match made in heaven

photo by Duane Sherwood

You need 3D glasses to really appreciate this sign

The Sunoco logo is gone but the brand still reads

There used to be no fishing in this lake

photo by Anne Havens

This sandwich sign has so much character it could probably walk on its own

photo by Anne Havens

Looks like some quality stuff

photo by Anne Havens

I might let them paint my house just so I can look at their sign all day

photo by Anne Havens

I love how the ice cream cone fits the roof line.

photo by Anne Havens

I would follow that arrow anywhere

photo by Anne Havens

I like the graphic connection between Native American and craft

photo by Anne Havens

The great Philip Guston painted this sign

You usually see these posted signs out in the country but this guy posted his city house

I’ll bet Ralph lives in the back

This used to be so and so’s farm but now it’s just a farm. Love the unicase.

I love it when the lettering fits the wording so well 

What’s for lunch? How about donuts?

photo submitted by John Vaccaro

This must be Elmwood Avenue. 

Happy Hair

I like the mental image of “Happy Hair” and this lettering suits that perfectly

photo by J. Andrew Vaccaro

They pulled out alll the stops with this signage. The organic shape of the sign and the five globes make this whole structure look like a royal crown.

The typography and message are in perfect alignment

The Norton Street neighborhood is changing.

We are so lucky that this sign is still standing – a masterpiece!

I love the lettering at Pudgies. At night this place looks like a movie set.

Why is “turkey” possessive?

A two syllable word. Sh-aw.

Mo Hair

At most barber shops you get less hair but here you get mo. I’m sort of afraid of that dog though.

Strangely inviting and foreboding at the same to time

Hot dog sign

Looks like they ran out of room for the final “S.”

But they did get it right on the other side of the building

I love how they used almost all the space inside the big arrow but didn’t manage to line up the arrow with the door

The Devil’s lettering

Is “Per Vehicle” really necessary?

The Radio Shack in Olean has a logo I haven’t seen in a while. It makes me think of the words “radio” and “shack”.

The temptation is to read left to right

This name says it all

Giving Rochester’s Earring Records a run for their money

Kim’s Carnival Creams rules the corner of Atlantic and Culver

Hand painted right on the building, a lost art

Fantastic use of space. Out of this world pricing.

I always trust the Big Dot

After forty years they still have that sophomore sense of humor

I know the neighbors with the funky driveway had a party over the weekend but their sign looks a little eerie on a Monday afternoon

The posture on this guy puts my yoga teacher to shame

If they can sing and play as good as they paint a sign I’m in

Nothing cute about a septic truck

An odd brand name

Never seen Deli spelled this way

How many generations of copies is this?

You can keep your guns for a small donation to our policeman’s fund

And be prepared to wiggle when you enter

Sorry, only one to a customer

Warning: Cigars, plaid shorts, spiky two-toned shoes.

None of that kid stuff

Buzz me baby

This is what rehabilitation looks like

A happy chicken participating in his own demise seems doubly cruel

Cigarettes at State Minimum sign

We would give them away if the state would let us

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