DEALer sign archives

Explore the history and styles of the advertising signs offered by Oliver and White to their dealers over the years.  The information below was compiled from our research and contains most of the signs, but is not an exhaustive list. Many of the designs below are now offered for purchase in the Oliver Archives Store.
Hart-Parr Tractors Sign
The Hart-Parr Tractors sign features a black, red and yellow color scheme and measures in at 70" wide by 36" tall.  Two different versions of this sign were used: one with white letters reading " Dependable Kerosene Farm Power" and the other reading "Low Cost Power From Low Grade Fuels" The agency, representative, or distributor name was listed on the lower portion of the sign. We believe this sign was used around 1920.
Oliver Farm Equipment Sign
As the merger of the four companies took place in April 1929, these are one of the first signs for Oliver Farm Equipment dealers in the 1930's.  Measuring in at nearly 10' in length and containing smalt for reflection, these are a highly collectible sign.
Oliver Early Shield Sign
This early Oliver shield sign used the original 1929 logo, except the names of the other merging brands had been removed from the logo.  These 1930's era single sided tin signs measure approximately 19.5" x 14" in size.
Oliver Cost Reducing Farm Equipment Sign
This 24" x 15" sign features the original Oliver shield and was made for Oliver dealers by Nasico in Kokomo, Indiana. The dealer name and location was added to the top of the sign. This sign and the "Cost Reducing Farm Equipment" slogan are pretty rare as both were only used for a few years with the slogan first appearing 1939.
Oliver Authorized Sales - Service Shield Sign
This 3-color Oliver shield metal sign measuring 47" tall was double sided and typically hung from a mast mount on a wall outside dealership buildings. This sign accompanied the new 3-color shield along with the "Finest in Farm Machinery" slogan debuting in 1944 or 1945.
Oliver "Finest in Farm Machinery" Red Building Sign
The red 24" x 94" building sign was a favorite of Oliver dealers as they are seen in many dealership photos from the 1940s - 1950s. The signs are made of 28 ga. metal and built by Grace Sign Co. of St. Louis.
Oliver Sales - Service Shield Lighted Sign
This plastic faced illuminated sign featured the 3-color Oliver Sales - Service shield from the mid 1940's. These smaller signs were likely designed for display in a dealership window or show room.  Because of the curved plastic face and heat from light bulbs, not very many of these signs survived making them extremely rare to find!
Yellow "Finest in Farm Machinery" Shield Sign
This yellow background sign with the two-color Oliver shield featured the "Finest in Farm Machinery" slogan.  These were offered as 40" x 40" double sided metal signs to Oliver dealers in the early 1950's. No Dealer Name Imprint was available in this design.
Oliver "Finest in Farm Machinery" Shield Large Road Sign
The Finest in Farm Machinery road sign consisted of two signs - the upper portion with a large 2 color shield measuring 8' wide and 6' tall. The green and white colored lower sign is 10' long and was also made by Grace Sign Co. of St. Louis for the Oliver Corporation. To reinforce the sign, they were built with a wooden frame on the back.  The white letters are reflectorized for the Dealer name and Location. 
Another Oliver User Sign
If you were a good customer of the local Oliver dealership, you would have received one of these "Another Oliver User" signs to hang on your barn or fence post. This 12" x 12" single sided sheet metal sign included a blank space at the top for dealers to have the customer's name painted on the sign.
Oliver Neon Finest in Farm Machinery Sign
Often considered the "crown jewel" of Oliver dealer signs, the double sided porcelain sign features the word "Oliver" in neon.  This model of sign was manufactured by Neon Products, Inc. of Lima, Ohio. With the Finest in Farm Machinery slogan, these signs are from the 1945 to early 1950's era.  Few surviving original signs exist and they have fetched over $25,000 at auction in recent years.
​Oliver Shield Farm Machinery Sign
After the introduction of the 2 color Oliver shield in the 1950, Oliver offered dealers this new sign. The first version had the yellow background. When clover white was add as the accent color in 1958, the sign was updated to a white background. Both versions were offered in a reflectorized background (as seen on the yellow sign below). These single sided metal signs measure 67.5" x 46" and have an embossed letters, shield, and border. Dealers could add an additional sign panel with their dealer name imprinted on a yellow sign measuring 67.5" x 16"
​Oliver 2 Color Shield Panel Signs
In the 1950's Oliver offered a new look to their dealers with their panel signs.  The 2' x 6' panels were made from 24 ga. sheet with a rib at the top and bottom of each panel.  They featured a white background with red and green text/logo.  So dealers could choose how they wanted to interchange the panels, six different panels were offered: OLIVER with logo, Dealer Name, Farm Machinery, Industrial Equipment, Sales & Service, and Used Equipment.  These signs were manufactured for Oliver by Grace Sign Co. of St. Louis.
Oliver Shield Dealer Name Sign
​This late 1950's sign features the word Oliver and 2 color shield embossed on a single sided metal sign measuring 22.5" x 94" A dealer imprint could be added to the sign in red painted stencil letters below the word Oliver.
Oliver Plastilux Lighted Sign
​The 3' x 6' outdoor "plastilux" lighted dealer sign was offered to dealers starting in 1951. The Selke Implement Co. sign is an excellent rare surviving example of this sign that sold at auction in 2021.  As you can image, 1950's era curved plastic coupled with the heat from the internal lighting caused many of these signs not make it to present day - some 70 years later! Interestingly, the manufacturer only offered a 3 year warranty on the sign's colors when new!
Oliver "Finest in Farm Machinery" Tacker Sign
The 2' x 2' "Dealer Tacker Sign" was made of 28 ga. metal by Grace Sign Co. Oliver recommended every dealer have at least 6 of this sign placed in and around town in various strategic locations in the 1950s.
Oliver "Finest in Farm Machinery" Road Sign
Very similar to the tacker sign, the red Oliver shield with "Finest in Farm Machinery" text was offered in a 40" square size double sided tin "Dealer Road Sign" and could be hung from an 11 foot tall pole. Oliver recommended dealers have 4 road signs in strategic locations.
Oliver 2 Color Shield Hang Down Sign
This 3' x 5' double sided sign was made from 20 ga. steel and included the dealer's name at the bottom. Designed for mast mounting at the main entrance, lighting could be added to the mast to illuminate the sign.
Oliver Keystone Metal Sign
​The Oliver keystone metal sign measures 46" tall and was available in single or double sided. These signs were made by Grace Sign Co. of St. Louis and normally have the name of the dealer they were shipped to stencil painted on the back of the sign. They also have a wooden frame on the back to support the sheet metal sign. The dealer's name was not available on this sign - a separate rectangular sign panel was offered for the dealership name.
Illuminated Outdoor Keystone Sign
The 4' x 5' white plastic lighted signed featured an aluminum sign frame. Three mounting options were offered: double sided mast arm mount, double sided center pole mount, or single sided wall mount. In 1962, dealers could purchase the sign for $179. A 10" x 48" metal panel could be hung below the sign to identify the dealer name.
Picture
A great example of the Keystone Lighted Sign from the Dumont Collection Auction in 2017
Keystone Tacker Sign
The 2' x 2' Keystone Tacker sign was a sheet metal single-sided sign used by Oliver to update the earlier green and red tacker signs.  On the lower portion of the sign, dealers could have their dealership name and location listed. Back in the day, Oliver dealers could order these signs for $1.95/each with 2 lines of text in a minimum of 5 per order.
Plastic Keystone Sign
The plastic molded keystone logo sign was designed as a indoor sign with many of them hung above the parts counter in dealerships. These measure approximately 34" x 29" in size.  The plastic embossed keystones were made by a plastic company in Omaha, Nebraska in 1966.  According to former Oliver employee Duane Starr of the Oliver Branch in Omaha, the branch provided a plastic keystone sign to each of dealerships in it's territory.
Oliver Keystone Panel Sign
​This panel sign was a updated version of the earlier panel signs from the 1950's.  The 24" x 72" sign included the keystone logo and the word Oliver in the new style font.  The top and bottom of the sign featured a  stamped rib to add strength to sign.
Oliver Farm Machinery Sign - Keystone Logo
​The Oliver Farm Machinery road sign featuring the keystone logo was one of the largest signs used by Oliver measuring in at 46" x 94" in size.  The sign included the dealership name and sometimes location on the lower half of the sign. Dealers could choose to order the signs with plain paint or a reflectorized finish.
Oliver Keystone Dealer Name Sign
​This 2' x 8' wall or building sign includes the keystone logo and the name of the dealership. These signs quickly identify a business as an Oliver dealer!
Certified Oliver User Sign
​Offered to Oliver dealers for only 50 cents each, the small 8" x 8" sheet metal single sided tacker sign was promoted as an item that dealer's would give away to their customers.
WM Logo Lighted Dealer Sign
In the mid 1970's, White Farm Equipment, which was owned by White Motor Corporation, switched to producing White branded tractors and thus, a new logo and dealer sign was offered. The euclid green color was added to the color scheme for signage.  This lighted signed measured 6' wide x 5' tall.  The bottom module was offered with choice of different text including Parts/Service, Outdoor Products, or Dealer Name.
White Parts-Service Sign
Another sign from the 1970's transition is the White Parts-Service sign. This metal sign measures 36" x 20" and features the "WM" logo. As a double signed sign without any dealer name branding, this sign was likely designed for use inside the dealership at the parts counter.
WFE Lighted Dealer Sign
​Offered as replacement panels for the existing White dealer lighted signs, the WFE logo with the red, black and gray color scheme was available in two different signs. The 2 module sign without the dealer name measured 4' tall x 8' wide. The second option, a 3 module sign which included the dealer name, measured 6' wide x 5' tall.
White New Idea Lighted Sign
As one of the final chapters in the Oliver - White story, this lighted sign was short lived. After Allied purchased White Farm Equipment in November 1985, they combined their agricultural product line as White - New Idea. After a decade of multiple ownership and name/brand changes, most dealers were reluctant to change over their signage making this sign a pretty rare sign to find.