Vintage signs & neon
Vintage signs & neon — free pickup in Albuquerque
Abq Reclaimed picks up vintage signs free, by request — neon beer and business signs, porcelain and tin signs, lighted clocks, marquee letters and Route 66 pieces — once they’re down. Text a photo of the front and the back. No cash.
Text or call (505) 250-3804 · by request, at my discretion
I'm Josh, and I handle every pickup myself, from your photo to the Reclaim Receipt. eBay seller since 2003 — currently an eBay Top Rated Seller, 99.8% positive feedback (1,800+ feedback score, 3,800+ items sold); a trailer, and a forklift for suitable loads. Text me a photo: (505) 250-3804
Send a photo
Text a couple photos to (505) 250-3804 with your neighborhood, or use the request form. Under a minute.
I confirm what I can take
I review every request myself and reply about what is a fit and whether I can make your date, if you have one. Nothing is promised until I confirm.
Set it out
On the day we agree on, leave small items on the porch or driveway — you don't need to be home for those. Heavy items, appliances and anything inside need someone there to give me access.
I haul it free
I pick it up at no cost and give it a second life through resale and reuse.
Signs I pick up
- Neon — beer and bar signs (Coors, Hamm’s, Budweiser), business and OPEN signs, window neon, neon clocks (Glo-Dial).
- Porcelain and tin — gas, oil, feed and seed signs, tin tackers and embossed signs, advertising thermometers.
- Lighted and motion signs — backlit beer signs, motion signs, lighted clocks.
- Marquee and store signs — marquee letters, arrow signs with bulbs, hand-painted and gold-leaf trade signs, reverse-painted glass.
- Route 66 and roadside — motel, diner and gas-station signs, gas-pump globes, oil cans and racks.
- Old Albuquerque advertising — business signs, store displays and counter pieces.
Route 66 turns 100 in 2026, and Central Avenue is Albuquerque’s 18-mile stretch of it (City of Albuquerque).
Neon: photo first
Neon glass is fragile and a neon transformer runs at thousands of volts, so don’t plug an old sign in to test it — a photo tells me enough. Show me the whole sign, any cracked or missing tubes, and the label on the transformer.
What to photograph
- The whole front.
- The back — a maker’s stamp, a date or a sign company’s label often lives there.
- Close-ups of chips, rust or cracked tubes.
- A rough size, and where it is (a garage wall, a storage unit, a shop that’s closing).
Already down, or still up?
I pick up signs that are already down. A sign still on a building or a pole needs a sign company or an electrician to take it down; once it’s on the ground, send a photo and ask. Selling or buying the building? Ask your agent — the contract decides what conveys.
What I don’t take
- Reproductions and new “retro” tin signs.
- Current street, highway or railroad signs — they belong to the city, the state or the railroad.
- Signs still up on a building or pole.
- Generic modern plastic signs with no brand or age to them.
- Anything represented as Native-made.
A valuable sign? Selling it yourself
A rare porcelain or neon sign can be worth real money. If you want the money, get it appraised and sell it through an auction house or to a collector — I don’t pay cash. If you just want it gone and in good hands, I’ll come get it free.
When signs turn up
- A shop, bar or restaurant closing — business closing pickup.
- A garage or workshop clear-out — garage cleanouts.
- An estate with a collection — estate cleanouts.
- Old lights coming down too — vintage and industrial lighting.
- Other vintage finds — vintage and collectibles, and my want list.
Tell me your deadline and I’ll say honestly whether I can make it. The city of Albuquerque is my usual area. Rio Rancho, Corrales, Los Ranchos, Tijeras and the East Mountains are case by case, and Bernalillo, Placitas, Algodones, Los Lunas, Bosque Farms, Peralta, Belen and Edgewood are usually out of range — text a photo with your ZIP.
Before you ask — the honest limits. Abq Reclaimed is just me, and I run a couple of other small businesses. So free pickups are limited and entirely at my discretion — I can't take everything, and some weeks I can't do pickups at all. Send a photo and I'll tell you honestly whether I can fit it in; if I can't, I'll point you elsewhere. (Prefer to drop off? We can sometimes arrange that by appointment.) When I do collect, I send you a Reclaim Receipt afterward telling you where your stuff went.
Good to know
Common questions
Who picks up old neon signs in Albuquerque?
I do, free, by photo request, once the sign is down — neon beer and business signs, window neon and neon clocks. Don’t power up an old sign to test it; a photo of the front, the back and any cracked tubes is enough. I don’t pay cash.
Do you buy vintage signs?
No. Abq Reclaimed is free pickup, not a buyer — I don’t pay cash. If a sign is rare and you want the money, get it appraised and sell it through an auction house or to a collector.
Will you take a sign down off a building?
No. A sign company or an electrician takes down anything mounted or wired in; I pick up once it’s down.
Do you take street or highway signs?
Not current ones — they belong to the city, the state or the railroad. Vintage advertising, business and roadside signs that are yours to give are welcome.
What about porcelain gas and oil signs?
Yes — porcelain and tin signs, advertising thermometers and gas-pump globes. Photo the front, the back and any chips.
Do you pay, and is it tax-deductible?
No and no. Abq Reclaimed is for-profit: the pickup is free, I don’t pay cash, and it isn’t tax-deductible. You get a Reclaim Receipt saying where things went, not a tax receipt.
An old sign coming down, or one in the garage?
Send a couple photos and I will tell you honestly if it is a fit. Free pickup across Albuquerque, by approval.
Keep exploring
More I reclaim
Also: Vintage & industrial lighting · Vintage signs & neon · Sewing machines · Cameras & optics · Stereo & hi-fi · Bikes · Sporting goods · Instruments · Industrial equipment · Medical & mobility parts · Vintage & collectibles · Appliances · Copper & wire · Quality clothing & shoes · My want list
Clearing out? Pick your situation: Moving · Week-by-week moving plan · Senior downsizing · Clearing a parent's house · After a loss · Estate sale leftovers · Storage unit · Business closing · Military PCS
Estate cleanouts · Garage cleanouts · Moving or clearing a house? · Full what-I-take list · Where to donate anything in ABQ · Where to sell or donate in ABQ · Get-rid-of-used-stuff guide · Where to sell scrap metal