How Much Is a Sideshow Banner Worth? A Collector’s Guide to Banner Values

ByMichael Papa

If you have found a hand-painted canvas rolled up in a barn, inherited a banner from a family member who worked the carnival circuit, or bought one at an estate sale, the first question is always the same: what is this thing actually worth? The honest answer is that sideshow banner values range from a…

Step Right up for Circus Sideshow Banners, An Article From LiveAuctioneers

ByMichael Papa

View the original article on Live Auctioneers here. NEW YORK — Handpainted on canvas, vintage circus sideshow banners — some measuring up to 30 feet in width — were designed to titillate and shock circus-goers. A form of on-site advertising, they offered entry (for an additional fee, of course) to view sword swallowers, knife throwers,…