GUEST: This is a Goodyear Tire sign that I found in 1981 in Highland Park, Illinois, in somebody's garbage.

APPRAISER: (chuckling): What?

GUEST: And so, it was a cold winter day, we were on our way to church, and I saw this and I...

I made a U-turn.

I said, "We got to get that sign now, before anybody else does."

APPRAISER: That's crazy!

GUEST: So, we had a Chevette, and it barely fit inside the Chevette, and it's been in every garage that we've had since then.

APPRAISER: That is the definition of a one man's trash is another man's treasure.

GUEST: Yeah, yeah.

APPRAISER: It is clear as day.

This is a Goodyear Tires sign, formerly known as the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.

They were founded in 1898 in Akron, Ohio.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: And before they became the powerhouse of road tires that we know today, they started out with bicycle and carriage tires.

The sign is enameled iron, and it is double-sided.

GUEST: Uh-huh.

APPRAISER: On the side of the back, identical image.

Trade term with the initials DSP, simply means double-sided porcelain sign.

It was really utilized in the 1880s, and they phased out enameled on iron signs once again to the late '40s into the '50s, because with World War II metal shortages, it really wasn't an economical way to produce advertising.

GUEST: Yeah.

APPRAISER: The enameling process, what happens is they take powdered glass known as frit, mix it with an oxiding compound and water, creates it into a liquefied compound.

Then, they put the stencil on, fill in the liquefied frit, put it in high temperature, bam, you got yourself an enameled sign.

In terms of condition, we do have some wear on the edge.

There is some minor oxidation, rust.

But overall, the general image; great gloss, great color.

It's an eight out of ten.

GUEST: Uh-huh.

APPRAISER: It's really beautiful.

It's a great sign.

We look at the bottom left, we see "Property, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company."

I mean, it has all the marks that let us know this is as right as it gets, right as rain.

You ever have an idea of what it was worth?

GUEST: Based on watching ANTIQUES ROADSHOW and other car shows, I think $1,000.

APPRAISER: You were probably watching a little bit of an older episode, because conservatively at auction, I would say this sign would easily bring between $2,000 and $3,000.

GUEST: Wow, that's great.

And the lesson is, if you see something in the trash and you want it, just take it.

Don't worry about what people think.

(chuckles) APPRAISER: (laughing) I like that.

That's great advice.

Don't be GUEST: No APPRAISER: afraid to jump in the trash.