Industrial Artifacts

Industrial Artifacts www.industrialartifacts.net We deal exclusively in vintage industrial lighting, seating, tables, advertising, and other found objects. We have a 20,000+ sq. ft.
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Vintage Industrial Artifacts
Lighting | Seating & Tables | Found Objects
New Items Arriving Daily

Industrial Artifacts - Located in the Western Chicago land area. facility with new items arriving daily. Catering to every size design project, we can scale from small home decor to full furnishings for your office/bar/restaurant. We can personally deliver within 150 miles of Chicago. We also offer g

lobal shipping of any item. Feel free to email or call us at (815) 299-7625

P.S. We're always buying ;)

A few incredible early photographs of patent models and salesman samples. It’s fascinating to see these miniature invent...
06/12/2026

A few incredible early photographs of patent models and salesman samples. It’s fascinating to see these miniature inventions exactly as they were being presented more than a century ago.

Photos originally shared by Clint Flack in the Salesman Sample and Patent Model Collectors group. Thanks for preserving and sharing these pieces of history.

06/12/2026

Every time I find something like this, I can’t help but think about the person behind it.

Charles V. Rote probably never imagined that over a century later someone would still be looking at his patent model.

What’s even harder to believe is that the foundry patterns made it too.

Most people save the finished product.

Whoever kept this saved the entire process.

06/09/2026

At first glance, this looks like a miniature door. It’s actually a salesman sample used to demonstrate a spring-metal weatherstripping system over a century ago.

Before modern insulation, every draft meant burning more coal to keep a home warm. Salesmen used working models like this to show homeowners how these hidden seals could block cold air and save fuel.

The secret is hidden at the bottom of the door.

Have you ever seen one of these before?

06/07/2026

You’re not gonna find another store quite like us, and if you do, I’m gonna need the address…

06/07/2026

Long before social media, Bulova was selling attention.

Its famous “Observatory Time” campaign encouraged Americans to keep the same accurate time, while advertising clocks kept company names in front of customers every day.

This salesman sample helped sell both

06/06/2026

A lot of people don’t know this, but Edison actually invented the razor scooter…

06/06/2026

Is it time to bring it in the house?

06/05/2026

Most people know what a barn cupola is.

Almost nobody knows what’s hiding inside this one. Stick around for the surprise at the end.

06/04/2026

Don’t mistake that for me finding it in the woods. I found it on eBay and got a ridiculously smoking deal on it, and in spite of the fact that about 100 different people tried to backdoor me on it after the auction ended, the seller said she would honor the deal. Honestly kind of surprising in this day and age.

06/02/2026

A completely average week around here…

Address

230 N 10th Street
Dekalb, IL
60115

Opening Hours

Monday 10:30am - 8pm
Tuesday 10:30am - 8pm
Wednesday 10:30am - 8pm
Thursday 10:30am - 8pm
Friday 10:30am - 8pm
Saturday 10:30am - 8pm

Telephone

+18152997625

Website

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