Neon signs light up, flash and do everything to attract people's attention. Unfortunately, this attention isn't always the attention the owner of the sign wants and can get very expensive. Too many hooligans see a neon sign as a good target for vandalism if situated in the wrong place or area of town.
For anyone thinking of installing a neon sign as a means of attracting customers, I would advise you to think again. Neon signs are best displayed at night so unless you are a night-time business, a neon sign may not be the ideal answer for you.
Large external neon signs have become a prime target for hooligans who throw rocks, bottles, cans and anything else they can lay their miserable little paws on in order to break the light. Some of these half-wits think it's great fun to destroy something that they can see disappear. This gives these cretins a sense of power and you yet another expensive insurance claim and the inconvenience of having it fixed and cleaning up the mess that this incident has caused.
Many insurance companies today won't even insure against neon sign breakages because they have just become too expensive and constant. If you can get insurance for sign damage, then you may be limited to making a limited number of claims. Also ask your insurance company if there is an excess to be paid (there usually is!) for every claim made for the repair of a neon sign. Over a very short period of time, you may find you could have purchased any number of different types of signs to advertise your business.
If you still think a neon sign is the best answer to advertise your business, then try for a sign that vandals can't readily access. Putting a neon sign inside your office or shop window can be a deterrent or a more expensive exercise. Many cretins will think twice before they break a shop window but if they decide that your sign is still 'fair game' then the expense of paying for a shop front window should deter you from using that type of sign again. Shop front windows may be hardier but they are three times as expensive too.
The other downside to a neon light to advertise your business is the electricity costs. Even with the use of a fluorescent globe it will still be powered by electricity and with the push on for using less power, will your customers be likely to see your business as wasting energy?
Many neon signs today are solar powered but this can only benefit you if the sign is placed outside to get powered up by the sun. So vandals then can destroy your solar system as well as the light.
Neon signs today have really become a thing of the past. Long gone are the days when streets were lit-up with flashing, happy, bright and cheery lights inviting customers to visit their stores or to do some 'window-shopping'. The maintenance costs to keep them lit has simply become far too expensive.
