Original Farmers Market’s New Sign isn’t Neon After All

We need to correct our earlier story on the new sign at the Original Farmers Market:  it isn’t actually a neon sign. After posting our story, we learned the new sign is made with a relatively new technology called INCISEON, which uses 12 volt LED lights inside a glass tube to replicate the look of neon.

INCISEON was invented and patented by Brent Curtis and his father, third-generation sign makers based in High Point, North Carolina, to offer customers a safer and more energy efficient alternative to neon.

“Our superior lighting technology produces a “tube” look that emits light from 360°, effectively reproducing the look and glow of high voltage neon. INCISEON® is more technologically advanced than any existing faux neon or LED neon product on the market,” according the INCISEON website. 

“Though it looks like neon, the new “The Original Farmers Public Market” sign is actually made from a new LED product that is produced in the U.S.A.,” confirmed Ilysha Buss, Director of Marketing at The Original Farmers Market. “It uses a glass-like tubing that gives the warm illumination of neon, but is much more energy efficient.”

How energy efficient? According to Curtis, the energy savings varies anywhere from 50 percent to 90 percent, depending on the energy consumption of the original fixture.

Having grown up in the sign business, Curtis knew lighting technology was changing but didn’t like the look of many LED signs that also wouldn’t work for clients who wanted to update historic signs or create authentic replicas like they did for the Original Farmers Market. Curtis said he started working on INCISEON nine years ago and brought it to market four years later. He was delighted to hear that we incorrectly reported the sign was neon.

“That a real compliment to us,” said Curtis.

The faithful styling of the sign and construction on the classic metal grid helped convince us and our local neon expert, Eric Evavold, that the lighting was neon.

You might see more of Curtis’ work around the city, because Southern California is one of the company’s largest markets. In fact, Curtis said, they are currently working with a theme park (but he isn’t allowed yet to say which one), that is remaking many of its original neon signs.