If you’re looking to show off your Cowboy State pride in your man cave or business, the Wyoming Department of Transportation is auctioning off the roadside “Welcome to Wyoming” signs that once greeted motorists as they crossed into the state.
Several “Welcome to Wyoming” signs were installed in about 2017 at interstate entry points and are now up for grabs in an online auction, with bids in the range of $810 to nearly $3,100 for seven signs.
The auction lasts through Feb. 25, and as many as 30 signs are available.
If you’ve been wanting to get your hands on a piece of Wyoming history, WYDOT spokesman Doug McGee would like to get the word out.
“We prefer that this be the method people get a welcome sign,” he said.
You know, rather than trying to take things into your own hands.
Replacement Signs Divide Wyomingites
For some Wyomingites, these road signs may be particularly appealing given how divisive their replacements have been.
The new signs started going up in October and feature a giant postcard-style representation of the state, with bold and colorful scenic photographs.
Wyomingites likewise have had some bold and colorful things to say about the new signs online — describing them as “abhorrent” or “criminally ugly.” Some likened them to a grade school project or even a collage a parent might post of a vacation on Facebook.
One Redditor, however, was mildly more optimistic about the new sign design. “I like it as a deterrent,” user u/Bibimbap_boi posted.
You can’t please everybody, as McGee has learned.
“In 23 years, I've never put up a sign up that nobody’s complained about,” he said.
Sticker-Happy Humans
The beauty of the 2017-era road signs, on the other hand, may also be in the eyes of beholders.
The old signs matched the design of the state license plate, with the iconic bucking horse and a transparent, wavy “Wyoming” splashed across the center. But they’ve been damaged by weather, graffiti, bullet holes and, most obviously, sticker-happy vandals.
The most heavily stickered “Welcome to Wyoming” signs were probably along either of the Interstate 80 access points to the state near Evanston on the western border, or Pine Bluffs on to the east, or along I-25 south of Cheyenne, McGee said.
One feature of the new signs that the online haters may not appreciate is the black border along the bottom. The hope, McGee said, is that the people will put their stickers there, he said.
Based on the height of some of the stickers on the signs up for auction, people likely climbed atop tall rigs to get their stickers affixed. “It’s just par for the course,” McGee said.
Money Goes To Highway Fund
This year’s auction marks the second time WYDOT has sold off its outdated stock of “Welcome to Wyoming” signs.
The department fetched about $33,000 during a 2017 auction, and all of that money goes back into the highway fund.
Bids for seven signs on the Public Surplus online auction portal now total nearly $10,000.
While McGee expects more money will be raised this time around, thanks to a larger stock of signs up for auction, each will likely go for less money since they’re not such a rarity.
No matter, the online auction has proven popular among Wyomingites and as a way for the state to generate some extra money.
“We make more money back than the sign cost to make,” McGee said.
After changing out the old Welcome to Wyoming signs posted at various entrances to the state, Wyoming is auctioning off the old signs. (State of Wyoming) 
A new “Welcome to Wyoming” sign is being installed along highways around the state. The new signs are bold, colorful and designed to look like a post card — perfect for photos and selfies. (Courtesy Wyoming Department of Transportation)
