I'm thinking of contacting some (semi-local) neon sign shops and seeing if they'd be willing to take on an apprentice.

My ultimate goal would be to learn the trade and then turn around and attempt to revamp my home city with neon (instead of those crappy plastic cubes and LED strips and retina destroying digital signs) I think it would definitly draw in tourism to an otherwise uninteresting cereal capital of the world.


what are some tips and tricks of the neon industry? what would the future of this industry look like? I'm aware it's a shrinking industry but it seems like one that can never die simply due to peoples nostalgia (am i correct?)

The main point is, whether the nostalgia would be strong enough to feed you and your shop.
Even when doing it as a secondary income (so to not rely on it for paying bills) you need decent amount of decently paying customers.
But I doubt just the nostalgia will draw enough of them to at least pay the shop expenses (all the consumables like gasses, electricity and so on,  make a reserve for accident damages your work may be linked to or pay for corresponding insurance policy, plus the maintenance of the shop itself, its building and the equipment there, occasional replacement cost for the already unfixable tools or machines, plus at least something small to your pocket for your work)...
All that with the competition of LEDs with all their possibilities, include the cheap CNC plastic cutting and carving involvement in the sign making.
Remember, the poor LED signs quality is in most cases not because the technology wont allow anything better, but on the contrary, just because it still tolerates such lousy workmanship (the Neon making wont tolerate nearly anything but precise work). And yet good enough for all those customers. Pretty hard competition...
But getting involved in some existing Neon sign shop would be very good start. Not only the tube making skills, but even the way how to operate the sign making business in general. I think there is a lot to learn and then you may decide way better, if you dare to start your own...

In the Seattle area, a few neon shops I knew of closed up.
I think people don't value the quality any more, so if neon needs to be repaired, and they get a quote, they will think it is too expensive to repair.

I don't know what the laws are like in your state, but WA state is becoming very difficult to do business in. For example, for a few years I thought about opening up an auto repair shop. Due to new environmental regulations, it is very difficult to open up a new shop. I'd have to buy a legacy shop that is grandfathered. Even then, there are still a bunch of newer environmental requirements and fees. Only the corporate car dealerships can afford to open up repair shops these days.

On top of that, very few people want to work these days, it is difficult finding decent help here (maybe same everyhwere!?)

People are so conditioned to be cheap these days. Even older people expect stuff cheaply now. When I talk with people of all different ages/backgrounds about the huge negative impact China has had on the socioeconomics of the USA, most people say they don't care about the consequences as long as they can get stuff cheap.

I really hate that. Big business is monopolizing, and government regulating everything and nobody gives jack (...) as long as they can repeatedly buy cheap garbage OVER and OVER again. Instead of buying one thing and having it last year's or decades.


Humanity is so short sided and it's absolutely disgraceful.

I think Claude a Frenchman populised the neon strip lights in America many years ago, I think its costly making such tubes but good luck to your intended venture. Funny enough you still see cold cathode lighting in some old shops, not for sale, this to was down to Claude as well.

Maybe just learn neon work for your own purposes.
Over the last few years I have seen neon manufacturing supplies and equipment on CL in my area, seems to be enough to make several epic large signs.
Soon, there won't be much left to maintain and/or create new neon.

I think neon is amazing, especially the clear tube varieties. Watching the illuminating gases sizzle with lighted color is mesmerizing, to me at least. I love the buzz of the transformers.

As a kid I fondly remember a Chinese restaurant in Phoenix that was totally decked out in that emerald green neon, the clear tube kind. With the gold dragon statues and red Chinese lanterns it was such an impressive and beautiful sight. I can only imagine it is all gone or busted up now. As a side note, "old-school" Chinese, those who are pre-(...) and would have owned that restaurant also believed in spending good money to make a lasting impression (it did, right!?) Most modern Chinese restaurants are run by "mainlanders" who are CHEAP, all of the newer Chinese restaurants in my area lack all of that character from "back in the day".

I'm not at all impressed with the LED substitutes. Even though I might just be looking on to the past with "rose colored" glasses, I think most can agree that neon has more character when one looks at it up close and considers they way it operates.

Neon is a True Craftsmanship. A skilled hand work you can not avoid, so a real art.
Problem is, it will always require a lot of skilled effort.
Unlike the LED signs you may cut precisely on a rather simple CNC.
It is a difference similar to a painting vs modern photo. Photo (unless completely screwed up) is way cheaper and way more accurately representing the reality, but the painting is an art, inaccurate, but with the personality of its creator...