Neon signage first arrived on the shores of the United States in 1923. The inventor of the art form, a Parisian named Georges Claude, developed the technique for electrifying glass enclosed neon gas in 1910. While there are more than a score of possible neon colors on the market today, a handful, such as ruby red and bromo blue, are found in the vast majority of beer signs in the country.

Old school neon signs are typically much heavier than newer beer signs. The old artifacts are lit by bulky transformers supported by iron and copper wire. Although these old beer signs have a lot of heft, they can be dangerous and untested. More recently created neon beer signs tend to come with much lighter transformers and better safety mechanisms.

Popular neon beer signs include depictions of the famous Budweiser Frog, Red Dog Beer, and Corona. Many sports teams (both local and national) have partnered with neon glassmakers and beer companies to put out beer signs which simultaneously advertise the beverage and the team's logo. These signs sell at markdowns to businesses such as pubs and restaurants, and they can also quickly become collectors' items, particularly if a particular franchise or brand of beer goes out of existence.

Some neon beer sign collectors import items from overseas, particularly from Germany, France, and England. There are other neon beer sign spotters who prefer Asian neon beer signs. Some focus exclusively on one brand of beer, such as Tsingtao or Sapporo.