Shopping at bizrate has a lot of options and compares prices from different retailers. If you prefer to buy a used sign, you can go to ebay. Also, amazon sells these at a decent price with the option to buy used as well.
The installation of a neon 'open' sign for a store can be as simple as mounting it to a window and plugging it in. But be careful! The neon sign is made from glass and is very fragile!
There are many places that sell neon open signs. Uline is a distributor of just about anything a business would need and they sell all types of neon signs including open signs.
neon
There are various companies such as hanged neon who builds open signs. They cost roughly 10 cents a day when you purchase a neon sign based off of their price and average life expectancy.
You can purchase neon open signs at this website http://www.allneonsigns.com/feature-neon-open-signs.html. You can also get customized neon signs made. There are many websites that have already made and custom made signs available. The website http://www.neon-nites.com/ has a huge selection of signs.
He should try searching in newspapers to find neon sign makers in his area. A good value for money is "Neon Circus" located in United Kingdom.Also he can choose JantecNeon in USA.
You can check Yellow Pages for companies that specialize in neon sign production. Other than that, Ebay and Amazon would have plenty of offers available for this.
Neon from a neon sign is an element. It has the symbol Ne and is in group 18 which is noble gasses.
You can purchase a neon Corona sign from eBay, and you might be able to find some on Craigslist. Sometimes people are clearing their garages out and they will sell things like neon beer signs.
To build a neon sign factory.
A well made neon sign will last as long it's vacuum remains sealed. So if you can find a used sign which meets your needs there's no reason not to buy it.
There are various third party retailers that can connect or delivery the items personally. However the best way may be to contact a local facility that produces or deals with the matters of neon signs. A business may have additional neon open signs they are willing to get rid of.