Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Lubster Sign Questions....

Hey guys, wondered if anyone could answer a few questions for me? A friend of mine is restoring a Standard Oil Lubster. He's not 100% sure, but he is thinking he may want to find a sign for it. We already know they're pretty hard to find, there is one on Ebay currently but price is right up there but far as I know that may be a great price, I know nothing about these. Here's the questions...does anyone make a reproduction lubster sign for Standard Oil? If not what can a guy expect to pay for a very nice original? And can anyone tell me where and how they mount? Just trying to help out and give him his options. Thanks!

All of the Standard Oil Lubesters that I have ever seen, only have a decal on them. This was a very common way to identify the brand of oil used in the bulk oil lubester and was used by most companies. If you stop to think, drilling a hole in the side of the oil tank to mount a sign would be sure to cause a leak! I've never seen a metal lubester sign put out by Standard Oil but I sure could be wrong, I'm a long ways from having seen it all!

Some guys will use a coduit clamp to put a small sign on the pipe. There was a thread in the past, but I dont remember when or where.

Maybe that is what you're thinking? A small 6 inch sign thats commonly called a lubester paddle sign?
Those can vary in value in a big way! I've seen a common one bring around $100 and there was a Nourse one at Iowa Gas that brought $1700! As always, rarity and condition!

Look at the picture of Esse's Lubester, in this thread.

http://www.oldgas.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=93365&page=1

Heres one that I used and another thats up on the wall.

Hey guys, Thanks for the replies! Kevin, the one's I have seen appeared to be mounted at the top of the pump somehow, not on the tank itself. Sounds like something I'd do though :-) I think we're thinking of the same thing when you mention paddle sign though. I've dug up some photo's from old posts here on oldgas and just was wondering if they were common or not. Kind of figured they weren't but also I couldn't find a reproduction of one either. We saw that one on Ebay, for reference it's number 280735456360. I've seen a couple more with the two holes at the bottom, figured it mounted very similar to Esse's Lubester that Thunderll pointed out. This gentleman putting this lubster together isn't a "serious" collector which is why I wondered if anyone reproduced them. Sounds like not though, Thanks!

Kevin, I posted just a minute too late. That's exactly the type of sign I was talking about. Now curiosity has the better of me. Was that a sign that was specifically used for a lubster? That really looks fantastic!

Yes, these were designed specifically for a lubester because of the need to identify the product for the public and the fact that it was hard to mount a sign to one and yet keep it in a conspicuous place.
The sign on ebay used to command that $350 price but lately, I have seen them as low as $200, but again, its the condition that will move the price around. I would value the one on ebay somewhere around $275 but what the heck, If you like it, buy it! It isn't that much of a premium to get it!
Tough part is finding a bracket to mount it. I made the one in the picture and I have an original here but have yet to find someone to duplicate them for me. Maybe this winter!

Thanks for all the information Kevin, much appreciated!
Mark