Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Looking back with regrets

It always seems that something comes up on OG the night I am coming home from throwing darts and drinking a few beers. Just to let you know I went undefeated tonight.
What got me started now, was a request for parts for a pump from the 1970s.
Myself with a OG member number of 57, DB just a few numbers after me, and of course Jim who is probably #1 I believe we are the three oldest members still responding to questions.
All three of us have seen things in the hobby come from when we would kick them out of he way to get to the more valuable items to becoming what people are asking for today. I remember having 200 gas pumps in a warehouse and being asked to come to a bulk plant and taking (free) some pumps they wanted to get rid of. These pumps were Wayne Blend pumps that at the time I felt would not be worth anything in the future. Man, was I wrong.
We are always being asked "where is the hobby going?"
Just the request for parts for a 70s pump should tell us that we missed out on many pumps we felt would never be worth anything.
I am almost 78 years old, and realizing that that as far as I am concerned, this hobby will soon pass on to much newer members.
Since I and some others have passed on items we felt would never be worth anything, I would like to say, no matter what you find, I hope you don't pass on it as I did.
Even though you are young, there will be people even younger than you who will remember that item you preserved.

Damm, I should have kept all those blends pumps.

Jack Sim

Jack is right. I learned years go. Grab first, you can always toss it later. I have had so many things pass thru my hands for the taking I didn't think were worth anything. 20 years later I see this stuff bring good money and think Ouch!

The hobby will "evolve".
Chuck

Oh, yes! Hindsight is always 20/20. Lots of fun times in this hobby, but several regrets, as life is.
Member #33 here.
Rod van Pelt

My brother and I went to see IronMan 3 this weekend. There was an ad in the previews for Lego Marvel action hero dolls. I told him I ought to buy some sets, put them in a safe deposit box and will them to my nephew to get in 40 years. "They will probably be worth something then" I told my brother!
He laughed but.....it is true!
How about all those comic books that got tossed, lost, forgotten?!
Even worse......the girl that should have asked out??!!

...not so much these days...there are plenty of post-1980 baseball cards out there, because people bought extras and 'put them in a safe deposit box'...the old Mego toys have value because very few people bought them and left them mint in the package...

We had been a Tokheim distributor since the late 40's and are now Wayne. I've personally scrapped a number of 70's stainless pumps but have stopped doing that. Continue to scrap and cannibalize multiple hose dispensers if not usable or salable which someday... who knows...

Jack you are correct.Just hard to store it for all those years.At least you never passed on those dart games!Now your showing em how its done!Way to go.Hope you all have a great week.Mark

Jack I have been there done that I also have thought from time to time about the items I passed on. It just makes me sick, also to take it one step further. Nobody owns any of this stuff we are just the curators storing these for future generations to enjoy because once we are all dead and gone we will be forgotten but the stuff lives on!

I've had a yard full of 70's and 80's pumps and parts for over 20 years. When I first started picking them up, I would either recondition them to put back in service, or use them for parts.
While the demand for them ( as far as usable pumps) has eased up considerably... the demand from collectors, for parts is increasing...
I thought of scraping some many times, but never did...just in case..

Glad I didn't.