I have been looking for this pump for quite a while and lo and behyold, one fell into my lap! Whenever I take a road trip, if I have time, I always scour the small towns for evidence of anything petro that might interest me! Sometimes theres noone around and I make a small note to stop there in the future and other times the owner is present and I get my answer on the spot! This was an occassion where there were some light poles stacked behind an old gas station and I had stopped to visit with the owner to find out the status on the poles. Well, the station was closed but it was during the day and I was able to look in thru the windows to see if there was anything of interest or cleaned out and empty. I spotted a couple of minor signs on the wall that piqued my interest and I moved to the shop window for a peek!
"THERE IT WAS" the Holy Grail of my pump hunt! A Tokheim 36B Display case pump! Knowing there was noone available, I drove around the block looking for a business that was open and could have some knowledge of the owner. I spotted a welding shop with some activity and felt it was the best option. The owner was very friendly and gave me the station owners name and phone number and then asked the purpose of my questions. When I told him that I was a petro collector, he laughed and told me that the cranky old owner would never sell anything and I might as well forget it! I laughed and thanked him for the information!
The next day I was able to contact the owner by telephone and was talking to a seemingly plesant person and he informed me that it was possibly for sale but wanted my estimation of worth if its in good shape. I told him it was entirely dependant on condition and that I would have to see it to be accurate but I did give him a value range that I felt it would fall into. That was the answer he was waiting for and told me that I was being fair and not trying to steal it and that I was welcome to come and examine it and possibly make a deal!
I was able to make the journey about a week later(150 miles) and we made plans to meet at the old station. Upon arrival, I was escorted to the pump and given examination time alone to really look it over good! The pump was in great shape with very little missing and no rust issues!
PERFECT! At this point we spent quite a bit of time talking about the history of this certain pump and the sentimental value of it to him! We talked for about 2 hours about everything from family to the history of gas stations in general but the time had come to discuss the value of the pump! He politely asked as to what I was willing to give and when I gave him a figure in the higher end of my range, he smiled and told me that it was a fair offer and he would seriously consider it but had to consult with family before he pulled the trigger! I told him that I understood perfectly and that I would wait for his call!
About a week went by and my phone rang with the station owner on the other end and
"OH MY GOD" he was accepting my offer and telling me to come and get the pump! He then proceeded to tell me that he had many offers over the years to buy the pump and all the prospective buyers had always informed him of the defects in the pump and made very small offers because of the "condition". He said that my first value range told him that he was talking to someone that was knowledgeable about antique pumps and was probably honest but he was reserving his opinion until he was able to meet me. He said that a lowball range would not have gotten me an invite to view the pump!
He then informed me that the 2 hours we spent talking about everything from family to petro was what convinced him that his pump would be in good hands and that if the offer was fair, he was going to recommend to the family that they sell it to me. He also told me that he had done a lot of research on the value of this pump and when I made him my offer, he felt that it was right on the money as to what he felt it was worth and that I should call him at my convenience to come and pick it up!
Well, I picked it up yesterday and had another wonderful visit with him but I was anxious to ask him about some things that I could kind of see in the loft of the station. I politely asked if I could be allowed to take a quick look up there and he winked and said "eventually,"
but remember something---the fun of accumulating this stuff is in the hunt and not the possession! You'll get your chance at anything else that I might have but theres no hurry! I left the station and drove down the road with dreams of what might actually be up there! Man, I can't wait,I LOVE IT!
