Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Known & Suspected Unmarked Petro Reproductions REPRO QUART CANS

Here are two examples of repo cans that have come my way. The Texaco Havoline was described as NOS and it is FULL. It was in my collection for several months before I started inventorying and identified it. Too late to confront the seller. However, I received the TYDOL can yesteray and immediately suspected a repo.
The cans are very well done but here are some hints to detect a repo. The "label" is a vinyl coating and is very smooth. Too smooth for an original metal can. Labels are usually in perfect condition also. As some repo labels are used on old original cans, they adhere to any small dings or dents and make the can look "used". The BEST way to ID a suspected can is get a magnifying glass and look at the label. It will have a vinyl pattern in it. The TYDOL pattern was much less present then the HAVOLINE, which means the crooks are getting better...but the pattern is still there. On a final note, do NOT assume a can that is FULL is an original.

WOW! The lengths that some people will go to in order to cheat people out of their hard earned cash, is just mind boggling! Not enough cash involved to take it thru the legal system so the crooks go free! How can this be turned around?

Gary,

Sorry to hear about your recent purchase.

I only collect full metal quarts, partly because it helps to control my spending as they are harder to find, and partly because they weren't being reproduced. It looks like I'll have to settle for one out of two from now on.

Thanks for the heads up.

Marshall

Thanks Gary' I was watching this can or one like it several days ago. I sure didn't know this tydol can had been reproduced. Thanks for the heads-up on these cans, very helpful. sorry about you're loss. It's pretty easy to see they can and will reproduce any qts. known. Kinda sucks because I'm gonna be skeptical of any on e-bay now. better safe than sorry I guess;;;;;;;;;Ron

There are sellers who refill and relid and sell them as "full cans of oil". I have questioned a couple of them and you would be surprised on some of them.
By the way, DB DOES NOT do that. He takes a crappy can and makes a work of art out of it.
But some are from well known sellers.
I know , I have received them after paying well for the can.
You can trust Dave (canasaurus) and D.B on their cans as well as Scott (quartcans)as well as Don Raleigh.
Maurice

What kind of seam does the can have Gary. Can you post a picture of it.

Thanks

ALL my Repo cans are DATED & are now done with a Water Slide decal applied to NEW CANS. If the original has a solder seam, my repo's have a printed gray area to replicate it.
The only time I will re-fill a repaired can is when the owner request it, but never when I replace the bottom end because it was damaged.
Everyone that has/is selling my cans on ebay MUST state they are COPYS or a FANTASY can. I have always insisted they do so, or I will not sell them more cans.
Here is MOST of the cans I have done.


db

Scott, first chance I have had to add a pic of the can seams. So here they are. If you can enlarge the Havoline image, you may be able to make out the vinyl pattern I spoke of. BTW...I received a full refund on the Tydol can including return shipping cost. I was lucky I was dealing with a very honest seller.

Havoline Repo Seam

Gary, thanks for the heads up. When magnifying the Havoline can I can clearly see the vinyl pattern. This is what oldgas is all about, helping fellow collectors.

Sure glad I read this thread! I received this can in the mail from an ebay auction and a bunch of red flags went up immediately! NO scratches or paint loss anywhere! Thought I'd hit the jackpot until I remembered this post and started looking real close!The Cities Service lettering on the logo is actually raised enough that you can feel the difference with your fingers! If you look closely at the green area by the solder seam, you can see a double line where the new vinyl was applied! And of course, once I started really looking, it was obvious that the vinyl pattern was present!
Excellent looking can and even had some residue inside! I don't know about the rest of you but I've had 3 repop items sent to me in the last month and it makes me mad that I had to waste all that time and money to get a reproduction! Thank god for Old Gas or I wouldn't have known in this case!
Worst part is the poor seller that is convinced that its a real deal and you're just an idiot thats picking on them! After these repops get passed around a few times, someone eventually believes they're REAL! Thats when the fight breaks out!
I'll let you know how this one turns out after I hear back from the seller!----KEVIN

Seller just called and apologized, said he should have looked at it better. He already refunded and said to just send it back! I think he had no idea, just one of many, many things he has for sale. Thats the problem with repops, after a certain number of trades, someone is going to think its real! Glad I had a thread on Old Gas that helped out!!!---KEVIN

When in Doubt about a can, see if you can feel the edge of label with your fingernail. A printed can you Cannot.
The Cities Service can appears to have sanding/steel wool marks across the soldered seam [like it was spun on a lathe to remove old printing].