Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Thread Like Summary - Old Timers

Sure do miss the old timers on this site, many words of wisdom and knowledge were passed along this website,
just a constant reminder how things change.

I also miss so many of the old timers we used to see here on the forum regularly. When Dick Bennett and Jack Sim passed away, we lost a huge bank of gas pump knowledge that can't be replaced easily.

Things change. People pass away or move on to other interests and other places to spend their time and energy. I'm grateful for those of you who still participate here.

I’m guilty of straying away from Oldgas over the last couple of years myself. It’s so easy to follow the crowds and everybody has the social media app on their phone that’s just a click away from a lot of things. But it’s getting so commercialized, both the social media sites and the hobby, that I’ve started checking here more and there less. There’s still a lot of knowledge here and good people that will share it for nothing if asked. Merry Christmas to all and keep the faith!!….GB

Thing is oldgas was/is a true forum for collectors!!! There was a few on here that bought and sold but not the "pickers" like there are today. Let me ad i am not bashing a picker but this hobby was about collecting... not making a buck! I have had several globes over the years i had bought and other friends bugged me about buying because they collected that brand. I sold a few to friends and they still have them in there collection today! This means more than selling to someone who just wants to make a dollar... one buddy called me a year or 2 back and asked if i wanted to buy my old globe back because he found another like it. I said sure as i loved that globe and now its back on my shelf.
That is what makes this hobby great!!!

I too miss some of the ol' codgers on the site, many of us recall the many hours of entertainment they gave us, but obviously more importantly their knowledge. That said, there are still many knowledgeable folks on this site who help out when they can. I'm not on any social media sites, to OG IS my go to place each day to keep my toes in the hobby. Although my intensity of the hobby has lessened a bit in the last 5 years or so, I'm still here daily and still look for petroliana wherever I go, I just don't add as much as I did then due to space constrictions mostly. But like any hobby, though interest may ebb and flow, I don't think it's something you'll ever completely get out of, it always keeps a hold on you!
Darin

Still visit but not daily life get’s busy . Cell phones , Farcebook , marketplace opened up a whole ball of wax some good and a lot bad . Find myself coming back home to OLD GAS more the past few weeks . Never gets old as it is informative , helpful and full of a whole bunch of knowledge still even with the old timers passing . A Site where a persons word is gold and ethics are paramount . The no hassle site that unites us . Hat’s off to Jim for keeping it going . As we get older we don’t buy and sell as much but rather selectively replace our stock upgrading less as there just isn’t enough room lol . But it is so enjoyable to turn the lights on low light up the signs and put a few disc on the record player sit back and take in the atmosphere . Too me that is the joy of collecting .

I check in daily. This sight has provided me with a wealth of information over the years. I'm a collector of pumps and entry level globes. In the early days you could post what you needed, and someone would usually have what you needed often for free. It was always for the good of the hobby. Things change and parts got harder to come buy so we started hanging on to the parts that we thought we would need. We always questioned whether the hobby could sustain itself when prices changed, and here we are still questioning if it can. I miss the old timers, Dick Bennett's Christmas note using collectors' names in it, the Jarvis jinks, Jack's information on pumps, the daily check-ins just to let other collectors know what projects we are working on. This sight provided motivation for keeping in the hobby. It was the fun of the hunt. As things got harder to find pickers can into the hobby. They serve a purpose in this day and age of high gas prices and fewer items in the wild. Most of the pumps I get now come from the old timers that are downsizing and they know I will keep the pump for my collection. I try to pass on some of the information I have acquired over the years.

Happy Birthday Ohio Oil and Jarvis! Two on the same day.....

I'm probably one of the newer guys to comment on this thread. I signed up for OldGas in 2014, but I looked at the site for many, many years prior and finally bit the bullet and signed up one day. I actually started collecting signs in 1992 when I was in college, but it was nothing good back then. I was around on OG early enough to get beat up by DB now and again and it was all good fun.

I will say a couple of things about this site that I love. 1) The people here have great knowledge and are willing to help. 2) for the most part if someone asks a question, people here don't answer unless they know the answer. So many people guess on Facebook and it really screws up the knowledge base. It is entertaining on Facebook when someone asks if a sign is real, and a guy will respond "it looks good to me, but I don't have a lot of experience" (Then why do you open your mouth?). Then 10 guys say its good and 10 guys say its bad. And they all have been collecting for an average of 5 years each... lol. I do go there to buy and sell, there is a lot of stuff, but I try to stay away when I have a question, unless I know the guy who answered. 3) there are no repops sold here on OG without being labeled as such!! Every other format on line is inundated with fakes. AND 4) the most important, I have made some very cool friends from this website and the hobby and I have really enjoyed the journey so far.

This is a great site and I thoroughly enjoy it. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas,
Steve