The other day; I'm in downtown Vancouver, in a high end architectural antique shop. Stain glass windows with prices tags in the $5000.00 to $65,000.00 range and lights from $500.00 to $12,000.00. Nothing newer than 1920's.
I spotted this 1890's cast iron wall sconce; well I had to have it. It was sorta like love at first sight...well I left the shop feeling like I had just paid for a wedding.
It's a brute, it weighs over 100 pounds. It is 38" in length without the globe. It is 19" deep. The base that secures it to the wall is 16" in diameter. By far one of the hardest things I've hung up in the shop by myself!!!! My arms were pretty exhausted by the time I had it hung on the wall. Luckily, my 1 year old daughter pulled up just at the right time to help with the clean up.
The one piece Texaco globe goes perfectly with the wall sconce.
There were two of those if not the same ones at the Monroe swap meet last year in the fall. They were great. Looks great.
cool piece..
Very nice!!! Looks amazing!
Nice sconce but I really like your little helper. She's beautiful. You must be proud? Paul
www.severngaspumps.com
That is nice . Sure understand why you feel in love with it.
Really like this piece Dave, but do me a favor and get it off that plywood and onto the brick outside your house. Way to beautiful a piece to be mounted to chip board.
Nice White Coke button and nice sconce
Thanks for all the comments. Best, little helper..ever. Very proud of her.
Graeme, If I had two of them...I would mount them outside the house. Until I build my new building it is going to stay on the chip board.
Marxmobilegas, I like coke buttons, here's some of my other coke buttons.
The Canadian members got to see my signs on the Canadian Pickers episode. Maybe, I'll use this thread to share my sign collection with the rest of the members. I'll post a few pictures everyday for the next week or so.
Hope you enjoy the photo's.
cool soda pop shot & all in pristine condition..
Dave, thanks for sharing with the USA collectors. Very nice! Looking forward to the additional pictures. Cheers!
A few closer shots. These are very clean signs, those are reflections in the buttons.
A few more.
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Dave, I thought I had a pretty good idea what your Collection might look like.... I can see, I was thinking in too small of a scale!
I look forward to more photos.... A big thumb's up for what I've seen so far!!!!
Very nice collection Dave, and thanks for sharing those pictures with all of us. Looks great!
Wow Dave, you have done well in a relatively short time, very impressive.
Ken.
Thanks guys. I appreciate you taking the time to check them out. I'll post some more pic's during the next few days.
Only my thoughts here. The way a collection is displayed will either make it or break it.
Your collection is displayed very well ! Looks real good, Thanks for sharing. How about your Texaco/Havoline Cans ?
Doug
Let's see some of the pumps Dave.
Great stuff Dave! The cast lamp is killer! Is it on a pole or wall mount?
Daryl those are cast aluminum street lights from downtown Vancouver 1950's era. They are pretty ornate, have the power receptacles built into them for Christmas lights that got strung across the street. I am missing the acorn style glass lense. I was lucky to find two and will be mounting them on the front of the new building....only if I can stop buying gas & oil long enough to save some money to build it.
Have you ever seen the movie "Rudy", where the father walks into Notre Dame stadium for the first time and says, "This is the most beautiful sight these eyes have ever seen", well I allllmost feel like that right now. : ) Beautiful collection.
On a serius note, how do you date a Coke button? I would love to get one someday.
Thanks guys! Canadian Coca Cola buttons are easy; they only came in porcelain and 48" (one size only) and they are all dated. US buttons are a whole other story. they came painted & porcelain, multiple sizes, many different logo's and styles. Most of the painted tin buttons are dated. I haven't seen a porcelain US button dated.
If you are going to collect Coca Cola. It's a good idea to get a Petretti's Coca Cola Collectibles Price Guide book. It's like Jack's Pump book...a must have. From having read you posts, I know that you are a cautious buyer that does his homework. There are 100 times more Coca Cola reproductions then gas & oil, so you can't be to careful.
nice collection dave, must be a big building!
I came to see the wall sconce(awesome) & got to see a killer collection! Thanks for taking the time to share it.
I'm glad you enjoyed the photo's and thanks for taking the time to check out my collection.
It's a 32'x80' building. It's pretty cluttered in there. I have building plans and a building permit in place for a 100'x150' building. When the wife I discovered how much the shop was going to be. She said, she wants to build a new house before we do the shop. I don't think I'll be building the shop anytime to soon.
Oh man Dave, what a collection. I plan in the near future to head out west to visit my friend Bud Irving (Bud's World), in Langley, I will definitly have to stop in and see you on the trip. One question, is the "certified tourist information" a Texaco sign? The reason I'm asking is that if I remember correctly, and I maybe wrong, in Gasolene Alley in Calgary, I think Ron Carey has/had one displayed with a B/A oil rack sign, and I always wondered if it was a B/A sign or Texaco or some other company that was just coincedentaly placed side by side.
Later,
Ken.
Ken, you are more than welcome to stop by anytime. That goes for any other members, if you are in the area...look me up.
The Certified Tourist Service is a B/A sign. It is marked as such in the fine print on the edge.
Lots and Lots of Eye Candy There!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Dave, it's definately on my "to do" list. I kinda thought that was a B/A sign,but wasn't sure. Dave, do you know or know of Bud Irving? He and Bev are two of the nicest people you will ever meet. He has a killer Texaco collection and a beautiful trio of tri-five chevies. I meet up with them at the Red Deer Swap meet every May, wonderful folks.
Ken.
I bought a few items from him at a swap meet in 2006 and haven't seen him since. Maybe when you come out, you can introduce me to him.
I read your other posts about the weather in Saskatoon. I mowed the lawn yesterday, and probably for not the last time this year. If for no other reason, you should make the trip to escape the weather.
Ken, here is a BA photo with the Certified sign. Actually BA had at least two versions: Tourist Information and Rest Rooms. My questions is what happened to all the vertical bow tie BA signs? I have yet to see a survivor and I have been through quite a few collections over the years. They are at least 7 foot, taller than the doorway and probably were back-lit. I have a photo of an Edmonton station that has neon on it. Now that would be an impressive piece to own and have lit. Dave, I was going to rake the leaves off the grass earlier this week but there is now over a foot of snow here. Drop by anytime you want to make a snowman, lol. Cheers, Don.
Wow Don, cool picture, I've never noticed them in any of the pictures I have, I'll have to look and see if there are any. I will have to keep my eyes open for one and save up to add to my collection. Those verticle B/A signs are cool, I think I have a pic of a station in P.A. or N.Battleford with one of those, also saw a pic of one on Broadway Ave. in S'toon here. I have a pic of the University Service in S'toon here that had a huge neon round red and green sign that blinked.Once I get my scanner/printer and a new camera I can start posting pictures again. Makes a guy wonder whatever happened to those signs.
Ken.
Don that's an awesome picture. I want one of those vertical signs...I've never seen one before.
Ken, what do you think of this neon sign, I did up?
I like it! That looks like a 36"? There is a "Great Canadian Oilchange" on 22nd street in Saskatoon here, and he got a five footer blue/orange transition sign from the old University Service station and put neon on it. the building is pretty much all glass and he keeps it lite up all the time, looks awsome at nite.If you get a chance Dave, could you please post a pic of it lit up in the dark?
Ken.
Here you go Ken. It was cold when I took the photo. The white & green neon tubes would have gotten brighter if I would have waited to let it warm up.
Wow, Wow, Dave, that is just beautiful. That's something I've thought about doing for some time, and now I think I'm gonna have to build me one of those sometime soon. Thanks a million for posting pictures of your great collection.
Ken.
Very Nice Dave, Thanx for Re-Sharing!!!!
I may be digging up bones but I guess I was asleep during all this , you have one heck of a nice collection there Dave ! I seen parts of it but not all this very very nice!
Forgot these two.
Very nice Dave! Looks awesome.Thanks for sharing. Mark
You guys must have missed that back in January!
So many signs..amazing..do you have any idea how many you have?
Thanks, guys...glad you enjoyed it.
Awesome Dave!,, Man I can't believe it!,, and I've seen some of these before!!!
Unbelievable collection you have Dave, I will have to go through all the posts several times to see everything. Love the neon BA sign you made, looks amazing! Thanks for sending me the link.
Paul
Pumps look great Dave, and the whole thing looks better all the time.
like the sconce love the collection, thanks for showing that Dave, it gives me something to aim for....good little helper ya have there.
regards
a
Nigel
Wow, I'm so moved...I checked into Oldgas.com today and found PM's inquiring about my well being. It is an overwhelming and powerful feeling to know that there are those that can care to that degree about someone they have never met. I thank you, my friends for taking the time to inquire. Your gesture of friendship and compassion means a lot to me and I hold you with respect in the same high regard!
As many of you are aware, I'm a hoarder. I live, on a two acre property that is absolutely crammed full. I have about 4000 square feet of buildings that barely have enough room to walk through. During the past 8 years my wife and I have considered building a new house and a super size shop on the property. To the point, where we have designed the house and building and had obtained building permits. But then came to the realization, that I simply had two much stuff for a 2 acre property.
Life; kinda has a way of getting away. Busy with work and raising children we lose sight of the fact that each year that passes us by we are getting further and further away from getting all our projects completed in our life time. I felt like, I was at a cross road in my life. If, I didn't start working towards getting started on all the things that I wanted to soon...I was going to run out of time. At 48, in all reality I have probably lived 2/3rds of my life. With less years ahead of me then behind me, I decided to take some action and control of this whole collecting thing.
Found myself doing some soul searching...I considered all the time I had spent away from my family over the years chasing cars and stuff. Carrying some guilt of the past, I wanted to move forward ensuring I spent more time with my family. I wanted to find that happy balance between collecting and family. Bearing in mind, that we don't take any of this with us and all we leave behind is the memories we have created with those we love and those that have loved us. I considered selling everything, but I wasn't quite done enjoying this stuff.
With my wife's love, support and approval, we decided to either find a another place by the end of 2015 or downsize my collection and go ahead with building the new house and shop.
My wife was in charge of checking the local real estate listings. Long story short, in June of this year, we bought another place. The property we bought is 4.5 acres and has two houses on it, the best part is, 35,000 sq ft of out buildings. (90’x250’, 40’x230’, 30’x50’).
All that soul searching and philosophical stuff....in the end I just ignored it all. I have never been more busier in life or have worked so hard for so long. I have made my life ten times busier then I was, and am struggling to make time for family and friends. I guess it's true, no rest for the wicked!
It will probably take me another 12 months before I'm moved and can even consider selling our current 2 acre property. Then probably another 2 years before I have my collection set up again. I haven't been out buying items as I have no time.
If I were to clear out the two big buildings, I have enough room to park more than a 125 full size cars indoors with space between them. I have instructed my wife to put me out of my misery and shoot me, if I ever out grow this place!
That my friends, is the reason why I been MIA (missing in action) for the past 5 months and probably will be for some time to come.
Good to hear from you again Dave and more happy to know that you are still doing well and continuing to build on your dreams and have exciting future plans. I have a feeling that you have planned well ahead and have a much more detailed plan for your future than what you have outlined in your post and I have no doubt you will make it all happen. Good luck in the future and check in with Oldgas every chance you get....Gary
It's not called hoarding when everything has a place, is categorized and is tidy--it's called the back lot of a movie studio, the basement of a museum, the parts department of a racing team, etc., etc. LOL
Nicole I've been at Dave's place. He's right, he has a hoarding issue. There is almost no room for the air. The first step in "healing" is recognition of your issues, the second is to buy a bigger building! LOL
Wow, congrats on the new place and glad to see you back!!
Great to hear the update from you, Dave. As long as you're still enjoying it, it's all good.
After seeing you a couple months back, I knew you were gonna drop off for awhile from how busy you were going to be. Didn't know it would be this long but I'm happy it was for nothing else than that!
Glad your able to catch up some and I hope all is great for you and your family!
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Great to hear from you Dave! Glad you are doing okay.
I too was wondering what was happening? Glad to hear it's all good and positive. Can't wait to see the new place. Have a great holiday season.
In June 2015, my wife and I bought a larger property as we (I) had outgrown our property.
We sold our old place in January 2016 with a completion date of June 30, 2016. I ended up having to rent it back for an additional three months. I just finished moving at the end of September. It took me 5 months to move all my stuff and vehicles...working 12 to 14 hrs a day. Over 200 cube van loads of stuff, 62 cars moved, seven 48 foot trailers and 5 cube vans that I use for storage.
I honestly, believed and told my wife I would never outgrow our new place and be out of space. I was a 100 percent sure that even I couldn't fill up 30,000 square feet of buildings in my back yard. Now, my new place is as cluttered as my old place was and yes...I am once again out of space!
I'll be checking in a little more often now.
The way to solve your addiction is to first admit you have one! LOL
I guess that old adage about junk around the house - that if you don't touch it in 5 years to toss it does not apply...
So did you find a bunch of stuff you forgot you had? And do you now know where everything is?
I freely admit that I have a problem. I'm going to be getting rid of a bunch of stuff...I have stuff that I haven't used in 20 years.
Yes, I found a lot of items that I had totally forgotten about.
It'll take me a few years to get organized again. At my other place I was very organized and could locate anything. I can't say the same about the new place.
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