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#101696 Sun Oct 10 2004 09:56 AM
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I started collecting stuff for my fantasy gas station about two years ago and have since gotten hooked into this hobby.

Unfortunately, I have concluded that I am about ten years too late to afford the good older stuff (Porcelain signs, globes, pumps, racks, etc.). After going out every weekend to hundreds of garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, car shows and one gas bash, I can only come up with the crumbs of a collection on my meager budget.

This has led me to establish "The Poor Man's Petrolania Museum" here in Solvang California to showcase for all of the rest of the poor collectors (i.e. guys that don't have a wad of cash to spend) the things that you can still buy cheap at a yard sale and display in your garage. Your ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated to add to this showcase. I will post photos for you if you email them to me.

Here is what I have come up with so far with some photos of my collection and prices I've paid here in California.

  • Oil Punch Spouts--Cost, anywhere from "you can have that" to $1.00 tops. I had no idea there were so many different manufacturers of spouts. I haven't come up with a duplicate yet.
  • Common Composite Oil Cans--Cost, Free because they are messy or leaking to $2.00 because they still have good oil in them, at least that's what the sellers say.
  • Maps--Couple of bucks for a box full, especially if you find them under a table at a yard sale. Usually the good ones have been folded twelve different ways with a coffee spill or two, but once in awhile you find a state that they never made it too at the bottom of the box and the map is still in good shape.
  • Metal Pour Cans--A buck or less to five bucks. These are the Swingspouts or other galvanized cans in quart sizes. Just bought a nice quart Swingspout at the Santa Maria Swap Meet last weekend for a buck (spent $2.00 to get in so it really cost me $3.00 not counting the $5.00 worth of gas to get there)


All-righty then. That's my contribution and here is my collection. Would like to see some of your contributions to what you can collect for say five bucks or less. I'm not talking about your "scores" like the "old man that sold you a 1935 Texaco can for a dollar", but things that you can consistently find cheap still and make some kind of a collection.

The Oil Spout Collection (Just added four yesterday for less than two bucks total)

The Map Collection. This is just a few that came out of two boxes I got recently. One box was free, paid five bucks for the other.

[This message has been edited by c cragg (edited 10-10-2004).]


The Poor Man's Petrolania Museum
Solvang, CA
Value Questions and Showcase forums

Please - NO offers to Buy or Sell in this forum category

Statements such as, "I'm thinking about selling this." are considered an offer to sell.
#101697 Sun Oct 10 2004 12:51 PM
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Curt,
Next time there is hazardous waste collection site, take a box of donuts to the workers. Explain what you are collecting [take a few samples to show], and condition is not important [full, 1/2 full or empty/rusty].
Tell them you will be back later in the day [with some water or sodas]. Most times they will set items aside for you to pick over,
Leave your phone # with the ones in charge.

A friend found the 5qt POLLY & a 5qt GILMORE at a collection site.
Dick

[This message has been edited by Dick Bennett (edited 10-10-2004).]

#101698 Sun Oct 10 2004 05:01 PM
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If your willing to step up a few bucks... Many 2 gallon cans are reasonable & there are loads of companies that put them out.

#101699 Sun Oct 10 2004 05:27 PM
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THAT'S TRUE SPEEDWAY, LATELY THAT'S ALL I'VE BEEN BUYING ARE THE 2-GALLONS...THEY LOOK GREAT AND DISPLAY WELL! ($10-$30 UP FROM EBAY POSTAGE INCLUDED!)

DOC @ TAG/EAST

[This message has been edited by THE AMERICAN GARAGE (edited 10-10-2004).]


DOC @ THE AMERICAN GARAGE
#101700 Sun Oct 10 2004 07:02 PM
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Hey guys, I appreciate the advice. I came up with a variation of your idea this week Dick and took some flyers (and some of my oil) to our local recycle center. They take used motor and transmission oil there so they get cans according to the guy that works there all of the time. Said that he's thrown away lots of old cans and one time a guy brought in "cases" of old cans (ouch!) I am hoping that I will hear from him soon.

Anyhow, don't want to miss the point of this showcase, which is what can you still buy at a garage sale, yard sale, swap meet or flea market for under five bucks to make a cheap Collection? I would like to hear some more ideas (like the two gallon cans) and see some pictures.
I forgot to mention oilers which I come across by the boat load for about two bucks or less, oil usually included. One guy just kept digging them out of his junk pile for me until I had a box full. I didn't even really want them but I had to be polite because he had plenty of stuff I did want. So here's a few more pictures for inspiration from "The Poor Man's Petrolania Museum"



The shiny one is the Swingspout I got for a buck at the Santa Maria Swap Meet. I love a cheap date!

[This message has been edited by c cragg (edited 10-10-2004).]

[This message has been edited by c cragg (edited 10-10-2004).]

[This message has been edited by c cragg (edited 10-10-2004).]


The Poor Man's Petrolania Museum
Solvang, CA
#101701 Sun Oct 10 2004 07:09 PM
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c cragg, I feel for you...I began to pick stuff up about 5 or 6 years ago, but I was never very serious about it. Being a relatively young guy trying to keep my family going, I dont have a big budget for the good stuff. So I pick up a repro sign here, an oil can there and so on. Most of my old stuff has come from flea markets. Every now and then you can find a good deal. Part of my challenge is displaying the stuff. The misses doesnt want the house over run with old gas things. So The garage gets decorated, but there's only so much space when two cars need to go in there...

------------------
-Dave-
Slowly progressing on a '54 Tokheim 39


-Dave-
Collects Dino era Sinclair & Mopar items
#101702 Mon Oct 11 2004 04:42 AM
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C Cragg, that's a pretty impressive collection for garage sale finds. It looks good all grouped together. I may be misinterpeting you and Plum_72, but don't get discouraged. Millions of items were made and they are still out there. You are NOT too late. I know being young puts a damper on collecting, especially when you see some of the items in BOTW and think "man, I wish I had that". I know I do. Hang in there, your day will come. First, take care of your Family and financial responsibilities. Collecting can and will wait. Even if it takes you 20 years to pay off a mortgage, get the kids through collecge and all the other responsibilities, there will still be stuff available. Not one of us started out buying Woco-Pep globes at first, and many items I do get to buy that may be considered somewhat expensive, I work hard and save for them. These items are still expensive to me/us that have already paid the mortgage. And I still don't own any $10,000 item and probably never will unless I find it. I'm just saying to keep the faith. I think you are doing a fine job building a collection now.

#101703 Mon Oct 11 2004 12:44 PM
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Gary I can't let your post pass with-out a BIG THANKS for puting things and the stuff we collect in perspective.Sound advice,where does the time go? Our journey on earth is a flash loaded with experience.
Do the rite thing and the universe will be your friend.
.............
REX
KYSOILMAN

#101704 Mon Oct 11 2004 02:18 PM
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Here's the two cent advice that I was given. "Try to collect a speciality". Like only oil cans, or only Texaco, or globes. I always thought that was very good advice! Now, I've never been able to do it, but I do think it's good advice. I think that I could have had some outstanding items if I'd only concentrated on one brand. As it turns out, I LIKE IT ALL !
I just have to admire a guy that has the ability to pass up that Husky Orange quart of oil because he collects Texaco. Ha. Not me!

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Don "oltoydoc" Sherwood
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#101705 Mon Oct 11 2004 02:25 PM
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i'm with ya there doc !!!!.. but.. as long as we are talking about inexpensive items don't overlook... blotters , salesroom catalogs, rubber tire ashtrays, spark plugs, license plates, and the list goes on and on..

#101706 Mon Oct 11 2004 04:04 PM
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I think we all have been in this position. When I first started collecting pumps alot were free people just wanted to get rid of them. that has changed. But I also collected alot of patches and maps and you can still get alot of these cheep. I found people with similar interests and started trading duplicate items which kept the price down even lower. We all have bought a lot of maps wanting only one or two out of the bunch what are you going to do with the rest, trade. What it boils down to is that it doesn't matter what a item cost it's finding it and the feeling it gives you. If you cann't get excited over it your in wrong hobby. Just my two cents. Richard

#101707 Mon Oct 11 2004 06:23 PM
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Richard I appreciate your comments and I hope that you all know that while I'm ranting I'm doing it with a sense of humor, not out of spite. Like you I get pretty excited when I dig down in a milk crate of dingy old parts and dig out what I think is a Petrolania gem and the guy sells it to me for fifty cents. It doesn't matter how small or insignificant if it adds to my collection or I can use it as a trading piece. My intention with this showcase was just to find out what other collectors find interesting that they can buy cheap. We can't all collect pump and globes, but there are plenty of other interesting things to go around and that's the fun of the hobby. I'm just a garage sale guy because I like the cheap finds, afterall half the fun is in the looking.
Keep those idea coming!


The Poor Man's Petrolania Museum
Solvang, CA
#101708 Mon Oct 11 2004 07:27 PM
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What about matchbook covers? Although I don't collect them, I think they are fairly inexpensive and when grouped together in a frame make for an awesome display. And every oil company can be represented.

#101709 Mon Oct 11 2004 07:59 PM
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The map and picture frame idea that was in another post a few days back was a cool idea. Like GatorGas said, maps are still inexpensive and many of them have cool graphics! I've found that some of the off brand oil cans and additives can still be had at a low cost; again some had cool graphics. With having a small collection, how you display things can also give added WOW.

------------------
-Dave-
Slowly progressing on a '54 Tokheim 39


-Dave-
Collects Dino era Sinclair & Mopar items
#101710 Mon Oct 11 2004 09:27 PM
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Well speaking of maps those guys inspired me so I took all of their ideas and made them into my collecting specialty which is lighted signs. I will post more on this in the map display post, but here's the photo.


By the way, Thanks to all of you for your ideas and encouragement. It keeps me going to all of those swap meets and garage sales.


The Poor Man's Petrolania Museum
Solvang, CA
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