Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion New Collector needs some guidance

Hi, Will from WA state here. I am just getting started, got bit by the bug.... Grew up hanging out at my Uncle's Gas Station and now I want to start collecting Gas Globes and Gas & Oil porcelain signs. Where do I start for Globes the are "reasonable" I see several for sale under the $400 mark, any suggestions or help would be very much appreciated. As far as brand goes for the Globes and signs, I don't really care, I think they are all beautiful.
Thanks,
Will

When it comes to globes try Scott Benjamin at www.gasglobes.com. He wrote the book on them along with Wayne Henderson, if you buy from him or Lonnie Hop you are guanteed to get the real deal at a fair price..

Thanks much

Years ago Lonnie Hop wrote a series of articles for Check The Oil magazine about collecting globes on a budget that was an inspiration to many new globe collectors.
The more common Sinclair globes like Dino, Dino Supreme, new style H-C; new logo DX; new logo Marathon Mile Maker and Super M are all budget friendly entry level globes.
There are many capco body globes in the $400 & under range. You may want to consider buying single lens globes as well.
There is no substitute for going to the shows to learn about globes and to network with other collectors and dealers.

Peruse through the websites for the various suppliers of reproduction globes to acquaint yourself with them. Then, try to hook up with a local collector and have them show you the differences between originals and reproductions.

Follow current e-bay listings and the completed listings that will give you a good idea of values.

Welcome to old gas. All good advice above. Globes are hard to find in this area compared to the mid west and back east. There are signs out there. Find local collectors in your area and they will be able to help you find what you want. If your ever in my area stop by, I have a few globes. Richard

Welcome to Old Gas!
If you are going to get into globes, then you need to invest in a copy "Guide to Gas Globes" by Scott Benjamin & Wayne Henderson. It's on CD, so you can have it on your smart phone and have it with you at all times. You can purchase a copy off Scott's website, listed above. I also have the books on globes, but the CD is with me all the time. Do your home work before you spend a lot of your money on items that you find out later are reproductions. Surf Old Gas, as there is a wealth of knowledge on this site. Buy reference books, talk or visit with veteran collectors and attend any shows which might have petroliana. Good luck, but remember "it is an addiction, with no known cure".

Welcome to Oldgas. You are getting some good advice here. Before you get delerious with fever and want to buy every globe you see. Do some thinking about what you really want to collect. If you truly don't care about what brand of globe you collect, then get after it. But, there are some ugly ones out there as well that after time you may not like. Consider how you want to display them. There are globe holders out there with lights in the base. Think about shelving....and insurance.

what part of Washington. I was just out in Spokane and bought a gas pump. Good luck.

Thanks for all the info guys, I really appreciate it. I live out in Western Wa,

Alex, yes, going to have some shelves installed so I can sit back and look at them, Might also get a display cabinet of sorts.

Also, gasglobes.com seems great. Kind of scared of Ebay because I am not educated yet and don't want to learn the hard way.

I do like the Sinclair Dino Globes for some reason though and my Uncle use to own a Esso Service station for decades......

My advice, after spending many years as a fairly low budget collector, is to be patient and buy the best examples you can find of whatever you are buying. I recently needed to sell 25 globes simply because they were in my way, even to the point of being on my shop floor. Now, had I been more disciplined and selective, I would never have had that problem. You might ask how a fairly low budget collector can have 25 extra globes; trust me, it happens.

As far as "smalls" go, the same advice applies. If you don't now have, or are working on obtaining in the near future, a proper place to display them, then be careful about the quantity you buy. I have pieces in boxes that I have literally forgotten I own them I haven't seen them in so long.

Signs don't take up as much room, storagewise, but you can only display so many at a time. Again, unless a sign is very cheap and has a definite displayable side, I would steer away from those with more than minor damage, regardless of the price.

Whatever you do, do it for your own enjoyment, not as a competition.

Very good advise. Build the collection you want and are going to enjoy. Good idea to set a game plan and then try to stick to it.

Lots of good advice and a couple comments I can't comprehend...ugly globes and too many globes? Never!
It's good to have a game plan but for most of us those plans change over time as our collecting focus changes or becomes more refined. The good thing is if you're careful with your buying, you can sell the entry level globes at a profit as your collecting preferences change. Lots of people have built some outstanding collections by doing just that.