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#130529 Fri Feb 06 2009 07:31 PM
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What are everyone's thoughts on the future value of gas collectibles. For instance, I am 46 now and when I go to an auction I see old wooden butter churns go for allot less than what they used to go for becasue the next generation does not know what a butter churn is so they have no desire to collect. I have spoken with auctioneers and they tell me that general antigues have started to go down in value - not because of the economy but becasue the younger generation does not know what they are. Can this happen with gas collectibles? Is the younger geberation collecting these? Will this stop me from collecting - no because i like it as a hobby and the nature of the people that collect. I just wanted to get a consensus on everyones thoughts.

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I think the value of gas station collectibles will go down eventually. I've had this conversation with fellow collectors before, and we came to the conclusion that people tend to collect things that are familiar from their childhood. Since most younger people don't have a clue what this stuff is, it isn't collectible for them. When Wes and I (27 and 22 now) decide to sell off, there's not going to be anyone to sell to! LOL. We'll just enjoy it while we have it and let someone else deal with it when we're gone! :-)

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That's an interesting subject. My feeling is that the hobby's median population is toward the older side, and I consider younger collectors like myself to be somewhat uncommon. That's not to say there are not quite a few younger collectors, as there are. The collecting population is, though, likely decreasing with time.

As with the butter churns you mentioned, the classic car collecting hobby has followed an age-based trend. As the people who grew up with 1920s cars grew smaller in number, the value of Model A Fords and such has fallen. The same goes for 1950s cars. Currently, it's the 1970+/-2 cars that are really hot, value-wise. Collectors of those cars are in the stages of their lives where they are more capable of spending money and buying the cars they remember from their younger years.

So, with the petro hobby, I expect prices to fall in the future, and the number of collectors to decrease as well. That's good for the people left in the hobby, but not so good for the hobby's long-term growth. It's also the reason I feel that investing in petro collectibles might have been wise in the past, but will continue to become less lucrative. It's important that we try to get more younger people involved in the hobby, and it is our duty as collectors to work toward this when we can.

I don't buy to invest -- I simply buy items that fall into the categories of "I really like that" and "I can afford that."

Just my thoughts...
Wes

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Watching programs such as Antiques Roadshow and checking out auctions, I see no real downturn in honest "well kept" items. Furniture from the turn of the 18th century(Early American) still holds its value. Each generation of collectors starts collecting items that they are familar with. Most of the time it is because it costs less than a similar item that is older. A perfect example is the gas pump; a 70's model and newer are given away. While a visable or pre-visable go for big money. During the 40s, one couldn't give a visable and earlier away. They were scrapped for junk. It will be the same for any object as time goes on. Collectors who are older and/or sick will pass on. Most of the time their heirs will not have any idea what an item is/was, let alone its worth. Some items will be sold to collectors, more often than not a good portion will be sold as junk, as family members try to get on with their lives. Each type of collecting experiences these rises and falls. Coins,stamps,baseball cards,furniture...etc even insect and butterfly collecting have all gone through this, but each still is going strong. Will gas and oil collecting "bottom out"? Depends on what is meant by "bottoming out"? Items given away free during the 40s-70s are still going for $$$, so if one sells something given away, then has that item "bottomed out", will it ever bottom out? The seller may not get what they paid for something, but maybe that seller paid too much to begin with. Just my .02 worth of possible nonsense.


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The next generation (I guess mine, I'm 31, could be considered here) will dictate a whole new genre of collectibles that they will desire, once they reach a point where they have disposable income. (HA!! Like that's gonna happen, Stimulus my a**)

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Originally Posted By: Seth Robbins
The next generation (I guess mine, I'm 31, could be considered here) will dictate a whole new genre of collectibles that they will desire, once they reach a point where they have disposable income. (HA!! Like that's gonna happen, Stimulus my a**)


I am also 31, Wes and Tara are Youngsters I have a Couple Buddies that are 30 that collect and I beleive I have seen others here that have said they are in their 30's. Sounds to me like there is a Bunch of 30 somethings collecting this Stuff and Don't forget the 20 somethings Wes,Tara and Aaron Hop. So I think the Next Generation of Collectors is going strong all it takes is for others our Age to visit our collections and maybe spark an interest in the hobby, I have a Few Buddies that don't collect but every time they stop over for a cold one they allways want to know what my latest purchase was or they are calling me because they spotted a pump in the wild. And as long as there are Guys collecting Cars wanting to decorate the Garage Mahals this stuff will allways have a Value. It is just up to our generation of Petroholics to do our part and keep this hobby going strong in the Future. Just my 2 cents that are probly worth 1 cent. grin


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Jason,
"Just my 2 cents that are probaly worth 1 cent"
Do you accept Pay Pal ? LOL

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Originally Posted By: Dick Bennett
Jason,
"Just my 2 cents that are probaly worth 1 cent"
Do you accept Pay Pal ? LOL


Yes I do but I will have to charge you 2 cents for 1 cent to help cover the Paypal Fee's!!LOL!!! grin


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My 1 cents worth: If we're talking strictly value, which I believe was the question asked, the good, clean stuff is going to keep appreciating as time marches on. The middle of the road, common stuff I think is going to lose steam and probably drop in value. If I had to choose between one good sign purchase per year vs. three mediocre signs, I would spend the extra money and buy "up"
Once again, if you're talking only in terms of value and wanting to protect your investment long term.
But who really knows, if we did we could all retire wealthy.

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I've been collecting for just under 25 years, the prices have just steadily gone up, 5 years ago you could spend the weekend yard saleing and Antique shopping and come home with a trunk full of goodies every weekend, TODAY, you can drive and shop for 3 weekends and find nothing at all. Where's it going???

Values may go up and down, But there will NEVER be a shortage of collectors searching for this stuff, 30 years from now people still will know about Gasoline Stuff, It is not like a Butter Churn that was only used for a short period of time


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Interesting subject. I'm one of the older geezers on this site. I've seen the change over the years of collectors & lifestyles. I've liked & collected anything old since I was a young kid! I have several friends that are teachers & professors. While talking with them about today's youth, one theme emerges. Young people today don't collect anything nostalgic like the rest of us do. They're interests are different. That doesn't make them bad or wrong. My two sons & grandkids aren't interested in my collectables. They joke with me about how quick my collection will go on ebay before my body gets cold! In reality, that's what will happen. I see it happening all around me with other older folks as they become disabled or die. So, I'm selling off some stuff now, but am keeping those things that I just relly enjoy sitting & looking at & showing to others. This is my 3 cents worth. (1940's value). Sam

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A butterchurn in one form or another was/has been and is still being used for over 2000 years. In many parts of the world it is still being used everyday. I sent time in South and Central America a couple years ago, saw them used there. Friends just back a couple of months ago from mission duty in S.E. Asia, have photos showing people using churns everyday there. Will "gas and oil related" items even have the "half life" of the butterchurn? We talk as if gasoline related items are old, they aren't even true antiques yet by definition. Some of our grandparents and/or great-grandparents can even remember when there were no automobiles. In my short lifetime, middle age, the US has fought at least 6 wars, space travel has gone from a dog, to man circling the earth, to man walking on the moon, to people living in the spacestation. Too only a very, very few having a black and white tv, to flat screen projection tvs and more. Where if a family had a single newer car, to the average family having at least 3 vehicles. I could go on and on, hell who would have thought it possible in the 80's to use an I-pod or the new I-phones or a lap-top computer? I hope our inventions now even come close to changing the world as much as that simple butterchurn. I will get off my soapbox now, I guess I've spent so many years seeing the world as it truely is, not what the US and European ad ideas of what is out there. Uncle Sam promised me that I would see the world, he kept his promise. Both while I was in the Army and afterwards.


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KZ 1000 - very good points as was everybodies. I coolect for the fun and always buy up but one must still keep in mind the investment even if you like it. At least you will get some of your money back as compared to other hobbies.

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Bob, my point was a Butterchurn is a Butterchurn, Where a Gasoline collectible ranges from the Teens to Today. From Texaco to Gulf, oilzum, mobil, hancock, penzoil, esso, shell, kuntz, willard,chevy, ford, lion, socony, richfield, hupmobile, husky, jenney, motorcraft, gas pumps, oil cans, thermometers, ashtrays, globes, could go on but I can't remember the other few thousand items by name at the moment.

My other point is there is probably not a sole alive that doesn't know what a gas and oil related item is, I am sure there are a lot of younger people that never heard of a butterchurn. Gas and Oil has been around for everybobies lifetime, and is a Neccessity, so it will NEVER be "forgotten" or lost in History


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Hmmm... Some good points for sure. I have run across a few "youngsters" myself who have gotten into the hobby. One guy from San Jacinto, CA did a pump because his grandfather wanted one. He had owned a service station earlier in his life. The grandson really like working on them because it was so different than what his friends were into. He was 25. He wants to have a bunch of restored pumps (restored his way) for himself. I just finished a lubester in 3 color Polly motor oil and told my 9 y.o. Grandaughter that someday she could have it. Her eyes got big and she smiled. She is very curious of me whenever I am in the garage doing something to a pump. If it strikes a chord within a person hard enough, they will get into the hobby. Age doesn't matter. It can be from familiarity or curiosity or that they just plain want to do it. Future prices? That will be a function of rarity plus how much money is chasing after a piece at any given time versus other items deemed collectible to the buyer. Dave Folck

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