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jkyocom #159413 Tue Nov 10 2009 10:56 AM
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I think about this a lot really. Although I don't collect strictly for the future monetary value of gas/oil items, I still hope that all of the money I am sinking into my collection at age 33 will have been a wise choice when I'm 65 or 70, since this money is not going to a retirement fund, per se. I guess I would hope that it's still worth what I paid for it at least! I really enjoy my Mobil collection though and love seeing people's faces when they walk in my place and see hundreds of Flying Red Horses all over!
I am on the board of the local historical society, and obviously we strive all the time to promote history to the younger generations. A couple years back we displayed a small part of local collector and Old Gas member Kevin Burkett's handy oiler collection at our museum during the county fair week. (We have a small museum on the fair grounds.) This display turned out to be one of the most popular we've ever shown. I also brought in my Red Crown globe to top the display. I think many people, even the ones who grew up in the hey day of the stations, had forgotten just how many different BIG oil companies there once was. It was something that appealed to people of all ages. Like Richard said above, it's getting this stuff out there to places where kids can actually see it and question the who, what, when, where's, and why's of what we collect and preserve for the future generations. I too am amazed at some of the younger folks that tour our museums. Some you can tell have more of a strong pull towards the past, not in the way that most kids are naturally inquisitive, but some that you know will more than likely be historians of sorts and who truly appreciate history. They remind me of myself when I was 10 or 12 years old. I think these are the youngsters that will carry on our hobbies, no matter what sort in particular.
I think whatever each of us can do to promote our hobby on the local level is a benefit to all. Ask your local historical society if you could do a display for them. Luckily the Hillsdale Co. Historical Society has lots of photos of our old stations and we have displayed these at different events. What I wouldn't give to have seen "Gasoline Alley" in its day....5 of the stations in a row, Mobil, Hy-Flash, Sunoco, Pure, and the Hi-Speed....Those were the days.


Darin Sheffer
Always looking for Mobil and Marathon items I don't already have!
Please use For Sale forums to sell

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.
DWSheffer #159454 Tue Nov 10 2009 05:13 PM
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I just like things that are old and the history that goes with them. At a local fair earlier this very senior gentleman with a mind that totally blew me away designed and built this up and down saw for cutting up logs into rough boards. I studied that thing for half an hour. It was slow but quite precise and efficient vs. the old way of having two men sawing by hand. Every thing about it amazed me! I often think I was born about 3 or 4 generations too late. It's simplicity harked to a different era. If I can never experience that life, I want to collect and preserve those things from a time in history that I find to be just as amazing as that saw. I want to study it and enjoy it somehow. Collecting things is in my nature. History is something I enjoy. The financial part of it just happens to be a part of it. I put money into what I collect with the hope that I break even someday if some unfortunate turn of events in life force me to have to unload it. I'd love to pass it on to my son....but at the current time least, he doesn't seem to "feel the Love". For now, I can only hope my efforts to save these things will be appreciated by someone someday.


........Dave
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i just like the history behind the petro things. i also collect vintage coke. that's why i don't restore my finds, i like the vintage look. living in a good size city i try to promote the hobby but it isn't catching on just no interest. i get plenty of strange looks and you collect what!. people in a big city just don't collect things like that. my goal is to find a place some day to show my \better/ things off for people to look at, and maybe to learn something. i recently found a vintage 50's Westinghouse coke machine in the middle of down town Boston of all place's.i placed it at the end of my short driveway thinking i would get some kind of respond for my neighbors, not a one. so much for promoting history.


im always looking but never find, why........
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I posted something above, but this is a subject that we can beat to death with no answer. From the time 50 years ago I dragged an old Model T Ford out of some woods, I knew I preserving something from the past. It doesn't matter if you sold it to someone else who restored it, you were the one who kept it from being a piece of rust. We are all involved in preserving the past, we don't necessarly have to promote it. Many 1904 Model A Fords were restored, but I didn't see any being traded in for clunkers last summer. Just saving a pump or a sign is promoting.

Jack Sim


Author, 1st & 2nd editions of Gas Pump ID book, 3rd edition is now available at www.gaspumpbible.com
Air Meter ID book also available
Jack Sim #159565 Wed Nov 11 2009 10:57 AM
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I enjoy sharing/storing some of my pumps at the local museum here in town, UNION OIL CO. Birthplace 1889. They are appreciated by others & adds to their display of items. The building is now called the CALIFORNIA OIL MUSEUM of Santa Paula.

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Collecting this stuff and restoring it and displaying it IS a preservation of history. People collect things they relate to.
It is a lot of fun and great enjoyment especially the people you meet along the way.
When I started collecting I got some strange looks and comments like "what do you want with those old oil cans?" Now things sure have changed, the hobby has already grown by leaps and bounds and is still growing everyday.
Just my 2 cents

TerryL #160151 Sun Nov 15 2009 04:14 PM
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Anyone who knows me , knows that I've been doing this for a long time. I truely enjoy this hobby and take the time to chat with people needing enlightenment! I was very lucky this week in that I had visitors from Montreal. John, Frank and Dennis came 10 hours to spend the day. Really great guys. Then on Saturday,I had a couple who live in New York City, but are actually from Sydney, Austrailia. Had a teriffic visit with them as well. Here's my observation.....our hobby is picking up momentum in other parts of the world. I was told that it is really popular in Austrailia but that there is not much stuff to find there. The couple was buying to ship home. My friends from Montreal said that they weren't able to get certain pump types there so decided to head across the border. They were very knowledgeable about this stuff, and excited as well. It is always fun sharing all my usless information with new friends. Am I promoting the hobby?....maybe...but what I'm really doing is meeting new and interesting people....Paul

Last edited by gasmansgp; Sun Nov 15 2009 04:16 PM.
HI-OCTANE #160176 Sun Nov 15 2009 06:38 PM
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Very well said one and all.Fun people are what make the hobby fun for me. And looking at other peoples collections, and talking to other collectors and promoting the hobby to bring more fun people in to it.Is my objective. Looks like many of you are woking for the same thing.

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