Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Collectable prices in the future?

Do you thing that prices and collection will hold out or will this stuff just be junk to are kids and grand kids? I am 38 and will i be buying this stuff for junk prices in 30 years Just wondering.

I am 40, so if you are you will not be alone. We will just have a bunch of high price scrap metal, LOL. I see lots of younger, new collectors at shows and think the hobby is still strong. It all depends on the economy and the idiots trying to manage it.

Are you 25 or 75 as I am?

I have been a picker (wish I had come up with that name I always called my self a hustler), since I turned 25. I have bought and sold Model Ts, cars from the 30s, just about anything I felt I could make a buck on, always feeling that the most important thing was to not pay more for anything than I thought I could sell it for. I have made mistakes (I really don't want to go there), but most of things I have purchased I have been able to sell for more than I paid for them. Always in the auto related and having been a service station owner, I leaned toward petro items. I was newly married (around 1990), my wife like this sort of stuff, but I told her, don't fall in love with anything we purchase. It was all for sale.
I know a lot of you out there say you just collect, but that is BS. If you are in someone's warehouse and he has as globe for sale and you don't collect globes, are you going to say I am not interested.
NO, you should have enough knowledge of all the things in this hobby, to know that this globe I am being offered is worth $1000 and he only wants $100 for it (actually it happened to me less than 5 years ago), you should be knowledgeable to purchase it, sell it and use the profit to buy the thing you like to collect.
And if you don't have the knowledge of items way beyond petro you will be walking away from dollars.
My wife and I can go to an auction or just about anywhere and we have the following knowledge in our heads:
Petro items, gas pumps, air meters
Old cars
Old tools
Crystal
Dolls
Glassware
Pin-ups
Illustrators
Old pens
Slot machines
Sodas maschines
I could keep on going, you never know when you will be offered something for $10.00 that is worth $1000.00 (and this has happened to me).
Knowledge of collectibles (not just petro) will be a key point in the value of what you have 30 years from now.

Now, to really answer your question.
What is happening in our petro hobby?
Common pumps are holding their own, possibly going down in very common pumps.
Common visible again are holding their own, but rare visibles are demanding top dollar.
Globes, I hope the globes guys will jump in here, not my expertice.
Signs, the signs that are rated a 9+ or 10 are going out of site, barn hangers....keep the money in your wallet.
Smalls, they are coming out of the woodwork, ebay has done this, stay away from them, they will never be worth much more than you paid for them.
It seems that everybody that has a collection, winds up selling it at a auction. You will get to an age where you decide that you would rather take that trip around the world than go out to your garage and look at your so called collection. So if you think you will get there, make sure you have purchased (over the next 30 years) items that will be what people will want.
My suggestions:
High dollar pumps, rare pumps.
Globes, again high dollar, perfect globes.
Cans, I would really think twice about putting much money in them, remember how the bottom fell out of beer cans back in the 70's. Not much appeal beyond our hobby.
And most important signs. Signs, regardless of what they are will always demand high dollar. Signs draw attention, whether it is Cracker Barrel, or a museum, they will always be remembered as as real example of our past.

My apologizes if I have bored anyone, I am just an old man with a lot of experience and want to pass some of to you younger guys.

Jack Sim

Thanks you very much for that it is very help full.My dad has collected and sold antique his hole life and cars two he is 65 he agres with you he thinks that very good and rare stuff is the way to go,and he says every year stuff is getting harder to find at a fair price that you can make a buck on. I try to buy montana stuff that gas and oil it seems very collectable to buyers. Thanks again for the info i collect antiques also because of my dad and love every minute of it.

Considering there may only be (arguably) 30 years worth of fossil fuels to be extracted from the Earth (at current consumption rates, let alone higher future world demand), the grandkids of the future may not have a clue what oil or gas is.

Soooooo, on a positive spin, there may be accelerated demand for gas/oil collectibles in the coming age of hyrogen/electric/liquid nitrogen etc. powered world.

In any light, I highly doubt our current treasures will become worthless junk. If they do become junk, it will have more to do with global crisis vs. the collecting interests of the future.

Barter Town from Mad Max beyond Thunderdome..... 'nuff said (!)

I am only 28 years old and I love this stuff! The sight of a sign, gas pump, oil bottle, or basically anything to do with a old filling station gets my blood pumping. Even though I wasnt old enough to use or see most of this stuff I still can feel and understand the history by just holding or looking and this stuff. I go out every weekend just trying to find something to add to my collection.
I take pride in going to an auction on the weekends (looking totally out of place) and bidding against guys 2 and 3 times my age on old petro items. They look at me like "how in the world do you know what your bidding on".
So I guess to answer your question there are a few of us "young guys" trying to keep this part of history going.

I have went to 3-4 auctions in the last 8 weeks all the gas/oil stuff sold for way more than they are valued and more than i would pay. I give up for now! also have drove around looking but every one has seen the tv show (pickers) so they think every thing with dust on it is rare and will send them on a around the world trip if they can sell for stupid money. marty

Scott, you are right about the "pickers" having screwed things up...everyone ask "are you a picker"? have you seen the show?
hope the wife and you are doing fine...again, sorry for your loss.

I pretty much agree with what Jack said concering the "Small -stuff " . I only buy a few cans as they are shown with my 1953 Ford truck . I just like having them to help tell the story...... Ed Shaver

I was travelling for work the last few days in idaho and Washington. While some antique shops had some oil and gas cxollectibles, they all said the same thing...as soon as it comes in it goes out. I think the oil and gas collectibles are still strong. Especially good stuff. In my three days on the road I saw 8 pumps..everything from Wayne 60 to common. I saw an original Shell globe on a Wayne 60 sitting 10 feet from the road in Idaho. No one was home. I found the owners name and called him at work. Pump wasn't for sale, but I encouraged him to get that globe and pump inside before it disappeared. He had no idea things were worth that much.

Saw a Milwaukee visible that an old fellow had. It wasn't for sale. He said he was keeping it becuase one to two people stop each day to ask about it and he said that was the only company he gets anymore. Found a Texaco banjho sign and a tin Localized sign that I had been searching for for 15 years. All that and I wasn't even looking that hard. Stuff is still out there....Good comments Jack.

Alex--You're right on the money with what I hear in my area! Theres very little in the antique stores because it goes out as fast as it comes in! I frequent a lot of auction sales and the big sellers are always the gas & Oil and the advertising signs of any kind! It isn't always the old timers buying either! I really believe we're pretty darn safe in this hobby!!

Intersting choice of words there Ed,"to help tell the story".I think that is important to generate interest in our collectibles.I use almost the same words,"they tell the story",when I explain why I display framed ads from old Life magazines next to high dollar pump plates.


Personally,I collect and display almost anything it took to run a gas station;pumps,bulk dispensers,globes,spark plugs,give aways,signs,credit card machines,cans,oil filters and more.

I do it because I enjoy the layout showing "how they did it" and I have found that almost all visitors,onde I explain it,are interested in the variety of pieces to collect and preserve.Read that as introducing newcomers to the hobby which increases demand for our stuff which holds the prices up.

I totally agree to go for the high quality stuff.If we are trying to preserve a piece of history it makes sense to me to find the best examples we can.Will it pay off? Time will tell but I do think an appreciation of history will be a factor.

AWWWWWWWWW MAN THATS AWESOME .....I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE AT THE RATE WERE GOING ,GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL BE COLLECTING????? I'M SELFISH & SELF CENTERED THATS WHY I COLLECT ,IT MAKES "ME" HAPPY WHEN I FIND STUFF, THEN IT WEARS OFF & I DO IT AGAIN! GREAT COMMENTS JACK!

I was also going to mention the difference in quality vs. barn hangers. I think there is still a good market for barnhangers (we can debate the level of quality later)but I t hink there is a market for both. I bought some old quaker state horizontal signs from the 50s and they had some rust. There were two miont NOS and 6 "rusted" ones. i put them in an antique shop and figured $45 was plenty for the old ones. the owner said put a $100 on them and only put out one at a time. I had $250 on the NOS ones. Sold the 6 barn hangers faste than the 2 new ones. I wouldn't call it a scientific study...but I was suprised.

This is a bit off the subject, but goes along with Marty's comment about the Pickers. I was wanting to tell the Old Gas community this story.

A few weeks ago I was out with my co-worker to pick up a very large color copier we were taking back from a lease customer, a 2 person load job. My co-worker is a farmer and took some back roads I hadn't been on before. Obviously new areas to me, I had my eyes PEELED for petro items, and low and behold, driving past a place there sits a M&S 70 with 2 nice original 1947 Mobilgas pump plates. Our delivery vehicle is a white Dodge Sprinter, like the one on "Pickers". The property owner and his neighbor were standing outside so we decided to pull off the shoulder to stop and ask the big question. Walking up, he asked if he could help us and I asked if I could take a closer look at the old pump by his barn. You could imagine how hard I laughed when his buddy piped up, "You guys those Pickers off TV!?!" I said we drive the same type of vehicle but my camera crew had the day off. We had a good laugh off that one. Just goes to show any Johnny on the street is really taking the show in. He had no idea the pump was worth anything, but since the Pickers buy them it HAD to have value. I wasn't able to secure the pump, but the folks are considering it. It was the wife's grandfathers so it had some sentimental value to her.

ON THE SUBJECT, yes, I think the hobby is safe. We've touched on this subject before and each time I see a couple new names and younger ages that have joined the community and are interested in the hobby. It's a good sign to me. I also watch the petro items at the local antique malls and most are gone when I go back every couple weeks. It seems to always sell quickly.
Darin

I'm probably one of the few that defend the picker's tv show.

What I like about them....they attempt to educate the people they visit about pricing. In other words, it's clearly communicated that they need to buy at wholesale prices. And..at least on the shows I've watched they haven't inflated the final value of items more that they are usually worth.

In regard to the thread topic, we've said it a million times on here. "The good stuff will always be good"

Personally, I don't see the common pumps holding their value. I've seen restored Tok 39 and 300's with price tags far below what it would take to restore them.

Remember, before the mid to late 70s most of these "cherished" items, weren't worth a "plug nickel".

Pumps were scrapped, used as landfill, became "Japanese" cars..etc.

Cans were flattened, kicked along the street, stuck in corners and/or used to hold screws,nails..etc.

Globes were stuck in a corner or stored in an attic or basement.. etc.

Signs were used to patch roofs, used to make sheds, buried, painted over, left to rust on old buildings..etc.

Values will rise and fall, just like all items that are collected.

If one is collecting, betting on what things will be worth "down the road", IMO they might as well play the stock market. The future is just as uncertain.

Now if they are collecting because they love these items... and their thought process is; "who cares if it will be worth more down the road, compared to what I paid now for it now". Then they will be the rich ones, IMO. They will be able to just enjoy their collection and not be worried whether their "investment" is growing in wealth.

In the future, again IMO;

Quality items will mostly hold their value and/or increase.

Marginal items will fluctuate just like they do now.

Rare items will always be rare.

Some collectors will pay too much and others will pass on items.......................

Just like now.

Bob, somebody needs to buy ya a beer for those outstanding words !!!!!!! Bravo............... ! Ed Shaver

On the subject of younger petroleum collectors. Just last week I went to the weekly auction about five miles away, and there was a round Red Crown Gasoline sign to be sold, and it was rough. It would have made a good barn hanger. I bid to my limit, and lost the bid. My neighbors son who is just 22 years old bought it. He had been to my place checking out stuff, and decided it was time for him to start collecting. I know him pretty well so we got to talking and now he wants a gas pump.I welcomed him to the hobby!

I am 25 and new to the hobby, and also introduced my dad to the hobby as well. He is 52. Can't teach an old dog new tricks lol. On the weekends we both go our separate ways and hit up local auctions. I sold a few barn hangers for descent money. Its great to see all the older guys at auctions looking at me when I out bid them lol. I think the industry will stay strong. There will always be car collectors, and with the car collectors there will always be a petro collector

Get him ADDICTED to pumps Norm ! LOL

Hey Ryan...if you keep out bidding us "oldtimers" then you better start checking your tires before you leave the next auction. LOL (Just kiddin')

Its ok I drive an H1 hummer with run flat tires lol just kiddin

Nobody really knows what will still be collectable in the future, but I believe Petroliana items have a good chance of always being collectable because it is tied to history. Compare that to say...transformers or gigapets. You really cant go wrong if you buy what you enjoy. If you hope to be able to sell in the future without a loss, or maybe some profit, collect the more rarer items in excellent condition, but avoid the very high, top end stuff like a Polly globe. It may sell for 25k today, but in 10 years from now it may be 5k. My 2 cents.
John