Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion What do you like most about this hobby

Hello all,

So what aspects do you like most about collecting petro? Im a relatively young guy (26) but history has always facinated me. As young as 9 I got my first Sun Oils sign from my great grandmother and the rest is history. Very few friends of mine understand my hobby, they say " have you found any more gas tanks this week" I hate this because theyre PUMPS but oh well. I love the fact that it gives me the opportunity to hit the hill country on a Sunday afternoon. I get to see Gods country while meeting some very nice people and occasionally getting a pump.
I do agree that we should do every thing to preserve the past and nothing makes me feel better than getting an old rust bucket from a farmer, hearing all the stories he has about it, fixing it up and knowing I will give it to my future son/daughter someday. Being in Texas there are alot of towns and back roads to explore. Many places I have found are beautiful and there is a sense of quiet rarely found in the city,Im lucky to be in a hobby that puts me in that place.So what about you guys?

Pretty much the same here, Ryan. I too am a younger collector (24), but I'm still very much into anything old. I love to cruise around and look for rusty things, and I too have met a lot of really cool people along the way. I'm also quite enthused with taking photos of idyllic old filling stations that I run across.

At this weekend's auction, I met some really great new friends -- people that I'd talked to here on oldgas quite a bit, but never had met in person. Now I can't wait until the next time I get to see these folks again, and I'm also anxious to meet more of the oldgas crew.

So, for me, it's just as much about the people as it is about the stuff. Friends and the thrill of the hunt - those are my two favorites.

Wes

Great topic Ryan! I'm also 26 have been doing this for 4 years now . For me its a few things. First its the peaple i get to meet and talk with. From collectors to the peaple,farmers e.t.c that come up to me asking why i need all those oil cans i just bid on at an auction. The look on their face is great when i explain. That sometimes starts an hour talk about the stuff & things they remember. Second is the hunt the realy sweet can i got at an old farm auction for almost nothing. Or the realy neat looking map at a yard sale. Third i love knowing im taking care of a peace of history , im always telling my girlfreand that i have got my own lil museum. So thats what i love about this hobby.

Keeps my mind of my bigger problems, LOL
and looks cool in the garage.

Honestly, I'm just holding onto this stuff until you young guys want it and then I can put my kids through college. Doooh! That's what I tell mama bear

Kim

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Honestly...my favorite thing is going to the swaps. I love trailer-divin' & runnin' around looking for that rare pump or cheap globe. I was a baseball player all my life through college and I was always really competitive. I feel the same way when I get out of my truck at a swap as I used to before my first at-bat. The good kind of nervous butterflies. That's my favorite part.

For me its the hunt.How many times did something just barely catch the corner of your eye and you turn around and find something really cool? Ryan you should try going NE out of houston sometime instead of NW...Lots of stuff still in the piney woods.


Bobby

This is my other favorite thing about this hobby. These are my two trainees. They go with me a lot and they are quick to point out signs whenever they see them. The little guy is hypnotized by neon, he call's them burning signs!

Mostly just seeing if I can find more old Cities Service stuff, a company that changed to Citgo about 1970. Still after 36 yrs. of it not being anymmore there is still stuff out there sitting on a shelf in a workshop, overhead the door when you go in the garage,out in the machine shed,etc......where and what is the next Cities Service item going to be....the hunt.I've slowed to a crawl collecting for about the last 5 years but I still am on the hunt.I don't think it will ever"all be found/"