Oldgas.com Home  

Click here for Petro Porcelain Sign auction listings


Home | Help | Events | Auctions | Parts | Pictures | Links | Contact
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#327050 Sun May 20 2012 06:37 AM
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 485
Petro Enthusiast
OP Offline
Petro Enthusiast
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 485
I never seem to see any Polly gas that is original. It all seems to be repro. Is this brand that rare?


Anything MICHELIN and early graphic tin signs
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.
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 19,379
Likes: 984
Veteran Member
Offline
Veteran Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 19,379
Likes: 984
west coast brand that you don't see much of.. cool


RANDY
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,452
Veteran Member
Offline
Veteran Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,452
I WAS WONDERING THE SAME THING.

I SAW A POLLY STAMPS SIGN YESTERDAY THAT WAS DOUBLE SIDED ORIGINAL. I AM GOING TO POST A PIC UNDER VALUE LATTER TODAY.


Looking for anything JENNEY OIL OR GAS
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 8,818
Likes: 2
Veteran Member
Offline
Veteran Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 8,818
Likes: 2
I may stand to be corrected on this, but I believe that they were bought out in the 1930's so all The Polly stuff predates the 1930's.


Dave GILL,
Dave's Garage & Memorabilia, Inc.
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 263
Petro Enthusiast
Offline
Petro Enthusiast
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 263
Polly Gas was a brand name of the Los Angelese-based company Wilshire Oil Company, which operated in Southern California from 1935 until they were purchased by Gulf in June of 1960.

Original Polly Gasoline memorabilia is very desirable and highly collectible. Among Petroliana brands it can commend among the highest prices. For example, a single Polly Gas lense sold at auction several years ago for $20,000. Even a reproduction lense sold on eBay to an unsuspecting buyer in the spring of 2008 for the ridiculous sum of $933.

The bulk of original items from this brand consist of oil cans and matches. To find other original petroliana from this brand, such as signs or original gas pump advertising would be a rare find indeed, so if you come across them its best to do significant due diligence first before spending any sizeable amount on buying them.


Chad Haas
Chief Gearhead
VAULT�
12725 SW Millikan Way, Suite 300
Beaverton, OR 97005-1687
http://www.vaultgarage.com
http://www.facebook.com/VaultGarage
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 6,272
Veteran Member
Offline
Veteran Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 6,272
Real complete, Wilshire and Polly Gas information seems to be sketchy, at best... In my research, I have come up with the following. But, I'm not sure it is totally correct:

Wilshire Oil was founded in 1914 by George L. Machris and his brother Victor... They sold gasoline "door to door"... Mr. George Machris was the President of Wilshire until he retired in 1952, whereas a few months later he died in Palm Springs.... Gulf Oil acquired Wilshire and the "Brand" ceased to exist in the 1965-1966...

Polly Oil was an Independent, that has a "cloudy" history... In some history's the date they were incorporated is approx 1920... Wilshire acquired the brand around 1929...

The Polly Gas brand was featured at Wilshire Stations until the early to mid 1950s...

A few photos:









(As one can see, the area around this original Polly Gas sign has changed considerably though the years... But it is still outside of Helendale/Barstow CA)


Looking for Tide Water/ Tide Water-Associated/ Tidewater items
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,137
Likes: 10
Veteran Member
Offline
Veteran Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,137
Likes: 10
Polly Gasoline and Radio gasoline ...one in the same? Cool.....Looks like Radio is the cheap stuff! Actually it all looks cheap! LOL

Last edited by LOWright; Sun May 20 2012 01:09 PM.

Rare pumps, Chevrolet items, Goldon Tip Gasoline, Marathon (running man)
Cell # 1-502-396-3435 email lowright@aol.com
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 22,780
Likes: 5
Veteran Member
Offline
Veteran Member
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 22,780
Likes: 5
Originally Posted By: LC 336
I WAS WONDERING THE SAME THING.

I SAW A POLLY STAMPS SIGN YESTERDAY THAT WAS DOUBLE SIDED ORIGINAL. I AM GOING TO POST A PIC UNDER VALUE LATTER TODAY.

No connection to oil company

Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 8,818
Likes: 2
Veteran Member
Offline
Veteran Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 8,818
Likes: 2
Right now this is about as clear as mud to me. Just to clarify things...An original Polly oil quart can would be from somewhere in between 1920 to 1929. When Wilshire obtained Polly in 1929 other then the patriot graphics everything Polly disappeared.


Dave GILL,
Dave's Garage & Memorabilia, Inc.
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 19,379
Likes: 984
Veteran Member
Offline
Veteran Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 19,379
Likes: 984
qt. cans weren't introduced until '33 - '34

Wilshire carried the Polly brand.. cool

Last edited by advertologist; Sun May 20 2012 09:00 PM.

RANDY
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 22,780
Likes: 5
Veteran Member
Offline
Veteran Member
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 22,780
Likes: 5
True that WILSHIRE did buy POLLY, but WILSHIRE continued to use the POLLY signage/images till just before they sold out.

Factory sealed oil qt cans were introduced in 1933.
[Beer in cans came in 1935].
http://www.qbyv.com/canhistory

Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 279
S
Petro Enthusiast
Offline
Petro Enthusiast
S
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 279


Moderated by  Oldgas, Ryan Underthun 

Link Copied to Clipboard

Click here for Gas Pump auction listings

Copyright © 2023 Primarily Petroliana Interactive, All Rights Reserved

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5