Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Pump and/or Island Lights

As a picker, I recently acquired 2 really cool lamps, I believe that they are island lights, they are porcelain and were designed to mount on a pole. I was wondering if there was a way to identify what kind of service station that they may have come from? Or were things like lights dependent on local suppliers? I have seen people on eBay advertising specific oil company lamps like "Texaco" I didn't know if they are actually identifiable, or if they were just "keywording" to get more views for their auctions.
Thanks in advance. (I thought I had posted this message but I did not see it so I posted it again, hopefully it doesn't show up twice, my apologies if it does)

Welcome to Old-Gas. First rule, post a photo to help us out to help you.

And the question I have is why do you call yourself a Picker?

If you post a pic, someone might be able to help you identify them. Do you see the words "Stonco" or "Revere" on them?

Who Cares ??? LOL

Because, it's not polite to call someone else a picker.

Service station lights changed over the years. Many were updated, many were just replaced. It all depended on who owned the station.
Mon & Pop would probably keep the same lighting for years, where a oil company might redesign a station including new lighting.
Take a look at the picture I posted about two weeks ago. There is a pole with no light on it, the light was taken down when Conoco went with pump lights around 1938.

(Would someone please post the address of that picture, I don't know how to do it.)

I have a catalog on just about every light that was used in a service station, but as someone posted above, we need a picture.

Jack Sim

Here it is Jack...
http://www.oldgas.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=96701&Number=587211#Post587211

We are ALL pickers to some degree or another!!!!
You guys crack on pickers then buy their signs every chance possible! Such Hypocracy on this site towards pickers!
Welcome to oldgas and dont mind the veterans continuing this problem because there is NOTHING wrong with being a picker! Go find a rare sign and then watch them eat their words!
Alot of these guys are closet pickers!!!!!!!LOL They pretend like they are collecting sweney or texaco and buy up everything they can get their hands on for resale!

As long as it isn't a nose picker, lol. I think most of us buy anything we can find that we feel is underpriced either to resale or trade for something we want for our collections. U gotta support that bad habit somehow.

Tom, you have read too much into my post. It wasn't negative at all. The hobby is big enough to sustain us all. I couldn't agree more with you when you state that to some degree or another we are all pickers.

In any group, the actions of a very small minority taints the entire group. Unfortunately, this holds very true for pickers. It's human nature to take note of the one bad apple and somehow overlook the contents of the rest of the basket.

I also concur with your observations about the closet pickers. Wolfs in sheep's clothing....guys pretending it's all about the history and this and that while they are lining their pockets. Even willing to sell the odd repop.

In general a collector will pay what he has to for the pleasure and reward of ownership. It is this weakness that pickers exploit, their so called profit comes out of the pockets of collectors. Personally, I prefer to find my own pieces. Pickers are of little utility to me in this regard. Sometimes ordinary pieces become great pieces in our collections because of the hunt or the challenges of obtaining it for our collection...makes for a much better story then, "I bought it from a picker and they doubled up on it at my expense".

WOW! Now that's what I call a warm welcome!!! Well I can tell you that despite the negative comments I am not ashamed of being a Picker, it is what I do for a living and I love it. It is always an adventure, because you never know what you are going to find. Also I get to work at home and have lots of time with my family. A lot of collectors of all different kinds of items that I sell are very glad that there are people out there digging through the barns, flea markets, antique malls, and auction to unearth that treasure that they may need for their collection. Every profession on earth is based on buying and selling. I had no idea that people hated pickers like that. I guess you learn something everyday.

Someone mentioned people pretending to be collectors when they are really out to make a profit. That is the reason I mentioned that I am a picker, no false pretenses here. I bought the lights to sell the lights, hopefully to a collector who will appreciate and be glad to have them.


Anyway. The lights are Revere, green porcelain. I'll put up a pic when I get the chance, I just "picked" them up last night.

Thanks guys.

Agree 100%, I've been saying some of the same things for a while now.

where did you see the marking for revere? thanks

Here are the Pics. The Diameter of the shade is: 20". The inside diameter of the mount is 2 1/2", From the bottom of the shade to the top of the ball on top, is approx. 14". Thanks

Revere Lamp


Revere Lamp


Revere Lamp

Anyone?

Unsure, what further info you are seeking.

These were utilized anywhere a light was needed that could be mounted on a 1 1/2" pipe. That includes gas stations, parking areas, walk ways and ect.

The green porcelain ones are the most common. The green on yours has been etched and faded by exposure to the weather. You won't be be able to reverse that wear and that will effect their value which I place in the $125-$150 range each.

The revere lights like yours were widely used at gas stations on the pump island by many brands of gas. No one brand can claim them. While a specific example may truly have come from a Texaco station, that doesn't really make it a Texaco fixture.

This forum has had some colorful and some bad behavior by a few pickers. That has caused the "picker" word to be a hot button issue with some members. We hope that each person is judged only on his/her own actions, not because of a profile built out of the mistakes of others.

Do that lamp some justice and put a Mogul bulb in it.

Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate it. Like I said, I suspected that when people were putting in a specific oil company/brand, they were just keywording to get more views on their auction. Sorry that some of you have had a hard time with some pickers....it's never good when people display poor behavior, whether pickers, collectors, restorers, or spectators. Again, I appreciate the help.

Where would one acquire a bulb like that? Are they accurate to the time period of these lamps? I am guessing that they are the large base (what is the proper name for those?) One of the lights had an adapter,but that tiny little household bulb just did not look right, and I am sure it wouldn't put off enough light either.

I would agree that is a fair average value. One other factor that effects the prices is the popularity of "Industrial Decor". I could probably get more money by selling them that way, but to be honest, I would rather the lamps go to someone who will restore or use them in the way they were meant to be, with some gas pumps. Instead of hanging in some hipsters living room.

I have sold one, (to a collector) I have one left, and may offer it on here, when I have the proper privileges to do so.

The harps are worth as much or more than the shades in that condition IMO

Here are some big bulbs. I do not know if you can still buy these type bulbs in the store any more. I got these on ebay. The middle one is a 200 watt and the is the smallest wattage I could find in that size. The big one is a 1000 watt and the smallest I could find was 800 watt. They are cool. I used the 200 watt in a station lighter but have not tried the 1000 watt.

Just happen to be working on Revere island lights, this what they look like.

Love 'em. Really great. Is the porcelain in original condition, or did you repaint them? Thanks for posting the photo!

Thanks Matt. Do you know what the base is called?

The shades are original and just cleaned up, the casting have been repainted,

Very nice.

nice, I like those bases / posts. where does a guy come up with those?

The two big ones have a mogul base like the one Cold Pizza posted. The one he posted looks like the middle one in the picture I posted.