#628205
Wed Sep 02 2015 01:21 PM
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Hello all. I have a question to ask all of you Gas Pump guys out there: Is it easier to find and purchase the "classic" old retail pumps in the Midwest area, than, say, the Southern states? The reason I am asking is I currently work in the Savannah, GA area, and the hobby seems almost non-existent here, with hardly any pumps to be found locally. I see many pumps online for sale in the Central USA. I have done well finding some old farm pumps here (which I enjoy very much), but that's about it.
By contrast, I met an Antiques dealer in a small town close by that says he takes all of his Gas and Oil related antiques up to the Northern states because he can get "double the price" up there. He doesn't even bother trying to sell down here.
Just wondering if anyone else has any comments, or has similar observations.
Thanks for your input!
Eric
Bennett 766, Wayne 505, Gilbarco 1006, A.O. Smith L-3 "Smithway", and a multitude of Gasboy, Gilbarco, Tokheim, Bennett consumer pumps.
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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.
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with everything, not much out of the southern states (from east of Texas east) don't know if there was less advertising in the so. states or the elements limited there survival- good question, I've always wondered the same thing.. ...
Last edited by advertologist; Wed Sep 02 2015 01:43 PM.
RANDY
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I think that one reason there may be more available pumps up here is because they were manufactured in this area. Also with bigger cities production was based on demand so it might be easier to find stuff around here. As for the southern states I'm not sure there was that kind of demand. As for advertising the climate may of had an impact on there survival.
But for what it is worth it ain't what it use to be, at least in my area. The guys north of us seem to be still digging stuff out of the woods. It's become a lot harder.
Have gas all the time
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I've never had a problem running across old unrestored pumps down here. They are everywhere! I can probably lay my hand on well over 400 scattered across Alabama in just the last few years I've actually paid attention (but then maybe that's nothing compared to other parts, I don't have any comparisons). Could be they are a little more decentralized. I see a lot of visible's, tall electrics, and short electrics. Clockface's are not very common though. Maybe the Savanna area has been cleaned out by a couple of long time collectors?
Looking for any Alabama based globes and advertising such as Coastal, Rebel, Interstate Oil, Foster Oil (supertane), Mutual, Oil Well, etc...
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A big reason is that around here we have a whole bunch of farms. Therefore a lot of pumps. Farmers got them off of the stations when they were done with them and then thats why a lot of them seem to be in the midwest. Just my opinion.
Braden Splichal
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The farmers did not get their pumps from stations, they were given to them by the local oil jobber assuming they would buy their gas from him.
Jack Sim
Author, 1st & 2nd editions of Gas Pump ID book, 3rd edition is now available at www.gaspumpbible.comAir Meter ID book also available
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But I think Braden's point is still good and I agree, the more old small farms in an area the more likely you are to find pumps. It's really the small farms that kept these old pumps from going to the scrap heap, especially the visibles.
When I was getting pumps from farms in the ninetys the local oil jobber didn't like me much, he thought he still owned those pumps, not the farmer. Maybe he was right but when something is sitting at a farm for decades, it sure seems like it's owned by the farmer. The oil jobber (gas distributer) was going around farms collecting the pumps and not giving the farmers anything for compensation, at least I paid.
Back then the DNR (dept of natural resources) also played a hand in gas pumps moving away from the farm. A gas pump was a sign you had an underground tank, and the DNR was making the farmers dig those up. Local farmers were more than happy to get rid of there pumps to me before the DNR hassled them.
Last edited by Paul Bell; Thu Sep 03 2015 07:24 AM.
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I see that a lot around here. In most cases, the jobber technically owns the pump (farmer always thinks that when it breaks down). However, in most cases it was never in a contract or anything. Over the years as fuel suppliers change, companies change hands, ect., the pumps are forgotten about or ignored by the jobber. He didn't want to spend the money to go get the pump if he is no longer supplying fuel to them. Especially since its not a pump he can likely reuse. Some of my Jobbers were very proactive at recollecting them, others weren't..... Lately, I've been trying to encourage most of the jobbers I work for to go get them back if they haven't disappeared yet;)
Last edited by TheGriffin; Thu Sep 03 2015 07:39 AM.
Looking for any Alabama based globes and advertising such as Coastal, Rebel, Interstate Oil, Foster Oil (supertane), Mutual, Oil Well, etc...
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It's hard to find them around here and with the TV shows they are now gold apparently and don't come cheap, I have found most of mine at farms as well but it's definitely getting harder.
Always looking for Frontier and Beeline items.
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I agree with all that Bob. What Jack said about the oil jobbers providing pumps is exactly how my grandfathers pump came to be. My parents could remember in the early 90s my grandmother had called the oil company and told them they could come get their pump and I guess they did not want it and eventually ,they just went out I business I assume. Some years later my grandmother gave it to me . Plain jane pump but will always be my favorite as it was off our farm . I have a Mobil special script also that was next door at my uncles farm that he threw in a gully that I recovered a few years back and restored and that was the same company . I think the days of finding the farm pumps are about about gone.
I like SINCLAIR and old American made stuff ... No china items.
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There are sill a few pumps in the wild around here but for the most part they disappeared 20 years ago.
I laughed when I read the comment about someone taking stuff north to sell it for double what it sells for in the south. I've got some friends from the south that go north to buy signs which they take back south to sell.
Wanted: Gas pump globes:Sinclair & affiliates, IL companies. Ripple bodies. Anything Sinclair, Stoll, Pierce, 4 Bros. http://www.lastgas15.com/
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There are sill a few pumps in the wild around here but for the most part they disappeared 20 years ago.
I laughed when I read the comment about someone taking stuff north to sell it for double what it sells for in the south. I've got some friends from the south that go north to buy signs which they take back south to sell. I agree, It's the collectors that determine the price more than the region.
"Remember, history that is forgotten is doomed to repeat itself!"
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I have not bought a farm pump off the farm in the last 6,8 years just because I had a bit of burn out.That being said, I have had the chance to buy several(10 to 15) in the last year directly from the owners. Each time I called a friend of mine who lives east of Decatur, Ill. and he made the purchase himself. There are still a lot of them around here, some still in use.
Norm Huff
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Back in the day when I could drive down the road and find pumps I would never go looking in the hill country (non tillable land). I always could find them on farms so in my opinion in areas that did not have large farms when the pump lived out it's life at the station I bet it got hauled to the scrap yard.......but then again, I've had good luck finding them about anywhere. Tom
Always buying gas pumps and parts. Visit my web site: www.gaspumps.usBuckles Vintage Gas Pump Parts LLC Carthage Indiana
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The part of Ga I live in - 60 miles northwest of Atlanta most all of the oil company's reclaimed their pumps . About 20 years ago you could go by the bulk plants around here and they were lined up every where but now they have been sold off. My uncle had a Sinclair station here in town from 1945 till 1990 and according to some of the old photo his pumps were changed about 4 times in that span .
Remember you are only as good as your help If you don't make any noise no one will hear you!
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Thanks everybody for your thoughts and observations. I think KZ1000 brought up a good point about collectors driving the prices in any given area. As I said, there seem to be very few collectors in this area, probably more collectors up in the Northern states. Griffen - I may have to take a trip "across the state line" to Alabama to find some nice pumps! (ha,ha). I did find a 1950's A.O. Smith L-3 Smithway pump that I made a trade for. I am about 1/2 done restoring that one. My wife and I usually make weekly "picking excursions" with drives only within about a 1 1/2 hour radius of our home, so I'm sure that limits my finds also. I have found several farm pumps, and I usually try to buy a couple at a time, bring them home, sell one for a profit, and pay for the other one and part of my expenses. It's all good! Thanks again everyone!
Bennett 766, Wayne 505, Gilbarco 1006, A.O. Smith L-3 "Smithway", and a multitude of Gasboy, Gilbarco, Tokheim, Bennett consumer pumps.
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