Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Victor Motor Oil porcelain sign info?

I'm a gear head and all around car nut, tinkerer and fixer of the impossible. I love all things car and all things old. I just stumbled on this site looking to ID an old sign I found. I think this will be a fun place to poke around. Having said that I bet many of you guys are true collectors who have some amazing pieces. I can't wait to see them. I am probably not like many of you, I actually prefer the beat up stuff. First off it's way more affordable and second off every ding and chip kinda tells a story. I imagine a kid shooting my beautiful Mobil sign and laughing rendering it almost worthless 70 years later, but there is the beauty for me. The pristine signs are awesome, but I like them to have been drug around a bit. Makes me smile. I have a bunch, none are perfect or worth much but I enjoy having them around my shop. My favorite is probably a 56 Pegasus. I have no idea what it's worth in the shape it is, but the dang thing is huge and it took me a helluva effort to get it on my wall.

Love the story it tells. Paid $150 lol. It's probably worth that in scrap.
Won't bore you with more pics, but I will show what I'm trying to ID.

Again, I know it's nothing special but I have never seen one and would like to know a bit more about it. Really just want to know around the year.

So anyway, hi and I hope to have fun looking around. I will surely be the one asking not answering unless we are talking about big horsepower builds lol. Thanks for having me!

welcome aboard .. ...

welcome. lots to learn on here. Have fun and great people on here.

Welcome, I think you will fit in with this bunch just fine. Mitch

Cant tell you anything about history but, thats a super looking sign.

Welcome! That's a cool sign that will clean up a bunch...

Welcome to oldgas, that sign is great. I think if you do a search here on Vickers you will get some back ground that may lead you to more info. I have not seen that sign but it is very cool. Glad to see another preserving our heritage.

You can't tell us about $150 Pegasus and not put up a picture. Lol

OK, I am the first not to say welcome. The reason, you asked questions, I will try and answer them.
I am 81 years old, I am that guy that shot holes in signs, globes, you name it. So, now here I am (again at 81 years of age} looking at a sign with a bunch of holes/chips in it, I don't see any history in it, I don't care which of my friends used it as a dart board, I see it as a sign that I don't want to own.
I have owned a number of antique cars, I was never interested in why they were in the condition that they were, I just imagined what I could do to bring them back to what they looked when they were new. You can't do that with a sign with a bunch of holes in it. Looking at your first picture, it appears that you want your cars to look like they did when they left the production line, why settle for a few signs with holes in them?

But, your Victor sign, I don't care how bad it is, it is a keeper, but it doesn't tell me anything other than it is a hard to find sign.

Now, if everything has a story why are there vendors at ever petro swap meet?

My assumption here is that none of us can sell a TV cable company for millions, and then buy only the most perfect signs possible. What we should be looking at is "what can I sell this sign for to use the money to pay for my daughter's college tuition next semester?

In 1959, I owned a 1930 Studebaker Roadster. Tuition time, I was married with one child and one on the way, plus trying to go to college day school, guess what was sold?

My point here is, in the future stories won't sell a sign, condition will.

Jack Sim

I don't know the value but you have a great sign and even in that condition although not perfect, would still be wanted by over 90% of collectors.

Jack, I really appreciate your comments and perspective and absolutely understand where you are coming from. Like I eluded to I'm probably not a collector, I just like old stuff and I like to have it around my shop.

So no arguments here, just a difference in opinion. I don't mind a beat up sign. Whereas a true collector and expert like you would think it's trash, for $70 I think it's neat to have around.

Plus it's fun to go look at this stuff with my kids. As I type this I'm sitting in the Stafford diner in NJ with my 4 year old daughter. We are celebrating after picking up this old gas pump.

Worth anything? Heck I don't know! Paid $300 and I think I'm in good shape.

The $150 Mobil sign is in the background of the 1st pic.

Jack, and I ask this honestly and ignorantly with no malice, are you saying by "not welcoming" me that this site is for individuals that collect and appreciate the great pieces? I've only been here for 2 days and I most certainly don't want to offend anyone. Again, thank you and I've looked on your site and really enjoyed it.

RJ; welcome to Oldgas! You are not offending anyone... Some of us here on Oldgas and in the Hobby are known as "Grumpy Old Men". Sometimes, we aren't as accommodating to new and longtime Hobbyists; as we should be!

Collect what you like! Don't feel the need to apologize for liking "Items with character"; they may not be someone else's "Cup of Tea"? But, you are the one collecting what you like, so who is to judge?

Ok thanks Bob. Not worried about getting my feelings hurt, honestly worried about offending the people who do this seriously.

I build a ton of cars. I suppose I could be considered the "Jack" in a few circles and I mean that as a compliment lol. Some people join our clubs and forums with no sense, lots of money and make complete asses out of themselves. I don't want to be that guy. More importantly I don't want to be the guy that cheapens the hobby. Sort of like Barrett Jackson. As soon as they started airing that, all the rich guys thought it was co to start trading in automobiles and drive prices locally all over every ding bat thought their plain Jane 56 post car was worth 100k. I'm a quick learner and I promise not to be ignorant too long lol. I hope I change, but that rusty sign looks cool to me. I got a Firestone sign with that pump. Looks to be real but I need to dig around a bit

Welcome to OldGas!

Yes, welcome to Old Gas, RJ. That little sweetheart of yours will have some great memories of the "shopping trips" with Dad....especially when they end with a stop at the diner! It's good to see enthusiastic, younger people like you getting interested in the old gas hobby. Best regards, John