Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion The future of this habit I mean hobbie and pumps

Even though i'm young, I still see a market for pumps in the future. Look at me for example, I buying stuff because I like the looks of a item, and I think it'll look good in my man cave house one day. People buy stuff to decorate, or they have a special history with the item.

The value is with the eye of the beholder. The prices no one will be able to predict it accurately. What happens, is what happens.

But there is alot of reproduction items that look cool aswell. So if items rise tremendously, and theirs a option to buy repop items that look simular, the newer generation will buy more repop. Cause thats what there wallet can handle, and they dont have the special history with the item.

Look at classic cars. There still lots of collector in old model A etc... Im 21 currently. I like late 60's early 70's muscle car era vehicles, my favourite car use to be 1970 boss 302. However like most stuff, new items come around in this example 2013 boss 302 is my new favourite, and at a cheaper price.

People buy stuff for what they like and can afford.

With the tv shows the gas related items have rose, because of the great advertisement portrayed in the shows, and it brought in alot more newer collectors. It sure introduced me more into gas and petrolia items.


That's just my 2 cents tho.

I remember pumping gas from the stainless steel pumps of the 60's to 80's but are they the pumps I like and collect. No. I don't even like to buy them you can ask my brother. I do like the clocks and short and tall electrics but never pumped any gas from any of those pumps and they are not from my era. Visibles are harder to sell mainly because of the size and weight in my opinion.

Just read the forum topic "curbsides in general" from Sunday to make a prediction for the future.

I did not read every post thoroughly so I apologize if I am repeating this but the 50's and 60's pumps are also the perfect size for most people. It is hard to move a visible and even harder for most people to display it. We don't all have 14' ceilings in our garages, basements or game rooms.

I think people buy what they can afford, have a personal connection with, have the space to display and the ability to transport.

These are all factor's contributing to the popularity of the smaller pumps. However, it's a double edged sword. In that, the demand versus supply causes an upward movement in prices.

Went to an auction here in Illinois a few weeks back. The guy had been a collector for over 30+yrs. There were two unrestored visibles at the auction - one was a plain Jane Erie and the other an American, cylinders were bad on both and they were going to require a lot of work to restore. Each one went for over $1800. This summer I saw an unrestored G&B 176 with good cylinder go for $2000. So from my vantage point visibles are still hot. And I agree with a lot of the comments on the late 40's - 50's pumps. Lots of demand for them - we restore them and for the first time since we started we have a backlog of orders to deal with.

FWIW from a newbie.....

I only have two pumps, both unrestored. I got both for nothing really. The Tokheim short 39 is pretty cool and will go in my shop when finished between my old Porsche and the '77 Corvette. To me it is cool from a motoring era.

The Fry 117 in my book is much cooler and will go on the deck near the hot tub when finished. I am 43 and can't really relate to either, other than knowing the 39 belonged to my grandfather. To me a pump from the 1920s is cooler just because it is older and more rare, that in a way is cool in its own right; not just from a motoring era point of view if that makes sense.

To each his/her own.

Michael

I haven't been around long at all in my life being I'm 18 so I could not relate to pump pricing then, but I feel like the pump pricing will fluctuate a lot. Depending on the rarity and what people will pay for a certain pump, but no doubt that this hobby has grown dramatically over the years. It is hard to tell what prices will be. Either way go out and get them while you can because you may never have the chance again!!

One of the biggest factors in buying a pump is location. If you have to drive 400-500 miles, buy gas, take someone along to help you take down the pump, possibly stay overnight your expenses might add 25 to 35% to the cost of the pump.

Jack Sim

What I have seen over the past 15 years of auctioning gas pumps off is visible pumps have become less desirable unless they are rarer.

The cost my be a reason but what I have learn from most buyers is that a visible gas pump does not look right sitting next to a 57 Chevy or a 66 Mustang. (These people want a pump restored in Sunoco colors.)

Also your clock face or computing pumps can be display in a lot more places than a visible. Visible measure 104 inches without a globe and other pumps are under 84 inches with a globe.

One last thing when you see G&B 176 or a Wayne 615 pumps selling for $2000 to $5000 it is almost always to a uneducated buyer.

It you look at results in my pump auctions most of my buyers are looking for rarer pumps, I have a problem selling common visible pumps.

Just my thoughts. Dan

One more thing for you all to ponder is why collectors in the this hobby will not pay more for a pump that has been restored as for an unrestored pump.

I can show you results in my auction where I sold a unrestored Wayne 60 complete for almost as much as a restored one.

Why is this?

All good points Dan.

I do think that the rare pumps are going to retain their value, while the more common may tail off - many of the model Ts and older cars are dropping in value as the old guys who remember them diminish, but the Deusenbergs, Cords etc. just keep going up.

Personally, I buy for my own satisfaction - I don't really care much about how much money my pumps bring at my estate auction. And I do display my visibles with my muscle cars - I think they look great although they are obviously from different eras.

And now that you are with Morphy's, I'm looking forward to one of your actions in PA.

...my ClearVision twin with 70 Mach 1. This might be worth more with a complete restoration, but I enjoy the patina - and something is only original once.

One more thought is that a true collector collects because he loves the things that he or she buys. Most true collectors do not buy because that think they are going to make money. (But they tell their wives they will.)

I would say that 2/3 of my cosigners never bought the stuff looking to make money.

If you look at other collectibles a lot have went down in value of the past 20 years pattern glass, furniture and more.

I myself collect art pottery Roseville, Weller and the such, I am buying it cheaper today than five years ago.

One thing to remember when collecting buy what you like, what you can afford, stay away for anything that is limited edition or collector edition unless you really like it. These items are made to be a collectable and most like never will go up.

Dan

Great looking twin there.

If you look at the fate of Model T collectors you might get a glimpse of what is in store for visible pumps (to some degree) The value of Model T's at least around here has steadily dropped...why...because the generation that collected them is shrinking due to old age.

Stainless steel "T" pumps could very easily become the next market in pump collecting. Motor heads are waking up to the idea and love them for their muscle car collections.