Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Question for everybody

So what was it that got everybody hooked on all this cool petro junk anyhow??For me it was roughly nine years ago,I went with my buddy to his friends house to look at some of his 55-57 chevys.I walked into his garage and was just floored,I didn't even notice the cars really.Pumps, signs,globes,soda machines,jukeboxes, everywere, it totally overwelmed me.It was all over at that point,It's all I really wanted to look for from that point on!Up until then I never noticed this stuff was so neat.The rest is history,now my garage is stuffed with all this petro stuff,nothing better than walking around in the garage with a few cold ones just checking it all out!I hope this hasn't been asked alot,so lets hear how everyone got addictied!

Thanks for shifting gears with your topic, Petroholic.
I collected a little of this and that until I visited Ron Throckmorten, one of the most knowledgeable oil bottle collectors around. He had a wonderful collection back then over 13 years ago, including tons of oil bottles I had never seen but also pumps, lubesters, signs and more. I was so impressed by his knowledge, enthusiasm and friendliness it infected me with the collecting bug. He said I had to go to the swap meet in Columbia, Missouri. I did and I was totally hooked.

------------------
Jim "Oldgas" Potts
Your host and moderator

It's my wife's fault! LOL. She bought me my first "collectible" oil can at a garage sale for 25 cents. I already had 2 or 3 globes but the oil can makes for a better story.
I guess my collecting was a natural progression from my interest in old cars.
Bob

I've Been collecting stuff for 25 years, it started out with racing stuff ,old flyers, and programs from different tracks, then to diecast cars,I have over 600 of them , mostly race cars in 1/24 scale, then with out me even knowing it I was collecting Automobilia and then in to Petro, but the Petro stuff has deep roots ,my grandfather had a Standard Station from 1929,-1940 something, my dad worked at a part time job for about 15 years at a Phillips 66 station along with his regular job ,so my brother and I hung around there all the time, and then I worked a Standard Station for 4 years as I went through school. so the Petro stuff has a strong hold on me , I just wish I knew then what I know now, I do believe I would be rich if I did.

When I got married in 1973 my dad gave me the White Eagle Globe that had graced his G&B 176 back in the 30's. That planted the seed. Then a friend of mine was restoring his Model A which rearoused my interest in old cars. I started going to swap meets, saw a restored visible and the seed germinated.

You can see my collection of visibles at http://www.geocities.com/Tim_Rohr/

[This message has been edited by Tim Rohr (edited 08-26-2004).]

When I got married in 1973 my dad gave me the White Eagle Globe that had graced his G&B 176 back in the 30's. That planted the seed. Then a friend of mine was restoring his Model A which rearoused my interest in old cars. I started going to swap meets, saw a restored visible and the seed germinated. hooked.

Tou can see my collection of visibles at http://www.geocities.com/Tim_Rohr/

Well, it started abiur fiv years ago, when my I move From Nashville, back to the town where I grew up. My Dad and I always wanted to mess with cars togather. He is now retired, so we had time to do it. So we were going to car shows kept on seeing gas pumps for sale, I had always like old Coke machines, so I bought a Vendo 110 Coke machine. Then about a year later we met someone through a friend that had a field full of short computer pumps that he bought for scrap metal. Bought two of them, took them home with the hopes of restoring them. Soon I realized that I didnt have the skill to do this, so put them out on the farm with the broken machinery. Earlier this year I decided that I was going to tackle one of them, so with the help of this website, I have finished one. Starting another, and recently purchased a Tokheim 610 visable, a Wayne 60, and a National A38, and going to Dixie Gas and plan on buying more.............
Jason

[This message has been edited by JasonBullis (edited 08-26-2004).]

Thanks for the stories everyone!Keep them coming if theres more out there.
Nice web page Tim
Joe

I've been restoring Ford Model T's and A's all my life. A friend started collecting pumps about 10 years ago and I though it would look nice if I had one next to my old cars. The EPA was shutting down all the farmers in my area from pumping there own gas so I ended up picking up about 50 pumps from friends and neighbors for free or scap prices. The plan was to restore one, sell it the do more. It didn't work out once I restored one I couln't sell it,28 pumps later my room was full so I switched to patches then maps and now I'm really hooked on globes. The main reason I liked to restore pumps was that it would take me a year to restore a car, pumps about a month or less. My advise to some one just starting out and not knowing how to paint or do body work is just to try. It doesn't have to be perfect all it has to do is to please you and give you a feeling of accomplishment. Richard

I have always been interested in things retro. About 10 yrs ago I was wandering around the local swap meet when I spotted a tall Tokheim in pretty good shape. I bought it as "yard art" and it sat out in the back 40 for a couple years.. I ended up giving it to my neighbor Steve and he restored it to Signal. It was a work of art and we were hooked... Now between us we have over a dozen pumps restored.. numerous signs, lubsters, cans etc.
I'm hooked on all things retro and PETRO...
Thanks for a great site.

------------------
Frank

Not quite sure how I got into the old gas hobby. It probably was due to my interest in older cars. Mostly 60's and early 70's muscle car era stuff. I guess it was a logical transition. Most of my interests and limited collection in the old gas stuff tends to be from that same era. Im not old enough to remember much earlier than that. But once you get into old gas, there is a certain appreciation for it all.

------------------
-Dave-
Slowly progressing on a '54 Tokheim 39

Late 1980s- i was busy running my 3 Speed warehouses Dons Speed Shop- and 21 PCA stores { Performance Centers of America} and decided I needed a hobby- Figured I would restore a few old cars- thats where I started in 1950s- Had 33 ford Coupe for drags- 40 Ford Coupe - Best car and worst mistake was a late 30s Ford Phaeton- Decided to customize - had been reading Hot Rod - Car Craft- Rod and Custom etc- what more did I need to Know?? Chopped- Sectioned - chanelled and scraped in that order- Didnt Have a torch so most of the Sheet metal cutting was done with an old Lincoln welder set on Kill- advanced to first street car- 49 Ford coupe put 52 caddy engine in it- This was a late Model engine in 1954- Sucked the doors off the Hot 55 chevys when they came out- Only ones I didnt beat got showered with assorted trans parts- Finially went to 37 Cad-Lasalle Floorshift- 49 was like a Cammelion- every other week It was a diff color- these were the days the cops all had 6cyl - couldnt catch you but eventually stopped you and told you to stay out of town- eventually I was not welcome anywhere within about a 25 mile radius of home and bought a new 56 chevy- and graduated to running dragsters at the 1/4 mile strips- back to the 80s- I bought a variety of old cars - 2 -54 Ford Pickups- 60 ford Convert- an Edsel ?? 57 checy 4 door hardtop- and a few others- after a few nights of starting to take these apart I realized that laying on my back trying to remove a muffler that installed about 30 years ago was not as appealing as it used to be- got rid of all the cars except 57 chevy that my son still has- Some where I saw Check The Oil Book Published by Scott Anderson in late 80s- this stuff looked neat- wow- I knew where to find all this old stuff- all the stations I hung around in 50-60s- Right- Wrong- Most was already scrapped- any way My son and I dug an old 6 Foot texaco sign out of a scrap yard- we thought it was the neatest thing- really about a grade 3- we were on our way- after that we collected every oil and gas sign - can etc in sight-came back from Carlisle and Hershey with truck loads- from there on it became a disease that no one has found a cure for as of yet- thanks don

------------------
Wanted 5 quart cans

I started my collection with the purchase of a set of eight matching oil bottles and wire carrier rack at the AACA Hershey Fall Meet in October 1971. Shortly afterward, I got my first pump, a G&B T-176. Both items are still in my collection and are displayed in the living room of my home. I guess that I was collecting this "stuff" before it was considered "cool"......I used to get a lot of grief from my car buddies, but now they all try to get me to part with some of my petro goodies.

Jim

It sounds like most of us started as a car nut one way or the other,thats the same way I became aware of the stuff.I didn't give up my muscle cars or hotrods,they seem to go hand in hand.Don that must have been cool owning a few speed shops!
Joe (Petroholic)

I started back in Nov. 2000 of collecting Gas Station Memorabilia. This whole thing started by helping my mom find a pump to put in front of my stepdad's barn for x-mas. I grew up around old cars because we always have some kinda old car... like 69 camaro, 66 chevelle, 69 roadrunner, 70 olds 442, 71 LT1 corvette. These were cool cars when I was a kid and my stepdad got tired of working on them i guess so now he collects newer cars. LOL
The one thing that really got me collecting was trying to find a pump and talking to other collectors and seeing how great everyone was and how everyone tries to help. This site helps feed the fire everyday. I call it a hobby... my wife calls it my obsession. LOL