Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion A thought to always remember!

Today we are "throwing away" or not taking care of some things that will be collector's items 20 years from now. Think about it, probably 95% of the visible pumps ended up at the scrap yard because they were obsolete and considered "an obsolete piece of equipment" when the electric pumps came out. And the chain of events continued throughout the evolution of the gas pump. It's like the 60's and 70's pumps are being replaced by the modern card swipe MPD's (multiple petroleum dispensers) and no one is thinking that the pumps being replaced are "worth anything" DON'T be fooled, history always repeats itself! This topic holds true for much more than just gas pumps. Regarding something we take for granted today, in 20 years we will say "boy, I wish I held on to those _whatevers_??, I threw hundreds of them away!". I hope you guys get my drift. THANKS!! gas pump freak

You're probably right.....and I'll probably regret not getting those 14 "T" pumps for a dollar (for all) 6 1/2 years ago. I don't regret it right now though.
Bob

I believe you are probably right also... and I agree that History does repeat itself.
What we are throwing away today... relates directly with what they tossed out yesterday..
No value.. obsolete.. just another piece of junk for the landfill..
The "junk" that does survive will probably make some future collector's day complete when he/she discovers it someday...
and the rarity of it will only add to the value.
I say... let nature take it's course.. so future generations will have as much fun with the hunt as we are having today.

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Frank

Its true...13 years ago when I started collecting quarts...i went to every autoparts store on my way home and dug through their garbage and snagged every plastic quart i didnt have.... everynight!!!!.. I went home smelly and a bag full of plastic quarts. I must have had 600 different plastic quarts...I went through a divorce and got an apartment where i had no room for them...i wasnt going to pasy fro a storage unit because I didnt have the money and no one would store them for me because the were "Garbage" I ended up tossing them in the trash...I bet I will regret it someday...Kinda miss them...but not that much....yet...LOL
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Hubba

I agree with the original post. We have been giving serious thought to grabbing every "T" pump we can find. The stainless usually cleans up real well, blast the door panels and paint in primer, then let them sit a decade. Right now they can still be bought for $25 -$50 a piece. As a former service station owner (Marathon) I can't believe what I let slip through my hands before I started collecting. Who knows though what will be collectable in twenty years.

I disagree. First off, if everybody is saving the newer stuff it will be less collectible because it is too plentiful. Secondly, we live in a throw away world today. Even today's cars will NEVER have the investment potential that 60's musclecars have today. The same follows suit with today's petroliana. Case in point. Say you go out and buy a 2004 Mustang GT convt. and spend $33,000 for the priveledge and put it away with less than 20 miles on the clock. 15 years or so go by. You bring the car out to auction it off at Newport Beach and the car MIGHT fetch 10 or 12 grand IF your lucky. That was sure a good investment, wasn't it? I was at Jim Perkin's shop in Wisconsin (Mustang restorer-expert) several years ago and this exact thing had happened with an '86 GT Mustang. Today's cars are throw away. So are today's petroliana. We all adore this stuff BECAUSE it takes us back to a simpler time in life that we remember. Who wants to remember today?? The new kids coming up now will be collecting Play Stations and video games because THAT is what will take them back to their youth. They are not into cars and petroliana like we are. That is what they will collect. Not plastic oil bottles.

Hey Midway... I agree with you completely. You hit the nail right on the head... My collection of petro and retro relates directly to fond memories of my youth during the 50's and 60's...
I cannot imagine my kids relating to "gas and oil" when they are my age.


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Frank

I agree with Midway. most of us remember going to or working in the old filling stations. useing the lubester to put in a qt of cheap oil , mom makeing you go outside to play cowboys and indians, = Hoppy, Gene, Roy,Gabby Hayes, Whip Wilson, Lash LaRue, Bob Steel that was me only 5'2, ha ha . play on a swing made of an oldrubber tire in a tall tree. or takeing your bike apart. todays young can't get out from in front of the T.V. as he says everything is throw away. and back then was a simpler time, Andy Hardy. Have fun with the old stuff its better any way.

Boy, ol' Midway can sure suck the air out of a post. I happen to agree with him. I remember in 1978 wanting to buy the Silver anniversary Corvette. I had plans of bagging it and putting it into storage. Only to open it up years later, sell it as an Original, Non-driven Vette. Boy am I glad I didn't have the money to flush that idea down the toilet.
However, that doesn't keep me from wondering what will be the big collectable for the kids of this era? maybe Cell phones? By then, they will probably all have little cell chips implanted in their ear someplace.

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Don "oltoydoc" Sherwood
Vintage Gas

I agree somewhat. Certain things will be valuble in the future. Some young kids think of nothing but video games but the young adults I'm around on a daily bases still like those cars. They may not be muscle cars but Hondas and Toyotas keep em going. Most of the young guys I know would prefer a 50's or 60's muscle car but the Japanese are more affordable until you get way wild. I bought a 57 Corvette in 67 for $150 and had a total of $1500 in it. My dad told me I was nuts. Well Dad you were wrong on this one. I never sold any of my old cars and the value is way higher than what I paid.You guys that went out and bought the car brand new I don't know what to tell you. Maybe should have waited a couple years and picked them up cheap. As far as young guys not caring about gas and oil things some of you guys better off your stuff right now. I think there are quite a few young guys getting into this. Have fun collect what you want and better enjoy it even if the value goes in the dumps. Ted

I agree we live in a throw away society...That is exactly why this junk will be worth money later..most of it got thrown away. I am sure in 40 years or so all this junk will be worth more than trash. Thats just my opinion though. i try to just buy metal quarts and composites that are really interesting but if I had the room ...I would have kept those plastic oil bottles and made a plastic oil bottle room...I am just a gas geek oil freak like that. I also agree ..when my kids are older that they will be seeking out different things to collect weather its old playstation games or whatever ....but I played pong and early atari when I was a kid and have absolutely no interest in it now. Focus changes as we get older and thats why these "throw aways" will be collectible later. Might not be tomorrow but someday someway this junk will be sought out by some future gas geek oil freak in my opinion anyway. This is what makes this site so great, we can express our opinions in a respectful fun manner...HOOOORAYYY..LOL
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Hubba, gas geek , oil freak

I agree about the plastic quarts and all. I still think there will be a market though for the 60's era pumps that aren't being collected much yet. That's the thing with any collectable/hobby, if anyone knew with any certainty what the next big thing is gonna be in twenty years you could make a small fortune. I think we all will be surprised at what our kids and grandkids collect.

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, this is a tough one!
ive thought about this before.
"""the whole problem is you just cant predict the future!"""
i know one thing hindsight is 20-20!!!!!!

another thing for sure is the GOOD stuff is always the GOOD stuff & always was GOOD & always will be!
A 70 chevelle SS was hot right away & still goin strong! a wayne 60 was always hot & still is etc... a 57 chev hardtop, a 32 ford coupe was a hot item new & hotter than ever yet today! etc..... --- ive even seen certain neat lookin cereal boxes sell high!?????! --------
when i drive an SS chevelle to work & kids ride theyre bikes in to use the pop machine from age 6-16 they say hey thats a SS chevelle i want one of those someday. if a teen drives in in a souped up V-tec honda he looks at that chevelle & says id really like to own one of those someday so i think the future holds good for that item!

i see this young guy buying bicycles that were THE HOT STUFF when he was younger & couldnt afford to get one, he chases after some bikes that arent even that old yet when the owner gets his drivers license hes there buying the guys 3-4-5 year old bike for nothing, he says im getting ahead of the game right now. only after the "HOT" desireables! hes even bought a few new bicycles that he thinks will be the good investments.

its hard to predict the future but the desireable stuff usually seems to carry right on through!

What is scary is young people aren't gonna remember much of the stuff we collect. In 20, 30, 40 years kids wont know old gas pumps, round top pop machines, 45RPM jukes and etc... there might not be much demand for them. Maybe then I can afford some of the stuff I really want?

Just my two cents: There are enough Dads (and moms in come cases) that are into the hobby that will no doubt bring their children up into the hobby. What kid doesnt want to be just like their dad or mom, no matter how crazy they may be. Heck my 5 and 6 year girls love Texaco and Shell, they love it so much the top of their list christmas item was a green texaco shirt complete with a bow-tie and patch. Aside from this Petroliana will never die, it will just continue to modify itself and new and different things will become collectable, the case of the blend pump is a great example! The Eighties style Texaco round light-up sign! Cardboard quart cans! and many other examples.

My philosphy, grab it all, store it and see what happens, if nothing else you will be remembered as that crazy guy who collected junk and really I think we are all little off our rocker! At least I know I am, wait until the middle of the month and I will post pictures of what my family and I are trying to acquire (A Pertolinia / CITY oasis not far from the Seattle summer drive!!)