This story started last November when I got a call from a good friend and fellow collector that I have gotten to know over the last few years. He informed me that there was a particular globe in a public auction on the east coast that I would probably be interested in. When I finally got all the information and pictures, I set out to find out as much as I could about the globe before sale day. There wasn't a whole lot of information available about it, but I did learn from Scott Benjamins CD, that it was produced in 1910. I called the auctioneer and got a detailed description of the condition of the globe and had him send me several close up detailed pictures of the globe so that I would be informed as possible. The pictures pretty well gave me all the information I needed to know that I dearly wanted this globe for my collection! The close connection between Crew-Levick, and Cities Service in the earliest days of the formation of the gas & Oil industry within the United States is an important part of my collection of Cities Service gas & oil artifacts, and this would be a great piece to tie it all together.
When auction day arrived, I was fairly nervous about the auction and all the variables concerned with it, but the auctioneer called me right on time and I proceeded to bid over the phone on this globe. Bidding was fairly fast paced and at first I thought it wouldn't go too high and I would really score a great piece at a low price, but then the bidding took off and was jumping $250 at a time, and I was getting a little worried as we approached my bid limit! I had set a self imposed limit as to what I felt I could afford to pay and had resolved to not go over that limit. Suddenly the bidding stopped and I was still on top and a few seconds later, the auctioneer gaveled the globe as sold, and I was the new owner! YAHOO!
Only now the problems started! How in the heck was I going to get this thing to North Dakota and in one piece? It was a couple of days before the auction company called to settle up on payment, and I made arrangements with them to store the piece until I could come up with a way to get it. I decided to call Scott Benjamin and find out if he knew of any globe guys in that area? When I got Scott on the phone, we found out that it was he that was bidding against me, and he had also quit when he reached his limit. Quite a surprise to find out who the other bidder was! Scott had several possibilities in mind to transport the globe and a lot of it revolved around Christmas travel plans for different people and if things worked out, we could get it moved. Well, as Christmas came and went with travel plans getting changed for different people, it was obvious we would need to resort to "PLAN B", which was the Old Gas.com transportation system!
I placed an ad on Old Gas, looking for a ride for this globe and it didn't take long before a few possible options emerged. It would be some time before these options took place, so I contacted the auctioneer again and gave him an update of my plans, and he was great to work with and would accommodate what ever we could come up with. Time passed and one of the options fizzled out, leaving 2 in place yet, and one of them was not on a time schedule, so it was pretty uncertain? Suddenly I got a call one day and old gasser romerx--(Scott Bocheck), and he had some things to pick up in that general area and could get the globe back to the Pittsburgh area. SUPER! Things were moving now and if I could get a ride for the globe from Pittsburgh to Scotts in Ohio, he would get it to me.
About then I was in contact with another old gasser-- mrcavalcade--(Kevin Bick), and he had offered to pick up the globe in Pittsburgh and try to get it to Scott. FANTASTIC! Things were really coming together now and we just had to hope for a reason for Kevin Bick to head for Ohio? Days went by and time got consumed to the point where we wouldn't be able to get it to Scott in time to get it sent to Columbia for the winter swap meet, so we would have to wait and see if we could make connections later on and get it to Peotone or Iowa Gas? About that time, I got a call from mrcavalcade, that he had purchased a globe from oldiesbutgoodies (Bob Rafferty) in Indiana, and Bob would be delivering the globe to him! I got on the phone and contacted my good friend Bob Rafferty, and made arrangements for him to pick up my globe when he was in Pittsburgh and take it home with him! SUCCESS! Bob would be coming to Peotone and would deliver it to me there!
The days ticked by fairly slow, as they always do when you're waiting for something, but the Peotone show finally came and Bob was there on Saturday morning with my globe safely packed up for me to receive! Finally in my hands! I didn't get home until the following Monday, and had a lot to do that week, but I was finally able to get the globe out and get it cleaned up this last week and take a couple pictures of it for this story! I love it and it will be here in my collection until they have my estate sale, and I hope that's a long, long time from now!
My sincerest thank you's go out to Dave Conley of Rentzels Auction Service---Scott Benjamin--Scott Bochek--Kevin Bick--and Bob Rafferty! Without the help of these gentlemen, this story would not have been possible! I only hope I am able to repay them all with something I might do for them in the future! You guys are all a tremendous asset to this hobby and have my deepest respect! Thank you all again!-----KEVIN
