My assumption is that you have a Wayne 505 pump from the mid to late 1950s. This was the time when service stations/oil companies were doing anything to get you to come into their station and purchase eight gallons (the minimum to receive a dish or a glass), or stamps for every .10 cents you spent. I remember giving away Green Stamps away at my Shell station in the early 70s.

I wrote an article for "CTO" a few years about promotions and I didn't come close to showing or explaining all the promotions that the companies did at that time. It got so big that the Berkeley Oil Co. of California gave away a new Studebaker every month. You should see the pictures of the clouds around the station when this was done.

What you show that is on the face is not what brought the customer into the stations, large banners hanging all over the place was the way they got you into the station. I have many NOS banners that were used by Marathon to get you to into the station, giving away space glasses, Olympics place mats, bowls, cups, measuring cups, I could go on forever.

This was all during a crazy period and many guys who opened stations lost everything they had because the customers were not regulars, they went where the give-a-ways were best. I know as I was one of them that lost everything in less than 2 1/2 years.

I regretfully remember those days.

Jack Sim

Author, 1st & 2nd editions of Gas Pump ID book, 3rd edition is now available at www.gaspumpbible.com
Air Meter ID book also available