Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana How do you guys afford all this stuff?

Ohio, You wrote "you can collect some low end stuff that will probably never be worth much" I hate that statement and have heard it on here many times. I was told that when i started to collect even! I like low end stuff... matter in fact most of it is low end because i can afford it. Statements like that is what would scare off new guys wanting to collect. I don't care if i ever make any money off my collection when i sell... as long as i can get my money back and get to enjoy it for years.

Remember... this is not a retirement plan like a 401K it is a hobby.

Right on the money Jarvis. I have a lot of low end stuff too. It goes right by the stuff I spent a bunch more for. I collect what appeals to me and if you are planning on this for retirement good luck. Get a real plan for that. Inexpensive gas stuff can be just as cool as high dollar stuff. Ted

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Ted Pam & Ethyl Roach
Lodi CA.
Looking for Signal, Hancock, Mohawk, Douglas, Gilmore and Richfield
pca-west.org
vintage-logos

I agree with JJ and Ted. It is possible to collect on a budget. I have a bunch of budget priced stuff to prove it!
I started off like most new collectors. I bought every cheap can or sign that came along. I had a lot of cool stuff, but my collection lacked direction. I sold off most of my signs, my anti-freeze can collection and a lot of other stuff and started buying globes. Then I made a little money by selling some globes. I put that money with the money I had budgeted for my collection and bought better globes. I have a little more money available to spend on my collection these days, but I still buy $10 and $20 items. In fact I just mailed off a check to a fellow oldgaser for a $10 item.
While some collect with an eye for eventually selling, I don't for the most part. I buy enough for resale to set up at one show a year. I don't plan on selling my collection to fund my retirement. I don't plan on ever selling my collection.
Back to the original question. Buy the best items you can afford. Buy in quantity if you can so you can sell what you don't need (at a profit). Pick something you like and concentrate on that area of collecting. I have a friend that has an awesome collection of handy oilers and 4 oz banks. He paid less than $15 a piece for many of them.
I bought an Ashland Flying Octanes globe lens for $50 at Columbus this year. You don't have to spend a lot of money to collect. You just need to have some discipline. Don't over pay for anything, and if there's something you really want, save up for it.
I think its safe to say that most (if not everyone) would agree that $20 a week would be a tight budget for collecting. Sign in on ebay and do a search of completed items in the Gas and Oil catagory and see how many items sold within the past week at $20 or less. I think you'll be amazed at how much budget priced stuff is out there.

[This message has been edited by Lastgas15 (edited 11-09-2005).]

Wow! Thanks for all the replys. The fact is that as i get older (im only 26 but thats old right) I want to upgrade my collection. For the most part Ive only focused on pumps, my first resto at 14, but I want to expand. I like the hunt the most. I have a delivery rout that goes all over Texas so I see alot of petro stuff, problem is that every one is so proud of their items that I would have to take out a second loan just to buy it. Im interested in anything, I dont ever plan to resell any of the items( thats what my baseball card collection is for) But I really want to start collecting more signs. Problem is the only gas show we get is Pate Swap meet which is a C+ gas show at that. Thanks for all the encouragement everyone

Hey Ryan, believe it or not there are probably 40+ swap meets a year in Texas. Just to mention a few: Conroe 2-3 times/year, Rosanky, Arlington, Belton, Fredricksburg, Decatur, New Braunfels, Canton, Autorama, Traders Village(Houston), etc.

ryan iam one year older than you and have pretty nice collection but i also do a lot of side work on cars buy and sell cars you can do it ive slow down some only because starting to run out of room every one things iam crazy spending alot money a signs i tell them that i buy the stuff now cause i dont have to many bills to pay so when i buy my frist house i'll have the stuff that i want and not be on a budget

Time for one of old guys to step in. The MOST, I ever paid for a pump, was $250.00 for a nearly complete 36B. (See the thrill of the hunt) The smallest amount that I paid, was a case of beer, cheap beer too. Most of my stuff was free. Yes there is a bit of luck, and being in the right place at the right time. With e-bay, just buy what you can afford. But stop to think, how much lower priced stuff could you have bought for the price of that globe?

If you want a lot of stuff, buy the less expensive stuff. If you want the really cool rare stuff...... Well, you know.

I also agree with JJ well stated

Ryan,
When I first started collecting 10 years ago, I was told that "before you know it, you will become a dealer to finance your collection". At the time, I had no plans to sell anything but then realized it was necessary to afford the high dollar stuff. Of course, there are many very wealthy collectors in this hobby. But a working man has to turn over some stuff to build a decent collection. If you don't believe this, go to any gas bash or swap meet these days. Just about every collector is also a dealer. That's why there's very few "retail" collectors anymore. Most everyone is wheeling and dealing!!

Have fun in the hobby.

Paul

My collection does't amount to much but it makes me happy when I look at it. Like Thunder I don't pay alot for most of what I have. My oil bottles are my most expensive but my first bottle was a free junk yard find same with my first pump 36b just at the right place at the right time. I now have 3 pumps 9 bottles 15 or so cans and might have a total of a grand in the last few years of collecting.

About 10-12 years ago I attended my first Iowa Gas show, and while there I met Jeff Pederson for the first time. I was a relatively new collector back then, and he gave me this advice......."If you have $300 to spend at an event, buy the best single item available for $300, rather than 10 items that total $300". Sounded like good advise, but I of course ignored it and continued to go for quantity. Five years later, after my collection reached over a thousand items, I concluded Jeff had been right!! Since then I've sold over 600 items to help finance about 200 new, better quality pieces. Save yourself the hassle.....buy the best one item you can afford.

(For those of you who didn't know Jeff, he was the owner of the "General Petroleum Museum" in Seattle. And anyone who attended the GPM auction knows Jeff obviously didn't follow his own advice!!)

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Richard Weir
"Pegasus"
Hillsboro, Ohio

My advice is marry a beautiful female that is independently wealthy, maybe a daughter of a major oil or pump company magnate which could generate some good leads. Even better if she likes to sandblast and paint.

You might laugh at this, but I keep all my change, roll it up and have $100 quicker than expected to blow on a sign with zero guilt. Always bargains out there if you are patient, have some things in mind you want, watch ebay, and you'll have to bid on several and watch them go to the next high bidder but eventually you can get it for a bargain price. Seems to me get some cool good condition original stuff on the wall/shelf to look at even if it's common and then consolidate later to better stuff when you start running out of room.

If you have to tell you significant other what you paid for an item leave out the shipping.

Have fun everybody
Tok

One of the best ways to finance your own collecting is to become a "picker" for someone else.

When you go junking, always take your digital camera and my phone number and email address.

There are several oldgas members to whom I have paid finders fees, because they sourced items we could use.

When you are out looking for the $10-20 small or $100-300 sign because that is all you can afford or justify to spend, if you come across a $1,500 sign that can be bought for $1,000 (or a $5,000 sign that can be bought for $3,500), take a digital pic and email it to me with the name and contact information of the owner.
Based on the actual purchase price, I'll pay +/- of 10% depending on how much margin I think is left in the item and how quick I think I can turn it.

Think about it - you're looking for stuff anyway because it's fun to do; you are passing along a lead on something you're not going to buy anyway; and any money you make is gravy that pays for your own collecting purchases.

There are a couple of very experienced collectors that have no personal interest in vending, and a few others that vend, but don't have the pocketbook for big ticket purchases, that have made money by calling or emailing a lead to me.

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Ron Bettin
740-774-OHIO(6446)
bettin@bright.net

Also remember that some of the older guys got into the hobby at least 20 years ago when some of this "stuff" was being thrown away or sold for next to nothing. Prices have gone up, but will come down too as the population gets older and wants out.

The only thing that is comming down is the QUANITY of things you can afford. Used to be I would go to a Bash with $2,000 & get a truck load. Now you go with 2 or 3 times that & NOT fill the cab of truck.
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