Well, here are a few dispensers that held lighter fluid. The good 'ol boys would come into the gas station or hardware store, or general store, and one of these would be sitting on top of the counter. They would normally operate with the use of one penny, most of them were on the honor system. By pushing the plunger on the top, or by opening a spout, the lighter fluid would flow out of the hose into your Zippo. I have a few of them, and will share photos as I dig them out to pack the up for the move.
Cost? some I've paid as little as $85. for, and some cost over $1k.
.

]
Anyone have some others to share with us?

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Don "oltoydoc" Sherwood
Vintage Gas

[This message has been edited by oltoydoc@pacbell.net (edited 07-22-2003).]

These are great Don, they go back a few years , I had one that was a gas pump but a 40ties pump. thanks for sharing.

DOC.
You sure got some neat stuff in your collection.Keep showing us as your packing.
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wishin I were helpin DOC pack hahaha.
-----JERRY

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DOC the third pump down made by DAYTON I believe,can you give me a ball park value.
Keep the photos comeing thanks Rex.

I like the Shell, do I have expensive taste ???????? Those are way neat. Ive seen them on ebay but didnt know the stores had them for people to fill zippos.

You're a man of many collections Doc.
Larry

Yes, the Dayton is a work of art. It's all brass (actually plated I think) with The fluid contained in the bottom resevoir. A large threaded plug opens in order to fill it up. Just like the lubesters, the flow back tube swings out of the way to fill your lighter. You push the little plunger on top to dispense the fluid. I stole this one on ebay a few months ago for $85. Prior to that, the last one I saw was priced at $850. The Shell pump is one of my favorites. That one I also got on ebay, and was thrilled to finally find one for sale. As I recall, it cost about $900. There is one of these on the cover of a petro collectable book. I think it's one of the one's that was authored by Mitch Stenzler.

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Don "oltoydoc" Sherwood
Vintage Gas

too cool doc ... i remember seeing them as a kid in a store that sold hats for men.. also in a news stand and shoe shine parlor ... wow !!!... now that was a long time ago !!!

I think some of the younger guys might not remember the Stinky Lighters, there sure was some cool lighters out there as well. I like the lighter filler pump with the drip catcher..too cool


<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I think i will dig out some of my Stinky lighters and have a look at them today...dodogas

G'day All,

I appreciate this is an old thread but I actually used the search function for once so thought I would add to it instead of starting a new one.

I was cleaning out my dad's old stuff on the weekend and came across one of those Shell lighter dispensers similar to the second one of Don's in the photo's.

Dad's one is slightly different in that it has a round wooden base on it and the part that is coloured red on Don's version (the top 1/3rd panel) is yellow but otherwise identical.

I know that Dad was a Shell Exec here in Australia in the 1960's and this item sat on his study desk for as long as I can remember, at the very least since 1972, so I don't *think* it is a fake but a local collector tells me that fakes are very common.

Is there an easy way to tell? Why would the colour scheme on this one be different? Overall the condition is good, although I am embarrassed to admit it has been sitting in my garden shed since Dad died and so is pretty dirty and has a couple of minor spots of corrosion etc.

Anyway, was hoping one of you knowledgable gents could help me out! I am assuming I am better off not trying to restore this myself, right?

Regards

Marcus

Marcus, is there anyway you can post a Picture of it, that may help out Don or who ever responses to your Question.These are so cool I wish I had a few of them , By the sounds of it you have something worth holding on to. Just my opinion

Chris,

I certainly will, I just forgot to take my digital camera home with me from the Christmas party! Hopefully I'll get some pictures tonight.

Marcus

Marcus,
1ST off WELCOME TO OLDGAS.COM

It appears that Don's SHELL pump is from over seas [it suggest that it has 2 glass bottles, instead of a single cylinder like used in the U.S.].
Even through it is SHELL, down under they did things alittle differantly. Even the globes & signs are differant.
db

Thanks for the welcome Dick.

As I said, the pump looks identical in every way except for the slight difference in the colour scheme. Mine has the dual bottles and all.

I spoke to a dealer in memorabilia here in Aus and he told me that these things are very common and you can buy reproduction ones at all the swap meets for a few dollars. Given mine is at least 30 years old (I was about 7 or 8 when Dad gave me a smack for taking it to school to it must be at least that old!!) I doubt mine is a fake but the colour scheme variation has got me curious.

I'll post the piccies in a couple of hours when I get home from work.

PS - it's about 105F in the shade here today - so much for a cool Christmas!

Here's some pictures I took earlier...

Great looking pump! No reason to restore that one. The original paint is way to good. Keep it the way it is an enjoy.

What a welcome surprise to see this old post revived. Marcus, let me add to the list of guys who wish you a welcome to this site.
You have a "killer" dispenser there. Dick is right, it is European vs. Made in USA, and yours is original, and possible more original than mine. I'm not near mine right now, but the top red portion of mine, might have been touched up? Your's looks correct! Mine also came from Australia several years ago, and I'm feeling very lucky to have it in my collection. I don't know of anyone making reproductions of this dispenser, but I know lots of guys that might tell you that, to get the asking price lower. LOL.
Your dispenser, the memories, and the family connection should make this piece priceless to you.
Welcome to the site, share more of your family petro history with us.
Don


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Don "oltoydoc" Sherwood
Vintage Gas

Stay away from that memorabilia dealer and HIS reproductions..

Thanks very much for the info guys - nice to know I wasn't going completely mad! My dad ran the Shell petrol station in a little country town called Carnamah in Western Australia back in the 1960's. I think he was also the regional rep for Shell but I am not 100% sure. I know he used to work on the industrial side for a while because before he died he blamed his rare cancer on some of the chemicals he worked with at Shell.

Funny, though, Dad was not a collector of Automobilia at all. The things that he collected and are important to me (and will never be sold) are things related to my grandfathers campaign in WWII in the pacific.

Thus this item, whilst nice, doesn't have the emotional attachment for me and I had always planned to sell it as part of the big clean out.

I'm really, really embarrassed to admit that I had planned to sell it at the garage sale for $10 before I found out about this website :0

So any recommendations on the best place to sell and for roughly how much? And the first person who says $10 will get a boomerang thrown at him!!!

Marcus

How about $150 ? LOL
db

Welcome aboard Bammo. Since I am out of boomerang range I will say .......Trade you a nice parking meter.

Hey Don, I e-mailed you. Did you get it?
Mike

*sigh*

In all seriousness, what sort of price should I put on an item like this if I was the sell it on eBay? I'd hate to be one of those sellers that get bagged in here!!

I mean, I *could* sell it for $12,850 just like this guy:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=015&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=250040953337&rd=1&rd=1

I mean seriously, and the seller is supposedly a professional trader too!

Marcus

Actually.... it's interesting taking a closer look at the photo's in that guy's auction - in particular the pictures of the top of the unit when unscrewed and comparing them to mine.

I rather suspect that my unit has been repainted at some stage as there is yellow paint on the inside of the tube and the colour scheme at the front is slightly different to both other examples I have now seen.

A closer inspection of mine suggests that only the yellow has been re-done as there are some very small overruns and drips on the back.

I guess I can only sell mine for $11,000, huh?

Marcus

BOY, did he waste his 15 cent listing fee !