Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion oil/gas collectible prices in 20 years

Where do you think prices will go over the next 20 years? Will the trend of increased prices steadily continue?

We all hope so.

Honestly, I think the prices will go down due to the fact that the new generation (People My age) are not into this stuff. Do not get me wrong there will still be a few hardcore young collectors, but the hobby as a whole is questionable from my point of view.

Im not trying to hijack this post but I will say this. Unmarked repop's will hurt this hobby, Just like it did in the coke a cola hobby. It will be our job to educate people about this wonderful hobby and how to preserve it.

I'm sure this thread (if it excites people), will generate a broad spectrum of opinions.

Mine: The commonly-found items, originated by mass-marketed brands (certain quarts, handy oilers, signs, even globes) won't appreciate much in relation to future inflation or the actual buying power of our dollars. There simply aren't enough new collectors coming into our hobby to keep significant upward price pressure on these entry-level items. Sure, we are seeing some new collectors, but anyone who vends items, knows the number of these new ones isn't anything like we experienced 20 or 30 years ago.

Let's face it, the conversion of "service stations" to self-service and convenience store operations in the 1970's means that many people currently 40-years-old and younger never personally experienced much of the glory days of gas station goodies the first time around. As these folks age and rush to buy collectibles that help them relive THEIR good old days, they probably won't be putting money into gas station goodies. They'll be thinking plastic toys, music memorabilia, and even early video games!

I KNOW THERE ARE EXCEPTONS TO THIS, and we may have a few 20- and 30-year-olds post here about their petroliana collecting fervor. But, I'm talking about lacking enough future buying pressure to drive up prices on the common items.

Of course, rare stuff, and especially rare items in excellent condition, can be considered "investment" material. Many of us have witnessed dramatic price appreciation of these kinds of unusal signs and globes over the years.

For me, the best answer is something many of us have heard before: COLLECT WHAT BRINGS YOU PLEASURE. However, don't count on your goodies being an "investment", unless you are limiting your purchases to reasonably rare items. Bring home those things that you will enjoy displaying....but be careful not to confuse all collecting with investing. Best, John in Wisconsin

Part of me hopes it goes down so I could buy more or buy stuff that I could not afford, but the other part says no because someday it will all be sold and would hope to at least get my money back that was spent.

Excellent ideas and opinions shared. Like 57tbirdkid, I believe prices as a whole will go down. Maybe not for 5 or 10 years, but they'll come down. Look at the crowd at an oil/gas show or auction. 85% baby boomers. A few in 40s and very few in 20s and 30s. As more collections are sold or auctioned, and as the number of competitive buyers is reduced, prices will come down on items that are not all that rare.

S932 is absolutely right about repops. I saw a 30 something male buy a FORD reproduced (licensed, but not old) porcelain sign at an auction recently for $1,200. Him and one online bidder ran it up. The crowd was stunned. You can buy the exact item online new for $400. Think he'll continue to collect after getting burned? Probably not. Veteran collectors, websites like this, and book and magazine value guides can be a great help.

Jolly-johns point about the really rare items in excellent condition makes sense. I can agree they will hold value. It's the more common items that will taper off.

A little off topic, but I think prices on 20s thru 50s automobiles will fall off too. Upcoming generations will always like the muscle car era, but for cars from the decades before, prices will drop. Who's keeping the prices in those markets high currently? Look who is the most common buyer - baby boomers.

Other opinions???

It all depends upon how much interest there is in these types of items in years to come. Substantial interest means money will be chasing the stuff. No substanital interest means that the money will not likely follow. The Baby Boomer generation is heavily into nostalgia as a whole. I am not sure about succeeding generations. I think they are more in to "experiences" than antiques. I have collected a few fun antiques over the years (I do not have a house full of them)that have particular meaning to me: Cathederal style radios; jukebox; old phones; and a few other items. I like having the stuff around. Speaking of prices of older cars dropping, I saw a pretty nicely restored 1930 Model A sedan for sale for $10,000. 50s and 60s autos will not be as much in demand in the future as Baby Boomers age. Right now, you can buy 400+ horsepower monsters right off the showroom floors with all the bells and whistles.

New people like to collect what they remember and can afford. Some of us just like the stuff and enjoy working on it to restore and hang or just set in the garage. Like other collectibles the good always will be the prizes to get. Swap meets and big shows need to realize that without bringing in new blood, the need or want of our material will be diminished. The Portland swap meet is a prime example. For years I have asked why can't import cars and parts of the years of the cars or parts be involved, the answer this is an american car and antique swap. Without the new blood that grew up with the imports, Datsun, Honda, Toyota there will be no new people to get excited. They are now moving to that thought because too many old guys are just dying out and their parts and cars are just no worth what they once were. Their attendance is down also. Prime example Ford Model A and T's What are they being used for now.

My honest opinion is the new generation does not have "hobbies" or the capital for this hobby. Almost everything for the new generation is related computer's and games. Go to your local park on a sunny day...How many people are using the place? Around here very few. I think most people and families are staying home and rely on the technology comforts. It also seems like less people want to work for their money or can even find a decent job if they do not have an education. LOOK HOW MUCH WE AS AMERICANS DEPEND ON GOVERNMENT AID!! The problem is we need to start making stuff again. If the money is there people can enjoy their life without sitting home glued to the TV. Just my 2 cents!

i feel the same way. being 21 i know only one guy around my age that has any intrest, and he is intrested in the picking aspect of it and making money off it. i hope there is a boom of intrest but itd still be great to be able to buy rarer things for cheap because no one knows what it is. i feel like it being on tv is good for younger people to respect and see the hobby, but bad because people think its a quick and easy way to make a buck

I doubt prices will advance overall as much in the next 20 years as they have in the last 20 years. Because I have seen some decrease in prices during the last 5 years of selling a couple of times a year but there has been a little newbie interest. The unknown question is, will the hoby attract enough new collectors to increase prices. Will pumping your own gas now make you feel you have to collect gas stuff because your new electric car requires no gas? Crazy I know but maybe some guys like pumping there own back in the good old days of 2011.

Since I'm new to petrol related items I can't speak directly to them, but having dealt with old toys I can give you some sense of where things are going.

There is a new breed of collector in the market, the short-term collector who may keep pieces a few years and then totally liquidate that collection in favor of a new interest. Unlike the collector of the 20th century, 21st century individuals have far less focus and will tend to jump from one interest to another every 5-10 years. This had advantages and disadvantages, more pieces will be on the market for long-term collectors to find, but the overall value for commonly seen pieces will fall. However, very scarce items will continue to climb because they never are seen often.

One major change you will see if petrol goes the way of toys, is younger collectors will tend toward the later pieces they remember seeing as kids, which will tend to de-value very early petrol related items as a class of collectible.

In the toy market many of the early cast-iron toys have dropped 25-60% as the people who remember playing with them have passed on. Typically their children and grandchildren don't feel vested in the items that first generation valued. Today, many of my 65+ aged collectors are considering selling extensive toy/antique collections because of this reason.

Many collectors of all kinds of antiques have hoarded pieces for 25-40 years, having buildings full of stuff, but remember, when they collected the prices were for the most part reasonable, which made it economically feasible to buy what others might have considered junk.

So now we are in a downturn of the market, dropping prices make those holding collections bought during boom years nervous because prized pieces which they paid big money for might be worth 50% less. But if they have collected for 30 years they have bought many bargains as well.

With drops in prices also comes interest, because people who once felt they couldn't afford to buy a piece now can. So there are positives that bring new possible collectors to the market. Modern collectors though, are not hoarders, because they can't afford to be.

OK, here is where I may get hammered on my opinion. All the above comments are true and relevant. But playing devil's advocate, because I know alot of people on here have strong opinions about this subject, TV shows like American Pickers I think are helping people get an interest in our hobby. I was watching the other night and if you really pay attention to some of the stuff they say on there, our hobby is really being brought into the mainstream media. They talk about how this stuff is vanishing and how we need to preserve it and so on. So don't count out younger "TV" watchers yet, we may get them off the couch and out to collect just yet. I know there is no such thing as "Bad Press". Just an opinion as usual.

...by the time I was 21, I had been collecting signs as best as I could for 8 years (got my first Coke button when I was TWELVE)...I knew only a couple of collectors as well...and they were general advertising/antique guys, not strictly petro collectors...

...at the first show I went to (the very first Mason-Dixon Gas 15 years ago), everyone but the three guys I went up there with, and the promoter's kids (full grown now!) were all older than me...

...people at that show were complaining that the good stuff doesn't show up anymore...

...I'll be 43 soon, and this topic sounds like the same song people have been singing for years...yet, now we have the internet, MANY more swap meets, and (sorry, Roger) even TV shows that 'dumb it down' for the lowest common denominator...

...anyone see the 'old-style' service station commercial with the guy freaking out, thinking his car's going to be 'jacked?...the only reason that was made is because people remember full service, even if they only read about it...

...I think the hobby's fine, just a reflection of our economy at the moment...strange how there never seems to be any 'fire-sale' bargains on the stuff I'm looking for!