#593083
Mon Jan 19 2015 06:31 PM
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This week I purchased a rare vertical(approximately 58" x 12") Oil Creek Refining Company Tin Litho Sign... in the April 2014 issue of Petroleum Collectibles Monthly it was in the "new discoveries" section... khaki base color and green letters with orange shade... "Oil Creek Motor Oils" but for the life of me...I can't seem to FIND ANY INFORMATION on this company??????
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Please - NO offers to Buy or Sell in this forum category
Statements such as, "I'm thinking about selling this." are considered an offer to sell.
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Always looking for grizzly gasoline stuff, or any Montana gas and oil stuff.
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I actually do not know how... I know that the company originated in Titusville, Pennsylvania... but that's about it...
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Last edited by Gasman84470; Mon Jan 19 2015 07:47 PM.
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I've had this Oil Creek poster for many years. It's from late 20's to early 30's.
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I have one of those vertical signs. As far as I know, only 8 or so are one the market.They date from the 20s/30s, and Oil Creek didn't last much beyond those years. The signs were in storage at the Drake Well Museum, a historical park on the site of Americas first oil well in Titusville, PA. The museum consigned these extra signs(they had a couple on display) To Cordier Auctions of Harrisburg PA early in 2014, to be sold in an auction that included items from various Pennsylvania historical sites,museums, etc. The signs were selling anywhere from a couple hundred, to close to $1500, based on condition, as it varied. They were made by a sign company in Kokomo Indiana. Its surprising that I know this much about such a rare sign, but I was actively involved in buying 2, and selling 1 of them. It is still one of my favorite signs in my collection, as I saw those same signs when I was very young and was taken to the Drake Well Museum.
Last edited by 2 Gallon Luke; Tue Jan 20 2015 04:40 AM.
Good oil cans don't wait for people, people wait for them.
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It is actually named after a real river, the Oil Creek, which winds through northwestern PA, and actually goes through the Drake Well Museum park. The area is so saturated with oil, that even to this day, oil rises to the top of the creek.
Good oil cans don't wait for people, people wait for them.
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founded in 1919 and disappeared at some point in the 30's, possibly sold out to Cities Service Heres the globe we have 
Always looking for Mississippi company items, Billups, southland, ride with rose.
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founded in 1919 and disappeared at some point in the 30's, possibly sold out to Cities Service Heres the globe we have
Always looking for Mississippi company items, Billups, southland, ride with rose.
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According to this 'Site... Oil Creek Refining Company, built a Gas Station in Titusville; But SOCONY-Vacuum operated the Station, almost from day 1 until it's demise in 1955... http://www.petroleumhistory.org/OilHistory/pages/gasoline/brands.html
Looking for Tide Water/ Tide Water-Associated/ Tidewater items
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Wow... Thanks for the information gentleman... I really appreciate it... 2 Gallon Luke I just purchased the one on ebay listed this past week...did you see it? I'm young but am trying to buy quality, rare signs, and I didn't think $1350 was too bad...out of 10 I'd probably say 8.4 on condition...but I'm not sure... what do you think? Too much?
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Well, Id say you bought a good sign for the money. Probably paid about retail,IMO. I believe, if i remember right, I paid around $700 or so apiece for mine, and they were in about the same condition as yours, possibly a hair worse. However, they were originally sold in a somewhat poorly advertised sale ( I found out about it a couple weeks beforehand from a farm paper!) For the rarity, and the fact that 8.4 would be one of the better condition examples of the group, while I do not think you got a steal on it, I think you got a nice, rare sign for the money. Hang it up and enjoy it, it will be a while before another nice one turns up!
Last edited by 2 Gallon Luke; Tue Jan 20 2015 05:51 PM.
Good oil cans don't wait for people, people wait for them.
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Yea... If you type "Oil Creek Sign" on ebay and look at closed auctions mine will pop up...idk... I really enjoy PA history pieces and I'm sure like you said it's a rare one...I really wanna know what you think of the condition thought...
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I searched it up, and believe it to be the best example sold in the Cordier Auction last year. The ones still in the Drake Well Museum(at least I think they still have them) were in that condition or better, but the 8 sold ranged from that condition to a 5 or so. Mine is one of the better examples, yet it shows extensive paint bubbling. Most of the 8 signs did to some extent. It is my guess that they are such early signs that the priming/painting process wasn't the best, and they just didn't hold up well. The paint is so fragile, you would not want to attempt cleaning it at all!
Good oil cans don't wait for people, people wait for them.
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