Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Archives of the best of past topics Best of Shop Talk What's your favorite piece in your collection?

This has probably been discussed here before but there are lots of new members so it's a good time to talk about it again.I Was wondering about what everyones favorite item in their collection was?The one piece you won't give up.

Lets see it & hear the story behind it.
Mine is my 4' SOCONY shield sign.(I'll post a pic when I get home).It's the first piece I ever got that I was going to keep.It's not really valuable but I'll have it for ever & it was real cheap & the person I got it from drove here from NJ because he wanted some beer ball knob tap handles I had, I had about $20 into the tap handles I found them at a garage sale.

Lets hear your stories & see your favorite piece.

This sounds like a fun topic. Looking forward to seeing some pics.

My favorite item is my Wayne 60. I worked all summer to restore this pump. The guy that was going to do the body and paint work broke his arm so I offered to do the work with his guidance and equipment. I was at his house 3 to 4 hours a night for about 3 months. Learned a lot about body and paint work. Was a lot of fun.



Mac

[This message has been edited by Mac (edited 01-26-2007).]

[This message has been edited by Mac (edited 01-26-2007).]

Three of my favorite quarts..Ron

I have two White Eagle signs. One is a lollypop with an original cast base--White Eagle Ethyl. The other is a White Eagle sign that is coming back from primo sign restorer Don Van Kannel as I write this. Soon as that one comes back, I'll post pics of both. My Grandfather owned the White Eagle dealership in Little River, Kansas from the 20s until about 1935 when Socony took over.

This has to be one of my favorites, I plan to restore the pump in freedom, but have not had the time yet. It is full of freedom cans, bottles, and ink blotters. That is my bulldog LIBBY sitting pretty in font of the pump with a dog biscut in her mouth waiting for the OK to eat it. Yes that is a pool of drool on the floor.

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[This message has been edited by Ryan Underthun (edited 01-26-2007).]

For us it is without question our Tokheim 850! I bought it about 4 month ago and here it is now!



LARRY

I would say my recently restored Erie 53ncp.

Rich B

Can't decide on just 1, so:

db

Gee’s, you guys‘s are killing me!!! Those are some beautiful pumps I should be so lucky to own one. I have been working all week on my newly acquired Bennett 646T. As of right now I have the frame all sandblasted and Monday will spray it in a silver paint and then get that part of it together and then start the doors and sides.

If any of you have a Bennett 646 and you wouldn’t mind taking a few pictures of the insides so I can see how things go together it would be much appreciated. When I got it, it was a basket case.

If any of you are in Pomona this week end be sure to attend the grand national roadster show if you like cars it’s the best...

Bill

I'm sure most of you have seen my favorite piece but thought I would post it again.

AWESOME STUFF EVERYONE!!!!! IT ALL LOOKS GREAT.. THANKS FOR POSTING.. WE ARE ALL JEALOUS!!!!!

Its good to see almost everyones favorite piece is a pump. Not that the other stuff isn't cool, but PUMPS RULE

My favorite is my latest, an American 187, it has been an extremely tough pump to find, but was well worth the wait! It was found in a barn in Mulvane Kansas.......

This Wayne 50A belonged to my wife's grandfather and was rescued from her uncle's farm just before the scraper showed up. Richard

REALLY COOL PUMPS!!!!!!

Very very nice pumps. Thanks alot for sharing with us. As of now I have just one for a favorite. It is a Miracle 99 globe from Canada. I really like the graphics on it.






[This message has been edited by gasoildude (edited 01-27-2007).]

I can't pick just 1 that is my favorite item. I have a couple. That's like asking which one of my kids do i like better. LOL



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Check out GASNSHAKERS.COM

E-mail me at petronut@aol.com

This is one of my favorite globes. The colors are great when it's illuminated.

It was a tough decision for me but this is what I came up with.



And this is my favorite gas and oil piece If your name is Keith, like mine, it's probobly your favorite too.

It`s hard to pick one, but our favorite is the Tokheim 620. This is the first pump my wife & I did together. She`s helped me do many pumps, oil racks, and Coke machines since, but this is where we started.


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Too many toys, not enough play-time!

[This message has been edited by oldgto (edited 01-28-2007).]

Cool stuff, guys!

This was a tough decision for me to choose just one thing. I've got favorites in my Zephyr Gas, Buick and Bardahl collections, but I picked this Steelcote auto paint can because it captures the essence of my main collecting interest, old body shop items. This can is near mint, is dated 1926 and shows that it is from my home town, St. Louis. Gotta love the graphics with the brush paint job.



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Jim "Oldgas" Potts
Your host and moderator

Hey JimT, The can is a pint, about 3 3/4" tall. Thanks.

[This message has been edited by Oldgas (edited 01-28-2007).]

Jim how big is that can? I like it too.

tough call.... gotta say these...

It was my Conoco minuteman motor oil sign in average condition but when someone bought it for $6100 now it would be my Conoco gas sign

Not to make the others in my "collection" jealous, but this has got to be my current favorite :



If you are wondering, he is saying "cheese" while wearing one of his daddy's hats.

[This message has been edited by Seth Robbins (edited 01-28-2007).]

My station



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Jim

Edit to help image to appear. Changed [image] to [img]

[This message has been edited by Oldgas (edited 01-29-2007).]

I guess everyone has a favorite sign , and a favorite pump. I will stick with the sign for now.The base is not original, but the sign was a complete unit when I bought it. had some condition problems and was original.After it sat in my garage for about 3 years, I bit the bullet and had it restored professionally. now I am trying to find an original base.this is also my wifes favorite sign. Norm Huff

better late than never!!

Here is a script top that I am working on. I still need to install a hose and the hose guards. It is in my attached garage and I hooked it up to a motion sensor. Everytime I leave or come home it turns on for 4 minutes. I love seeing it from the street all lit up at night. This is my most favorite piece in my collection.

[img=http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9732/bennett150ut2.th.jpg]



This is my Bennett 150 i just finished restoring, purchased this at Iowa gas last year, tell me what you think


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Looks good Bobby.....only one thing would make it look better......at my house..
Paddy

How about a before, during and after picture? That is one nice looking resto job. After I do one, I put a picture book together and people not familiar with this sort of thing are amazed at the amount of work it takes to restore one. Thanks for sharing.

Hi My best sign and one of my best 5qts




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Wanted 5 quart cans

[This message has been edited by 5 quart (edited 02-03-2007).]

mike , i just posted a picture of bennett before restoration, thanks for your comments

...my FAVORITE sign is a 30" Gulf sign, in just about perfect shape...but since everyone probably knows what they look like, I thought I'd post the runner-up:



...I got the No-Nox Ethyl sign at the second or third Mason-Dixon Gas, back when it was in Ellicott City, at the Lions' Club...early on, during set-up, one of the dealers had it under his arm, walking around, taking offers...I finally got a price and was stunned...it was nearly my whole 'show budget', and I had never spent that much on a piece...at that point I asked a good friend, with MUCH more experience in the hobby than I...he replied that I'd 'never see another one'...that did it (thanks, Wayne)...I remember feeling almost queasy handing the money to the guy, but I've never regretted it...

...later, another dealer at the same show saw me with it under MY arm, and asked to see it...he said, 'yep, I thought so...I've got the price signs that go on this'...needless to say, I got two of them from him not long after (thanks, Ron) and got the third at Columbus from the same guy Ron had bought his from years earlier...