Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Whats Your Collecting Specialty?

I thought it would be interesting to find out what everyone collects. Like most people in the hobby I started off collecting everything, but it was always globes that got me fired up. Over the years the focus of my collection has changed. I used to collect anti-freeze cans, 1# grease cans, quarts, Standard of Indiana stuff, etc. Sold most of that stuff so I could buy more globes.
For several years I've just been collecting globes and Sinclair stuff. Lately I've been on a sign kick.

So what do you collect? Handy oilers? Pump plates? Tire signs? 5 quarts? Oil can banks? Neon signs?

I have approx. 30-40 differant VISIBLE INDICATOR sticks in my collection. Brass, Alum., Steel, round, square, flat rods that hold #'s. Reverse numbers [0 on top, 10 on top]. Cast, stamped, punched, 2 pc. ea.
Still looking for a set that were attached to a chain.

I also collect U G L Y & UNIQUE nozzles, PUMP TOPS, PUMPS, GLOBES, SIGNS, OIL CANS, LIDDING MACHINES [1 for each size round cans].
db
db

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** NEED A LID ? **
FREE DENT REMOVAL, CAN DO
W/ 4oz., 1 qt., Imp. qt, 6 5/8" dia.Gallon & 5qt Re-lidding. Solid or slotted bank lids.

Bob, I guess everyone started collecting something else. I started with license plates from Illinois. I saturated that one, about 10 years ago, and switched to petro items. Then it got crazy. I now have globes, pumps, lots of signs, big and small, not a lot of cans or bottles.I really like to find stuff from the smaller independent oil companies, and have been pretty successful at it. The one thing in my favor is , I have lots of room to put things, however I dont have lots of money to buy things.I cannot remember a time in my life when I was not collecting something,however I have had the most fun collecting petroleum stuff and meeting other collectors. Norm.

good post.... collected SOMETHING most of my life... a born junkman... as far as petro... mostly sticking to "outboard" right now .. however that could change tomorrow.... ALL old advertising is cool...

I started collecting Sinclair in October (at Peotone, actually) because Wes was into "this stuff". I wanted to have something that I could look for, for me. And I love the little dino logo, so I decided to collect Sinclair. I don't have much yet, but I'm working on it! I didn't realize how much of an addiction it really is until I started looking for petro stuff for myself! Are there meetings for this? LOL.
Tara

Tara,
Are there meetings for this?
At the BANK between 9am-4:30pm. 1 WEEK PRIOR TO A GAS SHOW ! LOL
db

Tara,
Yes there are meetings.....in Columbus, Peotone, Des Moines, Evansville. LOL
You won't get "cured" though.

Dick,
Someone said my globes were ugly....so I guess I collect ugly (original) globes.

I collect anything that glints, unfortunately
lol. Lately I started collecting, Jimmie Allen items from Skelly and Richfield. I now have 11 different wing pins that were part of this campaign. I also have a small collection of ad glass, s&p shakers, oil cans,tube repair kits......... Like I said anything shiny, I must be part raccoon or crow. LOL Tara, if there is a support group let me know.

I collect early poster lithographs of any advertising,I like the petroleum ones the best.Pre-40's,when I started years ago I was buying and selling well and could hang something once and awhile,today everything I want to hang I can't afford to let it hang long.So now I guess I'm known as a revolving door! but this hobby over the years has made me and my wife some great friends and anyway you look at it items come and go but friendship is the best.
Jim

there ARE meetings for this.... its called oldgas.com.... open 24/7....

I started collecting petro about 5 years ago now.I would buy just about anything I could get my hands on that I could afford,which isn't much because I'm poor with a family.

I wanted pumps & signs but have come to realize I can't afford them.Then at Rex's auction I bought my 1st 2 globes I now have 10.They are all common globes but they're inexpensive.

In the last year I've really focused my attention on SOCONY and early Mobil(gargoyle & Vacuum oil stuff).I am also smitten with the early flat rectangular cans and 2 way spout handy oilers.
Tom

When is skun.., I mean Thunder going to tell us about his collections? Kmann, your right about Oldgas.
Bob

Obviously I collect cans. Mostly round quarts. Started collecting petroliana back in the early to mid 90's. Lived out west and went fishing alot. Used to see alot of pumps on farms. One day a buddy and I stopped and asked if we could have one. Well, you can guess the rest of the story. Eventually sold off all but half a dozen of my pumps and went to quarts. They are a lot lighter and easier to work with. Also love a really nice small pump sign. Went to Iowa gas in 2000. Was my first show. Had no idea there were so many other people that were 'afflicted' like I was. What a great discovery. Have made some really good friends since then. Still love rare and super nice condition picture quarts and small signs.

I collect globes , signs, and cans mostly from Colorado and Nebraska oil companies. I also collect hate mail from oldgas members!
Thanks!
Chris

awwwwwwwww... come on chris... hate mail ????..lol... think of it as opinions... we all got em'.... and thank GOD for that...

[This message has been edited by kmann (edited 04-26-2007).]

OUCH!!!! OK Bob.... I collect anything CHEVRON that I can afford. And with building a business, thats not too much right now. Smalls include, tags, maps, hats, key fobs, matches, patches, and other small items. Lledo cars, RPM oil cans, handy oilers, and anything of the ATLAS TBA line. Signs are cool, but porcelean is out of the budget. I even have an old CHEVRON credit card machine, receipts, and clipboard. I'm still looking for an old credit card, but I seem to be outbid every time. I even have CHEVRON, lubrication guides, product reports, sales literature, and inventory & stocking guides. I even have a bunch of NOS decals, of various SoCal products. Dick Bennett has been a MAJOR contributor to my collection, so I owe him a special bit of thanks here.....

Depends on which week you catch me.....this week I seem to be into motorcycle advertising...last week it was pumps. The thing that never goes away is the desire for good graphic signs especially with airplanes. Don't have much yet but I'm always looking. Who has a Harbor Patrol or Clipper sign they wanna sell me?

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Chuck

Signs Wanted: Sunset, Clipper, Habor, Indian, Powerlube, Beacon, Sinclar Aircraft

hey chuck.... motorcycle advertising caught my eye.... what you into ????..

chuck

Thunder II,
I'm Banking that !

A discussion WITHOUT Chris is BOREING.

Whatever!

soooooooo... i'm liking this post and thinking what do i have around this dump that i still have from my ill spent youth... you know... something saved... came up with this... check out the "name"... wish i still had the cards...

Kmann,
I really like the glove! I wish I still had all my cards as well. I had thousands of cards growing up....my families best friends worked for Topps so I was given more baseball and football cards than I knew what to do with back in the day. 30 years later I went digging through my parent's attic only to find out they were disposed of years before! I'd be a rich man today!!!!!

Getting back to your question.....Mostly enjoy Indian motorcycle advertising....things like early brochures, oil cans, etc. Always on the hunt for a nice porcelain Indian sign.....do you know where I can find one?


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Chuck

Signs Wanted: Sunset, Clipper, Habor, Indian, Powerlube, Beacon, Sinclar Aircraft

[This message has been edited by Hemibird (edited 04-27-2007).]

chuck (hemibird).... email sent

Hey Guys,
About 98% of my collection consist of SOCONY , Vacuum Oil and old mobil signs, cans, a couple of globes and 3 gargoyle cabinets. I just started to get into pumps. I restored a ms80, ms70, and a gilbarco. 90% of my collection came from my grandfather who drove a tanker truck for socony then socony-vacuum, then mobil co. He was there when the company name changed 3 or more times. I think that was why he was able to bring home so many signs and socony stuff. He drove truck from 1926 to 1966.
Jim

As my user name reads I collect Powerlube items and anything for the Powerine Company. A smallish independent out of Colorado. Cans, signs, paper items anything I can find from the company. I still need to buy a real globe and more powerine maps for a rack. Anyone have for some for sale?

I buy other items too but I only keep them until I find something better. I like my non-powerlube collection to change frequently. Something different to look at all the time. Changing the items keeps me busy when I can't find powerlube items which don't come up for sale very often.


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Scott Wright-
http://www.frontrangegas.com/powerine.htm

Powerine Company..........never heard of them.............next thing you'll try tell us is they used a bearcat or a tiger as their logo.

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Chuck

Signs Wanted: Sunset, Clipper, Habor, Indian, Powerlube, Beacon, Sinclar Aircraft

Moi? I like the electrics from the late 30s--Tall Tokheim 39s, Gilbarco 96s and Wayne 70s--love that art deco look. I also have a couple of White Eagle signs--wish I had more of those. Maybe a clockface will be a part of my stash and likely one visible. I'll probably end up with other White Eagle stuff as well.

I don't think I have a specialty. I am always on the lookout for anything cool. Cheaper the better.

I collect Pep Boys automotive tins/cans anything Pep also larger signage.

Kmann is right on the money...all old advertising is neat they just don't have it today like they used to.....

I keep going back to the globes. They are cool lit-up at night. Have around 48 of them. Got a couple neons, 5 visibles, a clock face Wayne, a tall Tok 39, and a smattering of cans and signs, a Firestone lollipop....'bout out of room. I like the Illinois oil company stuff, Indian Refining, Illinois Oil Company, etc. plus the independent oil companies. I have also been a Ford buff all my life so always had a Model A around, early V-8, Mach 1 Mustang, just got a new '07 GT Mustang for a daily driver....just love bein' around all this stuff and reading posts on Oldgas.com!!! Growing up across the street from a 1930's Ford dealership and having 4 gas stations within one block of home and tagging around with Pop to all these places kind of put the love for old cars and petro in my heart. Hard to shake it loose......

I mostly collect Barbie Dolls.

Ooops wrong site, just kidding. No, really. I collect oil cans, wait, no gas pumps, oh geeze, no really, I collect over priced porcelain signs. How do I edit my post? That's just so embarrassing. Wait, how do I post pictures to prove that I really collect gas stuff. Will someone post pictures for me?

Okay, I really just collect old photos and maps, but I do have some really cool stuff beside the Barbies.

ROTFLMAO !!!! VERY FUNNY !

1st time I visited Curt, he was acting like KEN with a yard full of BARBIE's ! He had just bought a TRUCK LOAD of pumps & parts. LOL
db

To an extent, I generally collect whatever I think looks neat.

However, my favorite has always been DX and Diamond, with Marathon and Conoco being close seconds. I'm getting more into pumps and globes, though, too - of all brands. I also like signs, maps, lubesters, you name it!

I'd have to say, if I could only collect one brand, it would be the early Diamond (Mid Continent) items.

Wes

I started out with a 5 quart Gulf can, I have over 100 5 quart cans now. I also started collecting light-up canopy signs until my garage wall got full. Then I got my first pump, and I can't get them out off my mind. Nothing beats the feeling of finding one on an orchard of farm, talking it out of the owner, and bringing it home. And if it couldn't get any better, you take the time to tear it down, work it over, have it painted and then put it back together again. That is what I enjoy the most. Brady

i started out wanting a pump to have by my garage,cause i was into old cars.got my first pump about three-four years ago.since then i have gotten a few globes a few signs some cans,but my main passion is still pumps.like brady says,not much that beats bringing home a farm fresh pump.even in these years i've got pretty luckey and found some neat ones.my wife really thought i was nutswhen i started callin myself oldnfuelish,but she got over it and enjoys the hunt almost as much as i do.was up to 20 pumps last year,but have now trimmed it down to 10,and am a little bit wiser(thanks to this site) on what i buy now.in all the hobbies i have had,i have met the friendliest people in this one.also just can't resist just about anything that is cool,and priced right.

I was once told that more than three of an item is a collection. So;
Michigan license plates
1920's Whiz cans
late 1940's GM cans
1qt. oil cans
1949 Chevrolet dealer giveaways
a few pump plates
a few petro related signs
a couple antique cars
a couple of gas pumps
Pepsi Cola memorabilia
grand kids [15]
debt
Geez no wonder I don't have any room around here.


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ROD [Mich.]

WOW... some of the same stories. LOL I started off with pumps but then found myself collecting everything i could get my hands on. In the last 5 or so years i started mainly on globes and shakers. Skelly has become something i am starting to collect.

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Check out GASNSHAKERS.COM

E-mail me at petronut@aol.com

Ok my story is the same as most. I wanted a couple signs for our attic that was going to be our rec room. Well this stuff is like rabbits you have one then 4 & so on. I like a little of everything or what catches my eye. I get on different kick every now & then. As of now I have over 300 signs,12+ pumps,100+cans & in the last year got into globes & have about 20+ of them. Plus there are all of the odd & end stuff that comes with it. But As of now I like Gargoyle & the older Red Crown stuff along with globes. I have been buying some cans lately so I guess that is the flavor of the month. Well that is it for me whos next

[This message has been edited by gasoildude (edited 04-28-2007).]

Same boat as Wes, Diamond/DX stuff mostly, in the end anything that catches my eye. Also Harley stuff for the past 30 years. Looking to get into the crown globes soon.
Ken

Gas pumps, globes, air meters, porcelain/neon signs, lighter fluid dispensers & cars.

Old advertising, gas pumps, toys, slot machines, rare phones, cathederal radios,gum machines,oil cans etc, any pre prohibition beer trays signs, etc etc etc anything thats old and hard to find.

Good evening everyone.
I guess I will take my turn now. I mainly collect British American (B/A) items, pretty much anything with the B/A logos on it, signs,cans, smalls, etc, I also collect gas pumps, and I also collect some White Rose (Canadian version), but don't have alot right now. I do have a few different cans, mostly from auction lots that come with any B/A items. I also collect some Coca Cola items too, I have 3 Coke machines, a clock and a few signs. Theres lots of other "stuff" mixed in the pile also, lots of it came from the farm after the folks passed on, ma and pa were pack rats,lol.
Oh yeah, don't forget to check out the new c.o.t.m. on the first of the month featuring the British American Oil Company, hosted by yours truly.
Ken.

I've been trying to get a collection of $100 bills started, but I always end up having to DEliquidate the collection by about the 20th of every month

[This message has been edited by Seth Robbins (edited 04-28-2007).]

As of now I pretty much only collect patch's as there very cheap to buy and the MoneyClip is running low well real low actually. Kind of getting tired of this landscaping and manual labor, too much work. Maybe I'll get a government job when I get out of highschool, then I can get paid to do nothing at all and my MoneyClip will get nice and plump again. Anyone have a patch/patchs they wanna sell? thomas855@comcast.net Include a picture of it along with the price

Robert

Started as a kid with baseball then NFL then Nascar, cards and small stuff. Moved on to antique car parts, couldnt afford the whole car. Went into coins and paper money then whole cars, had alot of parts by then. Guns and amo were / are a delight for along time, Oh cant forget model RR. Hotwheels were in there too. As life progresses, moved into art, paintings, sculture, bronze etc. Just recently got into gas and oil with a very old Bowser pump, then Bennett pump and cans, signs, old bulk plant records, tags, lubesters, 55 gallon antique BBLs, 16 gallon and 5 as well. Now, alot of any small fuel tank tags have become a cool intrest.

Funny thing is I never seem to sell one when starting another.

What a great illness!!!

Billups oil Company, Ride with Rose, Canal Gasoline, Gulf Coast Oil and Spar (not Spur)

Wow, where to start, like many of us I collect too much.
Many years ago I started with Coke machines and soda related items. Then......
I started collecting anything gas related and quickly saw that was going to get out of hand. About 17 years ago I got into a Sinclair bulk house in Longview Texas and loaded out a 28' truck full of the good stuff. That's how I started only collecting Sinclair.
Then I bought about 400 pumps in Illinois in 2003. It looks like I collect pumps but really I only have a few in my collection. They are sold to help with my other collecting habits.
Also have a small Mopar car and related item collection.
Love to find slot cars, especially Aurora Thunderjet 500 Slot Cars.
I just have to quit.....Not!
Tom.

My user id, pretty much tells the story. I mainly Collect Coca-Cola advertising and Vending Machines, but also Stuff as anything cool goes into the collection, from Pinballs, video games, Stoner Candy Machines, Jukeboxes, Old cars, and the most recent Gas Pumps which brought me to this site.

EVERYTHING.......

Well if I had to narrow it down: Gas & Oil items, all advertising, soda items, Ithaca guns, duck decoys, anything related to the Lucky Sam Soda Company from Syracuse NY, hunting, classic cars, old vinyl, and there must be more but I can't remember...............

Started with Mobil because of an old station near my home. Then old trucks and cars became the thing along with single shot boys rifles. Next came oil bottles and a little bit of everything. After retirement and going to Iola and Hershey for the past 6 years I have concentrated on Socony license plate toppers. I am still writing my booklet to differentitate the originals from the reproductions. Still need an "America First" topper. I have been able to date the release of 7 different originals but need any printed, dated ads, promotional items, that show when they were released. I would also like to hear from any Mobil dealers or workers that remember the approximate dates when they distributed the toppers. Thanks for any assistance.

Dave (mobilford)