Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Service Station Dealer Item. Is it Real or Fantay

How do you classify an item that was made for use by a station dealer?
Is it Real or Fantasy?
Many outside companies offer station dealers items with their name or company logo on them. Often, these items are Unique or made in very small numbers.

Most companies require the dealer to follow guidelines when buying such items in reguards to proper logo, etc.
That makes them "officially" a company authorized item.

The Gulf Oil Rag can shown by KYGULF is a good example.
It "may" have been an item used by a station owner.
I don't want to debate the actuality of that particular item, but the possiblity is there, without knowing the specific background on the item.

I see such items in our Marathon stations every day. Everything from ash cans and planters, to sports items.

To me they are "Real" items not Fantasy. They were actually Used by the station to advertise the company.

Was just wondering how others classified them.

It is definately a real gas station item, the fantasy part came into play because of the way it was painted, that same can is just a generic rag can that ANY gas station could of used, I think it may have been misrepresented as an authentic Blue and Orange Gulf can which it wasn't, It was just a can repainted, nobody claimed it wasn't a gas station item.

To me, it's just a question of when it was made.

Wes

To me your statement says it all:
"Most companies require the dealer to follow guidelines when buying such items in reguards to proper logo, etc.
That makes them "officially" a company authorized item."

So with that information even if I was a station owner and I told one of my employees to slap a decal on a trash can it would not make it "officially" a company authorized item. Even though it was actually used at a gas station. To me a real item is anything that was procured by official company standards and was authorized to be used by the company (and all the little people the company has control over). I am sure there are plenty of gray areas and lots of opinions but this one is mine.
Mike

I only worked in a couple of stations during the mid 60's, so I wouldn't know first hand what an owner had to purchase and not purchase.

The first station I worked at was a Flying A station and the owner was a Jobber. According to him,He didn't buy anything or take direction from Getty (except gasoline) and so they pulled his franchise. (Flying A was all but gone from SW WA anyway, so no big deal) He became an Independent and made more money.

The second station was a "Company Owned" Chevron. They supplied everything it seemed like except shop rags and TP. Our dirty rag bucket wasn't marked, and for the period of time I worked there, the "inspection teams" didn't have a problem with that. (It was my task to correct the "hits" against us, so I saw the inspection reports "first hand").

Honestly I hadn't ever noticed a dirty rag can painted in any company colors before Brian posted the photo. So to me they are fantasy items. Yes, were used in the "field" but, were not any brand specific.

I have worked for jobber for many years and there are lot stuff out there that was made for a dealer or jobber without the oil company approval. Usually it is done with the supplier's approval to get those ad dollars. It a guess for me on many items. I read recently Leonard supplied decaled drums for trash !! I always thought they just used an empty grease keg.

Dave

To me they are "Real" items not Fantasy. They were actually Used by the station to advertise the company.

Was just wondering how others classified them.[/quote]

I agree with Gaspedler. I purchased a Gulf vacuum cleaner a couple of years ago. I figured it was used at Gulf Dealer stations. It was painted the usual blue and orange and had the Gulf logo on it not unlike the rag can KYGulf had posted. To me this makes it a "Real" item and not fantasy....Dale