Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Petroliana Collecting at a Peak?

Things that I have come to learn in the past 20 plus years of collecting.

The good stuff will always be good.
There is no such thing as a cheap sign anymore.
Prices continue to go up on original/clean items.
There will always be fads.
There will always be ups and downs in prices, mostly ups though.
TV shows make things good and bad.

Just like the Model T collectors right now...several collections will be coming up for sale in the next 20 years. But from what I have seen at tractor and Model T auctions, prices are still high and I would believe that Gas N Oil will be the same. I would like the prices to drop for about a year so I could buy. Although I am no expert, I do not forsee in the future the prices going down.

im 22 years old, and the only people around my age that i know are into this only care about buying it and selling it immediatley unless it is so rough its only worth hanging in the house. i think prices will continue to climb untill im the older generation, then they will go down. people my age only care about money. everything i buy my girlfriend wants me to sell because i could make money on it, even if i'd rather have that pump/sign sitting in the garage rather than taking her to.... say pf changs. (she has gotten better) i work 30 hours a week max and put every spare dollar i have into this stuff because i like to look at it and tinker with it not because its valuable, but i cant imagine people my age doing the same. i feel like people love pickers because they can see the value of something. if it didnt say how much it was worth i honestly doubt people besides us would watch it. it really seems like all anyone cares about is money from my generation, and it bums me out. every person my age that has seen my gas pump collectors guide just looks at the prices. money money money money. i'd rather have a bunch of stuff than the money i spent on it in my pocket

It's sad that on almost every show you watch the collector in the family has his prized collection getting picked over by strangers because he/she was the only one that wanted it. As the older generation dies off the younger generations will be buying at estate sales and auctions for low(er) prices. To me, getting more and more people in the hobby would help everyone rather than hoarding all your stuff and dying, then have it sold for low prices again. But I guess that's the normal cycle of antiques.

I go to about 4-5 auctions a week. Last week two Quaker State metal cans didn't bring a $1 and were tossed in with other stuff, porcelain signs (non petro) were getting $20. You may say "So what" but this auction was filled with the correct demographics of people who would want that stuff.

I respect the people on TV (I know, that's kinda funny) who say things like "I've enjoyed it long enough, let it go to someone else to enjoy". Granted, most of those guys are 70+, but not all.

@Lost Highway.

I'm slightly older than you, but I agree. I sometimes look at an item and may buy it to sell, but we're not talking high dollar items here. In fact, the last 4 things I bought to sell I decided to keep. These were, incidentally, a brass fire extinguisher, a gumball machine, a parking meter and my pump. If I DO sell any of those it will only be to fund the purchase of more for my collection.

I'd rather buy a pump/sign that isn't worth much or is common than an ugly rare one that is worth more to someone else. Perfect example, is my love of things Dr. Pepper. Coke and Pepsi bring more money to collectors, but I grew up drinking DP and am collecting it only because I like it. I've passed up on many reasonably priced coke items to bid on Dr. Pepper or Hires Root Beer.

Time will tell..
IMO key pieces will increase

I agree with Lost Highway, I buy it because I like it. It is a hobby not a bank acount. I do sell stuff, but only to spend the money on more stuff.

I'm 16 and i am not so much focused on the gas&oil stuff. I sell a lot of the porcelain signs i find to fund my actual collection which is tin signs. For me it is local history as American art works and many other advertising companies were located here in my hometown of Coshocton that made mainly tin signs. Even living here it is still hard to find anything stamped American art works so most of my stuff comes from eBay. The history of the signs is what intrigues me the most. I have met a lot of people whos parents worked there or they themselves did and to know at one time my sign probably passed through their hands is so cool too me. And i like to bring them back to where they were born. I recently met a guy whos dad worked at American art works as what is called a racker( he put the signs on a rack and then moved them to the warehouse) and he said that his dad lost the tips of his fingers because the signs were stacked up and very heavy and when they fell down he had his hand on the rack and they chopped them right off. He also said his dad and every one else who worked there drank heavily on the job so i guess if your sign is messed up blame it on the drunks who made it lol. So i guess that its simply the history too me.

good post..

I've been collecting petroleum memorabilia for nearly 50 years, and built most of my collection back when it was considered "just junk". About 1985 in discussion with several collectors of the day (it was hard to locate more than four or five within any given area) we all figured that all of the service stations and bulk plants had been cleaned out and stuff would start to be much more difficult to find. Fast forward 25 years, and as I look at ebay tonight, there are over 30,000 items being offered. If even 25% is real, that is still over 7000 collectibles available to anyone right this minute. Collectors today cannot envision a time when gasoline collectibles were not commonplace. The ability to simply buy any random collectible (and have a large group to pick from) is much better today than it was in 1980. What has gone away though is the likelihood of randomly finding GOOD items. However, when I put PCM together every month, there is always enough newly identified stuff to put together a discoveries column.
The secret to collecting, however, it this - find a niche that you enjoy that is within your budget and seek out pieces within that niche. But make sure you enjoy what you are collecting. Put together sets, displays, and rearrange often for visual effect. As long as the niche you choose is within your budget, forget about values and collect what you like! Then if your stuff goes up, down, or sideways in value, it is still what you like. There are oil cans in my office today that I have owned for 48 years. I got them for free and although they have value today, since they are not for sale, "value" is negated. But they are part of my display and I enjoy them.

Wayne Henderson
Historian and Collector
Kernersville, NC

Wayne Henderson

Thanks Wayne for your overview,which I share!

I believe 5 years ago is right on the money. I can only speak for Texaco/Havoline items, and if you think items are pricey now ? You should have seen them 5 years ago. I also believe that it will be years before (if) they ever go back up ?

I disagree, Model T prices haven't gone up in 20 years. It's a dieing market because people born after 1950 don't remember riding in them anymore.

I'm with blacktee and okoil on this one.I think prices are down from 5 years ago.I also think if one agrees with Matt,"it is a hobby not a bank account",the this is a good time for collectors who buy to keep for some time to buy.I do and I am.

I recently bought a few pump plates in the $300 range because a few years ago you couldn't touch them for much under $500.If they go back up when I decide to sell years from now,fine.If they stay where they are or go down,fine.At least I will have had years of enjoying them in my collection.As we say,to each his own.

I wonder if rising prices have anything to do with the value of the American dollar going down (with no end in sight). It just takes more dollars to buy the stuff than it used to because the dollar isn't worth as much. It affects everything.

Just my 2 pennies worth (pun intended)

You hit the nail on the head!