Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Petroliana Value Questions TIONA Oil Sign Tin

Just got this off of Ebay. Tried to find some history about Tiona Oil Company of Clarendon, PA.

How about value?...I know its rough...it is double sided the other side is not any better.

How rare is this sign or related memorabilia of Tiona?

Not trying to be crass so please don't take it that way, but to buy a sign on Ebay and wonder what it it worth is kind of an obvious answer. Ebay is the world's market place. If there is something rare it will be found by serious collectors, and it will be bid on/up accordingly. Condition is everything, and that rings true with the common or the rare. If you are happy with the $50 you paid for it, then enjoy it!
Darin

Yeah that's what I figured. I just am really looking for more information pertaining to the sign. I should have posted this in the info forum. I am totally happy with the sign and the 50 bucks I paid for it. I just figured I would bring it here to the experts and get some more info.

Yes, I agree if you want to try and find out more information on the company itself, edit your value question out and post it in the general forum. Some of the more seasoned veterans do not participate in the value forum so may not see your request for the company history.
Darin

just moved it to the general discussion. Thank You

Not much missed on eBay in this hobby bro!

My topic got merged so a few of my questions have been lost.

Anyone have any info on the years of operation of Tiona Oil of Clarendon, PA? or know an approximate year of this sign?

I did find this snippet from a google search... interesting business practice of Standard Oil against Tiona.

http://books.google.com/books?id=zyKDeUH...oil&f=false

I think collectors other than sign people would value it higher than what you got it for due to the native american on it. BTW, since it is double sided you could have one side restored and leave the other, that gives you some options.

Tiona Oil was in business in 1912 by just a quick google search finding it mentioned in newspaper accounts. Like so many early wildcat operations it probably folded into Standard Oil in the teens. I found several mentions of regional oil deposits seeping to the surface and used for medicinal purposes much further back in the history of the area. The local indian population utilized the surface oil and when the white man settled the area it would have been shown to them. So the indian on your sign probably had been Tiona Oil's way on linking back to that history.

That is some awesome info....makes me appreciate that sign even more. I am going to do some more research and try to call a historian in Claredon, PA to see if I can get more info. It is amazing that almost 100 years ago, the oil industry was sceeming and underhanded to that degree. So going out on limb here and saying items from Tiona are quite rare? based on the limited time they were in business.

Thank You for helping me out.