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I have to chime in here... lol

I do not have much money at all - I make the best of what I have and can hardley pay for my kidney transplant meds and still play in this hobby... "THANK GOD FOR CREDIT CARDS!!" but I dround in the bills...

With all of this chat about spending thousands - yep - can be done easy... BUT I AM STILL MAD about my own father stealing 2 of my fry's "71 and 117" from me to sell on ebay right in front of me knowing that "I" paid 200.00 each for them in 1990's and can not get my hands on one today for less then $1,500.00 on ebay un-restored... Top that with not finding any in the field anymore!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. "hope he dies a real painfull death soon". I know now that I will probably NEVER own anyone of those again! ANYWAY...

This makes me think - is it about over for the visi's? Are we going to have to start buying re-pop parts to start making our gas pumps???

The reason I ask this tonight is I was looking for parts for my new Fry 73 that I am going to put outside in a group of 3 for a gas station project that I am doing and thought about doing 3 re-pop's using new parts in case of theft.

Breakdown:

base (vics) 125.00
sides (gas pump heaven) 200.00
lower door (gas pump heaven) 50.00
handle w/wood grip (gas pump heaven) 64.00
plastic cyl (I make em) 35.00
top (vics) 85.00
globe cup (vics) 25.00
conduit (scobie) 55.00
light arms (scobie) 15.00
light sockets (vics) 21.00
light shades (scobie) 24.00
hose (scobie) 90.00
id tags (scobie) 20.00
nozzle (ebay) 15.00
fry sign w/mount (gas pump heaven) 35.00
Price Box (scobie) 40.00
Globe (u pick em) 70.00
extra parts "rods & mis" (estmate) 50.00
Paint Use Rustoluim (home depot) 40.00

$1001.00 not counting shipping for all brand new parts... The only parts I can not find re-poped yet is the cyl base that the sides attach to, the cyl base rings, & the pumpworks - I am thinking about makeing a cast of my cyl base & rings for this project. All those parts get me a GREAT finished metal copy of my Fry 73's.

NOW - hmm, I just bought my antique Fry 73 on ebay for 821.00 and spent 20.00 in gas to get it... It still needs tons of parts, sand blasted at added expense + bondo and the time I get it done I will have about 1,600.00+ in it. If I would have bought just the new parts it would have cost me only "455.00" not counting the last 3 needed parts I can not get yet...

So where are we at? I saw a fiberglass copy of the old fry 71's on ebay but could not get that guy to talk to me about selling me a "kit" of just the un-finished fiberglass. He wanted me to pay $1,500.00 for his "finished kit pump". I thought about making fiberglass copys of the 2 my dad stole when I got them in the early 90's. Thought it was neat to see someone starting to pop the whole pump in fiberglass - but come on sell me a kit...

So back to the question, where are we at? How long until poor guys like me are just assimbling parts to make our visi's? I bet 10 years maybe less for the visi's...


Travis E. Towle
Topeka, Kansas

785-357-1004

I think the price of repop puts things in perspective.

How could an original not be worth what newly made is or close too it?? Of course the rougher the original, the lower the price.

If someone thinks an art deco pump complete is only worth 600, they are not going to like the price of an eco air meter!!!!

Its all about supply and demand, after all the scrapyard would only pay by the ton for it...

Travis...you are probably on to something here because I think that as valuable as the old pumps are getting, it's not making much sense to let them sit out in the elements and suffer. It's like letting your split-window '63 Vette sit out in the driveway or your '69 Mach 1 428SCJ left parked outside week after week after week for years----doesn't make any sense these days!! Thank goodness for the re-po parts suppliers. I will be bringing my Wayne Cut 615 visible and my Tokheim 39 Tallboy back indoors in the next year or two.....plus it will eliminate the theft factor. If nature breaks down a re-po pump or some guy steals a re-po some nite, well 'Oh Well'!!!!.......

Plus just one other comment on this values thing....if any one of us were going to sell an item and the other guy offered you TOP dollar for it, are you going to say 'No, that's too much, I'll take less for the item.'?? I don't think so.

Everybody wishes it was 1971 again and we were out buying globes for 30 or 50 bucks,,,,but those days are gone the way of the DeSoto and will NEVER be back again...if you want to play you HAVE to pay that's just the way it is.

Nothing will ever replace good old ORIGINAL !!! NEVER !!! Reproduction is the easy way out...... It is fake and and not old. It's like cheating or I don't know what? Especially in signs or globes. I can see using a knob or a access door or something small, but even then, it's new and not old. You can't feel as good about it as if it were old, atleast I can't. It's just not the same. It's like contamination or pointless. So what do you do with a pump that has just one door worth saving, you send it to pumpparts.com and get some good money for it !!! That is not a real website(atleast to my knowledge, I just made it up), but it sounds like a good idea. Is there such a place or dealer? Just old gas pump parts? Seems that everyone has to just go to individual dealers for the stuff or on sites like this one to find them and there is no one exclusive place that deals in just old, original parts...... NO REPRODUCTIONS !!!!!!! A place that buys AND sells.?.?.?.?...... maybe there is and I am ignorant? (Me ignorant, not NC Royalty!!!) It could be the place to go to and networking to save some of these old babies would be a lot easier. Sounds like a good idea though.

Yes, NC I agrea - I love my originals....

BUT - I will never find or be able to afford a roman clo. visi pump. 10-15 grand is what they seem to go for... Even if I found one in the field I would HAVE to sell it, can not have that much in a un-insured pump. I would LOVE to get all the parts for that pump to make one for myself and only have about a grand in it... I would do that this week........... (if anyone makes all of the parts needed to toss one together please call me ASAP)


Travis E. Towle
Topeka, Kansas

785-357-1004

NC...I buy a lot of original parts and sell even more, FYI. Brace yourself though....I buy them cheap and sell them high!! I know, I know, I'm the devil....(see profit=dirty word thread).

Seth, I am aware of the "profit" demon and who he possesses. He possesses people that buy and sell gas stuff solely as a business, and not for the fun and enjoyment of fellowship with friends and aquaintences. It's the people and the dealings, and the life of all the people that we are involved with. I get up and go to work every morning and I am so glad that I don't have to rely on one of the things that I love the most as my main means of income. That would really suck. It would make it something totally different. The two don't mix and are seperate. I guess I don't hate everyone that does rely on it, but those people aren't actually helping the "hobby" at all, they are just exploiting it and helping themselves. I'm not judging , but it is a fact. The business end of this wonderful pastime just sucks....... IT really does. I don't have a lot of money, and I may not ever, but I thank God everyday that I CAN go to work and work. I am thankful for my health, and that I have come from a balanced upbringing. One that has shown me values and quality in that which surrounds me. To distinquish what is compelling and what is outworn. To leave certain things well enough alone ........ I wish it was 1929....... I think I'm going to die one day and I don't know what will happen to all the things that I've collected. I guess it won't matter........

I take complete exception to the statement that folks in the oil/gas collectibles biz aren't helping the hobby. I'll remind myself of that tomorrow when I am talking to some ol' boy who has no intention of ever purchasing a thing, about the station his grandpa ran back in the 20's. I'll tell him about the brand history of the oil company, what became of it and such. We'll talk about how he 'recycled oil' from engine into another for a .10/bottle. We'll talk about what the pumps & signs would be worth today, and he'll sigh & say "I wish I'd have kept it all", then he'll say see ya later and hang up my toll-free line (free for you, not me). I'll remember how I don't help the hobby the next time I broker a widow's pumps that hubby left half-restored. She'll tell me his buddies offered $1000 for his 2 clockfaces, and I'll give her the phone # of a guy who'll end up giving her $5000 for the Tok 850 & Erie 400. No big deal, all in a day's work. I'm not complaining, most guys & gals that I spend time with ARE profiting me. I'm not looking for a medal, just saying that simply because I clock in & out everyday amongst pumps, doesn't mean I can't further the love of the hobby. I still love to find a sweet Wayne 60 on a backroad or a dealership sign in an attic, same as everybody else. NOW, if I had to work at a golf course......well, that's another story for another day!

Question, are:
Theater Owners Exploiting Movie Buffs?
Bookstore Owners Exploiting Book Lovers?
Sporting Goods Stores Exploiting Hunters?
Car Parts Dealers Exploiting Hot Rodders?
ETC,ETC

[This message has been edited by Seth Robbins (edited 07-25-2005).]

NC Royalty said this about petro parts vendors, "I guess I don't hate everyone that does rely on it, but those people aren't actually helping the "hobby" at all, they are just exploiting it and helping themselves. I'm not judging, but it is a fact. The business end of this wonderful pastime just sucks."

It sounds to me like you are negatively judging all vendors at once. Many vendors I have met are enthusiasts too. Without them, we would have a much harder time finding the items we want.

NC Royalty suggested earlier today that there should be a central place where gas pump parts could be stockpiled and distributed. Would we expect that person to haul them, store them, inventory them and provide all related services without an expectation of decent compensation?

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Jim "Oldgas" Potts
Your host and moderator

Oh yeah...ask the probably 250 people I've told about Oldgas.com over the phone & at shows when I've not had the part or the answer they were looking for. It really profits me to send them to a place frequented by other dealers. Tell guys like T-way & Scobie they aren't helping when they cast a part for 2 guys or ramp up to make 10 sets of lenses just because a few guys beg them to.

[This message has been edited by Seth Robbins (edited 07-25-2005).]

touchy, touchy, touchy........ just think about it. Things are the way they are and probably nothing will ever change, so don't worry. I'm just trying to bring us together man, your totally not getting it. Take a deep breath and think happy thoughts....... "Love, Love will keep us together, think of me babe whenever" .......
I bet somebody buys that visible that I have running on eBay. Who wants to bet me???

Don't worry about me, I don't have to stretch far to think happy thoughts. I'm not experiencing any angst about high prices, profiteers, "big-money slingers", or anything like that. I will remind you of your dumb-a** collectors club posts since you are trying to get us all together & love one another.

I still LOVE YOU GUYS SETH!!! lol

I deal with your company all the time. As a matter of FACT - you told me about this site and now this is my 230th post. I buy from all of the venders - it is GREAT when you do not have the part I need or someone else has something a little different. BUT - like I told yhou a few years ago, your shop is the BEST shop I have been in - and I have been in them all. Keep up the GREAT & very hard work Seth!

Love that http://www.VicsPlace.com


Travis E. Towle
Topeka, Kansas

785-357-1004

What a change in only one day???First of all I love vendors and dealers alike,they give me a sense of the value of something or possibly the rarity.We dont have to pay their prices they want if we dont want to but they are definately making money,on the restos,the globe lenses and much more,they may love it but they are putting food on the table and I am sure they dont live in a shack.I own my own little business,its hard work but I dont do it just for fun and neither do you guys!I buy high and sell higher,if you want good stuff thats rust and dent free then you are gong to pay for it,I charge 15 and shops usually charge 45 to 55 an hour which doesnt go far.It doesnt pay to buy junk and then fix it,spend the money on better condition items.There are buyers for everything,I have only collected for years,32 now,but now Im the dealer trying to sell off my collection for good money.Thats just how the game works NC and I dont think that fry will sell,put a cheesburger on it,Ill ups it if I lose,HA HA!

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