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#83914 Mon Nov 11 2002 10:26 AM
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Since everybody is telling stories I gotta tell about my experience couple of months ago.

It started last year when I was going to visit a landowner for my job. When I got there I saw a real gem, a Fry tall ten visible with a mint dark blue cylinder. It also had a Farmers Union Globe on the top with one good lense which was facing the road. The other lense was gone. (If you look in Scotts globe books you will not find this globe in his book.) I did my work and left since nobody was home. I called the owner that night to see if it was for sale and he said "No, It has been int the family for many years and at this time will not sell it." I said thank you and that was it till this summer. My wife and I were coming back from one of our adventures into Canada and I told her that I wanted to go check out this pump again. She said it is a waisted trip and I said I know but had this gut feeling to check it out. We got there and this time I talked to the wife. She said the same old story her husband told me a year ago. I asked if the globe might be for sale and she said no but wants to find a lense for it and asked if I knew where I could find one. I said no cause a budy of mine wants a Farmers Union globe in the worst way. She said she has looked all over for one and that if I find one she will pay what ever for it just so she can complete the globe. So we leave and head down a gravel road turn one l mile down the road and then another mile later. Cruising down the road I happen to look over to the left to check a farmstead out and low and behold there is another gas pump with another Farmers Union globe on it, just like the one a mile away. I slam on the brakes back up and go in the yard. Unfortuneately this is just a Wayne 615. I talk to the owner for about 1 hour. He tells me that some guy offered him 150 for the pump and globe but never came back to get it. I thinks to myself that I should be able to offer 400 cash and get it. So I do, and he tells me he will think about it for a week and then get back to me. I call him a week later and he says it will take a little more to buy the pump, he wants me to make an offer. I says no, you know what you want for it. He still wont tell me so I offer 600 and he thinks for a min and says ok. I left a 6am the next morning to drive 4 hours to where the pump was and bought it. I ended up selling the Wayne 615 to a friend of mine since that pump does not excite me too well and kept the globe. My friend was jellous as hell when he saw it. Needless to say I kept the glope and will put it on the Hays visible that I am working on now. He will get to look at it everyday since I have no room in my appartment for the visible.

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#83915 Wed Nov 13 2002 07:41 PM
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Whos next???? Lets hear more??

#83916 Wed Nov 13 2002 08:40 PM
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I agree.. I call on our leader and moderator Jim Potts to consider adding "Stories", both sign and pump, as a page on this site. The stories are great fun to read and each one gives we "newbies" hope that there are discoveries still out there and stories that someday we can tell. Thanks...

------------------
Frank


Frank
#83917 Wed Nov 13 2002 08:52 PM
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How about it Jim, add "Braglines" to the Shop Talk forum index, that way we can post our finds and share the stories without interfering with the other forums.

#83918 Wed Nov 13 2002 11:06 PM
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Yes !! Lets do it !! Jim thanks for all your help!! What do you think?? Frank..

#83919 Thu Nov 14 2002 02:11 PM
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Here's a story with not a happy ending. Along a major highway sat a Tokheim 850 clockface. As I knew the family that owned the farm I stopped several times to buy it and it was never for sell. One day a coworker, who drove that way everday, came in and said "that old pump is gone". As I work 12 hour shifts, I would have to wait until a day off to go over there. The day off finally arrived and as I was turning into his drive, I could see the pump laying on its side. What a relief! I asked the guy what happened? He was bush hogging and the mower caught the hose and pulled it over. Once again it was still not for sell and he was tired of people stopping all the time wanting to buy it. I pleaded with him to move the pump into a garage not twenty feet from it and I would help him. That way it would be protected and out of site from eeryone wanting to buy it. "I'll get it later" was the reply. Two years later, the pump is still on the ground and he is still going "to move it". I finally made him an offer he couldn't refuse. I would restore the pump for him for "free". He would only have to buy the paint and parts. I just didn't want to see such a neat pump rust away into nothing. "Well, how much will that cost me?" I gave him an estimate of the paint/parts and told him what the pumps value would be fully restored. Again he was indecisive. Another year goes by, the pump is still on the ground and I approach him about buying it for the millionth time. "What is the most money you have been offered for it" I asked. He said "$50". "I'll make it $500, that's ten times anyone's offer". Again he balks. Last year, I drove by and the pump was gone. He finally moved it inside I thought. Later on, I saw him and asked about the pump. "I see you moved it". He looked at the ground and started shuffling his feet. "I gave it away". "What!" "How much did you get for it and if you had called me I may have topped his ofer". "No, you don't understand...I GAVE it away." "This guy really wanted it" I said, "Did you think I didn't." He told me who has the pump and where it is, but I haven't brought myself to go see it yet. You can never figure people out.

#83920 Mon Jan 27 2003 09:14 PM
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LETS SEE, THERE ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED REGISTERED TO THIS WEB SIGHT AND ONLY 20 REPLIES TO PUMP STORIES, MOST OF THOSE ARE REPEATS OF ONE GUY. INSTEAD OF WHINNING ABOUT SOMETHING ON THIS SIGHT LETS TELL ABOUT OUR BEST DEAL, GREATEST FIND, BEST DAY PUMP HUNTING, ETC.... I WANT TO HEAR A FUNNY STORY, SO I'LL TELL MY OWN. HERE IT GOES.. WHY DOES A CHICKEN COUPE ONLY HAVE 2 DOORS? BECAUSE IF IT HAD 4 DOORS IT WOULD BE A CHICKEN SEDAN!! LETS GET EM COMING!!

#83921 Tue Jan 28 2003 07:54 PM
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Ok...Heres my great pump hunting day..I was traveling thru southern Mo. when my wife spotted a visible in front of an antique store.(wives seem to be good at that).I stopped at the store and asked about the pump.The lady at the store said that the pump belonged to old Harry,she calls him and he comes up to the store.We get to talking and he figures out I have this obsession with pumps and he asks me if I have a few minutes to go over to his house.He has something he wants to show me.So,I follow him to his house and he opens the door to his barn.I almost fell down.At the end of the day I carry home a Wayne 515 with clear cylinder,American round visible with clear cylinder,Martin & Schwartz visible with perfect blue cylinder,G & B 97 and a National Simplex...all for the price of $3900.00.Which at the time I thought was completely crazy.But now I know better...lol He told me at one time he had over 200 pumps,he was a backhoe operator and he worked for a lot of farmers in the area and he traded his time for the pumps.He had just retired and had sold almost all of his pumps so he and his wife could enjoy retirement.He also told me he had a lot of globes and he had sold them to some guy in Ohio(scott benjamin maybe?)It was a really neat experience.He also had a shop that was 30'x40' and nailed along the ceiling all around the shop was brass nozzles...

#83922 Tue Jan 28 2003 11:59 PM
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my super find is already listed. the wayne 60 showcase. i still jump up & down over that one! but years before that i got directions from my dad to go to this repair shop out in the sticks on this farm. he said theres a shorter pump with a name embossed in the top. (script top im thinkin.) so i went lookin for it with a friend of mine. and we went 1 road to far. but on that road we spotted a national A38. i pulled right in cause there was a girl & a guy painting a small storage shed. we B.S.ed awhile about the pump with the son & his girl friend while they were painting. then the owner of the pump came out & i started talkin to him about the pump. while this friend of mine was hangin out with the painters. the girl friend wasnt wearin a whole lot and was good lookin & friendly! well he musta pissed off the son because he yelled out -hey forget it i wanna keep that pump.- so we left not so unhappily ouuuuun & ahhhhhhhhin about the girl. and went & found the script top. conoco n-tane. the guy there knew who i was & sent me to the owner of the land (he rented) the owner lived yet another road over & he was a nice guy & gave me the pump free!!! whenever they were done usin it..... but showed me around his farm. "that was a good day." i ended up with a NICE 51 mercury 2 door that was stuck in the corner of machine shed. the farmer had bought it new. the engine was blown up on prom night 1962 by his son. prom papers still in it! haha i paid his price. exactly what he said he paid for it in 1951. he said $2,000.00. it was another day i went to get it & it took ALL DAY to dig it out!!! anyway the land was sold where the script top was after i had already removed the top and replaced it with a flat top. the land was sold to the renter & he let me have the rest of the pump a year later for $100.00. i managed to get the national A38 that same day for $225.00 the A38 is a nice clean pump with 2 nice mobil ad glasses & black faces. one ad glass only has a horse on it w/no writing. i still own both of these pumps untouched as they are both very clean. i cleaned up the merc & it was really nice. but it got sold for ??? what reason i dont know. that area was a gold mine! theres yet a rough wayne 60 near there also that im workin on. the BIG drunk lady who owns it is VERY CRABBY!!! thats a whole nother story in itself!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#83923 Wed Jan 29 2003 04:08 PM
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hey tom.... buy her a bottle.. give her 10 bucks and grab the pump.... HA... but that would be taking advantage... wouldn't it ???? ... great story..

#83924 Wed Jan 29 2003 04:46 PM
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ya, ive been there twice & she was layin on the couch every time i was there. i knock and she yells: GET YOUR ASS IN HERE , WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!!! i ask about the pump. she barks back WHAT THE FRICK FOR? it dont work!! then goes on about the government & how its affecting the farmers! and i dash for the door! the guys who farm the land are afraid of her to i think! they said to me NO NO NO you gotta go ask her. i said NO im askin you guys. and we all started laughin!!! ill ask again sometime im feelin brave! hahahaha

#83925 Wed Jan 29 2003 08:38 PM
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TOM ,, YES A BOTTLE OF SOMETHING STIFF AND BE A GENTLEMAN ,TAKE CARE OF THIS OLD GAL,, YOU CAN GET YOUR PUMP OFF THIS PLACE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER!!

#83926 Thu Jan 30 2003 07:03 PM
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I love this thread! Bet I've read these stories a dozen times---guess I should share one of mine(or two). About 5 or 6 years ago, I dated a girl in southern KY, about 50 miles from my home here in middle TN. I did that drive 4-5 times a week and my route took me by a big empty farm house and barn just a bit across the state line. In a clump of trees and bushes behind the barn(could JUST see it from the road) stood a pump of SOME kind--too far away to make out what it was. I kept seeing it trip after trip. This went on for nearly a year until one day I decided I'd get the phone number off the sign in the corner of the front yard. I eased into the driveway and happened to notice a pickup and tractor way back behind the house by another barn. What the heck, I'll just be bold and go ask about the pump. I drove to the gate by the barn and got out. Saw an old fellow messing with a hay fork on the tractor---he saw me and strolled over, looking me up and down with apprehension(I'm a big guy with long hair and a beard) "Howdy"I said. "What can I do for ya?" he replied. "Well, I know I'm not the first to ask...and probably won't be the last, but I saw that old gas pump and wondered if it's for sale"
"Wellll, maybe". The old fellow asked me what I thought it was worth, cause he'd seen 'em sell at auctions before and they seem to be worth a lot....Here it comes....he's gonna ask me some stupid price for it. We talked about fifteen minutes about old stuff, his kids and grandkids, deep snow, cows auctions---you name it. Finally he said "I guess I'd sell that old pump...........but I'd have to have $150 for it" "Well, okay, let's have a look at it then cause I've never walked over by your barnto see it---didn't want to be tresspassin'" He chuckled out loud and we walked over to the side of the barn. You coulda knocked me over with a feather---there stood a Tokheim 850!!!! He grabbed the reset handle and wound it back to zero(!) "It worked til that last bad storm blew through last year---top of the barn blew off and ripped the wiring loose---I never hooked it back up" I dug my cash out of my pocket to pay him before he changed his mind.....and all I had was a hundred. I shoved it into his hand and told him I'd bring the other fifty back when I came for the pump. "Might be hard to catch me here" he replied "my wife works at the post office....naw......I live the second house up the road...naw...I'm in and out there....I tell ya what. Just put the fifty in an envelope and set it under the corner of that gate there on that concrete block"
Talk about trust! I went back two days later with trailer and tool, and found a note on the pump telling me not to cut it loose with a torch---there's still gas in the tank!!!
My 850 stands waiting restoration(still)
My other story isn't as quaint, but it should give everybody hope for finding good stuff. Last year I zipped on down to Moultrie GA for the fall swap meet. Walked the aisles all day Friday looking for cool stuff. Got about to the far end about 3 o'clock and ran straight up on a 5-gal Fry laying on it's side in a vendor's booth. Original cylinder, light surface rust,partially disassembled "How much" "Done SOLD" the guy said."What'd it bring?" I had to know..... "$400" Geez Louise! To me that's a bargain. The guy looked up and said"I sold it this mornin, but they haven't come back for it---I'm tempted to sell it again. Everybody's been askin about it" "I got CASH" I shot back. Apparently that made him think about it and he kept tryin to get an offer from me. I basically asked him what the current price for an a##-whoopin was these days, cause he better make it worth his while---he would definitely get one if he re-sold that pump. About that time, an old pickup rumbled up to the spot and the buyer jumped out to claim his prize. Amidst his grabbing up the pump pieces, I offered to buy----"I dunno" he hesitated "Seven hunnerd" he grunted. "Take six?" I countered. "Nope" and he went back to loading. "Okay, okay, but you gotta deliver it to my truck over in the corral area. Done DEAL! YEAH!


Now I've got the two pumps I've always liked.

#83927 Thu Jan 30 2003 07:40 PM
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BIG GUY WITH LONG HAIR AND A BEARD?? SOUNDS LIKE YOU SCARED THAT POOR OLD FARMER OUT OF HIS 850.. FRY VISIBLE FOR $700?? I'LL GIVE YA $800?? LIKE "ROY-D-MERCER" SAYS:: I ONLY WEIGH 145 POUNDS DRIPPIN WET, BUT I'M PRETTY WIRERY, I'M TOUGHER THAN A DOES OF PHILIPINO CLAP!!! HA HA!! GREAT PUMPS, GREAT STORY...!!! FRANK..

#83928 Thu Jan 30 2003 09:46 PM
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Frankie...we only have room for one Dwaine Buck. I see you slowly turning into a clone!?


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