Washington based Autopia has completed another successful catalog auction, a sale which was heavy in petroleum collectibles, but included other advertising items such as Coca Cola and country store items. This was a very strong sale, with most items demanding top dollar. Several items though, including some of those listed below, were below market and could be considered a bargain for some fortunate collector. In the listings below, please note that non eof the prices here include the buyer's premium.
Among the most popular petroleum items are oil cans. Listed below are some highlights of the oil can sale pricing:Penn-Bee (with the bees) steel qt .$175, Pennzoil (with the DC3 airplane) steel qt. $120, Bisonoil (with the buffalo) steel qt. $150, Texaco Marine (with the harbor scene) steel qt. $140. Other can highlights included a generic half-gallon can with a race car for $325, and top dollar for can sales in this auction, a Silent Chief qt. that sold for $725.
The pricing ran the whole spectrum, from the fantastic can prices listed above, to the very reasonable $20 price on a pair of four ounce cans... an Esso lighter fluid can paired with an Enco Handy Oiler.
Among the strongest pricing of the entire auction was the bidding on several plastic gas pump salt and pepper shaker sets. Highlights of pricing on these items, which included some more common sets, are as follows: Shell $250, Conoco $55, and Standard with crown $250.
Gas pump globe pricing remained moderate, as this was not a particularly strong globe auction. Some highlights include: Atlantic Imperial on gill body $350, Hudson Regular on capco $1200, Flying A gasoline on glass $350.
The Autopia auctions have historically been considered sign auctions, and this one was no exception. An excellent assortment of fine porcelain and tin advertising pieces was available. Some highlights (and some sleepers) in this sale include:
Texaco Motor Oil 5" porcelain lubester sign
$180
Texaco 8" logo sign $180
Socony Aircraft Oil lubester sign $275
Shell Gasoline pump plate $850
Atlantic Refining die-cut pump plate sign $375
Mobil dealer pledge sign $500
Signal 12" porcelain pump plate sign $575
DX Marine porcelain pump panel $180
Texaco Marine White porcelain pump plate $675
Texaco Diesel Chief tin litho pump plate $550
Pearl oil flange tin die-cut sign $500
Clean Clear Golden Texaco Motor Oil tombstone flange sign $1150
Shell Kerosene Range Oil porcelain panel sign $1150
Texaco 30" diameter Sky Chief tin curb sign dated 1939 $1350
Globe Gasoline 30" diameter red border tin curb sign $400
Beacon Oil 30" diameter porcelain curb sign $1150
Look for information on future Autopia Auctions in Petroleum Collectibles Monthly magazine.
Republished with permission from Petroleum Collectibles Monthly. If you would like to receive info like this regularly, check our PCM page.
The gas station collectible supersite
Published to the Web 4/29/96 by Jim Potts
Image copyright 1996 by Jim Potts, Primarily Petroliana
Petroliana