I need to get this off my chest. For a number of months, and in a couple of cases even a few years, I have been trying to locate some parts for pumps in my personal collection with very little success. Anyone that knows me understands that when a pump goes into my personal collection it is there to stay. I get a great deal of satisfaction looking at my collection and will leave the sale of these pumps up to my son when I’m gone.

Now I acknowledge that I’m not looking for common pump parts and, for the longest time, believed that they sim[ply did not exist. I also admit that, after almost 25 years in the hobby, I have accumulated a reasonable inventory of spare parts and pumps which I sell to help fund new acquisitions.

However, my outlook on locating parts is changing as I reach out individuals, some on this very site, providing them with pictures and descriptions in response to their wanted inquiry’s, only to never hear from them again. On more occasions that I care to remember, I have pulled parts off the shelve and pumps out of a cramped storage space, taken several photos and sent emails offering interested party’s what I believe they are looking for and more times than not, I never hear from the individual again. Not so much as an acknowledgement that they have changed their mind but appreciate the effort or thank you but the part is too costly or I’ve found one for less money.Any response would be appreciated and I’ve even heard ”thanks for the reply, if I buy the pump I’ll get back to you”, which is just fine. (I don’t think one of those pumps has ever been purchased.)

If this is happening to me than it is probably happening to many others. As I get older my time becomes more valuable and I find myself responding to fewer and fewer individuals looking for parts. I’m certain others on this site have experienced the same situation and have to take my hat off to those of you (Ron, Ryan and Tom to name a few) that actively sell parts.(I’m not suggesting that any of you are getting older.)

The downside to all of these is, that while the parts or pumps that we are seeking might be out there, fewer and fewer of us are willing to put the effort in to reaching out to help.

I think I get it, and tonight when I go home and start to put pumps back into my storage space after having received no response to my offer of help, I’m sure I’ll feel better now that this is off my chest. I will continue to try and help those I’ve successful dealt with in the past.

It's the way things work now. I often get people asking me to research something in order to make a sale. I'll buy this if I know "it will fit a BLANK on a BLANK". I do a bunch of research, respond, and never hear back, or maybe six months will go by and I get the same question back from the same guy, It's not everyone, maybe 25%. Most people are courteous and get back quickly.

People are busy and they forget etc. I get it, I've done it too, hopefully very rarely. I assume whatever extra work I'm doing will not get a response, as the people who ask the most are the least likely to even respond later. I guess the trick is, just do the level of work you are willing to do with the assumption of a "no sale".

I think what you're experiencing is a change in what is common behavior these days. Overall I've been seeing a lack of integrity and consideration for others. I sell a lot of antique type items by appointment and usually have 150 - 200 things on for sale sites at a time. If ten people contact me in one day, maybe 2 will actually show up. I've developed a very thick skin as sadly, I have no choice. I've reached a point where if someone asks for more pics I generally won't do it, unless you are a fair distance from me. I usually won't negotiate unless you're standing here with your wallet in your hand. It's very common for example, if I have an item listed listed for $50, for someone to send me an email that says "30" . To me, if you're too lazy to type out a sentence , there's no way you're going to get into your car and drive over here. I used to sell tools and stuff also, but that brings a more generic crowd and they're even worse. I've learned that if I stick with antiques , and more "adult" collectibles , meaning items like petroliana over pokemon cards, I at least get a higher class of customers in general. Believe it or not, in my opinion, your customer base is the cream of the crop.

Just the other day I was cleaning up some PM's here and noticed one that was about month old that I never responded to. LOL. I sent them a PM apologizing for not getting back to them. I bet I was reading it and the phone rang or somebody came through the door. It sucks getting older. If my memory and attention span continues to diminish, then I am in trouble, LOL

I still have your list folded up in my wallet. I don't see many parts show up at the shows I go to very often. Brady

Let me go out even further on the limb....hope no one saws it off! I recently retired and got a part time job just to pass the time. It is delivering auto parts for for a national chain store. There seems to be a “culture” within the gas/oil/auto businesses (I have noticed this all my life but have had it further demonstrated in my new work). It is not “across the board” by no means. Many of the mechanics and shop owners say very little and many of them do not show a lot of common courtesy. Let me repeat...this is not “across the board”. Could it be possible that within that “alpha male” spirit lives some of the reactions already mentioned above. So go ahead...lead me to the execution...kick me out of the club...and brand me with a hot iron. It is an observation. It may have something to do with what this discussion is about.

Well I will have to be one of the first to say I forget a lot. Just today forgot to take some stuff in to have someone look at it. Completely forgot. Have had people ask me for parts and either I forget or when I get there I can't find them. There was a station lite for a Bennett that I still can't find. I forget a lot and I know people are waiting on me at times. This is a problem in which bothers me a lot more probably than the person at the other end. What will it be like in 10 years ?

I think we've talked about this a few times before but it still makes you wonder why we even go to the trouble to reach out to new contacts sometimes, be it buying or selling. But, most people have good intentions and the fact that we just flat out forget sometimes isn't what the original post was really about. I'm a collector first and a trader second. I like to make a good buy on something and make a few bucks on it now and then but that's not what I set out to do every day. When I do finally get around to selling some surplus items I am so frustrated by the time I deal with all the tire kickers and low ballers that I wonder why I even tried to sell them. That being said, this isn't my living so I don't have to sell anything if I don't want to. That's what I tell myself when I send someone a dozen pictures and listen to just as many questions with the end result being a no sale. Still, I put myself out there now and again to be victimized by the people that we all get riled up by. We all have gotten to know friends we can go to and who we should probably avoid in this hobby but there will always be newbies that we just can't help connecting with that may not turn in to one of the favorites of the group. Just enjoy the good ones that come along and try not to let the idiots get you down. The world's full of them.....

I would hope that those of us that was raised in the days of a contract or promise was as simple as a hand shake and your word don't fall into this new way of thinking that a text or email is nothing that needs to taken serious or something that needs to be followed up on. Think reaching out to hunt something you MAY need is the norm for some and the computer in their mind gives them the right to treat you how ever they take a notion. I think everyone from the old school feels your pain daily.

Well Marshall, I hope you feel better now....LOL

Let me tell you that you are not alone in your feelings. Although our positions are opposites in this situation..you the buyer, me the seller. I too experience the same thing, people contact me looking for parts and photos of the part, I pull them, photo them and never hear a word back, this is not very common but it does happen. Most people are thrilled to find the parts and can't get them quick enough. I just chalk it up to....any number of things...LOL.

If you will notice I keep a very low profile online. Not necessarily because I want to but because I don't need to and by the same line I just don't have time. I'm here to tell you, I'm working harder now since I retired. I get referrals from all the resto supply houses and everywhere else, they come in as phone calls, emails, Oldgas PM's, text messages, Facebook Messenger, drive by's and maybe what my wife said one time. Several years ago before I really got knee deep in this the phone rang and I spoke to them a while, after I hung up my wife ask who that was. I said some guy in California wanting parts, she ask how he knew to call me, I said I guess my name gets passed around, she thought a moment and said "Oh, like a woman's phone number written on the bathroom stall" I about died and still laugh about that to this day.

Like Ryan said, I am getting older and forgetful and I truly apologize to anyone I fail to get back to. Remember to old saying "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" Sure doesn't hurt to remind me and I really don't mind.

I think it's just a fact of life, parts are getting harder to find. I used to be able to buy very well at swap meets but now it seems that very little pumps parts are being brought to sell. Everyone is into signs. I'm always looking to buy pumps and parts but it's getting tougher for me too.

Just some random thoughts. Now I better get back to work.

Tom.

Marshall, I read your plea and realized that I had written about basically the same issue, several years ago. I don't think that anything has changed? Maybe we have begun to overlook the few who truly waste our time? Being raised, as a kid to be helpful, it is hard not to do my part. In the day of instant news, Google answers at your finger tips, etc. "People" expect you to take care of their needs first without thought to how it might inconvenience you. Feel free to vent here as often as you see fit. We have all been there and understand. Paul www.severngaspumps.com

I agree with most of what has been said here, there has been a lot of added frustration over the years. My experience early on was this was a good hobby to get into. I had a petro background early in life for a while and when I had a life changing experience petro was a help. But the longer I stayed in the hobby the frustration got to be not worth my time. The flippers were getting too demanding, repop's were fast becoming way to numerous and money and the greed of it got to be the first priority of many. In short the hobby that I got into was hijacked. I got damn tired of taking pic's and sending them with no response, trying to cut my price and some of the guys here making themselves so called experts to pick up this stuff cheaper. I do understand there are experts here and selling to upgrade is the normal flow, it's a large part of the hobby and I have done it also. I have bought and sold many items to the group here over the yrs. Looking at yr 76 coming up and find that my life now does not want any frustration over what was a hobby and will probably let my children deal with this bunch of old cans, signs, clocks, gas pumps etc....
Don't post or get on here much any more and lot's of the early guys are gone now, will hang around here now and then waiting for the next big change.

I've sold almost every pump part ive had on this site in response to peoples ads.
I must not have charged enough.

Well said Terry.

Let me start by first thanking everyone that responded to my post either on this page or with a PM. The feedback was appreciated and it appears that I am not alone in expressing frustration with individuals who have asked for photos or help only to never hear from them again and wondering how this, in the long run, affects those of us that are desperately looking for parts. In other words do people simply lose their desire to offer help?

It was especial gratifying to hear from several members who have been on Oldgas for a prolong period of time. Many responders simply credit the lack of follow up to a generational issue. I will have to admit that the vast majority of no reply’s do come from those much younger than me, which is far more people than I care to admit. In retrospect, I must also note that I use social media to expand my reach when trying to add to my collection and, when I do respond to a request for help, this is where I see the vast majority of non-responders come from.

Finally let me add that I even received PM’s from long time Oldgas members offering to help me locate parts. Now how cool is that!

Have you ever gone to a Walmart or similar place where you see a cross section of America? Did you ever wonder, why some of these people are allowed to reproduce?
Think about it. After the Military Draft ended there was no way to end certain gene pools....
When I was in the service 1966 -1968, we used to bet on how long some of these idiots would last in combat. Some of them did not have much of a chance. Hence the END of a gene pool.
Now these people just continue to breed. Three, four, five kids... and they have kids.... and they have kids.
NO ONE has manners anymore. They are not taught at home OR in school. You expect them to say thank you? Dream on.
We used to offer free advise and information on our web site. We get over 150 hits a day. Most people asked questions and we would not even get a Thank you.
So now we ask for a small $10 donation to out local Animal Shelter for information or pump ID or appraisal.

https://www.oldgaspumpguys.com/gas-pump-values--questions.html

Cut questions by 50% or more. Only 10% of those people will make a donation.
Now they all go on Facebook and ask. i love it when I see, "I just bought this pump. How much is it worth?"
You just have to learn to live with the world the way it is. It will not get better, only worse.

I wouldn't waste time being frustrated. It won't change others and it won't do you any good. I keep loyal to the lessons learned from the old timers even if only 1 in 100 people appreciate it when I say please, thank you and you're welcome. All of my children are raised this way and with any luck, my grandchildren will be as well.

As for the seemingly endless erosion of how life used to be, you've already been taught how to deal with this. Situational awareness leads to rapid adaption to ever changing (battlefield or otherwise) conditions.