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Posted By: Steven C. Signage on modern stations - Thu Oct 04 2018 08:39 PM
So who owns the signage on a station that is running right now today? If a station switches brands, Does the station owner own the signage or the corporation?
Posted By: gasmansgp Re: Signage on modern stations - Thu Oct 04 2018 09:05 PM
Steve, It is my understanding that the jobber/corp. brand owns the signage. I do restorations for the biggest jobber in Baltimore and at any time, you can find signs of the many brands that they deal in, stacked in their storage lot. The signs are the lighted cans with plastic lenses and the pump canopies with vinyl graphics. Regards, Paul www.severngaspumps.com
Posted By: nuts66 Re: Signage on modern stations - Thu Oct 04 2018 09:41 PM
Actually they are owned by the oil company, but they usually don't want them back so are either left with the jobber or the sign co. that removes them
Posted By: Jhaas63 Re: Signage on modern stations - Fri Oct 05 2018 02:48 AM
In my little bit of experience with this with bigger sign companies...I have been told by the sign company that they have to take the signs back and destroy them. I have offered the guys taking them down money and have gotten the same response. This has been when dealing with a gas station that is switching brands and talking about newer signs (within the last 20 years, plastic type signs).

It’s still had for me to believe that the guys get back to their shop and litterally destroy and dispose of the signs but I have no way of knowing.
Posted By: Steven C. Re: Signage on modern stations - Fri Oct 05 2018 01:26 PM
Hmm... the reason I was asking is because a Sunoco station near me recently switched to Shell and the main sign was a nice smaller version. Would love to get my hands on it. I stopped in but the owner wasn't there.
Posted By: SandPCollector Re: Signage on modern stations - Fri Oct 05 2018 02:23 PM
Steve, It never hurts to ask!
Posted By: keithia Re: Signage on modern stations - Sat Oct 06 2018 01:37 AM
I work at a Ford dealership and around the late 90's Ford was rebranding dealerships. I tried to get the old signs but they told me they had to destroy the signs and then take pictures of them broken up and send them to Ford or the sign company. I finally got them to give me half of the Lincoln sign we had. They said they would picture one half of it broken up and when they left they would leave the other side sitting on the side of the building. They did just that. This is a plastic sign and it has a date, dealership name and a number etched in the lip. Pretty cool. Here is that sign I saved.



Attached picture lincolnsign.jpg
Posted By: Jhaas63 Re: Signage on modern stations - Sat Oct 06 2018 02:43 AM
Any one have an idea or knowledge of why the signs have to be destroyed? I’m sure there is a good reason. Part of me thinks that it is just free advertising for them down the road.
Posted By: Loyd Pierce Re: Signage on modern stations - Sat Oct 06 2018 02:57 PM
Originally Posted by Jhaas63
Any one have an idea or knowledge of why the signs have to be destroyed? I’m sure there is a good reason. Part of me thinks that it is just free advertising for them down the road.


Every company has standards you must meet to sell their brand such as bathrooms ,square feet ,etc. Signage is part of that also, if they didn't destroy signage it would be just another avenue to loose control of your branding requirements. If you ever open a business carrying other name brand products you will figure it out real fast as to the hoops they want you to jump through before you get their blessing.
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