Benkin fake visible $7000
Plain green box Tokheim 40? farm pump $4000, yes!
Red Tokheim 40? little box farm pump Mobilgas sticker , $5000
Bowser 557 (nice) $7000
Bennett 966 Plain red $5500
Plastic fake visible $1400.
Plain old resto MS-80 $5500
Bennett 966 restored with badly damaged paint $6500

All went to online bidders and does not include I believe about a 20% buyers penalty.

Pump prices are strong today in Florida! You can watch live on Youtube. Search Mecum Auctions

Jim

And the unknowing buyers of this stuff just keeps growing. Wonder when they will all come up out of the sand?

Nigerian bidders?

I've been following the auction on and off, super strong prices, super dumb bidders. First day there were some reproduction globes that were not called as such. I noticed today they are leading with reproduction then bidding starts. I wouldn't want to pay for the shipping let alone what was spent on those pumps.

Mecum is an embarassment lol more fake junk with every auction. Fake cans (the wrapped Husky is my favorite), fake signs, fake globes, it doesn’t stop.

So what is everyone going to do ?? Letters ? petitions ?? It is hurting the hobby yet the word is not getting out.

I signed up for Kissimmee Road Art auction as I was interested in a certain DSP sign. Sign appeared to be in "9" condition and nothing in the Mecum description indicated that it was "original", nor on the other hand did it disclose that the sign had been restored or touched up. I was able to contact someone at the sale who was knowledgeable and reliable. He stated that he "believed" the sign had been restored. If in fact it had been restored, it should have been 2-3K tops-it sold for 10K.

It is apparent that the 2 bidders who wanted this sign were either uninformed or didn't care because they had too much money to burn. BUT, what is disappointing is that I believe Mecum knew and did not disclose a restored sign. The lesson here is if you can't see it, hold it, or touch it in person, let the bidder beware.

" let the bidder beware."

always HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE....even more so nowadays with repop ***** coming from every corner of the world.
Do your own research or have someone else do it for you...so that at the end of the day/action you are happy with what you have.
If not and your looking for someone to blame....Go look in the mirror...

..that mirror is a repop.

I understand you guys being upset over repops and restored signage not being listed as such and globes also not being listed correctly. But if you are buying at auction you need to be there
Touch feel and I'll add smell cause it may smell like new paint.LOL!

.
On the other hand if pumps bring good money,go back to the roots of this hobby hit the farms and out lining small towns.
List you pumps at auction and go away with a smile on. I don't think Mr. Wadhams was complaining just stating facts.
If the shoe was on the other foot and you was the lister wouldn't you just love to have two bidders who refused to lose.

...anyone would - but posting misleading, incomplete or less-than-honest descriptions of the items is another matter entirely...

Well said.


I think any gripes about the misleadingly described items comes purely out of the appreciation for the hobby, not complaining for complaining’s sake. It’s just peculiar that someone whose not making a dime out of their collecting can distinguish a real sign from its closely copied repop while the people taking in commissions and premiums can’t tell a vinyl wrap can from one that isn’t a sticker slapped on a Quaker State. And yet everyone is supposed to have faith in the other items that are much harder to spot? Maybe they just make that much off their auto auctions that they don’t care how they are viewed by the petroliana community? By my previous comment, I mean that this type of thing would certainly make me embarrassed to be the one running their petroliana auctions. Maybe someone lied on their resumè? lol






Always seems the best way to do it. You hear more and more with all the readily availble photo-editing software people are receiving items from well-respected auction houses and seeing dings, scratches and enjoy that are not visible in the photos.

No rules for the auction companies, as long as all they do is sell for the owner they could care less. I have called some of the bigger auction companies as well as one being discussed. To many times they don't have the time to look at items or they tell you it is packed. Money talks and as long as they are making money, they don't care who you are or what you think. Honesty is out the window.