Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion What sparked your interest in collecting?

I am 36 years old but got into this through collecting classic cars/trucks. I really like anything tied to the history of the automotive industry. My old man who is 68 had me at swap meets and car shows as a kid. I wish I would of been collecting petroliana as a teenager when there much more deals.

I needed something to go with my Indian. Seriously though I kept seeing them here and there in the antique malls and always thought they were neat and I wanted one. I then ended up running into a guy that has them and we have became good friends and I have enjoyed this hobby.

I got started from my Grandfather. He started collecting, buying and selling globes back in the late 1970's. I would go to his house and see all the globes lined up around the basement. He had awesome globes like Musgo's, Aero's, and such. He sold most of them off before I got old enough to start collecting although I got some that he had left. Many of you older collectors may have known him. His name was Leslie Reincke Sr.

Keith

Yes,this older collector knew him,had the privilege of seeing his globes in his basement of his farm house! I started driving tankers for Shell Oil in 1967,5 years later a friend asked if I could find a Shell globe,delivering a load to a jobber in Patterson Ca.one day I spotted a globe,bought it for $20.00 and gave it to my friend.That got me started,i gave my son a Shell globe on his 14th.birthday,still has it and he is now 58 years old.Lots of stories in that many years.

the indian is killer - detailed, restored using the right colors .. ...

Brother that’s a stock 2018 Vintage with a 111 Thunderstroke. A lot of people thought Indian went out of business they were purchased by Polaris. And thanks you I fell in love when I saw it.

Not really sure if anything in particular sparked my interest....if there was a particular event I can't remember it even though I've only been collecting Petroliana for about 13 or so years. I always liked the "Flying Red Horse" logo, even though Hillsdale didn't have a Mobil station in my memory. I was born in '76, Laird's Mobil closed in the mid-80's and was unfortunately razed to make way for a 7-11 store. At any rate, I had picked up a few Mobil cans over the years at shops and antique shows, but around 2005 something must have tripped my trigger and I got into the hobby full bore.
Someone on here told me early on you better pick a specific brand to collect, as if you collect them all you will end up with more than you bargained for. (So I picked one of the most prolific oil company brands with 150 years worth of history to focus on, doh!) Although I picked Mobil and tried to stick with it, I love it all and have ended up with items from many companies, more than I can properly display.
Oh well, once you own it, it doesn't cost you anything more to keep it, right, lol?!
Darin

I knew Leslie. We talked on the phone back before the computer days. Sold him a couple of globes. I got started in middleschool with a Texaco sign. Still have it along with about two hundred more signs. By the eighties I needed a gas pump to go with my street rod. I dont have the car but I still have the pump and dozens more.

It started here at my granfathers gas station. That's him by the tanker, my Uncle is by the pump. When I was a kid I lived here growing up. My mom would know where I was all of the time. When I was a teenager it was cars and hot rods in our garage and then started to keep oil cans and old tin tackers. I've been on the dark side for a long time but really slowed down on collecting over the past few years not so much because of prices but more to lack of space. Still love this stuff today as much as when I was a kid.

Keith,as I recall your Grandfather also bought and sold wind mills that were no longer in use.

Collected Buicks at first and then could not afford to restore them or store them, ran out of garages to store them in. Turned to Gas pumps as I could get more and they could store easier. I too saw that same ad and was taken by that Standard oil cloud. I have the same one and sought it out after seeing that article. It just snowballed from there. Its been 32 or 33 years I believe and still do not have enough room.

I used to ride my bike to the three local gas stations in town and collect STP and AC fire ring spark plug stickers and any of their promotional giveaways. Also, collect Coca-Cola bottle caps from the soda machines. Once a year Dorney Park in Allentown PA would have a Coca-Cola day if you brought 100 coca-Cola bottle caps you would get in for free! When I was old enough to drive I got involved with hot rods and classic cars. With a good friend of mine I would go to swap meets looking for car parts while he was searching for old parts for gas pumps, ECO meters,signs and also parts for his hot rod. When he would restore these items they would look better than new( see photos below)
I happen to have an old eco-meter that I picked up years ago, before their prices shot up, and he restored it for me.
Today, I have just a few items of Petroliana, however, it reminds me of simpler times peddling my stingray to the gas stations!

Very nice items Rob.

-Steve

In 1994 I got a job at an auto repair shop. My boss had a few gas pumps and signs on display in the customer waiting area. Being a car guy from a young age, I quickly appreciated how cool his stuff was. He sold me one of his unrestored gas pumps a few years later and I've been hooked ever since. I still have that gas pump too!