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Joined: Nov 2008
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The DIRTY DEALS that happen in the hobby are a BIG TIME turn off for me...

Please use For Sale forums to sell

Please - NO offers to Buy or Sell in this forum category

Statements such as, "I'm thinking about selling this." are considered an offer to sell.
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People who fraud ad use different names trying to deceive turns me off And in the last 20 ears I have made some great friendships thru petro collecting but in this hobby like all there always is the jerks

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I agree with most of the comments that have been said here so far and here are just a few of my own as well. I believe some of our veterans are still here they are just lurking. I think a lot of it has to do with so many people now join a site like this after watching american pickers and all of a sudden they think they can do this. They come here dont respect the guys that have really put a lot of effort into this hobby and have a ton of knowledge and just completely ignore all of that. Its all about the money and how fast they can make it. They dont care what nozzle is right with that pump, but I bet DB does. They will ask what something is worth and then list it on ebay and wont give a guy on oldgas a chance after we just helped them. Its things like this that starts to irritate people after awhile. When i started out I bought all the books and researched before I asked the questions and then said thank you when I got an answer. Maybe im being to harsh to the newer generation but as a younger collecter I value the Veterans and I hope all of you come back.

Last edited by s932; Fri Oct 07 2011 10:44 AM.

Originals only for me. Always looking for Simpson oil, Super A, and MFA oil cans and globes.
Shawn Morris
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I agree with a lot of the comments posted, but especially with Shawn. I think respect (or lack thereof) has a lot to do with it.

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Ditto-s932, I found this site looking for options to do a pump restore. Newby green that had collected Texaco and had lost interest due to other hobbys,and time restrains,but I still had this pump that I wanted to do.
This site renewed my interest, veterans helped and showed me to go slow,collect good stuff that I would be proud to display and own.The sad part of this is I know several that has left collecter sites because of the young crowd with no respect in chase of the fast dollar. I have talked to veteran members and in somecases had the chance to meet them in person that have found a niche within the hobby to offer a service to others ,and they are able to make a living at it. Great! What would this hobby be like if it wasn't for these. Pretty dull I would think. They take time to answer questions and treat everyone with respect. I am glad the younger genearation is here and I think most will grow into,persons as I just described,and the hobby will only grow. I know the oldtimers has refind me ,and I am thankfull.


*Wanted Pierce Pennant Petroleum*
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Good afternoon everyone, I saw this post earlier in the day and went on with my day, but my mind kept coming back around to this topic so I thought I'd offer up a few of my thoughts.

This question in some form or another has been asked numerous times over the past couple decades that I've been involved in this hobby. There has always been a roll over in collectors and people are often concerned regarding their departure from this great hobby.

As I reflect on this question, I believe life has the biggest influence on individual involvement in collecting gas station stuff. Life dictates how much discretionary money and time we have to dedicate to our hobbies. Often younger collectors time is consumed by raising families and all that it entails, including finances. On the other hand collectors who retire have more time but sometimes less money due to living on a fixed income. Several years ago a good friend and avid globe collector retired and moved into a new smaller home. His collection was in boxes and he didn't have room to display them as he desired and was also unwilling to spend the money to add to his collection so he sold off his 100+ globes and focused on soda stuff, clocks, small signs, etc... I think this is a prime example of a collector whose interest simply evolved and whose desire to collect didn't go away, though he is no longer a prominent gas and oil collector.

The "bad apples" in our hobby are a transient group, they have been for years. Several people come to mind who were in this hobby for the wrong reasons, but they always disappear and the good remain. I acknowledge they can have a negative impact and do occasionally drive people away but the good far out weighs the bad. A very valid point was made that these few people who create problems in our midst drive people to lurk more instead of participate. I cannot recall who said it but I agree, this Oldgas group of guys and gals are far better than a lot of groups in the world!

With all this being said, I believe the single biggest reason why people exit this hobby is that they fail to connect on a personal level with other collectors. Collecting is no fun if you don't have someone to share it with who gets as excited as you do! My favorite part of this hobby is the friends I make along the way while attending the shows and auctions that Dad and I do. Too often collectors put too much focus on adding the next piece to their collection that they fail to make real friends along the way, friendships that transcend this hobby and go beyond. I know that come Peotone next week I will be telling stories and having a few cold drinks with many Old Gassers and not all of them will have to do with oil cans or gas pump globes, and that's a good thing! Regardless of if I buy or sell anything at Peotone, I am assured of a good show because of the people I know will be there. This forum is awesome, but it pales in comparison to the real deal and the real people behind the sign in name. I believe the people who fail to truly plug into the lives of other collectors who share similar passions, along with the other reasons given by myself and everyone else who has posted, may be more likely to fade into the shadows.

Twenty one years ago I attended my first Iowa Gas and jumped out of the truck with the zeal of every four year old and exclaimed: "Wow, Dad, isn't this great?!" I still feel that way today only with a little less gusto perhaps, a great hobby filled with lots of great people!

See ya'll in Peotone, stop by and say hello! Dad and I will be in the front room with a bunch of globes in the front room.

Aaron Hop


Wanted: Ripple Body Globes, picture globe, any Dixie Distributors keyhole gas pump globe and ANYTHING from Old Dutch Refining, Muskegon, MI Musgo sign
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Well said Aaron


Originals only for me. Always looking for Simpson oil, Super A, and MFA oil cans and globes.
Shawn Morris
Joined: Aug 2011
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To all the Vetran members who have stuck it out,I would like to say Thanks!!! If it wasnt for you guys to pass on your knowledge to us new guys these pumps and signs would just be sold for scrap metal.Alot of the younger generations have no respect for alot of this stuff.You guys have to stick around and pass the knowledge to us newer guys so that we can keep hobby going!!!

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I left because.....life happens.

When I first "noticed" this hobby, I was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning---it was new, exciting, and fit with my lifestyle which revolves around things with wheels. Already a veteran swap meet-er, gas shows were like a new drug! I bought common stuff at first(every newbie does, right?), moving into pumps and signs---at one point I had over 100 pumps after buying out a couple bulk plants.I loved 'restoring pumps and selling them at shows and swaps---what a rush! The next swing was to buy rare or oddball pieces, especially after seeing other guys' collections. I wanted to have COOL stuff I could enjoy and that my new pals would appreciate.Somewhere along the way I accepted the fact I couldn't compete with the guys who had the best stuff...no, I wasn't jealous---I love to see people find great stuff---it was more of the realization I was just a small fish in a big pond. Reality.
Then the big reality hit---I lost the building I had rented and housed my business in for 18 years---it was time for me to build a place of my own. I made a decision to dump a lot of my gas stuff, along with almost a dozen cars(including a 34 Ford coupe, a 33 roadster, a 59 El Camino, a 66 Corvette,etc,etc...sigh) I knew without my business, I had no income--ha! Being a responsible adult is HARD! LOL!
I DID keep some of my collection(accumulation?), and over the past ten years I've replaced and added to it, and it now decorates my paid-for building.
THAT, folks, is why I left the hobby.

I've slowly creeped back into it here and there when finances allow.....maybe it's an addiction, but I'd like to think it's because I miss the people that I befriended thru the years.
Sure, there are some negatives, like fakes(collectibles AND people), the rare stuff is even more unaffordable, hit and run pickers, and so on. Factor in the decline in the economy and it's easy to see why people leave. Still, it's a great hobby....and I would predict the guys who bail will be back...most of 'em anyway.

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When my wife caught me in the back yard diggin around looking for her coffee can that she stashes the egg money in she took the damn shovel to me and I spent a week in the hospital( thank you government who ever you are for the free hospital) When I got out I thout I would out smart her and go out there in the dark when she couldnt see me. Well she put traps out there and now I have a perminant limp. I decided that taken the kids winter shoe money and the grocery money wasnt worth the pain I was causing myself so now I only spend my can money on my little thing as we call it. Gas stuf. Ya im down but im not out. Im gona make it big some day I just no I am.

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
LOL

Yep.



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YES ALOT OF JERKS WITH MONEY!!
Originally Posted By: souperhigh
People who fraud ad use different names trying to deceive turns me off And in the last 20 ears I have made some great friendships thru petro collecting but in this hobby like all there always is the jerks

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The Hobby~ I remember my formative years in this hobby... My Grandma was married to a man Art Hankins and he owned a gas station in Centerville,SD. When Art passed away and Grandma moved back to Sioux Falls she sold the place and up in the attic I found some very cool old signs. My dad tried to get them but being 13yrs old I turned on the charm and said "Grandma, can I have these?" You know who got them! Anyway I stashed them away and darned near forgot I had them till I was in my early 20's and rented an old farmhouse. Needing something to fill the walls.... hey I got them old signs! It started.
There was an auction in the paper listing some more signs and I went. Some "Rich Sob" bought everyone of them with his head shaking like a bobble-head till he owned every one of them. How I hated this guy. I latter met him and he turned out to be a really nice guy who gave me some very good deals on some stuff because he took a shine to me! - So one lesson I learned was to not hate someone because they had more money than you do! But back to the focus of the thread. I remember at the mall finding a re-pop Pontiac sign and how jazzed I was to have it. It was an Andy Rooney repop- but hey I didn't have to bid against the RICH GUY! lol but this little sign made me want the "rush" again even tho it was a re-pop. I I found that rush again, problem was it cost more! I think that transends many hobbies and fields of collecting. It is human nature~
I have had times when I post alot and times when I don't....Nicole nailed that one on the head with the time factor, I think I hit a time warp when I turned 45 and my watch started running at double speed! there never seems to be enough time. One thing I can hardly stand on this site relates to the value section. First I would like to suggest to the moderators is NO PICTURE NO POST. It is nowhere near rocket science to post a picture on this site! It seems there are some people that only post in this section and no where else on the site wanting free information to put reserves on there items when they list them on Feebay (where by some miricle they post a picture!). If you want the value of an item say to yourself Hummmm... how much do I really like this sign,pump,widget..... buy it or get out of line.
I have said it before there are a lot of people who think it is oldgases responsibility to provide a free "SAFETY NET" so they don't get ripped off.Unfortunatley Experience is the best way to avoid a bad decisions~ But bad decisions are the only way you get experience! As far as the repop vs. original separate the site or add a forum for "Art Lovers" or "Purests" just an idea....
The time vortex just got me. Thanks all for reading my "rant" lol and lastly I do appreciate the freindships I have formed and knowledge gained from the veterns on this site.
Garage-a-gogo
p.s. I haven't posted much this summer and ended up missing Iowa Gas this year due to the restoration on my Harley Davidson Electaglide. Will post pic's in non-petro area when done. Also went 3 mo. without buying a sign!

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It's normal to have cycles of up and down in enthusiasm and involvement for most things. Money and time are often factors. Relationships and experiences can be bigger factors. Getting burned in a deal can put a collector on the sidelines for a while. when the bad deal is with a "friend" or someone you have regular contact with, it stings even more.

Time usually heals those wounds, but some folks never get back to where they were if the hurt is deep enough. For some folks, the fun has left the hobby. For them, it is more about grudges, revenge or making a profit no matter what.

I've had a couple of times when I thought, "Why am I doing this?" with a thought of turning off Oldgas.com and walking away. A few people have been so mean with bitter personal insults, threats and actions. But I gave it more thought and considered, "Why allow a few bad characters ruin a good thing that 99% of the people appreciate?"

I have slowed down in my buying for my collection. Part of it is the economy, but part is the maturing of my collection. I've come to the point where I have many of the easy and inexpensive things in my specialty. Now the hard to find and more expensive things are left. I still find and can afford them occasionally. I still get enjoyment out of looking and a rush when a cool piece comes my way.

Early on, I thought this topic was going to be a troublesome one with potential for conflict. I appreciate all the well thought out viewpoints without attacks.

Last edited by Oldgas; Sat Oct 08 2011 09:17 AM. Reason: spelling

Jim "Oldgas" Potts
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I agree with the don`t hate the guy with a lot of money. They can be real nice people and will pass on their items they upgrated or are tired of to the guys with less money for a good deal.


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