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I think that in general, the visibles have more visual appeal, especially when lit up at night, but I also think that their height works to their disadvantage. You have to have very high ceilings to display a visible indoors while you don't with the more modern pumps. The people who are willing or able to display them outdoors is limited.

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I don't buy them because they won't fit in the garage with a globe.


Scott Wright
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Thanks
Mike

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Around here,while visibles do sell occasionally,the market is much more active in the electric pumps.Unrestored common visibles usually go in the $1,000 range while common electrics go for about half that.Please note that I said common,the better stuff like Wayne 60's and such go up dramatically.

I'm not sure why.Judging from what I see going on I would guess a couple of things come into play,in addition to the height problem as noted.

First,I think some really striking multi-color paint jobs and porcelain pump plates and correct decals and such play a part.

Second,and I see a lot of this,the pump is used as a centerpiece for a larger collection of brand coordinated pieces such as lubesters,cans,other globes and other signs and such.I think there is just a lot more to work with when you come on up into the 40's,50's and 60's.

Personally I like them all,but I will say I display mostly electrics,

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I have noticed that values for visible seem to be cyclic... For a while they are up and then like the waves they resend... When I started in this crazy Hobby, one could not give away a visible or early electric... Station owners would pay us to take them away,so stations could be "modernized".... LOL

We had so many of them, that we used them as "land fill"... We would line up 40-50 of them, dad would jump on the Allis-Chalmers crawler and push them over the hillside. Then he would push dirt over them to stabilize the hillside below the tree farm....


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The auctions I have been to, they still seem strong. I've seen one bring under one grand, but it had no cylinder.


Brandon Ferguson
Central City, KY
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Visibles still demand a higher dollar in my area but take longer to sell because there are fewer people looking for them.

For the majority electrics are the first pump of choice simply because they are easier to find and most of us have childhood memories of them...something they can relate to.

The 10-11 foot ceiling requirement makes them difficult for most to display indoors. But if asked even those owners wouldn't mind a visible if they could fit it into their shop. A 1920's pump is slightly out place when displayed amongst 1960-1970's muscle cars (largest group or segment of automotive enthusiasts). Visible pumps demand a higher initial investment to purchase. Because they are older they usually require more work then a electric pump.

I recently assembled a single Clear Vision visible for a customer. He painted it himself and brought the pieces to me. He then put it in a local auction, I advised him he was going to lose money on it with a 20% sellers premium, I told him he would be lucky if he got $3000.00. The pump sold; winning bid of $4200.00 with taxes and buyers premium it cost the new owner $5418.00.


Dave GILL,
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I've seen common Gilbert & Barker visibles around here for $3000, at farm sales. The certain crowd is needed but they are still strong in this region. Paul www.severngaspumps.com

Last edited by gasmansgp; Fri Aug 10 2012 02:35 PM.
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Man! I need to take a truckload up north! At the moment I'm building a fence with em! Had a couple of dove make nests and have babies in them as well! They are beautiful and look really neat to me! I love em and won't stop just cause the market has changed here. Just buy em up while it's low!

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Maybe it's like with old cars, clean one's are harder to find up north so we have to go south to find the good ones.
Also remember gas stations were few and far between like good roads back when visibles were around and by the time the highway system was made good for travel, electrics were everywhere.


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Prices are strong around here. I can't buy them on auctions as they bring too much. No cylinder and 1,000 plus. We didn't take any to Iowa Gas as we were about sold out of them.


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I'm 47 now and barely remember any of the real old pumps as most pumps stations were running 1960's style as I grew up. I have many friends with pump collections and after looking at them for the better part of 10 years, I've always gravitated towards the 40's to 50's electrics for their style and the ways they can be finished.

While I do like some of the visible's, I'm not sure I'll ever add more than one or two, and again I'd have to display them at my shop due to low ceilings in my house and in my garage. It's all about the electrics for me, from the mid 40's to mid 50's is my pump of choice. It's weird, but I have no interest in restoring an old visible. Early 30's clock face twins, sure if I could find one, but most glass cylinder pumps cannot float the boat for me.

My friends that are 5-10 years older than me...they love them?

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I haven't witnessed a price drop in them. Seems like this stuff keeps getting harder to find and the price remains the same or keeps going up. I just did a road trip to Kentucky to pick up a Mae West Visible for a buddy. Honestly, at most swap meets in this area, computer pumps turn up the most, rarely do clockfaces or visibles ever really show up.

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