Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana Gas & Oil Advertising Watch Fobs

Giving a try at posting some of my watch fobs relating to gas & oil.The Bowser is a close up of my avatar photo.I have quite a few more petro, auto and old motorcycle fobs. All are original.Most date from 1910 - 1940. See how this works out, hope of interest. Raymond

keep posting, cool advertising pieces..

Very Cool! Thanks for sharing.

Yeah more more more

Watch fobs were made to serve several purposes. One being a method of handling a pocket watch and the other as an advertising medium for manufacturers.
In the years before wrist watches, the fob was worn outside the man's watch pocket, serving as a pull to remove the watch from within. The advertising type shown here were made to hang on a leather strap three-eighths or one-half inch wide and about four inches long, connecting the watch to the fob.
If a person had a tractor, auto, motorcycle or any other product he was proud of, or satisfied with, the watch fob representing it was a way to show his feelings .
Originally fobs were given away at fairs, trade shows, stores and any place of sales by the manufacturers. Due to rising labor costs and the decline of pocket watch use, very few are now used for advertising. Today key chains, caps, pens and other cheaper items are given out as gifts.
Many people under 60 years of age, have never seen or had a fob. They were in use from the early 1900's until about 1940.

More petro watch fobs.

Nice oilzum what did you shine it with? Mine is a dark almost brass color

Great info! I myself always wondered what the heck they were, yet for some reason had never thought to ask. Now I know! Thanks!

Very cool information and a couple great examples there!!
Thanks for sharing!!!

It has always amazed me the knowledge or lack off that we carry around in our heads. The other night I was in the hall of a movie theater and a young couple was looking at a picture of the Beatles. They asked me which one was John Lennon, they could not name the others. The next picture they asked who it was. I said Humphrey Bogart I told them to rent Casablanca, or The African Queen. They were headed to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. I was not around in the 40's or 50's but I still carry a vast knowledge. It is always good to learn something new and have willing teachers to pass things on.

Back in the day dad used to go to watch fob shows. He collected them and had a pretty good sized drawer about half full of them. A lot were from farm and heavy equipment companies as well as a lot of the local buisnesses around home had them made up to give out. We used to write to Cat, Erie and other equipment companies asking for fobs back in the 1970's. Dad had four made up for his buisness as give away. Holmes Oil sold Sinclair products, the first two had a Sinclair delivery truck on them, the third one was in the shape of the Sinclair Dino sign and the last one was made up like an ARCO sign after they bought out Sinclair. I think dads were made by a company in Marietta Ohio by a guy named George. Anyways, as with all collectibles, be aware of repos, fake and fantasy fobs. They were making fakes back in the 1970s already. I think that was one of the reasons dad lost a lot of interest in the fob hobby.

One other thing to be aware of is many have been reproduced long ago.. The Polarine with the bear depicted is one that has been "reissued"

Jim

Regarding the shine on the Oilzum fob, it was in very nice condition when I bought it, I think I may have rubbed it on a flannel cloth that had some residue from Simichrome polish. If fobs are very dull or dirty, I sometimes will use Simichrome and an old toothbrush to clean them. Just don't use the wife's. Everybody has their own favorite way,as in any hobby. Fobs are not as critical as coins. If it is one I may sell or trade, I don't clean it.

In regard to Wes Maxwell's post,I used to attend the International Watch Fob show in the 70's and many times since, in fact I was Pres. 1999-2003,wife Sec/Treas. George Pritchard of Marietta, OH made many fobs,after him there were more making new and repros.
Reproductions are a problem in about all hobbies.
I have stayed with the older original fobs in my collecting, E-Bay is loaded with repros, but I still find some very good one's there.I have collected since 1967.

When dose that fob show take place