Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana What was your first sign?

I searched the forum, but couldn't find a post like this, so here it goes. Sorry if it's been posted before...

What was your first porcelain sign and do you still have it? Mine was this big firestone sign pictured below. It was given to me by a really good friend that knew my grandpa used to own a firestone store back in the day. It'll hang in my garage forever. Since getting that about 3 years ago, it's like an addiction and the hunt to add more and more to my collection continues everyday lol. I'm only 33, so I have a lot of years to still collect. Let's see/hear your first sign stories...

Interesting thread, been doing this too long so as to my first sign, good question? In all honesty I don't remember and at my age I'm doing more zipper checks then anything else these days. But the earliest signs I know for sure are these two that were given to me by my friends when I first started to collect this stuff.

The Amoco came from my friend who bought a place in Asheville NC and as a gift shipped it up to me over 20+ years ago. And the tall ten I found locally a short time after. The Cities Service came from Racine WI off a farm from a friend who knew I loved this stuff and he did not want it, he said if you get it out of here it's yours. No problem.

I'm sure in my collection there are a few that are from the very beginning but as of right now I have no clue.

Hope more guys have a better memory then I and show us.

Haha, that gave me a good laugh, Done4.

Are we doing tin tackers and other kinda signs, or just porcelain?

Not funny Ret Hat . I would assume what ever was your first sign.

I'd say tin or other signs apply too. Whatever started your collection

And, nice signs Done4! I hope to add some tall signs with posts to my collection once I get out of CA and have more room.

Lee tires was my first sign bought around 12 years ago, still have it and love it took wife on a date for weekend and found this along the way had to go to hardware store and buy ratchet straps so I could strap it to roof of car, now we take truck every time we go away !!

That’s a great story, Yellow57. A tale like that makes the attachment to a collectible that much more special.

Well, for me, ever since I got into the hobby I’ve had a strong interest in petroliana from around the world. We all consider ourselves Americans (or at least the majority of us on this forum), and our interest seems to center around that pride and those memories...but we all have roots from many ends of the earth. Since I was a kid, I always found myself interested in the languages/writing/culture and money from outside our borders, something I trace back to a grandmother who gave me coins and paper money from her travels across our many continents (a globetrotter of sorts). That interest bled over into the gas/oil world as I got older and became more and more interested in everything to do with cars. Naturally, my first sign came from abroad and was a 1950s tin tacker from Germany displaying the skater girl of Tidewater Associated Oil Co (Veedol brand, specifically). I have my reasons for my interest in this company (though I’ve more than likely wrote too much and bored enough up to this point) but those are stories for another day. I’ve had a few opportunities to purchase one in better condition, but something about this one has always been special to me and I hope to never have to part with it.

Red Hat, cool story and a great sign.

This is my first sign. I bought it 11 years ago. Before that I only collected gas pumps in my petro collecting. Most of my time and money went to my old trucks. I always wanted a red Shell pump plate and bought this affordable rough one on ebay. That was the beginning of adding signs, cans and some original globes to my collection. My main focus is still gas pumps. I still have the sign that is currently attached to a gas pump.

OMG Les!!! Every time I see that Amoco set up I just drool all over myself!!!! That sign and pole are so KOOL!!!!!

One of these was my first sign.

!972--rare 6 inch Shell Reps.sign from the 20's that went on a vehicle door. It went East a no.of years ago to another "old gasser"

Gee Steve, why am I not surprised it would be Sunoco. Thanks for the kind compliment.

It took me a while to think about which sign was my first...but since I have a problem not getting rid of anything, I knew it was still in my possession, lol. I knew it would be a Mobil pump plate, and it turned out to be a IR47 Mobilgas shield. Years ago it wasn't as hard to purchase one of these and know you were getting an original, as the repros were clearly marked "Licensed By Mobil Corp.", or they were simply not IR dated, which was basically the only other repro out at the time. Now it's a whole different ballgame with these.
Darin

It's between the Masterrmobil and the Texaco I can't remember for sure which one I got first. Still have both of them though.

Nice signs Big Block Cat.