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#709088 Thu May 03 2018 08:53 PM
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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...

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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.

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Last edited by Done4; Fri May 04 2018 11:00 AM.

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Done4 #709116 Fri May 04 2018 02:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Done4
In all honesty I don't remember and at my age I'm doing more zipper checks then anything else these days.


Haha, that gave me a good laugh, Done4.

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


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


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

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.

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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 !!

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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.

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Red Hat, cool story and a great sign.


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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.

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

One of these was my first sign.

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Really want a Sunoco National pump ad glass!!
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!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"

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Last edited by hawkike; Sat May 05 2018 07:32 PM. Reason: east

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


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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

First Sign.jpg

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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.

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Wanted anything Flying A Gas, Signal Gas, Hancock oil co, and Sunland.

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Nice signs Big Block Cat.


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I don't have an exciting story to go with mine, but my first porcelain sign ever purchased was this HC Little sign. My first "gas & oil" porcelain sign was the Mobiloil Gargoyle oil rack sign. I took my dad to an auction and bought the Mobiloil sign years ago. We had a good time. Nothing too exciting but I still have both of them, and because they are my first signs, I will never sell them. They will be in an auction... someday... I may be watching, but I won't be there. LOL


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Last edited by Speedracer; Mon May 07 2018 12:50 AM.

-Steve B. (WTB: 48" Flying A button, 48" black/org Phillips 66, White Star, and Chevrolet Signs. Also looking for a Wayne 866. Send a PM. Thanks.)
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Around 2001 Went to an auction because I saw an old Buick sign I thought would be cool with my 70 Buick. Walked into the room and was amazed at all the signs on the wall. Buick went for way more than I thought so as a conciliation prize I bought this Portage tire sign for $100. Ended up selling the Buick and have been into signs ever since. Refined my collecting to only gas, oil and auto related tins. Love this old Portage sign.

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My First.

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Collecting Mobiloil, Mobilgas, Mobilmarine, Metro, General Petroleum, looking for Mobil variations I do not have, thank you Steve
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Good topic!

I still have one of my very first signs... was buying a oil can from a guy and he had a Chevy sign on his wall in his garage. Told him if he would ever sell, to let me know. A week later he sees that I'm selling a embossed plastic Esso sign and says he will trade the Chevy for it if I wanted to. I quickly ran over to his house and traded for it. About 2 months later, an ad shows up on Craigslist with a Chevy sign for sale... but no picture. I go to look at it and its another Super Service skin with very similar damage. I start talking to the seller about where he got it from, and he says me and a friend found it in a junk yard, and we both took one sign. So it turns out that his sign and the one I traded for were both originally together as one. So I had to have that one too! They hung on my wall for several years and in 2016 I finally got them cleaned up and put back on a can with neon. It still hangs in my garage and I love it.

First two pics are when I found them. Last picture is where it hangs now.

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Cool story Bryce, those guys really cleaned up nice and looks great hanging up there. It must have been a lot fun getting that sign up there. Was the neon on when you hung them?


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Done4 #709281 Mon May 07 2018 10:00 AM
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Originally Posted by Done4
a lot fun getting that sign up there. Was the neon on when you hung them?


yeah, it was fun, and yeah the neon was on it when i hung it. i just used an electric scissor lift, me and another guy just lifted the whole sign on top of the scissor lift rails and then raised it into position where I already had the chains/hooks mounted.


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Man you have more guts then I. Glass of any kind and I have a real bad history. Nice job.


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My 1st sign and I still have it. I traded a guy a bunch of beer tap handles for this sign and 3 gas globes about 15 years ago. I wish I still had the globes...

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Got Socony???

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I like that Socony shield, I have been looking for one!


Collecting Mobiloil, Mobilgas, Mobilmarine, Metro, General Petroleum, looking for Mobil variations I do not have, thank you Steve
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After Matt posted his pump plate a light came on, this is one of my very first signs. When I started this train wreck I was focusing on pumps and these where on the pump the other two were missing. I found this around 1987 in a barn in upper Wisconsin. So it is definitely one of my first.

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Last edited by Done4; Thu May 10 2018 02:49 PM. Reason: rotate images

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Done4 #709478 Fri May 11 2018 02:42 PM
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I bought this 42" sign in the early 80's, at the Long Beach swap meet. It still has the $80 price tag on it. Funny thing is, the guy had a similar sized Shell clamshell for sale for $100, but I could only afford one or the other. Given that I was working for Union Oil .....

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Originally Posted by dfranchi
I bought this 42" sign in the early 80's, at the Long Beach swap meet. It still has the $80 price tag on it. Funny thing is, the guy had a similar sized Shell clamshell for sale for $100, but I could only afford one or the other. Given that I was working for Union Oil .....


I guess prices have changed a tad in the last 15-20 years haha


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One of the first signs i picked up, not much info out there on siloo items, then
Later on picked up a can

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collecting standard oil items
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This one of my first Petro signs. It came out of the Buick GMC dealership where I worked when they switched from Kendall to Pennzoil. The embossed"GT-1" half was painted over with the dealer name.

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