Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Poll: How old are the collectors in our hobby?

With the current discussion on the future of our hobby, I'd like to poll members on their age. We hear often that it is mostly old guys, but I see a range of ages at swap meets and here on Oldgas.com.

Please click your age group and post a reply telling us when you started collecting petroliana.

(This serves as this week's "Choice of the Week" and was posted in General Discussion to poll the mainstream members)
.

How old are you? single choice
	19 or younger
	20 - 29
	30 - 39
	40 - 49
	50 - 59
	60 - 69
	70 or older
Votes accepted starting: Mon Feb 14 2011 06:14 AM
View Results

I remember bringing home an occasional petroliana sign or two in the 1970s from work. But I didn't think of myself as a petroliana collector until 1995 when I wrote an interview of Ron Throckmorton for a print collector publication. Seeing his oil bottles and other cool petro shifted my focus. And it lead me to start this Primarily Petroliana Web site in 1996.

I will be 41 this year, collecting for 15 of those.

Hi- In about 1989 I decided I needed a hobby-Thought I would restore a few cars etc as that was what I was always into- Bought a couple 54 ford Pickups- An Edsel -a Ford Convertible and a couple others- It didnt take long to figure out i did not enjoy crawling under a car taking off a 50 year old muffler as much as I used to- Then somewhere I came upon a book on Oil collectables be Scott Anderson- looked at all the neet stuff -couldnt beleive the prices- used to throw all this stuff out- and figured I knew where to find lots of this stuff. I knew every gas station for miles around--wrong- most had been thrown out but the hunt started. My son and I went looking on weekends etc.First thing we came back with was a 6 ft Texaco sign- about grade 2- tied to the top of my Suburban.
Then it was off to Carlisle- Hershey- Columbus- DesMoines etc-collected everything is sight-- after a few years I figured out there was about a million cans etc and decided to specialize on 5 qts. To me they displayed better than qts as long as you had the room.
Been lots of fun- lots of great people- One thing I miss is the early east coast shows where there were 100 plus people lined up outside the waiting to race in and grab the good stuff before the next guy. everything is a little more relaxed now.
Great site-lets hear from everyone here- thanks don PS - will be 75 July 4th

I'm a ripe old 62 and I didn't start collecting until I retired back in 2005! I really didn't have a lot of time for this kind of thing back then as I was involved in a wide variety of business's and hobbies! As things slowed down, I started looking for something to take up my free time and I found a gas pump---the rest is history!

I just turned 40 2 months ago and i started collecting when i was right at 29 years old.

45

Into gas stuff about 5-7 years. Started out in Soda, restoring machines still have about 10 of them, signs ect.

Slowly selling soda stuff off to finance gas stuff.

same addition different drug.

Turned 54 last November.

I started out buying my first pump about 1987 or so. I just wanted an old gas pump to go beside my 1977 Formula Firebird.

It kinda snowballed from there. LOL

Now I have a Display Area in the Chicken Coop aproximately 1,500 sq. ft.

My collection's direction has changed over the years. I was always into pumps mostly - especially after I got Jack's first book and saw what was out there to be collected.

But since I started producing lenses for the restoration market, I have started to collect original globes too.

And I dragged The Keeper into the hobby when I married her. She collects 'advertizing' globes and Ice Cream signs.

Later . . .

Jim

I'm 34, been collecting petro seriously since I was 30 and bought my first nice sign, the Red Crown thermometer my brother found for me in a barn. It had been in the same town locally since it was made.
Even when I was little I liked the Pegasus symbol, one of the classic signs of Americana. Although there hasn't been a Mobil station in my area since the late 1970's, for some reason I was drawn to the brand and it's been "my" brand to collect for the last few years. I see something new almost every week still, so it's exciting to see what might show up for sale.
All around I've been a collector since age 10. Stamps, coins, autographs, the list goes on and on, and I don't think I'll ever stop collecting. It's just in my nature I think.....
Take care,
Darin

...I'm 43...I started collecting advertising signs as best as I could when I was 13...'under my skin', 'in my blood', whatever...I'm hooked...

I will be 34 this year, been collecting for about 7 years now. I have been interested in this stuff since I was about 13 or 14, thats when my Dad brought home his first Gas Pump and I thought it was really Cool.

I am 35 now and I started when I was 30 or 31 can't remember now. I started out collecting fire dept memorabilia. I wanted a fire chief gas pump so I found one and restored it. Since then I have not bought anything fire related. All I buy now is petro stuff. It's funny how these things happen. I do not ever remember seeing a globe on a pump but man I love having them in my basement.

I'm 56 and here is my story.

I started out has antique/glass picker for a friends of mine when I was in the Navy. Got out of the Navy and kept picking and started to sell some myself. One day back in 1992 I found a pair of Hy-Flash lens from Miller Oil and that started that collection. But then I started on Hi-Speed Gas/Hickok and a mild interest in Paragon Refining from Toledo. It has proved to be interesting.

When I was 18 I worked at a Shell Gas Station...have no interest at all.

Randy

I'm 34 and been collecting petro stuff for about 8-9 years. Before that I collected old bottles/license plates since I was 9.

Brian

Im 42 and have been collecting for about 8 years...
I worked at a gas station pumping gas as a kid in the 70's...
I wish I had started collecting back then!