History Signs of the times..Automotive ,gas & oil

I love the old signs and was fortunate enough to score a old 6 foot TEXACO porcelain sign many years ago,I traded a model A tail gate for it.

You can see in on the side of my barn,what do you guys have? HRP

 

That is one fine sign there!

I think you got the better end of that deal with what those signs go for these days with all the TV shows making people think every last one is worth a fortune! I'm relegated to the occasional reproduction item when I allow a splurge on something other than parts.

 

Awesome! Those signs are getting pricey since the "pickers "show started.
I can only afford the really poor condition signs now.

 

I too have had the gas & oil bug a long time. Here's a couple in our court yard.

 

I would like to find a pole like you have to mount my sign but they are few and far between nowadays. HRP

 

Magnolia Gasoline sign (behind the string of cleaned and primed 30 Plymouth parts)

 

heres a partial of one that was filling a hole in the side of a horse trailer 30 yrs ago--approx. 30x 42--don't think it's rare though

 

Here is the downsized version of my shop.

 

Some very nice looking vintage signs for sure.
Old signs are full of old memories from the good old day's.
"If only signs could talk what stories they would have to tell us"

Just my opinion. Jimbo

 

I rent space and work on my Pontiac in the "dirty side" of this shop, the good stuff is in the other side. The shop owner has been collecting since he was a kid with no hint of slowing down. They just keep following him home. He also likes Montana Railroad signs, we just hung a single sided Burlington sign made out of 3/16" steel plate, I was too scared to let go for fear it would slide down the extension ladder and lop my ankles off like a rusty guillotine. It's bitch work but the rent is cheap and the fridge is full

 

a giant texaco sign is one of those things I really want. I have a pump and oil dispenser that are Texaco.. My Grandfather owned a Texaco station at one time (then became a Shell dealer later on).

 

Yeah Ken,My granddad had a Texaco station also,I have the pump and a oil dispenser.

I have a lot of odds & ends that are Texaco related,including double edge razor blades.

I'll try to remember to take a photo of the wooden sign he had made that's hanging on the porch of my barn tomorrow. HRP

 

I saw an old porcelain round Hudson sign on the Hudson forum a week or so back, was on eBay for 800$ US.
Seems a little outer control, I've only got cheapo reproduction ones in my shed.

 

Here are some I have or used to have....
http://www.lastgas15.com/galleries/signs/

 

My grandfather owned this shell station in West Seattle, my dad skipped class to run the wrecker on a regular basis.
He hung out, skipped school, after school, weekends, slept at the beach and showered at the station, etc... in the late fifties grandad lost his ass campaigning a '56 210, qualified for the nationals in CA (out in the first round), early sixties they painted cars for a lowriders club after hours (they always had cash)



Before he owned it

 

I have an old gas station. My avitar. Built in 1928 by my Gr. uncle.
He pumped gas there till 84. (He was 85) Sold it to a local customer who ran it for about 6 mths. My father an I bought it in 1985 and ran it till EPA restrictions shut us down in late 89.
The garage in the left of the picture was built in 1930 by two of my uncles brothers for car repair. They ran it for a few years and then moved on to other work. Not sure what they did ( long before my time). It actually had a different address from the gas station.
The gas station was built as a standard oil "house and canopy" originally, till somewhere around 1933, Standard pissed off my uncle and he went with Sinclair.
I am currently restoring it as a Sinclair. The pic in my avitar is the only one I have as a Sinclair. The sign on the front is 18in high by 10ft. I searched for 3 yrs on eBay before I saw one. Opening bid was $2000, so I painted my own.
I had a nice Wolf Head Oil sign on the front of the garage, but some useless prick stole it.
I have the book keeping back to 1928, all through the depression and the war.
This was my uncles second gas station.
During the depression when the locals had no money, they gathered in the garage and had fist fights ( first tough man competitions in Sanilac CO.)
I have some cool stuff that I would like to do some threads on in the future, but at the current time I post from a cheap tablet, and it won't let me post pics.

 

As promised this is the Texaco sign my granddad had made for his station,interestingly enough he went in business the year I was born.

After looking at it this morning I am going to hang it up in my shop because the weather is starting to cause it to peel.

My granddad (High Pocket's) had this hanging over his desk inside. HRP

And the oil drum dispenser. HRP

 

HRP, now that is way cool! I would not have that outside. That definitely belongs inside and protected.

 

Yeah,I see it almost every day and it's been on the porch of the barn for about 15 years but when I took a up close photo today I realized that is starting to deteriorate so I am going to move it inside my garage.

I can't replace it and being 65 years old I need to protect it and keep it from further damage.HRP

 

Can you protect old porcelain signs with car wax or no?

 

I have a few!
And a few I have made!

 

Yes! Somewhat.

 

Can you protect old porcelain signs with car wax or no?

Yes, it won't hurt it at all and will provide some protection.

 

The problem with the sign that my granddad had made in 1950 is that it's wood not porcelain. HRP

 

Get it inside! It is too cool to have it ruined.

 

Mark made this sign and gave it to me when he was visiting in South Carolina. HRP

 

I made a deal with a old grade school friend for this sign,I traded him a bunch of old cigar boxes for it.

It's a double sided flange sign.HRP

 

I just dig the old graphics and colors from the 40's and 50's. HRP that is a great flange sign and you did amazingly well on that trade! This is my office/garage, sure makes it easier to go to work.

 

Man,what a beautiful collection of signs..That bread sign is really different and I've never heard of it. HRP

 

HRP, Unless those old cigar boxes were full of cash you came out on top of that trade!
A little muratic acid will remove the rust stains.

Pumpman, Amazing collection! When I saw the 2 cents less globe I realized you're on the oldgas.com forum.