This picnic cooler has an enameled steel exterior as well as a galvanized liner. On the interior there would have been a sandwich tray but it’s had to find a cooler today with the original tray. There are two handles on the cooler (one on the lid, one on the sides) that lock together for carrying. There’s also a convenient bottle opener mounted on the side, as well as a cap catcher on the cart. This cooler holds up to 32 bottles, as well as room for storing food above the bottles on the sandwich tray. This design was great, since it would keep the sandwiches above the bottles and ice, so the food could stay cool, but dry. There is also additional space on the rack below for uncooled bottle storage or empties.

Dimensions: 19”L x 13”W x 19”H
Weight: 33 lbs.
Produced: Late 1940s to early 1950s

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

The first meters were installed on pumps between 1905 and 1910. These early meters were soon replaced by clock meters, which became the standard through the 1930s. In 1933 the “computer” meter was invented and within a few years all the major gas companies were using them. Computer gas pumps were made with 3-digit dial readouts for the price of gas per gallon, the number of gallons pumped and the total sale amount. This was because, back then, it was inconceivable that gasoline would ever be more than 99.9 cents a gallon. This also meant that a total sale could never exceed $9.99. (Imagine that today!)

Well, the day did come when gasoline sold for $1.00, and more. The Oil Embargo of 1973 resulted in climbing gas prices. Many gas companies and station owners were taken by surprise. As a result, some pumps can still be found today that have handpainted gas prices on them. Many station owners, in order to create an interim solution, displayed prices on their pumps that were indicated as being 1/2 of the actual price per gallon. When the customer was finished pumping, they paid double the amount on the pump. Following the price increases, new gas pumps were manufactured to accommodate 4-digit gas sales as well as gas prices up to $9.99/9 per gallon.

Computer style gas pumps were made well into the 1980s, but for the most part, have since been replaced by digital gas pumps. First released in 1975, digital pumps were to be the solution everyone hoped would allow for never-ending flexibility with prices.

Unfortunately, not all privately owned gas stations have been able to make the changeover to digital pumps. Many “Mom & Pop” stations, because they can’t afford to replace their computer style pumps, are going to be or have been forced out of business. This occurs when the local price of gas exceeds $3.99 a gallon. Many pump manufacturers did not have the foresight to see that gas may cost $4.00 or more per gallon at some point and the pumps were made without a “4” in the dollar dials. Either the pumps or the dials would need to be replaced in these cases. To make matters worse, many of these same pumps cannot count over $99.99 for the total gas purchase.

The Gilbert & Barker Manufacturing Company was located in Springfield, Massachusetts. They began manufacturing gas pumps around 1902. The company name was changed to Gilbarco in 1965. In 1966 they relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina where they operate today as Gilbarco Veeder-Root, a subsidiary of the Danaher Corporation. They remain one of the leading gas pump manufacturers in the world today.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

The famous Oilzum slogan appears on this restored gas station sign and reads, “If motors could speak we wouldn’t need to advertise”. This design was used from the 1930s to the 1960s.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

This is a gas pump that we restored at Vintage Vending years ago. It is a twin pump model called the Tokheim 350-P. Manufactured from 1956 to 1960, this pump was made by the Tokheim Corporation of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There is a large “face” on each side, allowing gas to be pumped from both sides as well as offering two different brands of gasoline on each side.

Restoration consisted of stripping, repairing and painting with our auto body restoration process. It was clear-coated and detailed with the Sky Chief and Fire-Chief Texaco brands.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

Here are some photos of a great Gulf Oil display we once owned. We really did not do much to it as far as restoration goes besides giving it a good cleaning. This is an unusual piece and I would guess it could have been found in the corporate offices of a refinery or maybe given as an award to certain dealers? If you have any information please blog-in and let us know. We do not own this anymore but had the photos and wanted to share them.

Vintage Cups, Glasses and Mugs

It’s interesting to see the different promotional and corporate products made over the years. Every week we will feature a cool retro cup, glass or mug from our large collection. We’ll share what we’ve learned about them and welcome your additional input and comments.

The manufacturer of this cup and saucer was the Walker China Company of Bedford, Ohio. They were originally incorporated in 1923 by Albert M. Walker and Henry Bailey as Bailey Walker China. The name was changed in 1942 to The Walker China Company. By then they were making durable dishware for restaurants, hotels, clubs and steamships. The mark on the bottom of the cup reads “2-39”. To date Walker China, you add 1922 to the second number. Therefore, the cup dates to 1961 and the saucer, that reads “11-37” dates to 1959.

This cup and saucer were made for the Esso Oil Corporation for use on their oil tankers. Heavy-duty dishes like these would be a necessity in a mess hall, due to their repeated use. Esso began as the first foreign offshoot of the Standard Oil Trust in 1888. The name “Esso” was first used in 1926 and was officially changed to the company name in 1951. By 1972 the name was changed to the Exxon Corporation.

Manufactured by:
The Walker China Company
Bedford, Ohio

The 1955 Wayne 501 Island Display was designed to sit on the filling station island, making products available for purchase right at the pump. This unit was intended to be placed alongside the Wayne 500 series pumps. There wasn’t a pump on this unit; it was designed purely to encourage sales. Beginning in the early 1930’s, oil companies realized the opportunity to make sales right at the pump by making products available to the customer who didn’t usually get out of his car, as filling stations had gas attendants in those days. The 501 not only displayed cans of oil, it also has a glass display case on the top and within that is an electric rotating platform to display other necessary automotive products.

This Wayne 501 Island Display was restored by us at Vintage Vending. This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

To view more pictures of the Wayne 501 restoration, visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.

1950’s Esso Tiger Advertising Statue “Put a Tiger In Your Tank”

These pictures and video are of the Esso Tiger we restored a few years back and that still guards the Retroplanet.com world headquarters. The pictures show the ‘before’, ‘during’ and ‘after’ stages. At Vintage Vending we restored 3 of these over the years. This one is the smaller of the two sizes that were used by Esso, and is different then most Tigers because of the embossed Esso logo on the back leg.

The Tiger is fiberglass so the restoration process entailed stripping the old paint, fiberglass repair work, primer, sanding, a basecoat of paint, airbrushing the details and then clear coat to finish.

Here are a couple of tips if you decide to restore one.
1. If you sandblast—be very careful. Use a media that is not that abrasive; you do not want to break through that outer layer of fiberglass. I believe we used crushed walnut shells.
2. Also, do your best to find one with its tail. Many are missing theirs and they’re not the easiest things to duplicate.

All in all, it is not a hard restoration, especially if you have access to a good airbrush artist. Good luck.

Mobil Oil
“At the Sign of Friendly Service”

In 1870 the oil tycoon, John D. Rockefeller and his partner, Henry Morrison Flagler incorporated the Standard Oil Company. By 1878 Standard Oil had control of $33 million of the total $35 million refining business in the United States and in 1882 Rockefeller reorganized his company into the Standard Oil Trust. This was the first “trust” in business history in the United States. In 1890, the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed, in a reaction to this trust, making it illegal for any company to run a monopoly.

In 1892 the Standard Oil Trust was sued, and as a result the trust was dissolved. It was divided into 34 smaller companies. One of the companies to be broken out was the Standard Oil Company of New York that used a Pegasus for a logo. Another of the resulting “Baby Standard Oils” was the Vacuum Oil Company that sold petrol using the brand name of Mobilgas. The two companies merged, combining the Pegasus, or flying horse symbol, and the Mobilgas name.

In 1955 the company name changed to Socony Mobil Oil, and in 1966 it became the Mobil Oil Corporation. Exxon and Mobil merged in 1999, creating the Exxon Mobil Corporation.

Historical events worth noting:

● In 1903 the Wright brothers used fuel from Jersey Standard and lubricants from Mobiloil in their airplane during their historic flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

● In 1927 Charles Lindbergh used Mobiloil in the “Spirit of St. Louis” during his solo flight across the Atlantic.

● In 1928 Amelia Earhart used Mobiloil in her airplane, “Friendship”, when she made her historic solo flight across the Atlantic.

● In 1958 the first trans-Atlantic flight, made by Pan American Airways from New York to London, used fuel produced by Mobil.

ExxonMobil

5959 Las Colinas Blvd.
Irving, Texas

Do you have any feedback or anything to add to this blog? Please use the form below and share it with us.

Gulf Oil “Stop at the Sign of the Orange Disc”

Gulf Oil was established in 1901 by a group of investors after a discovery of oil at Spindletop, Texas. The largest investor in the company was William Larimer Mellon, who became the head of the corporation and continued in that position for 45 years. In 1907 several oil companies combined to form the Gulf Oil Corporation.

Gulf Oil opened up the first ever drive-in service station in 1911. In addition to offering complimentary road maps, Gulf was a pioneer in the early days of product branding by selling gasoline from gas pumps with their logo on them. It not only helped to create a brand identity, it also assured the customer that the gas they were purchasing was a quality product. This was at a time when many businesses were offering gasoline of an inconsistent quality, or that was possibly even contaminated.

In 1917, the Gulf Oil tanker fleet went into military service during WWI. In 1928 Gulfpride Oil was first introduced. Gulf Oil had become a major US corporation by the early 1930’s. In 1934, with British Petroleum (BP) as an equal partner, Gulf formed the Kuwait Oil Company.

Gulf Oil continued to grow and expand into new ventures. In addition to oil refineries and exploration, Gulf Oil produced plastics, and agricultural, industrial and household chemicals. In the 1960’s the Gulf logo was redesigned to make it easier to identify. Around 1970 Gulf Oil reached the peak of its success. But a downturn occurred in 1974 when the Kuwait National Assembly acquired 60% of the Kuwait Oil Company, with Gulf Oil and BP sharing the remaining 40%. By 1974 Kuwait had total ownership.

Gulf Oil merged with the Standard Oil Company in 1984 to protect itself from a buyout. The newly formed company became known as Chevron. This was the largest corporate merger to have occurred up until that time. In 1985 Chevron sold Gulf’s gas stations, a refinery and some of their international operations to BP and Cumberland Farms of Canton, Massachusetts. Both still use the Gulf name on their gas stations, as do some independently owned stations. The Gulf Oil Limited Partnership in Massachusetts bought the rights to use of the Gulf brand from Chevron, although Chevron still owns the Gulf brand.

Gulf Oil Company Limited Partnership
275 Washington Street
Newton, Massachusetts
At Retroplanet.com we offer reproduction Gulfpride motor oil cans and a vintage-style steel Gulf sign. We also have loads of other automotive signs and other products to add to your garage, home or office.

Please share your feedback with us by blogging-in.

Cities Service “For People Going Places!”

Cities Service Company was started by an oilman, Henry Latham Dougherty, in 1910 to supply gas and electricity to small public utilities. The next three years saw enormous growth, including the purchasing of the Quapaw Gas Company, much of the Barnsdall Properties, and in addition, the Empire Gas Company. In 1914 the Empire subsidiary discovered oil in Kansas. By 1915 Cities Service Company possessed 98 subsidiaries and had its headquarters on Wall Street.

In 1916 Cities Service bought their first oil refineries in Oklahoma and Texas. By 1918, or the final year of the First World War, Cities Service was the supplier for half of the oil used by the US and its Allies. In 1928 a Cities Service subsidiary discovered oil in the Oklahoma City field which, at the time, was one of the largest oil fields in the world.

In the 1960’s, the Cities Service Company realized the need to modernize its corporate identity. The name CITGO was introduced in 1965, using the word “GO” to promote the company as one with “power, energy and progressiveness.” With the name change came the introduction of the famous red triangle, known as the “trimark” logo. In 1982, Cities Service was sold to Occidental Petroleum. The following spring, CITGO was incorporated, and in August of the same year, was sold to Southland’s 7-Eleven. In 1986, Petróleos de Venezuela bought 50% interest in CITGO, and in 1990, Venezuela’s national oil company bought the remaining half, for total ownership of the CITGO name.

CITGO Petroleum Corporation

1293 Eldridge Parkway
Houston, Texas

Do you have a story to share about Cities Service, or Citgo? Please blog-in and let us know.

Shell Oil “Clamshell” Sign Restoration: Before and After

There are a lot of collectors who think that signs should never be restored or touched up in any way. Personally, I have never had a problem with it depending on the sign, where it would be used and how bad the condition was. You should be careful, however. In some cases, touching up a very valuable and rare sign may actually lessen the value of it. A lot of collectors will not even consider buying a sign that has had work done on it. But when I came across this 1941 ArtKraft Shell “Clamshell” sign I knew it was a great candidate to be made new again. This piece had once been a component of a Shell filling station sign. It was originally double-sided and placed on a pole. There were neon lights around the edges. And now that it was going to be the first thing you saw when you entered my office, I wanted it to be perfect.

As you can see from the “before” pictures, it had some chipping issues and had faded over the years. To correct it, the sign was lightly bead-blasted to rough up the porcelain finish and eliminate any rust. The missing porcelain was then repaired with body filler. The sign was hand-sanded, primed, hand-sanded again to get ready for paint. At this point the sign was painted with the base coat of yellow. Next came the tedious part of masking and taping off the red portion of the sign, which took many hours. The red was painted and the mask was peeled away. The sign was wet-sanded and then clear-coated and, most likely, wet sanded again.

I think it was well worth the effort. The sign is beautiful, a work of art and a wonderful piece of Americana.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

Production Notes:
This sign was painted with PPG paints. Not sure if the colors are 100% accurate to the original sign, but we liked them, so we used them.
Yellow DCC 83409
Red DCC 72356