The auction will be held on the second day of this year’s Check the Oil, Gas & Oil Show in Ohio.
(DUBLIN, Oh.) – More than 450 lots of highly collectible examples of petroliana (gas station) and automobilia (cars) will be offered at a Check the Oil auction planned for Saturday, June 22, by Matthews Auctions, LLC, based in Nokomis, Ill. The event will be held on the second day of the annual Check the Oil, Gas & Oil Show, a huge draw for fans of petroliana.
The auction will kick off promptly at 11 a.m. (EST) at the Embassy Suites Hotel, located at 5100 Upper Metro Place in Dublin, which is just outside Columbus. The Check the Oil Show is also being held at Embassy Suites. “We’ll be selling the first part of a great Mobil collection at this year’s auction, plus other great consignments,” said Dan Matthews of Matthews Auctions.
Mobil items will feature a Mobilgas Marine single-sided porcelain shield-shaped sign with Pegasus the winged horse graphic, dated 1947 and measuring 12 inches by 12 inches, rated 9 out of 10 for condition with just some tiny flea bites around the perimeter (these have been touched up). Despite the cosmetic repair, the sign is in good shape and should attract attention.
Also offered will be an original Mobiloil single-sided porcelain sign (“Recommended for All Motor Cycle Engines”), with upper case gargoyle “D.” The sign, rated 9, is 9 inches by 11 inches and is in overall good condition, with just a little crazing in the bottom right hand corner. “This sign is the real deal and would be a great addition to anyone’s collection,” Matthews said.
Speaking of Pegasus, a sign sure to draw bidder interest is a Pegasus Motor Spirit double-sided porcelain flange sign with the rare white Pegasus graphic on one side and a gargoyle on the other. The sign is from South America, where the Pegasus image began. The display has a small chip in the field and a chip in the corner and the flange has been straightened. The sign is rated 8.
A pair of Texas Rose 13.5-inch lenses will also be offered. One, with the “Regular” logo, is housed in a new Capco globe body and is rated 9+. Everything about the lens is in good condition. The other has the “Ethyl” logo and comes in the original Capco body. It is rated 9.5 and 8. The display lens is in good shape. The only flaw is some minor paint flaking at one notch.
Standard Oil of Indiana will be well represented in the sale, with a double-sided porcelain sign, 35 inches by 37 inches with flame logo, rated 9+, the first one ever offered by Matthews Auctions; a piece of decorating ceramic (or concrete) with a glazed face, that came out of the front of a building, framed, 29 inches by 32 inches by 12 inches, rated 8; and a double-sided die cut sign (“Clean Rest Room Award”), 51 inches by 15 inches, rated 9, with great gloss and color.
A McConnell-Frontenac Product (Red Indiana) double-sided porcelain sign with logo, rated 9.5, 36 inches in diameter, with sharp gloss and color and a clean field, is marked “Vilas Enameled Products.” Also sold will be a Shell Motor Oil double-sided porcelain sign in a strap base, measuring 24 inches by 24 inches, rated 9 on both sides and in overall excellent condition.
Petroliana signs with an aircraft theme will include a Socony Oils single-sided porcelain sign, 20 inches by 30 inches, rated 8.9 with wonderful gloss and color and some light wear and small chips; and a Sinclair Aircraft double-sided porcelain sign with single-engine airplane graphics, 48 inches in diameter, rated 8 (would be higher save for a hole drilled in the center).
Switching from air to sea, a Harbor Petroleum Products double-sided porcelain die cut sign with seaplane graphics, 39 inches by 35 inches, rated 7 and 6.5, is unique in that it’s the first time Matthews Auctions has ever offered a double-sided Harbor Petroleum Products sign. Both sides have good gloss and color, but both also have chips and wear in the field (mostly reverse).
Additional expected top lots will include a Gilmore Lion Head Motor Oil (“Look, the Most Highly Filtered Motor Oil in America”) single-sided tin sign, 20 inches by 14 inches, rated just 7 but quite rare in any condition; and a pair of Reliable Petroleum Regular 13.5-inch lenses housed in a Capco globe body, rated near-mint at 9.5, with both lenses in excellent condition.
Internet bidding for the auction will be provided by Proxibid.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. The Embassy Suites Hotel is located on the northwest corner of the metro Columbus (Ohio) area. Take I-270 to the State Route 161 exit, go east to the first stop light and turn right, then take the next right. The Embassy Suites’ phone number is (614) 790-9000.
Dan Matthews has written a book about petroliana, titled The Fine Art of Collecting and Displaying Petroliana. For information on how to order a copy, log on to the Matthews Auctions website, at www.matthewsauctions.com. Or, you can order one by calling 1-877-968-8880. Matthews Auctions, LLC is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign a single item or a collection, you may call them at (217) 563-8880; or, you can send them an e-mail at [email protected]. For more information about Matthews Auctions and the Check the Oil auction on June 22nd, log on to www.matthewsauctions.com.