Fullerton, CA, USA, July 15, 2021 -- A massive single-owner collection of oil and petroliana (gas station collectibles), especially items pertaining to Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), plus other items, will come up for bid in a live online auction scheduled for Sunday, July 25th, by Appraisal & Estate Sale Specialists, Inc., nearly 500 lots in all, beginning promptly at 3 pm Pacific time.
“We are excited to bring this single-family collection to auction, as both husband and wife were passionate collectors,” said Dan Wilson, co-owner of Appraisal & Estate Sale Specialists, Inc., with Suki Hilger. “Albert, or ‘Big Al’ as his friends called him, worked for the Atlantic Richfield Company in California for more than thirty years and collected petroliana, while his wife loved her jewelry and glass. Together, they raised two daughters and traveled all around the country.”
In addition to the oil and petroliana collectibles, the auction will also feature fine jewelry, coins, a few antiques, cut to clear crystal pieces and a nice selection of Westmoreland ‘Argonaut Shell’ candy dishes. The oil and petroliana component includes pins, belt buckles, lighters, ash trays, manuals, signs, oil cans, globes and more. Internet bidding will be via LiveAuctioneers.com.
The auction will hit the ground running, with lots 1 and 2 expected to attract great attention. Lot 1 is a circa 1930 Richfield Oil Corp. porcelain sign with individual letters that spell out the name ‘RICHFIELD’. All the letters are 18 inches tall. All are in very good to excellent condition, with only a couple of the letters showing minimal porcelain loss. The sign should bring $300-$1,200.
Lot 2 is a huge Richfield Oil double-sided sign, meant to hang as advertising at a Richfield Oil service station. The sign, measuring a stout 45 ½ inches by 58 inches, features the right facing eagle mascot logo atop block lettering. It comes equipped with steel threaded carabiners. The final selling price is anyone’s guess; that’s why it carries a pre-sale estimate of $200-$5,000.
One of the cooler items in the sale is a circa 1920 Richfield Oil promotional desk clock with an aviation theme. Designed by Curtiss, the clock is in the shape of an airplane engine, with a propeller on the base. It has much of its original green paint and some of the felt on the bottom. It’s in very good condition, but has not been tested for working condition. Estimate: $250-$500.
An outstanding vintage map coin-op vending machine that’s filled with 54 vintage maps from the 1930s to the 1970s, showing the progression of the company from Richfield to Atlantic Richfield to ARCO, is expected to realize $200-$600. It was made by EB Map Vendor (Model No. 4DR) and is in functioning condition. It comes with the original keys. Estimate: $200-$600.
A few other Richfield and Atlantic Richfield (ARCO) items worthy of mention are as follows:
- An original double-sided Richfield Oil ‘Credit Cards Honored Here’ flange sign, 14 inches by 22 inches, displays well, only minor chips and scratches. Estimate: $200-$400.
- A vintage, hard-to-find Richfield Oil Banks and Leasing porcelain sign, 24 inches by 48 inches, with left facing eagle logo, multiple chips but nice graphics. Estimate: $200-$400.
- A vintage Richfield Oil double-sided porcelain sign instructing drivers to ‘Please Drive to Forward Pumps’, 18 inches by 13 inches, nice original condition. Estimate: $150-$250.
A must-have collectible for Ford Model T fans is a fun set of cans by Boyco, all contained in a vintage wooden crate. The cans were a common accessory for the Model T and were made to carry additional oil, gas and water. It’s unsure if the crate is original, but it’s a good way to keep them all in one place, or for display purposes. The lot has a pre-sale estimate of $100-$500.
Rounding out just a couple more items from the petroliana category are vintage service station ‘Ladies’ and ‘Gents’ toilet signs, each one 2 inches by 7 inches, probably pulled from restroom doors (estimate: $100-$140); and a group of vintage tire-themed advertising ashtrays, all of them for Goodyear and all measuring between 6 inches and 7 inches around (estimate: $100-$160).
A gorgeous Victorian-era, hand-painted Gone with the Wind lamp, with a milk glass globe and a font featuring beautiful cabbage roses in pink and yellow with purple accents, 29 inches tall and converted to electric, should reach $100-$200. Also, a lovely vintage German Imperlux cranberry glass cut to clear vase, 10 inches tall with the original foil label, should hit $120-$180.
A working men’s vintage Seiko Weekdater 26J automatic quartz watch with faceted gold tone square indices and a silver dial, attached to an old leather strap, is expected to fetch $60-$150. The coins category features a group of 16 Walking Liberty silver half dollars, all 1933-1939, in circulated condition (estimate: $100-$150) and four unsorted rolls of Lincoln head wheat pennies that are all believed to be from the 1930s and all are in circulated condition (estimate: $60-$80).
A live preview will be held on Friday, July 23rd from 12:30pm - 6:30pm, no appointment necessary. The gallery is located at: 720 East Walnut Avenue #B in Fullerton, CA 92831.
To learn more about Appraisal & Estate Sale Specialists, Inc., and the Sunday, July 25th online auction, please visit www.estatesalemandan.webs.com.
