Gas pump globes are part of an increasingly popular type of collecting known as Petroliana. Perhaps this little collectible niche has popped up as people long for the days of cheap gas and powerful cars. Cars that were built first for style, not fuel efficiency. Many people reading this may not even know what a gas globe is. Heck, a lot of people reading this probably can't remember full service gas stations either. Yes, they really did exist!

Gas pump globes started to disappear after World War II. They were beautiful ball-like signs made of glass that sat on top of gasoline pumps back when it was more common to see gas pumps standing freely and not connected to a huge complex of choose your grade machines as you do today. Shapes of gas globes could vary depending on the preferences of the gas/oil company (think Shell oil for an example). A metal band around the outer edge of the globe held things together. These globes were often lit up at night to draw the attention of approaching motorist.

There are a number of smaller collectible markets that fall into the overall category of Petroliana. Gas pump globes are one of the more popular ones. This may be due to there relatively small size compared to other collectibles in this category such as antique gas pumps (very large) and vintage porcelain signs bearing the names of companies like Esso, Mobil, Sinclair and the like. If you happen to be out visiting estate sales or yard sales, you may also want to keep an eye out for the names Red Crown, Gulf, Chevron, Union 76, Texaco, and Shell. All of those are popular names among collectors looking for gas and oil memorabilia.

If you are one of the many people who are starting to get into the petroliana collecting niche, you might be wondering where exactly to start. This will depend a lot on how committed you are to the theme. There are reproductions available, but there are some hardcore collectors who want no parts of anything except true vintage gas pump globes. As you might expect, you will see a difference in pricing depending on what you decide to use in your gas pump globe collection.

There are specialized swap meets that take place around the world devoted just to the trading and buying of materials related to gas and oil advertising. If you are not fortunate enough to live close to one and you are not interested in making a pilgrimage, your best bet for finding antique gas pumps and globes is probably eBay. You will find that collectors can be quite passionate about their collections whether they are buying or selling. If you see something you like, feel free to ask questions. You will probably learn more about collecting gas pump globes than you ever imagined was possible.

Just as a note, if you have never heard of petroliana before, you might want to get used to it.  With the "greening" of the world, you can expect it to get more popular.  These globes would make an interesting and unusual item to add to your personal gift ideas for men list!

I found the video below on YouTube. It was put together by Fly/in Cruise/in and does an excellent job of showing off a wonderful gas station museum of sorts that was put together by a very talented man who actually restores the antique gas pumps himself.