TerryB Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 Here's a collection of Esso items from the mid-1960s. The lucky Tiger money was 1966 where the top prize was a new Mustang, Tigerino scratch off had a top prize of $1000 in 1966 and the Marlin give away was 1965. I worked a a cities service station that gave away a black and white 15" portable tv each month in 1968. Boy those were the days, gas was $.299 for regular and $.339 for high test. Now you might get a hot dog and drink as a prize at the local fill up spot. Terry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 10 minutes ago, TerryB said: ...Boy those were the days, gas was $.299 for regular and $.339 for high test.... Thanks for sharing, Terry. Maybe people have more interesting items to show. In terms of purchasing power, 29.9 cents in 1965 is the same as $2.33 today, so actually, in many locations, gas is actually CHEAPER today than it was in 1965. In many places, gas is in the low $2.00 range per gallon now. (Thanks to oil deposits being found all over the country and beyond.) But back then, you may have gotten a trinket--and full service and a smile too. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victorialynn2 Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 (edited) 12 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said: In terms of purchasing power, 29.9 cents in 1965 is the same as $2.33 today, so actually, in many locations, gas is actually CHEAPER today than it was in 1965. In many places, gas is in the low $2.00 range per gallon now. I keep finding trading stamps in my dad's garage. Seems they are worthless now. John, gas is 2.15 today in this part of Tx and routinely has dipped below 2.00 in the 3 years I have been coming here. Always much cheaper than OR or anywhere in between on the drive home! Edited April 14, 2017 by victorialynn2 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 I've never heard of Reading Stamps. Were they a regional type of trading stamps, akin to S & H Green Stamps? Don't discard them: They probably have some modest collectible value at a garage sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victorialynn2 Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 1 minute ago, John_S_in_Penna said: I've never heard of Reading Stamps. Were they a regional type of trading stamps, akin to S & H Green Stamps? Don't discard them: They probably have some modest collectible value at a garage sale. That was a typo. Lol. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dobbin Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 While in the air Force in 1965, I had a 1959 Studebaker Lark VIII two door hardtop with a brand new ESSO "Tiger in my Tank" tigers tail giveaway hanging from the gas take filler neck. The new Ford Mustang was no match for the Studebaker V8 with the tiger in the tank. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&J Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 13 minutes ago, Paul Dobbin said: While in the air Force in 1965, I had a 1959 Studebaker Lark VIII two door hardtop with a brand new ESSO "Tiger in my Tank" tigers tail giveaway hanging from the gas take filler neck. The new Ford Mustang was no match for the Studebaker V8 with the tiger in the tank. There is a 66-67 GTO that passes by my home with the tiger tail hanging from the gas filler area, which is behind the license plate. Every time I see it, I wonder if any other people actually know what that tiger tail is, or why on earth it is there, or do they know that is where the gas filler is. I bet NOT. I used to have one Shell "steak knife" in the tool box. It had the cheap imitation brown wood handle that was plastic. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 7 minutes ago, F&J said: I used to have one Shell "steak knife" in the tool box. It had the cheap imitation brown wood handle that was plastic. . When my Father passed away five years ago I must have found a dozen or so of those knives. Remember the NFL team logo tumblers? I think Shell was pushing those Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&J Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 11 minutes ago, John348 said: Remember the NFL team logo tumblers? No I don't... A couple I recall: The fluorescent pink/orange styrofoam antenna ball The nightly held horse racing tickets; you got a ticket, then each night after the news, they showed a real horse track race...win.place.show? I forgot all of the details. If you won I don't recall what the prize was Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted April 14, 2017 Author Share Posted April 14, 2017 9 minutes ago, F&J said: The fluorescent pink/orange styrofoam antenna ball That was the Atlantic Red Ball service antenna ball, I remember it well! I have the Esso tiger tail too, just can't seem to find it right now. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFitz Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 (edited) 40 minutes ago, F&J said: There is a 66-67 GTO that passes by my home with the tiger tail hanging from the gas filler area, which is behind the license plate. Every time I see it, I wonder if any other people actually know what that tiger tail is, or why on earth it is there, or do they know that is where the gas filler is. I bet NOT. I used to have one Shell "steak knife" in the tool box. It had the cheap imitation brown wood handle that was plastic. . I still have one of those Esso "Put a tiger in your tank" tails. The elastic attaching loop is stretched out to the limit from having spent awhile wrapped around the gas tank filler neck of my 62 Chevy, back in the late 60'. I learned the hard way that spilled gasoline doesn't help elastic stay elastic. Everytime it became slack, I had wrap more turns around the filler neck to keep it on. Also have two small kerosene "hurricane lamps" that my folks got with books of gas station trading stamps like Victorialynn mentioned. If I remember correctly, they were given out by a Sunoco station near my folk's house. Edited April 14, 2017 by PFitz (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&J Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 11 minutes ago, PFitz said: I still have one of those Esso "Put a tiger in your tank" tails. Geebus what a coincidence... That GTO I mentioned above, just went past my home right this moment....that's the first time this season I have seen it. The tail is still there...stretched out straight at 50 mph.. he.he.. ok, enough of that, ...I really need to get something done today.. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch1929 Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 My parents for many years used plates, bowls, cups and saucers they got from the local Shell station. My sister has some of them still in boxes, never opened. When I had a service station, S&S Green Stamps were the thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 (edited) I've posted photos before of a few Items I have kicking around. One off of the top of my head is a little Esso foot ball made of Styrofoam. Also some of the aluminum Sunoco coins with the early cars on them. My most found memory was a cardboard pop out of the lunar module that was available at Gulf Stations. Edited April 14, 2017 by Dandy Dave (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 What are our kids going to do with all this stuff that we have collected over the years. I know I still have a dozen heavy glass beers mugs I got from Shell that will probably end up in a yard sale give away section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victorialynn2 Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 (edited) 3 hours ago, Joe in Canada said: What are our kids going to do with all this stuff that we have collected over the years. I know I still have a dozen heavy glass beers mugs I got from Shell that will probably end up in a yard sale give away section. Depending on how much stuff you leave they may even wind up in the dump. I have way too much stuff like that to even justify the time to put a yard sale together. Of course I'm in the boonies and 2200 miles from home, so those are considerations. Edited April 14, 2017 by victorialynn2 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 We still use water glasses we collected back in the 70s from a local gas station. We had boxes of them and as we broke a few we would dig out replacements. The dozen or so in the cabinet now is the last of them. Really like them, guess I should start checking out the flea markets. In the 69-71 time frame I worked with a fellow that commuted around 140 miles round trip every day in a Firebird. He collected so many sets of plates, glasses, and flat ware he said he could invite the whole group for supper and have place setting left over. He finally found a house about 3 blocks from work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel88 Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 (edited) I worked part time at small Sinclair station during my high school years in 1961 and 1962 and enjoyed it very much. Our give-away was Top Value stamps which were yellow in color. The customers were very careful to make sure that I remembered to give them their stamps! It wasn't a give-away but Sinclair offered blow up Dino the dinosaur that was popular with kids. Edited April 14, 2017 by michel88 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 I found a couple of those tigerino tickets unscratched in some stuff from a local Ford salesman. I also have some of the paperwork and giveaway pins as well as some early 60's Mercury giveaway stuff. I'll try to get some photos posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Henderson Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Hey, what's with this requiring me to "sign in" to post a response? It's new to me, and bothersome. Anyone else encountering this troublesome obstacle? Anyway, what I started to mention is my earliest recollection of getting a giveaway. It was the '30's and I would have been about 8 or 9. A Gulf station owned by a family friend is where dad usually filled up and what we got afterwards was a small funny comic strip as the giveaway. I'm trying to remember what the strip was, will have to look at a list of the old ones to see if I can find it on a multiple choice basis. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victorialynn2 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 12 minutes ago, Dave Henderson said: Hey, what's with this requiring me to "sign in" to post a response? It's new to me, and bothersome. Anyone else encountering this troublesome obstacle? Dave, others are complaining about that. Try a different browser and/or delete the cookies/cache in the one you are using. If that doesn't work, try restarting the computer and modem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 35 minutes ago, Dave Henderson said: Hey, what's with this requiring me to "sign in" to post a response? It's new to me, and bothersome. Anyone else encountering this troublesome obstacle? I have been having the same problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rb1949 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Joe, my heirs will be using a dumpster. This pack rat crap is slowly disappearing, trips to Goodwill. Fun to see and reminisce topics like this, but no longer interested in owning any of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 I still have some of those Sunoco car coins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) On 4/14/2017 at 10:41 AM, TerryB said: That was the Atlantic Red Ball service antenna ball, I remember it well! ... Can anyone tell more about the red ball on the antenna? Did it give you a discount the next time you went to their station? Or what was the benefit of putting it on your car? Looking at an old thread, I found reference to orange balls on antennas from Union 76 stations, too. Edited April 15, 2017 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Here is a link I found which pictures some of the items we have been discussing: http://mentalfloss.com/article/55507/11-gas-station-premiums-yesteryear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durant Mike Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Another gas company, not sure of the name, gave out two horseshoe's that you peeled and stuck on your car. The gas advertisement was that their gas "gave you a kick". Not sure what company that was. My Mom and Dad always liked the greenstamps, and mom would redeem them at the green stamp center for merchandise. There was also plaid stamps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 Gulf had the horse shoes, its gas gave your car an extra "kick". Some of my first cars needed more than a kick! Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Henderson Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 19 hours ago, Dave Henderson said: Hey, what's with this requiring me to "sign in" to post a response? It's new to me, and bothersome. Anyone else encountering this troublesome obstacle? Anyway, what I started to mention is my earliest recollection of getting a giveaway. It was the '30's and I would have been about 8 or 9. A Gulf station owned by a family friend is where dad usually filled up and what we got afterwards was a small funny comic strip as the giveaway. I'm trying to remember what the strip was, will have to look at a list of the old ones to see if I can find it on a multiple choice basis. Hey, I remember what that comic strip giveaway was.... "Gasoline Alley", what else? I haven't seen the strip in many years but Wikipedia says it is still going, being drawn by its third artist. It is credited as being the second oldest strip, having begun in 1918. Victorialynn, thanks for the suggestion, I got on ok this time, didn't have a problem. Hope it's been cleared up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vila Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 I also remember the Gulf "No-Nox puts Extra Kick in Horsepower" horseshoes. My father was a tanker truck driver and later salesman for Gulf Oil and took a box truck full of cases and cases of them around to the central Pennsylvania Gulf dealers when they came out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezestaak2000 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 5 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said: Can anyone tell more about the red ball on the antenna? Did it give you a discount the next time you went to their station? Or what was the benefit of putting it on your car? Looking at an old thread, I found reference to orange balls on antennas from Union 76 stations, too. the red ball on the antenna was from atlantic stations i believe. s&h stamps were also from acme markets, but not brand specific grom gas stations. the gold stamps were from the a&p markets, as well as some service stations.. this was how it was in southeast part of pennsylvania and northern delaware according to my somewhat suspect memory. also, the esso/exon tiger tail was re-issued in the mid 80's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipdang Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 My neighbor across the street when I was growing up had one of those Union 76 balls on her antenna. She said it helped her find her car in a parking lot! Another great memory... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 What was the whole point, though, of putting them on the antenna? Did you get extra service or some other perks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipdang Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 1 minute ago, John_S_in_Penna said: What was the whole point, though, of putting them on the antenna? Did you get extra service or some other perks? Free advertising. They do catch the eye floating above a car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Theses glasses were a nice giveaway years ago and we still have some. From Pioneer Gas company that became Pioneer Energy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Oy and dragging a photo wipes out my text... Pontiac went to hidden antennas in 1969 so I just have a black one. OTOH no GTO is complete without a tail (thanks for reminding me & anyone remember the commercial where they opened the hood and a tiger came out ?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 3 hours ago, padgett said: ...no GTO is complete without a tail (thanks for reminding me & anyone remember the commercial where they opened the hood and a tiger came out ?) This might be the GTO ad you remembered. I found it on an internet search: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john2dameron Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 On 4/15/2017 at 0:09 PM, John_S_in_Penna said: Can anyone tell more about the red ball on the antenna? Did it give you a discount the next time you went to their station? Or what was the benefit of putting it on your car? Looking at an old thread, I found reference to orange balls on antennas from Union 76 stations, too. I had an Union 76 orange ball on the antenna of my '68 Chrysler 300 conv. that I ordered new. It would help me spot it sitting on a parking lot. Before I got married (1971) the bank would give flatware with savings deposits. I was putting every dollar I could into savings to buy a house and got quite a set of flatware. We still use it daily. I got S & H stamps with gas and acquired a nice shotgun that I still have. One of the past-times at work used to consist of taking a strip of cloth, hooking it on a paper clip and hooking the paper clip on someone's belt loop. One day an older supervisor from another department came thru and someone put black ink stripes on a yellow rag and hung it on his pants. He stopped in a hardware store on the way home and the clerk said to him, "I see you've got a tiger in your tank today." About 1988 I was at a car show at White Post VA and a guy opened the trunk of his '51 Lincoln and said to me, "I've got something for you." There were two or three huge boxes of drinking glasses with Redskin logos on them. He told me to get a couple and then told me to get a whole set. I thanked him for his generosity and walked on. I told a Redskin fan at work about tjhem and he got insulted because I did not bring them to him. I told him I wasn't hauling any Redskin stuff in my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spencer yarrow Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Here a few we got in AUS. The first one mostly ESSO The second, third & fourth are blotters [some younger members may not know what a blotter is used for] The last one are booklets. I have some extras of some of the blotters, if anyone is interested let me know and I will look through them and post them here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pomeroy41144 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 On 4/13/2017 at 7:46 PM, John_S_in_Penna said: Thanks for sharing, Terry. Maybe people have more interesting items to show. In terms of purchasing power, 29.9 cents in 1965 is the same as $2.33 today, so actually, in many locations, gas is actually CHEAPER today than it was in 1965. In many places, gas is in the low $2.00 range per gallon now. (Thanks to oil deposits being found all over the country and beyond.) But back then, you may have gotten a trinket--and full service and a smile too. Yep, adjusted for inflation, this is some of the cheapest gas ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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