Guest windjamer Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I cleaned a junk drawer in the shop and found a pack of turtles,no not real ones,ARCO ARK turtles. Working at an ARCO service station in 1967 we gave away everything from red balls to good china dinner ware. If I remember I think you had to buy the Arc. but you got a pack of animals with every gas purchess. (Anybody need a pack of turtles:eek:) I said service station because that is what we where. Do you remember them?? We gave red ball service witch ment we cleaned the window and checked the oil (Weather permiting) or your gas was free. I didnt give away vary much gas. So how about it,what pro-mos do you remember?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim_Edwards Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I cleaned a junk drawer in the shop and found a pack of turtles,no not real ones,ARCO ARK turtles. Working at an ARCO service station in 1967 we gave away everything from red balls to good china dinner ware. If I remember I think you had to buy the Arc. but you got a pack of animals with every gas purchess. (Anybody need a pack of turtles:eek:) I said service station because that is what we where. Do you remember them?? We gave red ball service witch ment we cleaned the window and checked the oil (Weather permiting) or your gas was free. I didnt give away vary much gas. So how about it,what pro-mos do you remember??Yes I well remember "FULL Service Gas Stations." Giveaways were the thing from the late 1950's well into the 1960's as the competition from no service fill it yourself pumps started cropping up at convenience stores. Some of those giveaways were pretty nice as I recall. For example Mobil gave away pretty nice sets of Ice Tea glasses for the various football conferences. Each glass depicted the University's Mascot and a school pennant. One glass per fill up. And of course road maps were free for the asking. Ah, the good old days. Free glasses and free manually operated GPS.By the way, some of those gas station giveaways of the '60s can bring a petty penny on ebay today, as do some of the grocery store giveaways of the time.Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 i always like to see the union 76 orange styrafoam antenna balls on cars antennas. i seem to remember some service stations gave out S&H green stamps when you bought gas. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest windjamer Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Charles,you made me go look. I have a 4 piece set of Hess glasses depicting the old Hess trucks I forgot all about,and your right some of that stuff is worth a buck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkyardjeff Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I found a couple of the Union 76 antenna balls in the glovebox of a truck I bought and have one on my 55 Ford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Plush stuffed tiger tails from the Esso/Exxon stations. "Put a tiger in your tank". I now see knock-off versions of them from time to time.My favorite give away was the chocolate Moon Pie that a local gas station owner gave to me whenever I got to go along with my dad to the service station right down the hill from where we lived. It wasn't an official give away. But I sure loved that he always was nice to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 When my brother had his Atlantic station, I remember giving out S&H Green stamps, a six pack of glass bottled Coke with a fill up (probably $5.00 or more), some Atlantic Ice Scrapers...........ahh, the good old days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msmazcol Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Now all I get at the gas station is crummy fuel and chest pains when I see the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 They had Arco stations in '67? Here in SoCal I'm pretty sure they were still Richfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I question that Arco in 67 too. The Philadelphia-based Atlantic bought Richfield in the 70s,I believe, to make Atlantic Richfield Co. . I remember the glasses with the tiny magnifying glasses on the inside and rulers with local high school football schedules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durant frank Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 How about the aluminum old car coins given out by Sunoco in the late 60's ? I still have a couple sets of those.Also the orange plastic horse shoes that Gulf stations gave out. Popular with Mustang owners.Sinclair stations had green dinosaur give aways. I think they where soap.Thanks for the memories!!!Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkyardjeff Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I should have a set of those old car coins and I think they done a set of presidents too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 What's amazing is that back then, when fuels were way cheaper, station owners were able to do these giveaway programs and still make money. And you cannot buy the kind of goodwill these programs paid back.Or do they still teach the concept of goodwill in business schools? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I remember getting glasses, soap, towels, and a lot of other things in the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 A few that stand out, A tiger Bank from Esso that I still had kicking around here somewhere. And my favorite, a card board punch out of the Lunar Module that Gulf gave away in 69 for the space program which I no longer have. Also, I have a 4 inch styrofoam football somewhere with Esso on it. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 DD,You reminded me that I think I still have the lunar module and card board punch out. I will try to dig it out and post a pix if I can find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Hey, The GULF LEM you can print. Dandy Dave! http://jleslie48.com/gallery_models_real.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest windjamer Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 John,Dave,I dont know when you changed from Richfield to Arco, but I ans,the phone Plaza Arco in 67. It was a brand new station in 64 and I started work there part time when I got back to the states in 67. I would have to read the co. lit.,but I think the boss got tired of paying rent about 72 and we built the service busness where we are now. Wow, thats almost 50 years of service,My doughter owns the busness now. Time flys when your having fun.Susan Ill bet the station where you got the moon pie was the best in town, its called service and costomer care,something missing today.:(Back to the post,we also gave out as someone else said S&H green stamps. What a pita that was,esp. in the rain.Oh and how about the cardboard U/Haul trls. Remember Harry the he-haul:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul Christ Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Hey, Lookie!Offered on Ebay is a case of 500 vintage Union 76 antenna balls! Just think, you could fill the bath tub with these, dive in, and...well...you know...Case(500ct) of New Vintage Union Oil 76 Antenna Balls - eBay (item 110650963394 end time Feb-25-11 13:58:38 PST) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 hi, i can remember living in ventura,calif. in the sixties, and on east main street was an atlantic-richfield gas station, with the cool looking winged sign, i was old enough to get to pump the gas in either mom's 59 black coupe de ville, or later the 65 blue wildcat 2dr hardtop. dang, i loved growing up in ventura from 58 to 71. used to clip playing cards so they'd bump the spokes on my stingray bicycle. sure wish i could find H.G.Wells time machine, i want to back there again. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 John,Dave,I dont know when you changed from Richfield to Arco, but I ans,the phone Plaza Arco in 67. It was a brand new station in 64 and I started work there part time when I got back to the states in 67. I looked it up and I find Atlantic and Richfield merged in 1966. They added Sinclair in 1969 (Which I didn't know) and the whole shebang became BP in 2000. Looks like you win the cigar,Dick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Funny thing about BP/Sinclair Dave. I found a Sinclair station when I moved my daughter to Oklahoma City a few years ago. Stopped by on the way back home and got a credit card application. The daughter uses it to keep the Utah credit card active. Love the dinosaur! Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Here's the Esso Foot Ball. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim5618 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 My grandfather had a roadside store and ESSO station in Otis Mass. I remember sitting on those bouncy metal chairs and watching the cars pull in. Visits to Grandpa's were cool for us because we always got to pick a matchbox car out of the display. Remember when they looked like ordinary cars, not hotrods, and came in a cardboard box? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest windjamer Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Dave there are no winners or loosers in this hobby,but when you get old and forgetful like me you take all the wins you can get so Ill take that cigar. Hey I have a full qt of Arco graphite 10w30 Anyone have a guess as to value? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Foggy norm Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Worked at a michigan Standard station in 60's. Gave away a cutlery set,with wood wall case, later-on gave away flatware. Around that time Shell was giving out presidential coins (alum), sort of game as Mceedee's monopoly, I got the right coin and won a full set of coins in BRASS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WKnighter Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I don't think this would get you a gift, however when you filled up at a Gulf station you were supposed to tell them Riley sent you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Foggy norm Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 This isn't about the rewards. One of the things the public never saw, back in the day when gas was .24 gal, were the wars. Gulf was across the road from the Standard. My boss would grumble like 7734,when the gulf would lower a penny. It was funny, then all the pumps were changed manually, He would cuss at every pump, even when cars were sitting there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Oldengineer Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I've still got some of the Apollo Moon mission glasses that a Pure Oil station gave me in the 60's.Regards:Oldengineer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Double M Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I still use the Steak Knives given out by Shell Stations in the 60's, I even have some that have never been used... yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I also remember when my brother owned his Atlantic station in 1963, there was a time if you didn't ask the customer how his water & oil were, the gas was free. Imagine that today!! LOL!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 (edited) Yeah,even one gallon free. New Jersey and Oregon are the only states where you could have such a contest as we still have pump jockeys. Edited February 26, 2011 by Dave Mellor NJ (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Foggy norm Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 OLDENGINEER...Read your post to fast and thought you said apollo moon pies...whew! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prs519 Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 I can't but recall AMOCO's little lottery scratch tickets of pro football players. Seldom recall the winning icons, but if I chance to see their names, I still recall. Herb Adderly was a winner and I think Butkus was a $250 jackpot. Not sure if Amoco was playing a good-will game, or appealing to a doubtful side of human nature. I think my family won a tank of gas or something. I remember my siblings stopping often, as it seems there was no obligation to buy! This was in the mid 60s as I recall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john2dameron Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 My friend ran a Union 76 station and I remember having an orange 76 ball on th antenna of my '68 Chrysler 300 convertible. He also gave out S&H green stamps. Just last summer I found several filled books of the things that I did not redeem for some reason. I guess they got misplaced in the shuffle of getting married and moving twice in two years. A local bank gave items of silverware each time you deposited $25.00 in your savings account. I quickly amassed a nice set of stainless tableware and we still use it 40 years later. When you came into Covington, VA there were 4 service stations at the first intersection. On the left was an Esso, Shell on the right and after going through the light Amoco on the left and Gulf on the right. One evening a large swarm of bees swarmed in Covington and they all landed at the Amoco station except one bee. Seems he was an Esso Bee. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I remember getting glasses, soap, towels, and a lot of other things in the day.Larry,Do you remember the Express 100 stations? My wife's uncle Mel had 9 of them. He gave away really nice china as his gimmick. My in-laws had service for 20.:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Atlantic stations advertised "Red Ball Service" and they gave out red balls, like the Union 76, to be put on your aerial so you could easily find your car in a crowded parking lot. I remember a cartoon where everybody had them an you still couldn't find your car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stock_steve Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I remember when we used to go to Cape Cod on family vacations back in the '60s/'70s, my dad used to stop often for gas at "Tri-S" stations I think, somewhere in RI and/or MA, on our way, and over the years collected a ton of these oddball blue drinking glasses of various sizes with, an unusual molded-in dimpling pattern, from what I recall. Unfortunately I have no idea what happened to all those glasses--perhaps I'll run across 'em in the course of cleaning out my parents' house (now that they are in assisted living)...Does anyone remember Tri-S stations? From some quick googling, it appears at least one person does, from Wareham, MA (that sounds about right): Anyone Remember...? | Facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kingoftheroad Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 My house is full of stuff like that. Around here somewhere I still have more then a dozen glass for filling up at Mobil, a little red / silver Sinclair AM transistor radio, etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Atlantic stations advertised "Red Ball Service" and they gave out red balls, like the Union 76, to be put on your aerial so you could easily find your car in a crowded parking lot. I remember a cartoon where everybody had them an you still couldn't find your car.Heh. Mama got one of those Union 76 antenna balls and said "the car will be easy to find in a parking lot now".We came out of K-Mart one Saturday morning and there was a parking lot full of those orange antenna balls! She tossed the ball in the trash when we got home and told my dad not to bring any more of them home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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