Guest shadetree77 Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 (edited) Made another cool EBAY purchase and thought I'd share. It's a Buick dash thermometer. I bought a thermometer just like this on EBAY a few years back. It is made exactly the same except there is nothing written on the base and the back of the thermometer advertises an insurance company in Detroit complete with a 5 digit phone number. The Buick thermometer has nothing on the back which I think is strange. You'd think it would have advertised a specific dealer. It has the word "BUICK" printed on the bottom of the thermometer strip. On the base there are molded letters which read, It's Hot-"Better buy Buick!". I wonder if they put this out to advertise the first year for air conditioning, which would be 1953 I think? Anyone know anything about it or seen one before?NOTE: The first two pictures show the non-Buick one I bought a few years back. The last four pictures show the Buick branded one. Edited November 20, 2014 by shadetree77 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Buick Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 '53 was the first year for AC on a Buick. I have only seen one - at a swap meet in Turlock, central California, and the owner was nowhere to be seen.The piece looks to be older than that, just my guess.Very nice piece!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Good score, Robert. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 (edited) Good score Robert, I have not been able to catch one of these on eBay yet...yet. "Somebody" always outbids me. Governing from it's art decoish look, it is definitely earlier than the mid fifties and I'd say probably from the late 30's/early 40's. Me thinks 1938, with the introduction of the Y-Job concept car was the first year for the slogan. Me thinks too that the "It's HOT" refers to Buick itself, given the 36-37 Century's were the Hottest cars on the market. . Edited November 20, 2014 by MrEarl (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 more... I never thought of it being an actual dash thermometer, but rather an office desk piece and possibly a dealership gibaway. Is the bottom a magnet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thriller Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I was just thinking the same thing Lamar. While this is relatively small, thinking of the dash of my '41, I'm not sure there would be enough space for it to stand safely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shadetree77 Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 ....I have not been able to catch one of these on eBay yet...yet. "Somebody" always outbids me. Governing from it's art decoish look, it is definitely earlier than the mid fifties...Gee, I have no idea who that might be. I really don't know how I ended up with this one. I sent in a bid at 15 seconds and got outbid. I swear the counter was on 0 when I sent in the next one and the screen hesitated for an eternity then came up and said I won. Guess lady luck was on my side that day.Good points about it looking like an earlier piece. It may very well be. I googled the patent number on the thermometer and it came up with a patent from the 30's. It wasn't for any specific application, just for a type of thermometer mounted to a piece of cardboard like this one. That doesn't really put a year on it though because that type of thermometer could have been used at any time throughout the years and adapted to fit any application.Lamar, I think you're right on with the "It's Hot". Definitely a clever play on the words referring to the car while at the same time having those words on a thermometer. Great advertising. As for it being a dash thermometer, I'm not entirely sure. I just always assumed it was because the first one I bought has a small magnet glued to the bottom (picture below). The Buick one does NOT have a magnet. I suppose either someone glued a magnet in the first one or the Buick one lost its magnet. I guess either could be true. I do know that it works perfectly for a dash thermometer. I've had the first one riding on my dash since the day I got it. It is a small piece and there is plenty of space on the dash of my '52 for it to occupy. It's a great conversation piece and I get a lot of questions about it at car shows. I believe I will stick a magnet on the Buick one with some removable adhesive and let it take the place of my old one. Another reason I assumed it was a dash piece and not a desk piece is that it is VERY light. Seems like it would be easily knocked off of a desk being that it has no weight in the bottom like a typical desktop piece.It would almost have to have been a dealer giveaway. Again, it seems very strange that they wouldn't have had advertising for the specific dealership printed on the back just like the insurance agency one. That seems to have been the purpose for these thermometers. Either way, cool piece. Glad you guys like it. Lamar, I won't be bidding on the next one so good luck my friend! :cool: I'll let you know if I run across another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 A really nice piece and a good score for you Robert! But you should really sell it to me cuz it belongs in a prewar car.... He He He... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 (edited) I see it is 45F out there in Michigan, and inside the house no less. You and Mrs. Shadetree are livin like Eskimo's and have to snuggle to stay warm. Nice find. Might I say it is, Very Cool. :cool: Dandy Dave! Edited November 22, 2014 by Dandy Dave (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest buickkuhn Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I was one of the watchers on ebay - forgot it was ending . sweet addition to any old buick . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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