An extremely rare Texaco Home Lubricant counter-top display rack made of painted metal sold for $7,425 at an auction held June 25 by Matthews Auctions.
Rated 9+ on a scale of 1-10 for overall condition, the rack went under the hammer on the second day of the annual Check the Oil Show in Dublin, just outside of Columbus, Ohio.
The Texaco display rack was the top lot of the approximately 420 items of petroliana and automobilia that crossed the block that day.
 Unbe-lube-ably rare... The Texaco Home Lubricant counter-top display rack |
The sign, measuring 12 inches by 13 ½ inches by 5 inches, was "the best of example of this piece I have ever sold at auction," said Dan Matthews of Matthews Auctions, LLC. "Condition is what drove the price up, for this and other lots."
Over 200 people packed the Embassy Suites Hotel in Dublin, where the auction was held, to bid on porcelain, tin and cardboard signs, globes, great display pieces and other examples of gas station and automotive collectibles, all rising stars in the collecting world.
Telephone and absentee bidding was very brisk, in fact accounting for a good percentage of the top lots sold.
"Many of the top earners were cardboard displays and other display pieces, not signs, and that runs counter to what we've seen in previous sales," Mr. Matthews observed.
 And this "super rare Ford Genuine Parts SST neon counter-top" sold for $5,500 |
"Display pieces are becoming more and more sought after by collectors and are an up-and-coming category. Of course, condition is what matters most. Items rated 8.5 or 9 and above all brought high dollars."
All prices include a 10% buyer's premium . Overall, Matthews Auctions' successful sale was testament to the continuing popularity and market value of petroliana.
- Click here to view our Memorabilia stock items for sale
- Learn how you can get pleasure & profit from rare and unique memorabilia items
- Read all the latest Memorabilia news
Join our readers in over 200 countries around the world - sign up for your free weekly Collectibles Newsletter today
