Legacy Petroliana and Advertising Collections to Sell with Check the Oil This June

Three major, long-term collections of petroliana and advertising collectibles will lead Check the Oil’s Annual Premier Auction this year. Over 550 lots will cross the auction block on June 21, 2025. Live bidding will be held onsite in Columbus, OH with online bidding options available through LiveAuctioneers. 

Rare items collected by the late George Chrin, the late David Derrick, and Thornton and Pam Beroth will be highlighted in this event. Mr. Chrin was a dedicated collector who sought out key pieces over the last 30+ years, specializing in roadside lighthouse signs and unique, unrestored gas pumps. Mr. Derrick was a beloved member of the collecting community who was known for his outgoing and friendly personality. His soda collection focused on high-grade graphic signs. The Beroths are also legacy collectors, known for their well-established museum collection in Pilot Mountain, NC. As the Beroths owned and operated several Amoco stations, their collection especially highlights rare Amoco and affiliated branded pieces. Items from each of these collections will be up for bid this June, offering collectors an opportunity to browse exceptional rarities. 

Leading this sale is a six-color porcelain sign for Sun-Rae gasoline and motor oil (lot #0079; estimate: USD 500 – $10,000). This piece comes to auction in good condition after being professionally color-matched. It features vivid colors and a landscape scene at the center, a rare variation. Graded 8.5, the sign measures 42 inches long and 30.5 inches high. Other notable gasoline and motor oil signs in the catalog include a Johnson Motor Oil and Gasoline porcelain sign (lot #0082; estimate: $500 – $10,000), a graphic Buffalo Gasoline milk glass gas pump globe (lot #0117; estimate: $500 – $10,000), and an Amoco American porcelain sign (lot #0246; estimate: $500 – $10,000). 

Another key lot is #0091, an unrestored Wayne model 492 Roman column visible gas pump (estimate: $500 – $10,000). Coming to the market in its original condition, this pump has numerous intact and historical features, such as its original glass cylinder and an intact one-piece cast milk glass Gulf Oil Co. globe. It was produced in the 1920s to beautify the gas pumping experience in wealthy neighborhoods. Evoking Greek and Roman columns, model 492 visible gas pumps are now rare and important collectibles. 

Soda advertising items make a strong showing in this sale. Collectors will find an embossed thermometer advertising Dr. Pepper (lot #0049; estimate: $500 – $10,000), a Coca-Cola bar and tavern button flange sign from the 1950s (lot #0100; estimate: $500 – $10,000), and a graphic die-cut Berghoff beer flange sign (lot #0176; estimate: $500 – $10,000). 

Other key lots in this sale include: 

• A small Chevrolet Ok Used Cars double-sided porcelain neon dealership sign (lot #0151; estimate: $500 – $10,000) 
• A rare five-foot Chevrolet Super Service milk glass and neon dealership sign (lot #150; estimate: $500 – $10,000)
• An Erie model 603 clockface gas pump with Atlantic “fried egg” pump plates (lot #0098; estimate: $500 – $10,000) 
• A Nehi checkerboard embossed vertical sign (lot #0173; estimate: $500 – $10,000) 
• A Skunk Motor Oil one-quart metal can (lot #0106; estimate: $500 – $10,000) 

Based in Massillon, OH, Check the Oil is an industry-leading auction house and magazine run by and for collectors. Since 1983, the company has specialized in petroliana, antique signs, and vintage memorabilia, including gas pumps, globes, signs, and oil cans. Check the Oil offers over a dozen online auctions each year, featuring advertising, automobile collectibles, and more. Check the Oil’s Annual Premier Auction will begin on June 21, 2025 at 9:30am ET. To browse the complete catalog and register to bid, visit LiveAuctioneers.