Old Vintage Gas Pumps Might Be Worth More Than You Think

Some of the coolest collectibles out there harken back to the old days of driving in America, whether it's Route 66 memorabilia, retro road signs, or even classic muscle cars. One such collectible is vintage gas pumps, which are a shout-out to the days when gas was just a few cents (don't even remind us what the price is now) and road trips became a popular vacation idea for American families. 

Vintage gas pumps from the early days of gas stations can cost $2,000 or more depending on the year, brand, condition, and rarity. For example, a 1920s White Crown gas pump sold on Bring a Trailer for $5,700 due to its neat "visible" feature (the tall glass cylinder at the top that showed customers the exact quantity of gasoline going into their tank) and its pristine condition. A lot of commenters even felt that the selling price was a steal. The square design with an analog sales price counter and lit up logo at the top from the 1940s onward can come at a cheaper price.

In the late 1800s, before gas stations, drivers had to buy fuel from a local pharmacy to fill their cars. That all changed in 1885 when Sylvanus Bowser patented the kerosene pump, inspired by his earlier invented method of drawing water from a well using a wood plunger. In 1905, he made the first outdoor gas pump by enclosing a metal tank inside a wood cabinet with a hand-stroke lever to pump the gas out. However, it was pretty tricky to gauge how much gas you were using. 

The visual gas pump was created in 1915, a taller gas pump with markings inside of a clear glass container at the top that let clerks measure how much gas was getting pumped into the vehicle. Around this time, the Gulf Refining Company built the first drive-in service station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, providing gasoline pumps, free air, and tire services. 

As gas stations became a destination in the 1920s, gas pumps became brighter and more colorful. The branded globes at the top started popping up. In the 1930s, electric pumps and a turbine were introduced. By the 1960s, computer systems to measure the volume and price were added. It was during this decade that self-service stations also started popping up a lot more.