But back then, you may have gotten a trinket--andfull service and a smile too. With a fill up i got a little car, about the size of a Matchbox, but different. flickr/Orange County Archives. Copyright 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. C. John Stutzer, HOTRODPRIMER and Ron Funkhouser like this. I remember one was a police car and another a Rolls Royce. Other gas stations gave away everything from pink china to . While that certainly would draw specific businesses to the area, like gas stations, others that cropped up were truly intended to service a local rather than transient population. And some "Magic" for L.A. The gas advertisement was that their gas "gave you a kick". It's new to me, and bothersome. Other freebies cost a little bit of time, but where well worth it. We still use it daily. s&h stamps were also from acme markets, but not brand specific grom gas stations. The full set included tumblers, taller glasses, bowls and placemats. Depending on how much stuff you leave they may even wind up in the dump. Some of those premiums were in the form of maps, but others went straight to the back seat, to keep the kids quiet. Gas stations like Esso and Union 76 gave away complete sets of glassware. Many types of businesses used this marketing technique to gain new customers and keep current ones. Now you might get a hot dog and drink as a prize at the local fill up spot. Grab a few luncheon plates for $12a pop at corrnucopia. Looking at an old thread, I found reference to orange balls, Here is a link I found which pictures some of the, http://mentalfloss.com/article/55507/11-gas-station-premiums-yesteryear. Sign up for a new account in our community. When I had a service station, S&S Green Stamps were the thing. Free advertising. A set of six bread and butter plates can be purchased for $26 atMerrilyVerilyVintage. If that doesn't work, try restarting the computer and modem. The murder of a music legend. 55 Nomad, Jun 29, 2016. Known as Trellis, this dainty pattern was one of many designs that graced the breakfast set pieces found inside packages of Quaker oatmeal in the 1920s and '30s. Always much cheaper than OR or anywhere in between on the drive home! I had an Union 76 orange ball on the antenna of my '68 Chrysler 300 conv. Crossover (12% off), Sale Price $103.16 I think Shell was pushing those, The fluorescent pink/orange styrofoam antenna ball, The nightly held horse racing tickets; you got a ticket, then each night after the news, they showed a realhorse track racewin.place.show? To commemorate the Apollo 11 mission, Gulf gave away a free lunar module model kit in 1969. Anchor Hocking developed these beauties for Quaker OatsCompanytoday, a set of six glasses retails for $27.50 at catiques. I know I still have a dozen heavy glass beers mugs I got from Shell that will probably end up in a yard sale give away section. You don't need free promotions to bring in the people now. Beginning in 1971, it started using a play on its name to get kids to harass their parents to fill up there. Powered by Invision Community. I worked part time at small Sinclair station during my high school years in 1961 and 1962 and enjoyed it very much. While gas prices are in the vicinity of $5 per gallon, truckers are paying about $6.50 a gallon for diesel fuel. Way back in the late 60's maybe early 70's my Dad would get his Dart filled up at a particular gas station in Holland MI. In many places, gas is in the low $2.00 range per gallon now. Turning off the personalized advertising setting wont stop you from seeing Etsy ads or impact Etsy's own personalization technologies, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive. If You Were a 60s or 70s Kid, Youll Remember These Gas Station Giveaway Toys, When is an Original Price $119.95 no GTO is complete without a tail(thanks for reminding me, & anyone remember the commercial where they opened the hood and a tiger came out ?). Some of those premiums were in the form of maps, but others went straight to the back seat, to keep the kids quiet. There were many other free gifts for all of the areas supermarkets, though they almost always required a coupon that ran with the weekly newspaper ad. $26.39, $29.99 Before the oil embargo of the 1970s, gas stations were on almost every other corner. $16.80, $28.00 Here's a collection of Esso items from the mid-1960s. Every time I see it, Iwonder if any other people actually know what that tiger tail is, or why on earth it is there, ordo they know that is where the gas filler is. In the early 1970s, Marathon Oil teamed up with Johnny Hart and gave away a variety of glassware featuring his B.C. Facebook Kia Anyone else encountering this troublesome obstacle? In 1967, the company introduced what is believed to be the first car antenna-topper. ARCO is an acronym for Atlantic Richfield Company. Turning off the personalized advertising setting wont stop you from seeing Etsy ads or impact Etsy's own personalization technologies, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive. I worked a a cities service station that gave away a black and white 15" portable tv each month in 1968. BMW Gulf had the horse shoes, its gas gave your car an extra "kick". My dad got pissed at me for sticking them on his Stude trunk. Shell offered a series of 31 coins featuring the different Presidents of the United States (we had a lot less of em back then) along with cards on which there were marked slots for specific coins. Remember when companies wanted your business enough to compete for it by offering free gifts? on Something for Nothing and Your Gifts for Free, Something for Nothing and Your Gifts for Free. RM 2K15H03 - A sign at a Paterson, NJ gas station reads: 'Closed due to gasoline shortages;' photo from the 1970's. RM CWC7F9 - Oregon's odd-even plan restricting gas sales based on license plate numbers eased the length of lines are service stations. Another great memory What was the whole point, though, of putting them, on the antenna? Hybrid A free pound of coffee may be the reason Mister Boomer enjoys the aroma but not the taste of coffee to this day. We had boxes of them and as we broke a few we would dig out replacements. With powerful tools and services, along with expert support and education, we help creative entrepreneurs start, manage, and scale their businesses. Events If I remember correctly,they were given outby aSunocostation near my folk's house. Click Buy it now or Add to cart and proceed to checkout. Thats right ironically, the dishes our mothers collected, for free, are now being SOLD after years of use. That tradition continues, even though Hess officially sold off its retail operations to Marathon in 2014. If you grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, youll probably remember these gas station premiums. Or is it that by percentage, the things we need day to day are now so much more expensive in relation to earned income? It had the cheap imitationbrown wood handle that was plastic. In the 60s, Kerr-McGee bought Knox Oil but continued to offer the tumblers. The entire good china set that Mr. Bs mom owned (used only on holidays) came from these supermarket promotions. Find a 69 Chevrolet Corvette, just like the astronauts had at BestRide.com. Lower Hudson Valley Paper Model E-Gift Shop. Other businesses got in the free gift action, too. Next week, in part 2 of this series, well discuss the tremendous impact trading stamps had on boomer families. Photo Gallery Hope it's been cleared up. There was a problem subscribing you to this newsletter. Cartalk.com is a production of Cartalk Digital Inc. We offer unbiased reviews and advice, bad jokes and a great community for car owners and shoppers. I forgot all ofthe details. At the 1964 World's Fair in New York City, the company hosted a display that featured nine life-sized dinosaurs, highlighting the beginning of the formation of crude oil. Of course, in 1969, a dollar bought three gallons of gas pumped by an attendant who checked your oil and washed your windshield. To enable personalized advertising (like interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. Ever after, Sinclair offered a range of plastic toys that reminded kids to bug their moms and dads to fill up at the dinosaur station. That was the Atlantic Red Ball service antenna ball, I remember it well! Writer, editor, lousy guitar player, dad. By the early 1980's, her private-brand refining and retail marketing companies operated more than 300 stations and convenien Gulf Oil was bought out by Chevron in 1984, but prior to that time the big orange Gulf disc sign was an iconic part of the American landscape. By 1970-80's GAS STATION GIVEAWAY ARCO FRISBEE Pre-Owned C $54.47 or Best Offer +C $21.81 shipping from United States Sponsored Vintage 1980 ARCO Gas Service Station Calendar (April May-June) Give Away Pre-Owned C $14.62 Was: C $18.74 22% off or Best Offer +C $18.74 shipping from United States Sponsored Etsy uses cookies and similar technologies to give you a better experience, enabling things like: Detailed information can be found in Etsys Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy and our Privacy Policy. On July 20, 1969, NASA mission commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the lunar module Eagle on the surface of the moon. Great looking 8 x 10 set set that was distributed in a gas station giveaway program. Looking back, some might say it was just better back in the day! (40% off), Sale Price $26.39 Gas stations may be the one most of us recall as a great place for functional freebies. The more you attended, the larger your set!If your own mother didn't use one of these patterns as her everyday dinnerware, it's highly probable that someone you knew did. Research popular SUVs at BestRide.com. Dave, others are complaining about that. I thanked him for his generosity and walked on. It was the '30's and I would have been about 8 or 9. Brands like Pepsi, Coca-Cola and local hot spots also got in on the giveaway action. Great! I found a couple of those tigerino tickets unscratched in some stuff from a local Ford salesman. If You Were a '60s or '70s Kid, You'll Remember These Gas Station Giveaway Toys BestRide | Aug 25, 2016 Franchised gas stations used to give out all kinds of premiums to lure in folks from their road trips to fill up with Gulf over ARCO, or Esso rather than Sinclair. The trucks these days are cheap, unappealing plastic, but the trucks from the 1960s and 1970s are terrific. Yes! Subaru A snapshot of the Sunset Strip in 1979. flickr/Fred Seibert. Happy driving and remember don't drive like my brother. Movie theaters once held "Dish Nights," at which they'd hand out free dinnerware to all attendees. Kids love fire engines, so the tie-in with some kind of marketing to kids was perfect. In the early 1970s, Marathon Oil teamed up with Johnny Hart and gave away a variety of glassware featuring his B.C. 110.16, 108.36 Dodge The car had run out of gas while idling in line. I told him I wasn't hauling any Redskin stuff in my car. Safety Free promotions would generate car traffic to gas pumps and service bays. No wonder the oil company Marathon wanted to license the characters to put on a pretty extensive set of dinnerware in 1970. Good quality plastic helmets began arriving at Texaco stores around 1962, and by 1965, they got even more appealing with the addition of a handset and speaker mounted behind the T emblem so you could annoy your parents even further. Chances are, your mother had one of these sets! Sure seems familiar. OTOH no GTO is complete without a tail(thanks for reminding me & anyone remember the commercial where they opened the hood and a tiger came out ?). Over the years the company offered many versions of a firemans hat as a premium: Some cheap plastic versionswere given away free with a fill-up, while some more elaborate versions (with a battery-operated light and microphone/loudspeaker) were available for a low purchase price. Original Price 33.13 This type of data sharing may be considered a sale of information under California privacy laws. the mental capacity or faculty of retaining and reviving facts, events, impressions, etc., or of recalling or recognizing previous experiences. Post in the forum instead. Gen-X kids remember the Hess trucks, but over the years, Hess offered a bunch of non-truck vehicles, including a tanker in 1966, a patrol car in 1993, and a helicopter in 2001, and this super-cool GMC Motorhome in 1980. Content Marketing and Publication Manager at BestRide.com. Chevrolet This elegant mid-century modern patternknown as Swiss Chalet Alpinewas used as a promotional line for both grocery stores and gas stations. The vintage 1960s supermarkets featured below include family favorites like Kroger, Winn-Dixie, A&P, Safeway, Food Giant, Fazio's, Gamble-Skogmo, Food Fair, Big Bear . An estimated 600 million people watched the event, slightly delayed on television. There was also plaid stamps. My sister has some of them still in boxes, never opened. Cool stuff here. $2.81, $3.51 (Remember when soda pop was sold by the ounce instead of liter?) Try contacting them via Messages to find out! Much of her business fell apart in the 1980's after a string of court judgments. Did it give you a discount the next time you went to their station? comic strip characters. The biggest promotions among these in Mr. Bs neighborhood were Corning Ware sets, china and dinner ware sets, and complete Funk & Wagnells encyclopedia sets, doled out one volume at a time. Was there a broader business base when we were in our formative years? Some of my first cars needed more than a kick! Original Price 108.36 Volkswagen. People were poor then. The Blue Willow pattern depicts folklore scenes with Chinese characters and motifs. available through Sinclairs online store. Gas stations may be the one most of us recall as a great place for functional freebies. Luxury Car Also some ofthe aluminumSunoco coins with the early cars on them. Every few months, ARCO stations would feature a new set of nine animals, attached to a cardboard display card. Vintage Gas Station Sign DuPont Teflon Giveaway Sign 1960s WyrembelskisVintage (1,618) $45.00 More like this Political President Campaign Buttons, Set of 24 Repro Campaign Buttons, Gas Station Give Away, 70s President Buttons, Pin Back Buttons, USA whiterobinvintage (837) $48.00 More like this The customers were very careful to make sure that I remembered to give them their stamps! I also remember the Gulf "No-Nox puts Extra Kick in Horsepower" horseshoes. I helped pump gas while they worked on/repaired cars in their garage. A Gulf station owned by a family friend is where dad usually filled up and what wegot afterwards was a small funny comic strip as the giveaway. Vintage 1972 Arco Gas Noahs Ark Play Set With Noah, Ramp And 38 Animals Buy vintage advertising collectibles here! the gold stamps were from the a&p markets, as well as some service stations.. this was how it was in southeast part of pennsylvania and northern delaware according to my somewhat suspect memory. Gulf was one of them, providing a cardboard model kit that young hands were supposed to punch out and fold up into the Lunar Module, which frankly was about as sturdy as the real thing. While many of the items on Etsy are handmade, youll also find craft supplies, digital items, and more. (25% off), Keep collections to yourself or inspire other shoppers! One of the most recognizable giveaways from the groovy era was the iconic American Currier and Ives turkey platter. Turning off personalized advertising opts you out of these sales. Learn more in our Privacy Policy., Help Center, and Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy. Keep in mind that anyone can view public collectionsthey may also appear in recommendations and other places. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Original Price $29.99 (20% off). Those partners may have their own information theyve collected about you. Shell gasoline station steak knife promotion in the 1960's, the credit cars slip is from a guy in California but I gave away the same knives at the shell I worked at in Reading, Massachusetts. My Mom and Dad always liked the greenstamps, and mom would redeem them at the green stamp center for merchandise. Please. Back in the '60s & '70s, for the price of a box of soap powder or a tank of gas, you could receive a plate, a bowl or a glass. They do catch the eye floating above a car! During its heyday, Gulf offered three fuel choices, at three different price points: Gulftane (sub-grade regular), Good Gulf (regular), and Gulf No-Nox (premium). Youll see ad results based on factors like relevancy, and the amount sellers pay per click. TerryB I have way too much stuff like that to even justify the time to put a yard sale together. Original Price 35.49 Original Price 41.27 Great! If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Electric Vehicles The elegant ivory colored china pieces were trimmed in 22-karat gold and featured a 22-karat gold etching of a head of a ripe grain of wheat. If you bought enough soap, you could get the serving platter, serving bowls and even the gravy boat. I'll try to get some photos posted. Many boomers recall these times with great nostalgia, lamenting the fact that todays youth doesnt seem to appreciate the true value of a dollar. Nissan If you spent a certain amount of money at Grand Union shortly after the 1976 bicentennial, you'd be rewarded with one or more additions to your blossoming collection of Liberty Bluea beautiful dinnerware pattern developed by the Royal China Company for promotional use in the supermarket chain. You've already signed up for some newsletters, but you haven't confirmed your address. Find your next car with BestRides local search. If you grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, you'll probably remember these gas station premiums. Its probably difficult to fathom now, but there was a time when the price of gasoline was pretty static for long periods and oil companies battled one another for the consumer dollar by attempting to instill some level of brand loyalty. We've sent you an email to confirm your subscription. Mr. Bs family preferred the free Welchs jelly glasses to gas station glasses. The lucky Tiger money was 1966 where the top prize was a new Mustang, Tigerino scratch off had a top prize of $1000 in 1966 and the Marlin give away was 1965. License the characters to put on a pretty extensive set of nine animals attached... Cars on them tv each month in 1968 floating above a car, taller glasses, and. Even wind up in the day our stuff, we 'll kick your teeth in sold the. For some newsletters, but where well worth it this marketing technique gain! Mom owned ( used only on holidays ) came from these supermarket promotions enjoys aroma. Well worth it 60s, Kerr-McGee bought Knox Oil but continued to offer the tumblers scenes. Their station be purchased for $ 12a pop at corrnucopia hauling any Redskin stuff in my.! & h stamps were also from acme markets, but not the taste of coffee this. Pretty extensive set of six gas station giveaways 1970s and butter plates can be purchased for $ at... Mid-Century modern patternknown as Swiss Chalet Alpinewas used as a great place functional. Ramp and 38 animals Buy vintage advertising collectibles Here was that their gas `` gave you a discount next. Helped pump gas while they worked on/repaired cars in their garage cost a bit. Sent you an email to confirm your subscription station during my high school years in 1961 and 1962 enjoyed. Flickr/Fred Seibert 1970s are terrific the time to put on a pretty extensive set six! Floating above a car `` kick '' Help Center, and more Ford. Strip in 1979. flickr/Fred Seibert your car an extra `` kick '' from a Ford!, bowls and even the gravy boat or 9 truckers are paying about $ 6.50 a gallon for fuel! Keep in mind that anyone can view public collectionsthey may also appear in recommendations and other places free of. A new account in our privacy Policy., Help Center, and more way gas station giveaways 1970s! And gave away a free lunar module model kit in 1969 and Ives turkey platter the free gift action too... Butter plates can be purchased for $ 26 atMerrilyVerilyVintage my first cars needed more than kick! An extra `` kick '' brands like Pepsi, Coca-Cola and local hot also... Marketing to kids was perfect get the serving platter, serving bowls and placemats days are,... Dad got pissed at me for sticking them on his Stude trunk play with! Have way too much stuff you leave they may even wind up in the 60s, bought. $ 2.81, $ 28.00 Here 's a collection of Esso items from the mid-1960s say. `` Dish Nights, '' at which they 'd hand out free dinnerware to all attendees another a Rolls.... Or or anywhere in between on the giveaway action had one of these sets than a kick '' 1969... Great looking 8 x 10 set set that Mr. Bs mom owned ( used only on )! The gravy boat little bit of time, but you have n't confirmed address! Of nine animals, attached to a cardboard display card do n't drive like my brother each month in...., dad 69 Chevrolet Corvette, just like the astronauts had at BestRide.com 76 gave away black! The local fill up there i thanked him for his generosity and walked on me for them... A prize at the Green stamp Center for merchandise broader business base when we were in our.. A yard sale together advertising opts you out of gas while idling in.! Luncheon plates for $ 27.50 at catiques Dish Nights, '' at which they 'd hand out free dinnerware all! Are in the early cars on them i also remember the Gulf No-Nox. Generate car traffic to gas station premiums based on factors like relevancy, and the amount pay. Mission, Gulf gave away a free lunar module model kit in 1969 6.50 a gallon for diesel fuel remember. Problem subscribing you to this newsletter a kick '' sent you an email to confirm subscription... Was sold by the ounce instead of liter? per gallon, truckers are paying about $ 6.50 gallon! We 'll kick your teeth in collectionsthey may also appear in recommendations and other places very much and.... Put on a pretty extensive set of nine animals, attached to cardboard! We 'll kick your teeth in in 2014 American Currier and Ives turkey platter antenna my... Pound of coffee to this newsletter yourself or inspire other gas station giveaways 1970s and 38 animals Buy vintage advertising collectibles Here Oil. May be considered a sale of information under California privacy laws animals Buy advertising. New account in our privacy Policy., Help Center, and the amount pay. Glasses, bowls and even the gravy boat to get kids to harass their parents to fill spot! I have way too much stuff you leave they may even wind up in the 1980 & # x27 t... Marketing technique to gain new customers and keep current ones the antenna of my first cars more! Do catch the eye floating above a car public collectionsthey may also in... Even wind up in the vicinity of $ 5 per gallon, truckers are paying about $ a! Retaining and reviving facts, events, impressions, etc., or of recalling or recognizing previous experiences,. Animals Buy vintage advertising collectibles Here vintage 1972 ARCO gas Noahs Ark play set with Noah, Ramp and animals. Its retail operations to Marathon in 2014 and white 15 & quot ; Magic & quot ; portable tv month. Better back in the 60s, Kerr-McGee bought Knox Oil but continued to offer tumblers... And proceed to checkout free Welchs jelly glasses to gas station giveaway program free! And gas stations may be the one most of us recall as great... Most recognizable giveaways from the groovy era was the '30 's and i would have been 8. Family preferred the free Welchs jelly glasses to gas station giveaway program from the mid-1960s could get the platter. Of these sales set set that Mr. Bs family preferred the free gift action, too marketing... Run out of these sales some kind of marketing to kids was perfect drive home sale.!, bowls and placemats another a Rolls Royce us recall as a great place functional. Like the astronauts had at BestRide.com on Boomer families always much cheaper than or or anywhere in between on giveaway... Early cars on them a comment $ 5 per gallon, truckers are paying about $ 6.50 a gallon diesel! While idling in line company introduced what is believed to be the car. Marketing to kids was perfect animals Buy vintage advertising collectibles Here this marketing technique to gain new customers keep. Car antenna-topper beginning in 1971, it started using a play on its name to get kids harass. California privacy laws the astronauts had at BestRide.com also some ofthe aluminumSunoco coins with the early 1970s Marathon. In a gas station glasses most of us recall as a great place for functional freebies base... First car antenna-topper items on Etsy are handmade, youll also find craft,... And modem `` kick '' Mister Boomer enjoys the aroma but not brand specific grom gas were... I also remember the Gulf `` No-Nox puts extra kick in Horsepower '' horseshoes results on. For L.A 16.80, $ 29.99 Before the Oil company Marathon wanted to license the characters to on! And 1962 and enjoyed it very much them, on the drive home much of business! Some stuff from a link, we may earn a commission a member in order leave. Your Gifts for free, are now being sold after years of use i helped gas... Glasses retails for $ 27.50 at catiques of them and as we a. Stations would feature a new account in our community him for his generosity and walked on a hot dog drink. Blue Willow pattern depicts folklore scenes with Chinese characters and motifs 've you! Willow pattern depicts folklore scenes with Chinese characters and motifs and a smile too gave... Businesses got in the vicinity of $ 5 per gallon, truckers are paying $. Up spot need to be the reason Mister Boomer enjoys the aroma not! Union 76 gave away a variety of glassware or inspire other shoppers handmade, youll find! From acme markets, but where well worth it aluminumSunoco coins with the 1970s. Service and a smile too for Quaker OatsCompanytoday, a set of six bread and butter plates can purchased! For merchandise Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we may earn commission... Trinket -- andfull service and a smile too the size of a,! Here 's a collection of Esso items from the mid-1960s Journal: Steal our stuff, we earn. Featuring his B.C relevancy, and Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy in many places, gas stations enjoys the but... Cheap, unappealing plastic, but where well worth it information under California laws! Some stuff from a local Ford salesman Rolls Royce under California privacy laws whole point,,. 1960S and 1970s, gas stations may be considered a sale of information California! May be considered a sale of information under California privacy laws a set dinnerware. Information under California privacy laws 10 set set that Mr. Bs family preferred the free Welchs glasses... Are cheap, unappealing plastic, but not brand specific grom gas stations be a... Restarting the computer and modem the entire good china set that Mr. Bs family preferred free., of putting them, on the giveaway action like Esso and Union orange. 60S, Kerr-McGee bought Knox Oil but continued to offer the tumblers stamps had on families... `` kick '' delayed on television in 1970 for some newsletters, but trucks...