PEOTONE - MARCH 2012

Spring and Fall Peotone are comfortable shows, and the March 3-4 show was no exception, providing a great opportunity to buy and/or sell a few items, and have some quality time to socialize with a few friends.
Outside vendors didn't have any kind words for the weather man, as the cold air prompted attendees to spend more time visiting the inside swap spaces. However, everyone seemed to have a good time, and that's really what it is all about anyway.
The show hosts did a great job promoting and advertising this show which set some new records including most early bird buyers, etc. The Tim Smith and Kevin Greco families always have a positive outlook and do their best to make everyone feel comfortable.
So far in 2012 petroliana pricing is strong with signs, globes, and displays, leading the way. The Barrett-Jackson auction in January produced strong sales numbers and the March 2nd Peotone auction with over 400 lots gave new meaning to full value pricing. I'd guess auction sales were 20-30 percent higher than anticipated, overall, which speaks volumes about the work of Matthews Auctions and more importantly, the demand growth within our hobby. We can speculate on the real driver of higher pricing - scarcity of items, more people collecting, recovery of people's stock market and investment accounts, etc., but 2012 sales results indicate the trend is our friend. Personally, I think the best is yet to come.
The following are some of the Matthews Auction results, but do not include the buyer's premium of 10% onsite or 16% absentee.

$3,000 - 1922 Automobile Blue Book Hotel sign
5,750 - Sentinel Motor Oil sign with soldier graphic
1,000 - Moore's Supreme Ethyl porcelain pump plate sign
6,250 - Penn-Empire Ethyl Gasoline 30-inch round sign
1,400 - Oilzum flange sign
3,500 - United Motors 4' porcelain panel for neon
4,900 - Chevrolet Super Service porcelain panel for neon
1,500 - White Rose 48" sign with rose graphic
1,300 - Texaco 42" double sided porcelain sign
1,600 - Elreco 42" double sided porcelain sign
5,000 - Kelly Tires sign
3,500 - Freedom Oils & Gasoline sign
3,750 - Mother Penn Motor Oil sign
1,800 - Dodge Plymouth sign
2,300 - Life Gasoline single sided tin sign with elf
900 - Stoll double sided porcelain 30" sign
3,100 - Edison Mazda Lamp display
4,250 - Johnson Gasolene 15" single lens globe
4,250 - Farmoil 15" globe
2,100 - Old Dutch globe
2,600 - Gulf Marine White globe
2,750 - Hoosier Gasoline 15" globe
1,900 - Ashland Go-mix Outboard Fuel globe
1,600 - Mobilgas Marine White 15" single lens globe
3,800 - Pegasus cookie cutter
1,500 - Conoco one gallon Minute Man flat metal can

Ron Bettin
Bettin Family Investments
145 South Hickory Street
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601