Okay, you’ve parked your collectible car carefully in the garage, disconnected the battery, drained the fuel tank and wrapped your prize possession in a protective car cover for the winter.  What are you going to do between now and the Easter car show, to feed the burning need for a nostalgic motoring fix?  Consider a weekend trip to Columbia, Missouri for the 17th annual ‘It’s A Gas’ petroleum collector’s show and swap meet– a veritable treasure trove of vintage petroleum collectibles.  This is one of the best events of its type in the Midwest and will attract nearly a hundred vendors from all across the country, some from as far away as California.  They will arrive around sun up Friday morning in motor homes and pickups towing trailers stuffed with fascinating petroleum collectibles as small as a match book and as large as... well, you never know.  A few years ago I saw a huge 7up bottle cutout that must have stood eight or ten feet tall. 

 I’ve been a regular at this event for many years, attending in the roles of spectator, buyer and vendor.  It’s a great way to spend a weekend and you’re sure to spot some very interesting things while perusing the aisles of this all indoor event.  Whether it’s a beautifully restored vintage gas pump for a few thousand dollars, a set of prewar glass oil bottles complete with wire rack for a few hundred, or a vintage Derby Gasoline road map (pre interstate system) for just a few bucks... you’re going to see things that bring back fond memories of the good old days of American motoring. 

 My fascination with anything auto related began at a very early age.  As I’ve mentioned often in this column, my father owned a Mobilgas service station during my ‘Wonder years’.   Prior to my birth, my father Charlie was a diesel mechanic, working for Busch-Sulzer Diesel Engine Company during WWII and spent time installing huge engines in the Panama Canal locks system.  These massive engines had pistons with diameters as large as thirty-six inches.  I remember a photo of him and some fellow workers posed at the Busch-Sulzer plant in St. Louis, in front of a large railroad tank car.  The tank car was fitted with a large pipe at each end and was used as a muffler for the giant engines which turned at incredibly low rpms.  When his assignment in Panama came to a close at the end of WWII, my dad formed a partnership with fellow Busch-Sulzer mechanic Harold MacFarland and opened Han-De Super Service, a full service Mobilgas dealer at the corner of Delmar and Hanley Roads in University City, Missouri.  By the time I was old enough to lift a pump nozzle, my dad put me to work after school and on Saturdays.  I always looked forward to Saturdays as, for breakfast, we often ran down the hill to the corner of Delmar and North and South to get in line at Petrofsky’s Bakery where some of the finest stollens and sweet rolls were served up fresh from the ovens.  On late nights during the week, dad would send me to Velvet Freeze on Gannon Avenue just a few doors up from North and South to get milk shakes.  One of his favorites was a Pineapple shake with a raw egg whipped in it.  (Try getting a raw egg in your shake today!)  No wonder I developed a life long sweet tooth!

 But I digress.  Back to petroliana.  The old saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is certainly evident when you cruise the aisles of ‘It’s A Gas’... the annual, indoor petroleum collectibles show held in mid January at the Boone County Fairgrounds in Columbia, Missouri.  I’ve been attending this show for more years than I care to remember and it’s always been a great event.  I’ve been there some years when it was unseasonably warm, I’ve been there in the pouring rain, and I’ve been there when the snow was blowing and the parking lot was a sheet of ice.  But what do you expect in the middle of January, in the middle of Missouri???  The great things about It’s A Gas are, 1. it’s indoors so the weather can’t put a damper on the festivities, and 2. it’s a perfect ‘fix’ for us guys and gals who love anything nostalgic that has to do with automobiles.  (A Friday night walking tour of the quaint, little college town bars that line the streets of downtown Columbia are just icing on the cake!)

 What can you expect to find at ‘It’s A Gas’?  ‘Petroliana’– lots and lots of it.  And just what is ‘petroliana’?  You won’t find the word in Webster’s Dictionary, but just enter it in the Google search engine and up pops ‘about’ 62,700 pages with reference to the word.  Since it’s not in the dictionary, I’ll have to wing the definition for you.  Pet-roll-ee-ana- anything pertaining to or having significance in the marketing of oil and gasoline products.  Vintage glass oil bottles and cans; gas pumps; advertising signs of all types and materials; matchbooks; glass ash trays surrounded by miniature, rubber tires; ancient road maps; floor jacks; lubesters; tire inflation devices; uniform patches; gas station lighting; reproduction photos of old gas stations, tanker trucks, drive-in restaurants and more!  If it’s got anything to do with gasoline, you’re likely to find it at ‘It’s A Gas’. 

 I’m anxious to find out just what effect the present state of the economy will have on this year’s event.  If you have a little extra cash lying around, this might be the year to invest in petroleum collectibles.  I’m predicting a buyer’s market as cash-hungry collectors look to unload some of the dusty relics that have been taking up space in their attics and garages for years. 

 One bit of advice.  If you DO want to get in on the excitement of petroliana, whether to buy, sell or just to look... I would recommend getting there as early as possible.  You’ll pay a premium to get in the show on Friday, but that’s the day that the serious horse trading takes place and the best items change hands.  If you can’t make it until Saturday, plan on getting there as soon as the doors open because, unless the weather is sunny and warm, the vendors will start packing up around noon.

 What: The 17th annual ‘It’s A Gas!’ petroleum collectibles show and swap meet.  When:  Friday, January 16th and Saturday, January 17th.  Where:  At the Boone County Fairgrounds, 3 mi. north of Columbia, MO on Route 63.  Call John Troxel (573) 896-8609 or Mike Russell (573) 442-6759 or days (573) 592-1991 for more information.  Note:  The FIN MAN is considering a ‘pilgrimage to the It’s A Gas show if there is enough interest.  We are trying to get some hotel rates and bus fare information together at the last minute.  If there is enough interest, we may meet at a commuter parking lot in the St. Charles area and travel to Columbia as a group.  IF this comes to pass, we would be leaving St. Charles early Friday morning... hopefully about 7AM.  We would go directly to the show and swap meet, spend a few hours there and then check into the hotel.  Columbia has a very nice downtown area with a lot of college bars withing walking distance of the hotel.  We would travel back to the show Saturday morning after checking out, spend another few hours at the Boone County Fairground and then depart for the return trip to St. Charles around mid afternoon, arriving at the commuter lot around 5 to 6 pm.  If you are interested, please e-mail The FIN MAN at mailto://the_fin_man@msn.com.

 The details:  17th Annual ‘It’s A Gas!” Petroliana Collectibles Show and Swap Meet in Columbia, Missouri on January 16th and 17th, 2009.  Dealer setup and early bird buyers on Fri. 16th, open to general public 7AM Saturday the 17th, Boone County Fairgrounds, 3 mi. north of Columbia on Route 63.  For information contact: John Troxel (573) 896-8609 or Mike Russell (573) 442-6759 or days (573) 592-1991, and be sure to tell ‘em The FIN MAN told you about it.  Check it out.  It really IS a GAS!

 For the answers to this week’s trivia questions and other petroliana images, visit the FIN MAN’s web site at http://www.thefinman.com.  To e-mail him, click on this link: mailto:the_fin_man@msn.com.

 ‘The FIN MAN’TM is available for your group’s special occasion.  In addition to his seminar schedule, he has been a guest speaker at group meetings including car clubs, engineering clubs and other professional associations.  He has also acted as host or emcee at a number of special events including trivia parties, holiday parties, social and professional club events, benefits and fund raisers.  There are still a few open dates for December, 2008 and we are now accepting bookings for calendar year 2009.  During his appearances, he presents an overview of the collector car hobby plus a detailed look at American cars from the fifties and sixties.  His program includes a fascinating Power Point presentation with images of collectible automobiles and various associated nostalgia and Americana.  Guests also have the opportunity to play “FINS for FUN,” the video game he produced in 1987 which inspired his nickname, in which players compete to identify the year, make and model of cars from tightly cropped photos of fins and taillights.  Those who score the highest win auto-related prizes donated by supporting Fin Man sponsors.  Be sure to sign up for the program which is being presented at the secluded YMCA Trout Lodge in April and May of 2009.  For more information, click on this link:  http://groups.msn.com/the-fin-man/seminaragenda.msnw. 

 Bruce Kunz is a member of the Society of Automotive Historians, the St. Louis Chapter of the Buick Club of America and the Monte Carlo Owners Association of America.  He welcomes your comments and suggestions.  To e-mail him, click here > mailto:the_fin_man@msn.com.