- Attic / Barn Find
- An item discovered in long-term storage, often unrestored and freshly to market.
- Banjo Sign
- A round-topped, narrow-necked porcelain sign shape, famously used by Texaco.
- Clock Face Pump
- A pump with a large round dial indicating gallons dispensed.
- Curb Sign
- A free-standing, often double-sided sign placed at the roadside or curb.
- Die-Cut
- A sign cut to the outline of a logo or figure rather than a plain rectangle — highly desirable.
- Fantasy Piece
- A sign or globe made in a design that never actually existed historically — a trap for new buyers.
- Field
- The main background area of a sign, as opposed to its border or graphic.
- Figural
- A sign or item shaped like a recognizable object or character, such as Sinclair’s Dino.
- Flange Sign
- A double-sided sign with an L-shaped bracket for mounting perpendicular to a wall.
- Ghost
- A faint image left where paint or graphics have worn or faded away.
- Gill / Glass Body
- A globe whose body is glass (Gill being a noted maker), as opposed to a metal or plastic body.
- Grade
- A shorthand condition score, commonly on a 1–10 scale, used to price a piece.
- Grommet
- The metal ring set into a mounting hole of a porcelain sign to prevent chipping.
- Lens
- The printed or etched glass insert that carries the brand graphic on a pump globe.
- Lubester
- A tall dispensing cabinet used to sell bulk motor oil at the service station.
- Mint / Near-Mint
- Top condition grade — full gloss and crisp graphics with little to no damage.
- NOS
- “New Old Stock” — an original period item never used or installed, still in as-made condition.
- Oil Can (Quart)
- The quart-sized motor-oil container; full, unopened cans with sharp graphics are sought after.
- One-Piece Globe
- An early globe molded as a single piece of glass — scarcer and generally more valuable than lens-in-body types.
- Patina
- The aged surface character of an original item; honest patina is prized, faked patina is a red flag.
- Pecten
- The scallop-shell emblem of the Shell brand.
- Petroliana
- The umbrella collecting field for gas- and oil-company advertising and equipment.
- Porcelain Enamel
- Powdered glass fused to steel in a kiln, layer by layer, giving signs their glossy, durable color.
- Provenance
- The documented ownership history of a piece, which can add value and confidence.
- Pump Globe
- The illuminated glass globe crowning a gas pump, made of a body and one or two glass lenses.
- Repop / Repro
- A modern reproduction of a vintage design, legitimate as decor but not collectible as an original.
- Rocker / Restored
- A piece that has been repainted or rebuilt; advanced collectors value original surfaces more highly.
- Sign Shop Mark
- The maker’s stamp along a sign’s edge, often useful for dating and authentication.
- Single / Double-Sided
- Whether a sign is printed on one face or both; double-sided flange and curb signs are common.
- Station Sign
- The large primary identification sign that hung at a service station.
- Touch-Up / Touch-Out
- Small areas of added paint used to hide chips or losses on a sign.
- Visible Pump
- An early gas pump with a glass cylinder up top so drivers could see the fuel before it was dispensed.
No terms match that search.