Collection of old timey gas, oil memorabilia hits market in Manitoba

Some people collect hockey cards or muscle cars; otherscollectold gas and oil memorabilia.

BurtBarkman has been a collector for years and he hopes hisstorage locker full of the neatManitoba petroleum history will soon find a new home.

Barkman has ahanger full of gas station signs, pumps, oil cans and other collectibles at the Lyncrest Airport in the southeast corner ofWinnipeg he'll put up for auction Sunday.

"It's bitter sweet for sure. You've been with this for a long time, you've collected for a long time and all of a sudden it's going to be empty. An empty building," Barkman said.

Time as a pump boy

Among other items up for sale will bethe many trinkets hung and positioned throughout Barkman'srecreation of a 1950sBritish American (BA) Oil Company-inspired gas station, similar tothe one in Steinbach where he worked as a pump boy as a kid. It was "the first big job" of his life.

"They uniformed you from top to bottom with a leather bowtie and taught you the tricks of the trade," Barkman said.

At about $0.051 a litre, Barkman says you could get a full tank of gas for $2 back then, but that's not all.

"Then we cleaned all the windows, thelights, checked the oil, checked the antifreeze or water and opened up the battery caps ... and filled them up with water, checked the tension on the fan belt, and dumped the astray in the trash can right beside the pump and swept out the car with a little whisk. There you go two bucks," Barkman said, laughing.

That time pumping gas led to a passion for preserving BA history that took shape over the course of a roughly15-year period. He combed garage sales for new pieces and would trade doubleswith fellow collectors looking to fill a hole in their collection.

Beauty in rusty oil cans

Of course, the beauty of every dusty, rusting, ragged old item is in the eye of the beholder. On more than one occasion Barkman, happy with himself about a recent discovery, would arrive home to show off his new toyto his wife only to find theydidn't hold an equal admiration for the item.

"There was a big three-bladed prop, six [or] seven feet diametre, and I come home with that. And then of course the wife says, "What ...did you bring the firewood home? That's all it's good for is firewood,'" Barkman said."That's a prized possession."

So it isn't any great surprise toBarkman that hiswife isn't exactly in tears to see the oily old stuff go.

"She could gladly do without it," Barkman said.

While items from old gas stations may not scream "collectible" to the average Manitoban, there are lots of people out there willing to shell out big bucks for a collection like Barkman's. And he knows it, too.

"We've had calls for things from right across Canada," Barkman said. "I would suggest bring a big checkbook."

Barkman'scollection of gas,oil and aviation items is up for auction Sunday starting at 10a.m. at his hangar atLyncrest Airport.

You can check out the items he has for sale online at theMcSherryAuction Service'swebsite.