Mike Clark remembers when $3.67 would fill the gas tank.

He also remembers when the driver never had to get out of the car at a service station.

“When you pulled in they filled the tank, cleaned the windows, and checked the oil, coolant and tires,” Clark said as he stood in his Sedona garage surrounded by memorabilia. He knows the history too.

Clark has a large collection of signs, globes and other items, known as a Petroliana collection because it is all related to the petroleum industry. He even has a few gasoline pumps — one is in the living room. The oldest is 1903 that pumped kerosene. Another is a 1958 Conoco pump with the price per gallon on the dial of $0.399 — and only one grade.

“That’s probably a little later than 1958,” Clark said. According to several organizations who keep track of what things used to cost in any given year, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in 1958 was 25.9 cents. The average income was $4,700 and a postage stamp cost 4 cents.

Clark started collecting in 1974 when he worked for Pennzoil. In a key shop the owner had a sign with the shape of a bell on it. He’d never seen one like it, so he asked if he could buy it. The owner wanted $35.

“I thought about it and decided I needed that sign. Victoria said, ‘You bought that for $35? That’s two weeks’ groceries.’ Today, it’s worth about $1,200. She forgives me,” Clark said and grinned at his wife.

Dozens of signs line the garage walls in all types of shapes, color combinations and company names. Many of the companies no longer exist, some were taken over and some have merged. Phillips and Conoco were rivals. Now they’re Conoco Phillips. Mobil merged with Exxon.

“Some of these signs are worth a lot. It’s not uncommon for them to sell for $10,000 or more,” Clark said. “An Ace Motor Oil Co. sign went for $28,000 at an auction in Des Moines, Iowa. I didn’t buy it.”

Victoria Clark grinned when he cast a glance her way.

Clark’s sign collection contains some remarkably preserved signs, some have a little rust, some have faded colors from being out in the weather for years and a few have bullet holes from someone’s target practice. Originally the signs were paint baked on steel. Then in 1926 the introduction of neon lights changed the signs forever.

“First they started with just circling the signs, then they worked on lettering and images. Now a lot of the original signs are termed ‘garage art,’” Clark said. “Shell was the first company to come up with an image and the color yellow.”

Mounted across the top of his garage is a yellow Shell sign with red lettering that once hung on the side of a station building.

Some of the original signs are also dated and marked “Made in the U.S.A.” Because of the value of the signs going up, Clark said there are many reproductions.

“However, there’s always something that is different about them — the size, the color, the materials,” he said.

A prize in his collection is a Speedene Gasoline sign Clark bought from two children in Old Town Cottonwood.

“They were using it to hold up part of the roof near the chimney. After I paid them I brought it home and looked it up. It was considered very rare — a five,” Clark said.

The signs are rated on a rarity scale of one to five, with five being the rarest. They are also rated on condition from one to 10 with 10 being the best.

The collection goes on to include the give-aways service stations used to have, such as trading stamps, key chains, china, glasses, toys and tools.

“Now all you get is your credit card back,” Victoria Clark said.

Mike Clark has some model airplanes, rulers, maps, salt and pepper shakers, banks, ice scrapers, calenders, ash trays and “every kind of widget,” he said. “I gave some of this stuff away. Now I’m paying to buy them back.”

Among Clark’s collection is a set of Blakely cactus-decorated and frosted glasses with matching pitcher. Blakely was a gasoline company started in Gilbert. Its label was Blakely Rocket Gas, but it was just regular gasoline.

“The ‘rocket’ gave the impression of super gas, like having a tiger in your tank,” Clark said. “We know Mrs. Blakely.”

The Clarks have lived in Sedona for 11 years. Victoria Clark also collects Arizona postcards, and is a member of the Sedona Questers.