We began collecting Blakely in 1982 with the first purchase being made in Quartzite, AZ during the annual Pow Wow show. We arrived on Saturday morning and shopped in the cold and wind and found a dealer selling a frosted set consisting of the frosted pitcher and 10 glasses for $35. We shopped for 2 days and before leaving on Sunday we went back for the set figuring if it was still there it was meant to be. it was and I purchased it and returned home happy with my find.
Why you ask? Well like a lot of us Blakely collectors, they brough back fond memories of my childhood. My parents bought gas at many Blakely stations throughout Arizona. Mom still had 3 of the tall frosted glasses which she passed on to me before.
What happened next? Well, you see that set was not complete as there were duplicates of the cactus patterns requiring us to search out the 2 missing cacti glasses. During that search my husband went to an antique shop just down the street from us only to discover as he called it "baby" glasses which turned out to be the juice glasses. Yes, you guessed it, we had to have them and from that point on it became an addiction for us. Little did we know the extent of the items that Blakely had given away to promote his gas stations and automotive products.
We shopped swap meets, antique shops, thrift stores, yard sales and watched for ads in the Arizona Repulic of people selling Blakely. I can remember calling some of them based on the ad and just telling I would buy the lot and take all they had. Because we would just buy out what they had, we were able to amass a large collection of Blakely. It allowed us to put together all of the glass sets and trays along with the 2 dinnerware sets for my collection as well as some oddball glassware items we believe were going to be out had they not sold to Gulf.
As we collected and searched the state and outside of Arizona, we decided we needed to know more about Blakely. To do that it meant spending many hours at the main branch of the Phoenix library searching through old Arizona Days and Ways for advertising to see what was out there. I continue to do research but, the internet has made it a lot easier than in the 80's. I have given several programs on Blakely for the Phoenix Antiques, Bottles & Collectibles Club as well a the Tempe and Prescott chapters of Questers.
We have met a lot of wonderful people and collectors over the years. It is always fun to hear share their stories of Blakely. Many had family who worked for Blakely or they had their first jobs at a Blakely station.
We continue to search for unusual Blakely items to add to our collection. We know of a lot of items that are available and hopefully some will find their way to us.
Collecting Blakely is a great way to preserve Arizona's history during the 1950's and 1960's and show just how much we all love our Arizona desert.
I am sure you are also wondering about prices on some of the items. This is always a difficult question to answer as it depends on where you are buying it from and the demand. I know in 2024 we did not see much in the antique shops or at estate/yard sales and it is still a little sparse out there especially when it comes to dishes and certain items. I think you have to decide how badly you need or want the item. If it is 1 glass to complete your set, you may spend a little more just to do that. If you like the pursuit then, you might wait in hopes of finding it at a lower price.
We wish you all the luck in your search for Blakely or whatever you might collect.
