Welcome to Bud’s World

The late Arthur Irving’s official nickname was Bud. But according to his daughters, it was also ‘Mr. Mint’.

“My dad was very particular and his collection was always pristine, hence the nicknames,” says Karen Wheeler, his daughter. “Every piece was unique and he had a story about each and every one of them. He was also constantly upgrading.”

Bud Irving passed away in White Rock, British Columbia at age 82 in March 2023, leaving behind his cherished family, including four beloved granddaughters who he called his ‘Little Rascals’. He also left behind an impressive collection of petroliana and advertising that he’d spent most of his retirement gathering - and he retired at age 53.

That collection is now being offered at Miller & Miller’s March 1, 2025 Petroliana & Advertising sale.

Bud had a lengthy and accomplished career with the railway. His first job, at just 16, was a box car cleaner, but over the years his hard-working and detail-oriented nature did not go unnoticed and he steadily climbed the corporate ladder. When he opted for early retirement in 1993 after 37 years of service he held the title of Manager of International Sales with Via Rail.

Prior to retirement Bud owned ’55, ’56 and ’57 Chevys (each one had a name) and while he’d pick up the odd old licence plate here and there, once he retired his collecting took on a whole new ferocity, with a laser focus on Texaco, Irving Oil and Chevrolet. He also enlisted his entire family to help. His other daughter, Joanne Parry, who was living in Utah at the time, was given a list of items she was supposed to be on the lookout for. “The whole family shared his love of collecting. We were all a part of it,” says Karen.

Once retired, Bud and his wife Bev, who he’d met when he was a young railway ticket agent in Vancouver, were free to travel across North America in search of items worthy of his discerning eye. They would travel and sleep in a converted van.

“My dad’s collection would not be what it is without my mom,” says Karen. “Never mind her patience for travelling all over the place in a van while trying to fit a gas pump inside that she’d have to straddle before getting into bed at night. Bud and Bev were always a team.”

They also made plenty of friends in their travels, including a man named Ray, who sold Bud one of the best signs he ever owned.

The three of them first met 25 years ago at a “Gas Bash” in San Jose, California, where Ray, an American, stepped in to help Bud and Bev pay for a purchase, since the seller wouldn’t take their Canadian cheque.

Over time, Ray would regularly meet up with Bud and Bev at shows and swap meets. When Ray came across three perfect Texaco Marine signs still in their original shipping container, discovered in the rafters of a long-closed Connecticut marine business, he knew what his Canadian friend’s reaction would be.

“Knowing Bud’s love for Texaco I contacted him and yes he wanted one, but did he ever grind me on the price,” Ray wrote to Karen recently. “Yes, I did give in! A little sorry at letting it go, but I was also pleased for Bud. When we talked over the years I never forgot to tell him I was still upset about that deal. He’d just laugh!”

Bud treasured the near-mint, double-sided porcelain Texaco Marine Motor Oil sign, now estimated at $20,000 to $25,000CA (lot 303).

But there are other highlights in his collection. Lot 183 is a colourful four-panel Irving IOKA motor oil bottle rack in excellent condition, estimated at $9,000 to $12,000CA. Lot 277, estimated at $5,000 to $7,000 is a the iconic Fry ‘Mae West’ 10-gallon visible gas pump (named by Fry for its likeness to the curvy Hollywood actress). Lot 285, a rare Texaco Fuel Chief 1 Diesel pump sign, is estimated to sell for $4,000 to $6,000CA.

Lot 183 - Irving IOKA Motor Oil Bottle Rack

Lot 277 - Fry 'Mae West' 10-Gallon Visible Gas Pump

Lot 285 - Texaco Fuel Chief 1 Disel Pump Sign

Bud kept his treasures in his garage, but it was much more than a garage. As well as his collection, it housed a full bar complete with a brass rail, peanut dispenser and a cash register - “although you never paid for a drink, believe me,” laughs Karen. It was called Bud’s World and nobody was allowed to visit without an invitation.

There was also a row of round medallion plaques with names engraved on them. These were his special people, known as honorary members of Bud’s World.

Watch the short video above for a glimpse inside Bud’s Bar Garage. Many of the items pictured are available in the upcoming auction.

Bud never finished high school, being short the one English credit he needed, something Karen says always embarrassed her father, and yet he was an articulate and ambitious man who had stories about everything he collected and everyone he met along the way.

“It needs to be said that my dad was a highly intellectual and accomplished man, who was also quick-witted - until his dementia diagnosis,” laments Karen. “He was also an amazing writer.”

While Bud said he never wanted to sell his collection, life circumstances have a way of opening up a path unforeseen.

“If was difficult to let the collection go, but my mom gave us the okay and the whole transition has been so easy because of Ethan (Miller) and his team,” Karen says. “By the time we got to the end of it all they felt like family.”

No doubt Bud would have had a story about that too.