Fall Auction

eBay Report for August 2004

Sorry, but there was no Heddon Frog this month, but there was some nice tackle.

Miscellaneous Stuff:

Anyone who needs a nice chair for their tackle room (if you're lucky enough to have a tackle room) should consider one of these mahogany fishing chairs from the Hemingway era. This one was in VG condition and brought $510. About the same price as a Lazy Boy. Then you could decorate the room with old Pflueger wooden shipping crates. An 18 x 12 x 7 inch one with no lid and in VG condition sold for $208.49. Then on a table in the corner you can have a VG-EX leather tackle box with cork lined cantilever trays which sold for $202.50. A wall decoration could be an EX seven tine eel spear that was 14" long. But then you'd have to beat out 22 bidders and be willing to spend $355. You could hang a W. L. Marbles Arms Co. automatic fish gaff in VG next to the spear... for $331.00. Then to carry your stuff in at the tackle shows you could buy an older Orvis canvas and leather fly fishing tackle bag. One in VG condition received 19 bids before selling for $283.89.

A Hardy Neroda Bakelite fly box with 25 flies and in EX brought $228.50. A Hardy Wheatley fly box, 4 x 8 inches with 82 clips and EX condition sold for $220.91. And the ultimate, a Hardy "The Angler" pipe mint (unsmoked) in a VG box with pouch sold for $153. It is shown to the left. I guess you could smoke it while sitting in your chair with your feet on the Pflueger crate while gazing upon your collection of spears and gaffs. Or you could read Tarpon Fishing in Mexico & Florida by EGS Churchill published in 1905 and in VG ... if you wanted to spend $1221 for this rare title. 22 eBayers bid on it. This book had 41 half tone photos and 16 stereoscopic cards in a pocket in the back cover.

An EX Bud Steward frog spearing decoy sold for $301. One of Bud's sucker decoys with scale finish, 7.5" long and mint condition brought $560.77. A Shakespeare catalog from the 1920s, 48 pages in EX, sold for $210. And a very early LL Bean catalog, 1926 in EX sold for $103.50. It had a William Harden Foster cover.

Lures:

That huge lump called Miscellaneous Baits yielded some real finds. One of my favorites has always been the Arbogast Tin Liz snake in pike finish. The EX one shown to the right brought $400. Of much more interest to some heavy pocketed collectors was a group of 15 Paw Paw lures all in rainbow trout color. All were in EX condition. The group drew 24 bids before selling for $3002. A very early, hand made Clark's Water Scout with copper hardware brought $261. It had slash eyes and was red with glitter. What was identified as a Brown's Rotating head lure in white or luminous color c1920 sold for $493.88. A Donaly Redfin, green back on white and VG topped out at $721.86. Another one in the same color and similar appearing condition sold for $911. An Evans Weed Queen Minnow that was EX in an EX box/papers, in goldfish color sold for $527. An EX- Howe's Vacuum Bait in a VG tin box, white with red ribs, sold for $595.09. A Ketch-Em (Pflueger Wizard) 5 hook minnow, c1903-04, green back and VG brought $613. An EX Abbey & Imbrie "Hiawatha" 3 hook wooden minnow in green crackleback and in a VG wooden box sold for $798.88. A Wilson/Hastings Alger's Getsum BOX ONLY/brochure in only good condition created a lot of interest and sold for $687.53. A very classic Pontiac 5 hook minnow, white/green back, and EX- condition brought $1526.99. A Lloyds Hungry Jack, VG in a G box with papers came up. It was a scale finish and received 20 bids and sold for $760. A Schroeder Triple Jointed salmon plug that was EX in a G box and in scale finish reached $431.86. Can you say "plastic Paw Paw Platypus" five times fast? It was in RB trout color and EX and swam to $512.52.

A Heddon 900 floater, yellow/red spots and EX brought $810. A Deep Diving Wiggler #1600 in Green Crackleback, and EX brought $400.99. A 150, new in an EX box, yellow color with 2 pc. hardware, reached $1250. A Musky Surfusser #350, EX in a VG box and Strawberry color topped out at $850. A VG Luminous Crazy Crawler sold for $381.99. A Green scale Spindiver in EX brought $1280. Although just a gimmick, I liked the plastic perch Tiger bait that was in an promotional circus cage box with the original shipping box. So did some others as it sold for $228.19. A Red & white Luny Frog in VG+ sold for $350.19. In another of those unbelievable plastic lure sales, a Lucky 13 spook in strawberry spot received 11 bids before topping out at $1500. A No Snag River Runt in a blue spook color came up. It was mint in an EX box marked N9112XS, but the seller thought that was the wrong number. Still it sold for $1358.33, after 19 bids.   

There were a bunch of nice Creek Chub baits this month. An Injured Minnow EX- in an EX box and in a beautiful goldfish color sold for $1250. A Weed Bug #2819 in EX condition and frog color sold for $215.47. Another one came up for sale that was described as a "wood beetle fishing lure" that was in the green & yellow beetle color and EX and it topped out at $432.50. A Wee Dee #4819 in Frog finish and EX brought $425. A Midget Pikie #2214 - yellow spot - and EX reached $300. A Baby Injured Minnow #1631 (rainbow fire), new in the box with papers, glass eyes, sold for $227.50. A Baby "Dingbat in pearl with black back and EX sold for $432. A 200 in silver scale that was new in a VG picture box with papers brought $975. A 6" Musky Wigglefish in Pike scale and VG brought $234.38. A Surface Dingbat #5499, Yellow Skunk color, that was EX in an EX box with papers drew 22 bids before selling for $822.70

A South Bend 3 hook minnow #903, EX in a VG box, and rainbow color sold for $325. A pair of TE Bass Orenos sold as a lot. One was perch, but the other was a shiner scale with two gill marks and in VG condition. The lot sold for $787.77. A salt water tack eye Better Bass Oreno #977 in SZ color and VG condition also drew a lot of attention. This bait was reportedly only made in 1941-42 and sold for $715. It is shown to the left. Another Better Bass Oreno in blue minnow scale and VG sold for $355.

A Pflueger sea shell pattern spinner in VG with no hook, 1-3/4" in size, sold for $616. A Pflueger Kent Frog in EX condition with a belly hook sold for $462.77. A Monarch Minnow in scale finish, with shaped body and EX, sold for $315. A Mint Neverfail Minnow in an EX maroon box with papers and in rainbow color brought $1025.

A couple of Shakespeare Whirlwinds came up. An EX red one brought $406, and a yellow one sold for $406.99. They had the same seller, but different buyers. I guess it's safe to say that a Whirlwind is worth around $406.

Reels:

An unidentified (which was an early Lenz) reel in aluminum and Bakelite with wire line and 5.5" in diameter sold for $213.39. It just proves how many people are watching those "unknown" items. The fact that there was an ORCA seminar on Lenz reels this year might have helped the seller.

Casting reels of interest included a 9x Rochester with the sliding handle and in EX for $233.15. A Ted Williams level wind free spool casting reel that was mint in a EX box with papers sold for $256. A Pflueger 2800 in EX brought $310; and then another that was VG with the vinyl case brought $400. An ABU Record Ambassadeur 5000, c1952 (the first one), VG in the leather case with parts was a wowser selling for $1158. An ABU Ambassadeur 5000D in gold color and VG+ sold for $640. A Pflueger Redifor, VG, jeweled with bulldog logo sold for $175. A scarce Jack Welch level wind reel in aluminum received 23 bids before topping out at $1025. A Heddon #3-35 with the uncommon anti-backlash bar and VG sold for $867.52. A Montague "generic" German silver and hard rubber 80 yard multiplier in EX that was stamped "Abercrombie & Fitch, NY" brought $250.22. Amazing what a name can do. An EX Heddon #4 Chief Dowagiac in a VG- box reached $201.51.

A 40 yard "Mills, NY" fly reel sparked a great deal of interest and comment. It was GS and hard rubber and EX, received 25 bids, and sold for $1481. Coates sidemount fly reels are very eye appealing, so one in fair condition that was scratched and missing the crank cap sold for $516.76. A W. H. Dingley 2-5/8" fly/casting reel in EX sold for $174. An Edward vom Hofe "Matacumbe" bonefish reel in #2 size and in a VG lether EVH case brought $700. A Hardy Perfect Salmon size (4.25") Dup. Mark II, VG in a VG leather case reached $600. An early Pflueger 1494 Medalist, with round line guide, metal latch cover, EX in a VG maroon box with papers sold for $312.03. An A.L. Walker #3, 3" diameter and EX sold for $1316. A Pflueger Supreme model 578 fly reel, mint in the box with vinyl case and tools sold for $180.50. A Meek 55, by Horton, with agate line guide and EX condition reached $250. A brass Billinghurst fly reel in EX brought $2781.99. The Billinghurst is one of the true classic angling collectibles. A Maroon Box ONLY for a 4 Bros. Egalite, dated 2/31, reached $161.39.

A Bronze Malloch sidecaster, 2.5" size, and VG sold for $214. An Allcock Aerial Match reel from 1939-40, made only one year, and VG sold for $2870.75.

Big Game and salt water reels included an Australian L. T. Willis, Sil Rohu Swordfish, 14/0 size and in EX condition. The reel drew 14 bids and sold for $3550. It is shown to the left. A Pflueger Ohio #2559, 300 yard size with Williams drag, from the 1920s that was EX in a G Maroon box topped out at $205.72. A 9/0 Pflueger Atlapac that was VG in a VG metal case sold for $1226. A Shakespeare Miller Autocrat, model HE in VG sold for $257. An Ocean City/True Temper 612, 12/0 size reel in Mint condition brought $350.

Kentucky reels included a Talbot Meteor from Nevada, MO that was VG and sold for $595. A very scarce "Pflueger Kentucky" reel came up. They are from the early 1900s. This one was EX and brought $1613.88. Another scarce Pflueger - the first model Summit, which is a raised pillar Kentucky style reel, came up for auction shortly after. It was an 80 yard size and in VG and sold for $877.77.

Rods:

I have decided to search eBay for rods that I find interesting, rather than relying on completed auction lists. This month I found a nice South Bend #290 bamboo fly rod, 7.5', 2/2 in EX which sold for $220.27. An Orvis Traveler bamboo fly rod, 8.5', 4/1, for a 5-7 wt. line sold for $461.68 with the proper bag and tube. A Granger Favorite fly rod model 8542, 8.5', 3/2 in EX brought $710.05. A 9' Gillum salmon fly rod with extension butt #1-756, 3/2 and in EX sold for $2660. A Bristol F-12 fly rod by Edwards, 9', 3/2 and VG sold for $170.50. A Wright & McGill "Boss of the Waters" fly rod in VG, 8.5', 3/3(?), reached $430. A Phillipson Peerless 8', 3/1 with no bag or tube and VG sold for $358. 

Antique rods included an 1890's bait rod with rattan handles. It was 8.5', 3/2 with double ring guides and in VG condition, and brought $202.50.

Fiberglass rods included a Fenwick FC65 2 piece, 6.5' rod in VG that topped out at $386.

Many thanks to those eBayers who send in reminders including Larry Pearson, Jim Schottenham, Frank Knapp, Bill Arp, Kirk Ewart, and Ben Wright.