eBay Report - December 2005

There was lots of neat stuff to fill our Christmas stockings this month.

Lures:

One that drew a great deal of attention was the yellow Shakespeare Whirlwind shown to the right. This EX condition lure was in a VG+ maroon box. It received 22 bids and sold for $10,400. It was a great piece for the Shakespeare collector. A yellow 5 hook minnow that was VG reached $260, and a Rhodes c1908 Slim Jim, white/green back & stripes, in EX brought $406.

A perch Pflueger Surprise Minnow, EX in a VG maroon box sold for $850.

An EX Punkinseed, in white/black spook paint led off the Heddon baits. It topped out at $787. A pair of Multiple Minnows - one nickel and one brass - that were EX pulled in 26 bids before selling for $1037. An EX Spindiver in green crackleback brought $899.99. A plastic Hedd Plug in an unusual scale pattern sold for $520. A Great Vamp in Allen Stripey color and EX shape reached $540.98.

Lures by miscellaneous makers included a nice Bud Stewart Musky Duck. It was yellow/black spots and sold for $281.02. A K&K Animated Minnow, green back with gold belly that was EX in a VG box reached $6200. A Turner Casting Bait, VG- and orange color brought $350. A Welch & Graves glass minnow tube in EX shape sold for $5900. A Clark Goofy Gus in yellow and VG sold for $224.50, and a Clark Dwarf Demon in scale and EX brought $304. An Immel Musky size Chippewa minnow, yellow/red back and VG reached $804.78. A Red color Lockhart Wagail Witch that was EX in a VG box topped out at $769.56.

There were several very nice fly rod bait offerings this month. One was a Hayes Feather Minnow, Mint on card in a VG+ box. It brought $450. A Creek Chub Froggie in EX condition and frog color sold for $341. A Louis Rhead Grass Hopper in EX and green/orange trim sold for $331.

One notable metal bait was a Buel Silver Spoonbait, c1850s in VG condition. After spirited bidding it sold for $2738 and is shown to the left.

Creek Chub lures included a Husky Pikie in Fireplug color that was EX in a VG box and brought $421. An A.L.&W version of a Jointed Pikie, green and VG in a VG box reached $325. A Deluxe Wagtail Chub in goldfish color that was Mint in a VG box brought $281. A green color Gar #2920 that was EX in a VG box sold for $576.89. A Peters Special Pikie, aluminum color and EX in an EX box brought $400.87

Miscellaneous Fishing Stuff:

The nifty Bud Stewart Spotted Pike spearing decoy in EX condition, shown to the right brought $332.99. A Carved Pumpkinseed by lure maker Stan Gibbs and EX brought $450. A Pearl Bethel trout decoy in EX and 8.75" long reached $260.50. An Oscar Peterson 7" Perch in VG topped out at $851.

A Fine copy of Martin Keane's Classic Rods & Rodmakers in a Fine jacket brought $193.50. A 1922 Bristol catalog with Philip Goodwin cover and VG sold for $261. A ledger spanning the years from 1908 to January 1912 from Piqua and VG sold for $261.78.

This great toy Mercury outboard motor - a Mark 78 - that was EX with it's toy gas tank reached $560. An Orvis glass minnow trap, VG with friction lid and in a fair wooden box sold for $257.67. This was after being advertised as from the 1850's. The seller received several email corrections about that date.

One of the most interesting items for the month was a Cummins Patented Alarm Float, which was patented in 1891. It was brass in a round wooden box with papers and all in EX condition. It sold for $370.82. A William Mills celluloid 7/8 inch pin back in VG sold for $127.51. A Field & Stream honor badge for a lake trout and VG reached $235. A round brass oiler with basket pattern and in EX reached $100. There was a lot of interest in a Pike's whetstone in a silver case, c1903, and VG. It sold for $202.50. A Silver Cigarette cast with enameled fishing scene, c1923 and EX, brought $413.42.

A Hardy All in One Fly Wallet with scale, c1925 and VG, sold for $380.69. A Hardy "Anti Midge" bottle in G condition topped out at $217.46. A George Lawrence fly wallet #4, tooled and in EX condition brought $222.50.

Rods:

Bamboo fly rods included a Thomas & Thomas "The Classic", 2/1, 8' for a #6 line, which sold for $921.37. A Jim Payne 7'6", 2/2, for 4 weight and refinished to EX reached $960. An 8'6" Montague Red Wing, 3/2 and EX brought $355.99. A Bristol impregnated fly rod, 8'6", 3/2 and EX sold for $206.50. A 6'6" Orvis Rocky Mountain, 3/2 and VG/small repair topped out at $720. A Union Hardware, 8'6", 3/2 and mint sold for $119.50. A Heddon Deluxe #51, 7', 2/2 and EX- brought $1300.

A Leonard 10' antique fly rod, 3/2 and VG sold for $746.09. Another antique rod by B. F. Nichols, 9', 3/1 and restored to EX brought $310.51, while a 10', 3/2 Nichols antique fly rod in form case and restored to EX brought $450. A Chubb antique rod, 9', 3/2 and VG sold for $260.55.

Fiberglass rods of interest were a Scott fly rod #F602, 6' for a 2 weight line and EX, which brought $207.50. A Fenwick glass casting rod, FC-65, 2/1 as new from 1975 sold for $654.

A Phillipson bamboo spinning rod, 7', 2/1, and mint reached $315.99. A walnut handled Hurd Supercaster which was mint in its case, along with its cardboard shipping carton received 33 bids and sold for $461. An Edwards Quadrate bait casting rod, 6'6", 2/1 and VG-EX sold for $201.01.

Reels:

There were several nice Australian pivoting spinning reels this month. These interesting reels are a significant part of spinning reel history. A Biel pivoting wood and brass starback in VG sold for $947.33. It is shown to the right. We also noted a J. Lees starback brass and wooden, 4.75 inch version in VG that brought $248.

The month started with a nice Frederick Vom Hofe and Son brass ball handle multiplier in EX condition that sold for $787.77. Other larger reels included a Pflueger Atlapac #1640 4/0 big game reel that was EX in a VG box with bag. It sold for $621. A 9/0 Atlapac in EX brought $481.86. A scarce Pflueger Dixie #1308, 250 yard in VG+ brought $698.89, and a Pflueger Tuna-Tarpon 500 yard reel in VG+ received 25 bids before selling for $310.69. An Otto Zwarg 4/0 big game reel in VG reached $355.

Fly reels of note were a BF Meek & Sons #44 German silver Fly Reel in EX condition topped out at $6299.99. A "Bradford, Boston" marked brass fly reel in VG brought $382.

Multiplying casting reels included an EX Talbot Star with Marshall Fields stamping on it, which brought $434.95. A Talbot #3 that was EX in a leather case sold for $1263.77. A Talbot #43 in EX in a leather case reached $1284. A Pflueger Norka 60 yard in EX brought $378.87. A Talbot Eli in EX topped out at $660. An EX Shakespeare Uncle Sam that was in an EX tall box sold for $221.50. This inexpensive reel sale sure illustrated the importance of condition to collectors. A "Wm Frankfurth" generic Carlton 4X in VG seemed a bargain at $168.50.

British reels of note started with a Hardy St. George multiplier. It was a 3-3/8" diameter in VG and sold for $1140. An Allcock Aerial Match reel in EX brought $1903. A Hardy Salmon size Uniqua, 4" with wide drum sold for $355. A large British brass clamp-foot multiplier with stop that was in EX condition with ivory handle sold for $324.77. It is shown to the left.

Newer reels included a Pflueger 2800 casting reel in VG for $266. A Lew's Speed Spool BB-1 NGH (by Ryobi) that was mint in mint box with papers sold for $275. An ABU Ambassadeur 6000 that was EX in an EX box reached $227.50. An Ambassadeur 5000C that was mint in a poor cardboard box with all papers, tools, etc sold for $236.50. A Johnson Princess pink spincast reel in Mint in a VG box brought $323. Just shows that you should be buying those Snoopy and other comic character reels now. An Arjon Champion that was mint with case reached $685.

Many thanks go to Bill Apr, Chip Rice, Kim Johnson, Ben Wright, Frank Cristao and Kirk Ewart for their help this month.