Fall Auction

eBay Report - February 2004

As most of you already know, Boxes Are Big! And I don't mean in size. Some of the prices are gigantic!

Lures:

Yes, it was a big month for boxes, as you will see. A Heddon Musky Minnow #1300 BOX ONLY, which was VG+, sold for $6,700. Yep, that's for the box only. A Musky Minnow, 6 hook in VG condition, Strawberry spot, sold for $1663.88. It is shown to the right. A Musky Vamp, 8", green scale, EX in a VG- box brought $2950. A similar lure in Perch without a box sold for $886.99. A Plastic Heddon Punkinseed in green shad color #9630 that was NIB brought $815.01. A Heddon1500 Dummy Double in Strawberry that was EX- in a G+ box/papers reached $1699.77.  An Artistic Minnow #51 that was VG in a G-VG box with weight and papers reached $1099.77. A #58, Chadwick Sunbeam pattern Bass Bug, mint in an EX box sold for $753.21.

A Shakespeare Rhodes Mechanical Frog in EX condition sold for $760.99. A Shakespeare 5 hook underwater minnow in Sienna finish and VG sold for $455. A Musky Revolution in EX brought $521.19, and a baby version in white/RH and VG sold for $432.99. A Shakespeare Rhodes 3 hook Minnow #33, white/orange back and EX sold for $414.09, a later #33 with plate rig and in Sienna color and EX reached $325. A #33 minnow in green crackleback and a faded stamped wooden box brought $607.50. It had a G paper end label. A 1907 #44 minnow, green back/aluminum, VG in a VG picture box with a badly faded label, brought $860.

A Pflueger Monarch Minnow that was VG in a VG wooden box came up. It was missing the front hooks, and was Yellow/a red back. It sold for $887. A Pflueger Maybug with no paint, but with the original tailhook feathers stopped at $405. A Pflueger hole eye Surprise Minnow, in green crackle back, and EX in an EX box closed at $709.

An EX Creek Chub Wee Dee that was White/Red head brought $566.78. a CCBC Crawdad, in an unusual Red Devil color, c1941, and EX sold for $250. A Surfster #7437, GE and VG condition, in yellow flash color sold for $311 and a Dingbat that was in the pretty yellow/red and black spot pattern, and was EX in a G box brought $812.52. A CCBC Gar Minnow in green gar color and mint in the box closed at $1294.50. A CCBC Jigger, EX in an EX box with papers and in dace color sold for $406.66.

One unusual miscellaneous bait was a R. L. Clewell Snakerbait. It was EX in a G box and sold for $710. It is pictured here. A Keeling 5 hook minnow, Yellow/red gills in VG+. It brought $565.55. A BOX ONLY for a Case Rotary Marvel that was in VG condition brought $2025. A mint Hicky-Do Stiper Surf Lure  in Gold Scale finish and 7" topped out at $456.75. A Bill's Action Plug salmon lure - 2 of them came up which were EX in fair boxes sold for $620.10 each. A Detroit Glass Minnow Tube, EX in a G+ box sold for $1800. A Rush Tango 6 pack of Assorted Trout Tangos that were in Mint condition brought $2750. A very unusual Lake George Floater in green back with white belly and in VG condition reached $1450. A white Charmer Minnow with green spiral and in VG condition closed out at $355. A really nice Moonlight Pikaroon that was EX in an EX box closed out at $824.74. A green/white belly Manitou Minnow that was EX in an EX box sold for $3000. Lauby Lure #2YP, which was yellow/black spots and was NIB with papers reached $592.34

Reels:

A B.F. Meek and Sons #3 Blue Grass Reel in the box, with the original shipping box, all in VG-EX condition sold for $1152. This complete package is shown to the right. A B.F. Meek (no & Sons) c1898 #3 baitcaster, that was jeweled in a leather case and EX condition, brought $2705. A B.C. Milam #4 with a Meek handle but o/w in VG condition brought $850. The same size reel, but brass and GS, with horn grip half handle and EX condition sold for $1575. Another Milam, a #2 size and VG+ condition reached $1151.99. A George Gayle & Son, German silver and aluminum reel in VG condition sold for $2550. A Talbot Comet #2 size Tournament (?) reel in EX condition reached $487. An Edward vom Hofe #3 small multiplier made of German silver and Hard rubber sold for $1075.01.

Newer bait-casting reels included an ABU Ambassadeur 5001C (left handed) that was EX in the box brought $430.75. A Pflueger 2800 in EX condition sold for $376. Another one, EX in the box sold for $661(what a difference a box makes). A Heddon Waltonian #31AB casting reel in EX brought $159.50. A Bronson Invader #26 in VG sold for $305.25. I got a report from Europe of a Brown Ambassadeur 5000B - a one of a kind reel made for Gote Borgstrom the owner of the factory, which was in EX condition and sold for $4500. Also a green colored Arjon Champion in EX condition which brought about $2360. 

An Allcock Aerial Sea Reel, Bakelite and brass, with 6 spokes and in EX condition sold for $456. A 3" Aerial that was VG brought $811. A Hardy Perfect salmon reel, 4" widespool, and in VG brought $515. Another Perfect, but 2-7/8" and in a Hardy leather case reached $885.50. A Hardy Silex multiplying fly reel c 1930s in G-VG condition sold for $1227. An early Malloch pivoting reel with Gibbs locklever in a Malloch leather case brought $555. All items were in VG condition.

A couple of Kovalovsky reels topped the lineup of salt water reels. One in a 4/0, 500 yard size and VG condition brought $1000; a 14/0 size in EX sold for $5210. A Meisselbach Surf Reel that was VG in a VG box sold for $274.99. A Julius vom Hofe B Ocean in 6/0 size that was really grungy but seemed about VG reached $442.77. A Pflueger Atlapac in 9/0 size that was VG in a VG Pflueger repair box reached $535.50; another topped out at $458.51. An Endicott-Wilson Aluminum big game reel for Tuna and VG stalled at $282.87. A Bronson J. A. Coxe 9/0 reel in EX in a nice box with papers topped out at $510.

Nice Spinning reels included an ABU Cardinal 44 that was NIB with all the papers. This reel was made for the Japanese market and sold for $222.50, while a Zebco Cardinal 3, NIB, reached $244.50. An Alcedo Omnia Minor in EX sold for $787, and a Micron Settanta in EX brought $475.. A neat Taffy Reel Co. Spinning Reel from Cleveland, OH brought $669. The photo disappeared before I could snatch it, but this unusual reel was EX in a G box with papers. A Mitchell 400G spin reel, the gold trim Deluxe reel in the wooden box, reached $761.51. A Fin-Nor Tycoon #3 that was EX in a VG box brought $381.56.

Fly reels included an unusual brass side-mount reel that might have been a trolling reel, since it was 4.25" in diameter. It was G-VG condition and reached $462.15. It is shown here. A brass Yawman & Erbe automatic in the small size which topped out at $455. It was in G-VG condition. A hard rubber Y&E came up, but someone got to the seller before the auction was completed. It would have been interesting to see how high it went. a Julius Vom Hofe salmon reel size 4, and in EX condition sold for $761.50. A DAM brass fly reel/goat logo and VG brought $405, while another, which seemed like it should have been more valuable due to having a clamp mount and VG sold for $243.05 (so what do I know?). A 4 Bros. DeLite, as new, topped out at $770.87. This is an Enterprise (Pflueger) hard rubber and nickel plated c1915 fly reel. A possible record for a Pennell trademark reel was set with a German silver and rubber fly reel in EX condition that sold for $325. An older Pflueger Medalist #1494 with the metal spool release in near mint brought $294.53. Last, but certainly not least, an Edward Vom Hofe Perfection Model #360, size 1, made of German silver, hard rubber and aluminum sold for $4750.

Rods:

A Hurd Supercaster Rod & Reel combination that was VG in the case with the instruction book sold for $204.03. An Edsall combination rod and reel from the early 1900s, with ratan wrapped handle and in VG condition sold for $381.69.

A J. B. Daniels of Auburn, ME antique 9' fly rod that was missing both tip tops and had frayed wraps, so probably G condition sold for $1036. It was nice to see this historic rod get some recognition. It is shown to the right.

Featherweight handles still do OK. A green colored fat one in EX condition sold for $222.50.

Miscellaneous Fishing Stuff:

The auction that really surprised me was the sale of a Mitchell 300 display reel. This reel was made of wood and was 24"long and 34" high on a stand. It had an electric motor to turn the crank that was apparently not functioning. This item was believed to be the only one left of three made. It brought $953. I expected that this would be the epitome of a Mitchell collection, but interest was only luke warm. Shows what I know.

There were some great fish decoys this month, with an unnamed decoy that was in VG condition selling for $2026.99. It is shown here. A Lake Chautauqua c1899 decoy leading the group. This trout decoy was 7.5", had a leather tail and was in VG condition. It sold for $1200. An Oscar Peterson rainbow trout in VG brought $400. A 7" metal mechanical ice decoy that was in G-VG condition topped out at $910. A red panfish Lake St. Clair decoy by the Sears family in VG condition sold for $589. A Paw Paw Trout decoy that was mint condition sold for $787.

A square glass minnow trap with one hole in EX condition did very well selling at $2050. A Getz'em Kant Break Minnow trap that was made of pyralin and was NIB sold for $510. This trap is c1915. A Shakespeare "Pig" glass trap that was EX in a VG wooden box reached $1225.

A RainBeau Fishing Line display clock featuring a lighted rainbow trout received 29 bids and sold for $555.45. About 10-15 years ago I brought a similar clock to the NFLCC National and finally gave it away for $100 so I wouldn't have to carry it home to Idaho. Times sure do change. A 15.75" Ideal bobber, Yellow/black stripes brought $450, as did an 18" version that had red stripes. Both were EX.

An ABU "Miss Abu" 5.5 foot tall, die cut poster that was in EX condition sold for $1078. It was from the 1950s, and you'll recognize her to the left. A Hardy Angler's Guide from 1913 in G condition with some missing pages brought $373. A Shakespeare c1930 catalog in VG sold for $190.03.

A nice graphic "Confidence" minnow bucket sold by Thomas E. Wilson Co. that was in G condition brought $153.50. A Wolverine submarine style floating bucket that was 19" long and VG reached $180.27. Another unmarked submarine style bucket in VG ended at $240.50. It was 24" long. A fish spring trap from Sweden that was 12.5" long sold for $282. A really nice leather fishing wallet from Caster & Peck of London brought $168. It contained a mahogany hand line with Ivory or bone trim, and was VG condition. It dated to the late 1800s. A Forest & Stream tobacco tin with the stream fisherman in VG sold for $139.50.

There were a lot of Field & Stream honor badges sold this month. A Snook Bronze award reached $172.49; an Artic Grayling sold for $205.49; a lot of 5 (some duplicates) brought $414.99; a Gold Permit button with the 1st prize certificate reached 334.99. A Ft. Lauderdale fishing trophy for a 59 pound kingfish in VG sold for $127.50. It was 17.5" tall.

Finally, an Evinrude mini Starflight II 75 HP outboard motor in VG-EX condition sold for $610, and a Herter's 42" long wooden canoe net in EX condition sold for $153.51.