eBay Report - February 2005

Lots of good stuff this month. Enough to keep us all broke.

Reels:

Older reels included a scarce J. Kopf patent reel with celluloid end plates. It was a 60 yard reel in VG condition and brought $406. It is pictured to the right. A Meek & Milam coin silver #4 size reel that had been restored to EX. It sold for $975.79. A J. Conroy S handle 300 yard brass reel, c1870s and VG brought $355. A German silver patent 1906 engraved reel by George A. Young came up. It had an unusual free spool mechanism, was in VG condition, and sold for $4050 after competitive bidding. There were several very good Meisselbach reels this month, including an EX Takapart #680 German silver reel that sold for $478.63 and a 1903 rod pillar Take-Apart in EX that brought $420. A Benjamin Thumezy in EX reached $855. A hand made wooden trolling reel for lake trout that was 9" x 21" and VG sold for $282.77. A James Heddon's Sons 4-18 level wind reel in EX topped out at $2815. A reel box only for a KC Talbot Comet reel and VG sold for $800, about double what the reel would bring. A narrow spool #1971 Shakespeare President in black & gold sold for $102.50. A Pflueger Supreme #1573 that was NIB drew 26 bids and sold for $200. There is hope for all those Supreme's yet.

Reels from the last half-century found one of those pink Johnson Princess spincast reels that was EX in the box sold for $274.35. A Record Super 2500, EX in a VG leather case with papers, etc. brought $224.50. I think it was too late for Ben's Spinning Reel Report, so I'll report here that a 300 Mitchell in the 1st version (?) and VG sold for $661.02.

There were a lot of nice salt water reels selling this month. Among them were a B. F. Meek & Sons #8 German Silver and hard rubber reel in G-VG condition that brought $4150. An unusual Everol Italia big game reel sold for $237.06. A Pflueger Atlapac 4/0 size, VG in its hard case with papers reached $545. A 12/0 Kovalovsky in VG topped out at $2292.87, and a 9/0 in the same condition brought $1799. A 6/0 Endicott-Wilson big game reel in VG sold for $239.49. A J. A. Coxe 14/0 cradle reel by Bronson in VG brought an eye opening $2660.

British reels sold included a brass folding handle winch, with ivory crank knob. It was 3" in diameter, and VG and brought $865. You can see it to the left. A Hardy Longstone reel, 4-1/2" in diameter that was VG in a VG box reached $582.60. A narrow Hardy Perfect from 1896 with a brass frame and aluminum spool and VG sold for $961.26. It was 3-3/8" dia.

Fly reels included a Seamaster Mark III Tarpon fly reel in EX-, which brought $3250. And on the other end of the size scale a tiny brass clamp reel with stop latch and VG+ topped out at $427.11. An unusual brass side mount reel of the Catskill type with its crank missing sold for $1306.11.

Miscellaneous Fishing Stuff:

A LeRoy Howell spearing decoy in EX condition, 7" long, sold for $515. It is shown to the right. A Bar Lake "Kingfish" spearing decoy that was green scale color and NIB brought $1300. Some fish carvings by Lawrence Irvine of Winthrop, Maine were sold. A brook trout that was in VG condition brought $1255, but an older bass carving dated 1942 and in EX condition reached $2394.69.

A V. L. & A. catalog from 1933 and EX sold for $125. A 1911 Heddon catalog in EX condition in the original mailer reached $2500. A rare 1927 Pflueger "Advertising and Sales Helper" booklet with 12 pages sold for $160. A 1949 CCBC catalog in G-VG brought $300. An 8 x 10 inch framed photo of a Montague City Rod Co. parade float c1918 topped out at $154.49 (I didn't think it was very nice of the seller to use the Montague company description from this web site without any permission, credit, or link). A Milward Salesman's hook display case c1860s, with over 200 different styles and sizes of hooks displayed and bound in a leather folding case sold for $495.

Creels included a David Nay leather topped creel with harness, all basket stamped, and EX sold for $610. A Thomas Conroy leather reel case in EX brought $80. A wooden line dryer by Bob Weir of Los Angeles in EX sold for $77. A beautiful creel by Bill Lawrence (grandson of the founder of Lawrence and subject of an article on this site in September 2003) drew a lot of interest and sold for $1314. A Turtle creel described only as a "trout fishing creel" and in EX condition seemed to be a bargain at $480.

A nice 9-3/4" bobber or float (shown to the left) that was in EX sold for $170.39. An old Orvis glass minnow trap with copper top in a wooden crate with Orvis label came up. It was wrapped in newspapers from 1918, and all were VG. It brought $331.A 1930's 15' wooden fishing boat in Minnesota that was in G condition drew 7 bids and sold for $280.01 (at least we know there are a few left that haven't been cut in half and had shelves added to make decorations for your lodge). A Horton Meek oil bottle in VG reached $108.49. An Indiana Game Warden badge in VG sold for $199.99. A really nice Falls City small bait bucket, green with an EX decal and overall VG reached $512.

Rods:

The Tycoon Fin-Nor split bamboo big game rod tip only shown to the right, in EX condition, reached $406. A Bimini King Big Game rod made of laminated hickory c1930s, with roller guides brought $1128.47.

A custom built fiberglass spinning rod that was built for and used by Jack Nicklaus and had all the necessary provenance sold for $191.50.

An Orvis 6'6" Rocky Mountain bamboo rod, 3/2 for a 4-5 wt line and EX sold for $750. An Orvis 7'6" midge rod, 2/1 for a 4 wt. in VG brought $620. A Winston hollow built San Francisco rod, 8', 2/1 and EX brought $1150. There were a couple of "as new old" rods this month - an H-I Tonka Queen 7'9", 2/2 unused, but with no tube brought $465, and a Heddon #20 from the 1930's that was new in an as new tube, 9', 3/2 sold for $660. A mint Hardy Palakona 9', 3/2 rod brought $602.03. A Granger Aristocrat 8'6", 3/2, and VG drew 26 bids before selling for $661.21.

An impregnated Orvis 6' baitcasting rod for 3/8 oz lures in EX topped out at $268.50.

Lures:

Miscellaneous company lures included a Florida Fishing Tackle Co. Barracuda underwater minnow in gold that was VG and sold for $456. A Martin Tadpolly salmon plug in EX condition and a very pretty yellow scale finish sold for $330. It is shown to the left. A Keeling Life Like Minnow, yellow with black head, and EX in an EX intro box seemed a good buy at $305. A Wilson 6 in 1 Wobbler that was EX in a VG picture box sold for $429. An original Fred Young Big O, signed and numbered in EX and greenback color reached $355. A Biff Musky Spiral Bait, EX in a G-VG box was bid to $326. A Tempter Frog that was EX in a VG box brought $760.01. A Paw Paw Great Injured Minnow in green perch scale that was EX in an EX box sold for $365. A Bud Stewart Crippled Wiggler that was EX in an EX picture box brought $575. A Jim Donaly Wow in green and mint in a mint box with papers was bid all the way to $1580. A Lockhart's Wagtail Witch in Red color that was EX in a VG picture box sold for $1375. A 1920s Moonlight underwater minnow, white with red head and EX in a VG box

There were some nice Creek Chub baits this month, including a Surface Dingbat, in yellow skunk color, but only G-VG brought $240. A Baby Wiggler #205 in red side and EX- in an EX- box sold for $460.05. A Sarasota in Silver flash and EX condition was bid to $462. A five hook Underwater Minnow #1800 in chub or greenback scale sold for $888.59. Another one that was blue back rainbow and EX brought $1439.

A Heddon 900, yellow/red spots and VG, sold for $520. A 100 in Goldfish scale and VG reached $356.21. A Heddon Meadow Mouse, black with white head and EX reached $510. It was EX as you can see in the photo to the right. A No Snag River Runt N9119XWB, white/black shore, in G-VG reached $663.21. A Hi-Tail in Checkerboard and VG sold for $320. A Zaragossa, Red head/frog scale, GE and VG+ brought $480.

Pflueger items included a VG 1911 wooden box ONLY for a Neverfail Minnow. It topped out at $635.77. A Muskellonge Minnow fro 1892 (?) and VG sold for $627. A Strawberry Surprise Minnow in EX in an EX maroon box topped out at $1700.89. A Maybug metal bait in VG- brought $1594.

Metal stuff included an Arbogast Kicker that was Mint in an EX box and sold for $490.20. A pepper Batwing Spinner with an 1893 patent and EX sold for $1675.

A final really nifty item was this 12 pack of South Bend Trout Orenos. As you can see they were in assorted colors and were EX in an EX box. This item was bid to $3481.84.

Many thanks to this month's contributors which include Gary Estabrook, Laurie Bingham, Bill Muth, Larry Pearson, Dan Basore, Frank Knapp, Tom Maxon, Bill of the Old Fishin Barn, Ben Wright, Harvey Garrison, Mike Frome, Carl Schultz, Bill Arp, and Ake Sundberg of Finland.