Fall Auction

eBay Report - February 2006

There was lots of good stuff this month with a big rebound in quality lures.

Miscellaneous Fishing Stuff

A really nice Lake Chautauqua trout fish decoy, c1890s and 8" long brought $4060. It is shown to the right. Another similar one from the same find with carved wooden tail and VG reached $2801.

Heddon Jenny's are flying out of the sky...There were a couple this month, with the first model, with 11" wingspan and in EX bringing in $454. A Heddon toy truck that was EX in box sold for $228.49. (I thought those were still available?). A "Coggie" fly vise by P. D. Malloch, c1925 and EX condition topped out at $396.59 A Connecticut porcelain sign declaring "State Leased Fishing Waters - Fishing Permitted," and in G condition brought $154.19. A Weber Lifelike Fly Co. oak display in VG received 23 bids before selling for $1600. A Hardy fly wallet with lots of flies, in EX brought $216.30. A 14" tall Tarpon Fishing Trophy Cup from the Miami Angler's Club in 1925, 14" tall and VG condition, sold for $329. Another from 1924 but only G-VG with plating loss brought $256. A Wilson-Wetherall Line Dryer by Farlow in EX and made of brass brought $412.59. An automatic spring hook labeled as a "Frog Hook Fishing Lure" in VG sold for $666.99.

A Scandinavian tournament creel (looked like a small barrel) for live fish in VG sold for $1136.11. It was 12" tall x 10" in diameter. A British "gentlemen's" creel with center hole and shown in an 1894 Hardy catalog illustration brought $1131.20. It is shown to the left.  A leather tackle case or "Hold All" for salmon fishing by Farlow reached $3200, while a Hardy trout size version in EX brought $721. A V. L. & A. canoe seat made like a snow shoe and VG reached $260.50. A Winchester #8241 line spool with the center hole punched out soared to $281.

A 1922 Edward vom Hofe catalog in EX sold for $610. A mint in mailer 1932 South Bend catalog sold for $305. A Pflueger 1920s pocket catalog in EX brought $203.50. A 1924 Creek Chub catalog in EX reached $760.01. A Currier & Ives original lithograph of brook trout that was VG in an old frame sold for $355. A lighted Daiwa Dealer clock in EX sold for $182.50.

Lures:

The abundance of good fly rod lures continued that a couple of collections are being pieced out. A CCBC Fly Rod Darter in Frog color and EX sold for $2201. A Bug Wiggler in Natural Bug and EX brought $372.77, while a red & white one reached $408.29. A Fly Rod Hum Bug, black, white & green, that was new on card brought $611.11. A Shur Strike River Master fly rod lure, EX and silver flitter brought $519. A

Heddon lures included an Underwater Expert "missing link" that received 31 bids. It was EX and sold for $9001. An 1800 Crab Wiggler in a beautiful gold scale and EX brought $676.66. It is shown to the right. A Baby Vamp in a beautiful blue scale and EX reached $1026. A Musky 700 in early perch, EX in a restored down leaping bass box brought $5000. A GE Mouse that was green with white belly and EX in a VG box brought $477.99. A 1700 in Frog spot with pigtail line tie and no eyes and EX sold for $1203. A Deep-O-Diver in Green crackleback and EX in a VG white box reached $1025. A Spin Diver, frog spot and EX in a VG box reached $1031.66. A Red & White Luny Frog with closed legs and VG topped out at $610. A Surfusser #350 in copper color and EX- sold for $960.99.

Lure boxes included a Moonlight Zig Wag box only that was labeled EX, but only looked G to me, which brought $557.77. Another box only was for a Chippewa Skipper by C. J. Frost, and it was EX and sold for $1830. A Shakespeare wooden box in EX for a New Shiner Minnow brought $1282.77.

Smaller company lures included an EX 4" Immell Chippewa in pike size and rainbow which reached $699.92. A Jim Pfeffer 5 hook Minnow, VG and yellow/green back & spots, sold for $255. An unknown old frog, green color, brought $373. A silver Woods Round Expert that was VG in a poor maroon box reached $789.06. A Joe Pepper 20th Century 3 hook Minnow, VG and green back over white, sold for $256.60. A plastic Nichols Shrimp, W/RH and EX sold for $416.11. A Manitou Minnow that was Mint in an EX box /papers and wrench and green scale sold for $2574. A glass minnow tube by Wilton/Hennings and EX sold for $811.99.

A Pflueger Neverfail Minnow that was EX in an EX wooden box labeled "Ketch Fish Wood Minnow" topped out at $1482. A Pflueger Salesman's case with 83 lures on boards and VG reached $700. A copper South Bend Surf Oreno in EX condition sold for $484. A South Bend Bass Oreno in silver and black (clown?) and VG brought $430. A Worden 3 hook Minnow in greenback and VG in a G white box reached $1291.77.

A #100 in Natural Scale that was Mint in an EX intro box lead off the Creek Chub baits and brought $757.74. A Plunker in Redwing Blackbird that was EX in an EX box sold for $310. A Darter #2000 in Mullet that was EX in a plastic top box reached $301. A Weed Bug in silver flash and VG rose to $1125. It is shown to the left. An A.L. & W. CCBC Wiggler in Redside Chub and Mint in a VG box/papers sold for $455. A Baby Bomber in Victory finish, mint in a G box, topped out at $403.

Metal baits included a Buel Spinner with 1852 patent and silver plate in VG that brought $1125. An Arbogast Tin Liz Snake with 3 fins and EX sold for $650. An Allcock Badminton Spinner that was VG brought $536 and a Gregory Metal Minnow, GE and nickel plated brass, and EX sold for $1355.

Rods:

A mint condition Herter's 8', 2/2 bamboo fly rod that was made in England reached $310. A Devine 8', 3/2 with "Folsom Arms" decal and EX brought $431.08. A Phillipson Power Pakt, 7'6", 2/1 in EX sold for $356, while a Phillipson Peerless 5, 7'6", 2/2 with one tip 1.5" short o/w EX brought $380.. An impregnated Orvis Battenkill, 8', 3/2, and EX brought $380. An EX Paul Young 8', 2/2, with Dry and Wet fly tips received 21 bids before selling for $2651.01. Another Young in a 9', 2/2 Bob Doerr Model and EX brought $1124. A Mint condition Heddon Blue Waters, 9', 3/2 sold for $340. A 9'6" Goodwin Granger Victory, 3/2 and EX sold for $385. An Abercrombie & Fitch Touradif No. 701 bicycle rod, 8'8" and VG sold for $266.55. It is shown to the right.

Antique rods included a John Krider wooden boat rod, 7'6", trumpet guides and VG for $200. An Edward Vom Hofe 12'6" classic spey rod c1920s by Edwards, 3/2 and VG brought $480. An Abbey & Imbrie wooden fly rod by Leonard in V-VG condition brought $768.32. A Kosmic rod from U.S. Net & Twine, 9', 3/1, floppy ring guides and G-VG topped out at $338.

The Garrison/Carmichael book "A Master's Guide to Building a Bamboo Fly Rod" in a VG 1st Ed with VG jacket sold for $167.50.

Reels:

The month started off with a very rare J. Drieser c1880 reel in handle in VG which sold for $2512.18. It is pictured to the right. Another reel and handle that wasn't as old was the Master-Kaster pump-action reel with no rod and VG it sold for $350. Also interesting was a white box only for a Shakespeare Perfect #23051 in VG that brought $166.99.

Salt Water reels included an Edward Vom Hofe Matecumbe M800 bonefish reel, GS and rubber and VG that brought $510. An EVH 12/0 Commander Ross Big Game reel that was EX sold for $1805. A Meisselbach Salt Water reel with Rabbeth drag handle, VG except for a missing end cap topped out at $384.99. A 9/0 Julius Vom Hofe B-Ocean in EX sold for $668.58. An Australian Steelite Duplex Big Game reel of Bakelite and metal sold for $620.

Casting reels started off with a rare Meisselbach "three screw" Tri-part in VG that sold for $219.20. A green Arjon Fighter in VG sold for $320. An ABU Ambassadeur 5500, gold color from 1977 and mint, brought $1814.78. A Record Ambassadeur 5000 model SG from 1953 the first year of production and EX, brought $2025. An Ambassadeur Ultra Mag XL-II, New in Box with papers, tools, etc, reached $392.58. A red color Pflueger Nobby 1965 free spool that was Mint in an EX box brought $177.50. Kentucky style reels included a B.C. Milam & Son #3 in VG uncleaned condition for $835. A B. F. Meek & Sons Bluegrass #5 in VG sold for $711.

New York reels included a brass ball handle Andrew Clerk & Co. in VG for $431.01. A J. C. Conroy ball handle in VG brought $585.

The biggest buzz in fly reels was for an old Pflueger Medalist #1494 that was EX in a VG maroon box/papers. It sold for $800. Other fly reels included a German silver reel "attributed to" Frederick Vom Hofe and EX topped out at $1275. It is shown to the left. A Seamaster Mark 1 that was gold color and mint and brought $3800. An aluminum Hendryx 100 yd fly rod in VG brought $304.95. A Montague "Trout" fly reel, GS/HR, 100 yd and EX- sold for $283.09. A Julius Vom Hofe GS/HR raised pillar #1 size reel in EX sold for $837. A Leonard-Mills GS/HR fly reel in VG reached $1080. Edward Vom Hofe's Tobique 3/0 fly reel, EX in a marked EVH leather case brought $2200.

Finally, there were some strange doings with Kiest Indiana reels. A reel with no box sold for $350 early in the month and then one that was as new in a red can with all the papers, etc. brought $266.99. Weird!

As always, many thanks go to: Bill Wiedemann, Frank Cristao, Frank Knapp, Ben Wright, Kirk Ewart, Bill Arp, Dan Basore, and Barry Watson.