Fall Auction

eBay Report - July 2004

Some of those finds at the NFLCC National Meet appeared this month to allow collectors a chance at those scooped up bargains.

Lures:

One nifty item that came up early in the month was a near mint condition Shakespeare Musky Minnow. It was a 5 hooker in rainbow color, and it drew 24 bids before selling for $6000.02. It is pictured to the right. An early Shakespeare Revolution all aluminum and in EX brought $368.77. A Rhodes Perfection Minnow from 1908 and in EX did well. It was white/orange back and red stripes and brought $610.

Miscellaneous lures included an Oliver & Gruber Glowurm in the Red & White color that was G in an EX wooden box which brought $207.55. A Johnson Automatic Striker in 3" size and silver finish (perch?) that was VG in a G box topped out at $511.25. A Winchester Multi-Wobbler in the blended green back and VG sold for $238.06. A Sea Gull (Moonlight) fly rod lure #504 that was mint in an EX box brought $710. A Detroit Glass Minnow Tube in EX sold for $455. A C. V. Graves, pat. 1897 Arrowhead Spinner that was VG in a VG box brought $1912.87. The same seller had a Welch & Graves minnow tube in a wooden box but it did not meet the reserve. A neat Oscar Christiansen Viking Frog, mint in an EX box sold for $1250.

A Pflueger Kent Frog EX in a fair box received 19 bids and sold for $521. A beautiful Pflueger Catalina, Silver Sparks color #5503, and EX in an EX box seem a great buy at $230.49. It was 4-1/4 inches long. A green crackleback E.A. Pflueger New Winner Minnow from 1907 that was EX in an very nice wooden box garnered 25 bids before selling for $990.87.

Anyone need a Heddon Frog? All you need to do is watch eBay now and then, and one's bound to come up for you. This one had provenance - "It came from my Grandpa's Dad". The seller valued it at $18,000 to $20,000, but he was willing to let it go for $4500 after 26 bids. It is shown here. Anyone want to buy James Henshall's personal bass reel? Other Heddon baits of interest included a 159A Rainbow Minnow in EX, in a VG white border down leaping bass box. It sold for $4633.98. An EX- 150 fat body in a VG down bass box brought $530.50. An EX- Head-On Basser, goldfish color in a VG box sold for $625. A Coast Minnow, 6-3/4" and strawberry color, but only good condition topped out at $585.99. A Luny Frog Vamp #7509BF that was VG+ in a G+ box, with L rig, sold for $500.

Heddon Plastics included a Punkinseed Spook #9630, White/Red head and glitter that was VG+ and sold for $610. A Lucky 13 in 4" size, and white/spook bars and EX condition received a lot of attention (23 bids) and sold for $1625. A salt Water Vamp, EX in a VG box and in Strawberry color reached $635.

Creek Chub lures of interest included a Wiggler #112 (red) that was NIB. It sold for $535.05. A Baby Jigger #4119 (frog) that was Mint in a VG box brought $255. A 5 hook minnow in Redside and EX reached $860. A Giant Jointed Pikie that was EX in a VG box brought $482.77. It was a nice green & black stripes over silver color and measured 14" overall. A Tarpon Pike in white/red head and EX sold for $283.99.

Miscellaneous Stuff:

A combination minnow bucket and trap, The Jones Minnow Pail, came up with VG green paint. It topped out at $301.05. A triangular glass minnow trap in VG reached $450. It is shown here. A green triangular glass trap in VG-EX sold for $320.

A box labeled General Grant Johnson's Torpedo Auto-Hook, patented in 1866 came up for sale. There were 6 hooks that were new in the box. Unfortunately there was only the box top and it was in G condition. It didn't hurt much, however, as this rare item sold for $1884.99. A Marbles fish knife #81 in VG in a G sheath brought $531.51.

A 1940 Creek Chub Bait Co. catalog in EX sold for $279.99. A CCBC catalog from 1917, reported to be their second catalog but in poor condition, brought $202.51. An Orvis 1963 catalog that was new in the envelope brought an astounding $155.50. A 1941 Edward vom Hofe catalog in VG condition sold for $140.27. An EX William Mills catalog from 1934 brought only $79. Mills apparently sent out so many catalogs that they have is little interest today.

A new in box model of the Heddon Jenny airplane sold for $154.50 (would you put this together or leave it as is? Personally, I'd rather look at the airplane than a box with parts in it). A set of the NY state Denton Print portfolio, 70 pieces in all, and in VG condition sold for $495. A W. D. Chapman Baits & Tackle trade card from the 1800's, in VG condition, sold for $537.50.

A very unusual item was labeled a 1920's Indian Outboard Motor Folding Seat. I'm not sure what made it an outboard motor seat, but it looked like it was authentic and a neat "go-with" for the outboard motor (or Indian motorcycle collector). You can be the judge as it is pictured to the left. An Abercrombie & Fitch leather tackle box, c1910, and VG with a protective canvas cover sold for $362. Take a look to the left. This appeared to be the same tackle box that was sold with Edward vom Hofe's name on it. A copper fishing tackle box, 18 x 8 x 8 inches, and in VG was bid to $150.

A Bud Stewart Northern pike decoy c1940s sold for $178.58. An Oscar Peterson 7" sucker like decoy in EX- brought $651.

Reels:

Fly reels started the month strong with a very rare Meisselbach Featherlight #260 raised pillar version in VG selling for $686. Another interesting sale was a brass raised pillar Hendryx fly reel with the 1889 patent. I guess the good photos and description helped for it sold for $154.38. Take a look to the right. A Billinghurst fly reel in VG topped out at $1325.99. A Leonard Mills Trout Click reel, 2-3/4" size in Hard rubber and Aluminum, brought $1125. It was EX and had a half crank and a leather bag. A Pflueger Golden West 60 yard size and EX sold for $588, and it's lesser brother, the 4 Brothers Delite in 60 yd and VG sold for $195.50. The Golden West is German silver and hard rubber and the Delite's are nickel plated brass and HR. 

Salmon Fly Reels included a Thomas Conroy by Julius vom Hofe. It had eared raised pillars, was nickel plated brass and VG and brought $856. An Edward vom Hofe Restigouche #423, 6/0 salmon reel in German silver and hard rubber and VG condition brought $2285. Another Restigouche in the same size and VG in the box with a VG leather case reached $1651.

An under the rod Shakespeare M1810 Spincast, that was mint in an EX box, went all the way to $202.50.

A Pflueger Summit#1993L that was NIB with bag and papers sold for $102.50. A black Shakespeare President from 1976 that was sent to Leon Chandler (recently deceased famous Cortland tackle executive) received 16 bids and sold for $280. The reel was new in the box and came with authentication. 

A William Mills raised pillar bass reel by Julius vom Hofe sold for $676. It was German silver and hard rubber and in VG condition. A Richardson Talbot Meteor that was EX in a leather case brought $493. A BC Milam #4, pre-serial number, with 12:00 half crank and in EX sold for $1136. A rare Heddon 4-18, "windshield wiper" level wind reel in EX condition was bid to $3050. A Julius vom Hofe baitcaster with hard rubber headplate click button and in EX topped out at $387.

Salt Water reels included a Kosmic Fishing Reel sold by J. B. Crook & Co. in German silver and hard rubber, which reached $713. An Edward vom Hofe Universal #491 in 2/0 size that was EX in a G leather case brought $425.50. A Pflueger Adams in 6/0 size and VG condition sold for $511. These are hard rubber and German silver construction.

Euro reels included an excellent Ambassadeur 2500 in a VG box, which received 27 bids before selling for $791. It is pictured to the left. a Hardy Goodwin #1 Beach Casting reel, 4" alloy in VG (from the 1940-53 period), sold for $287. A Hardy Uniqua in 2-7/8" size, Duplicating Mark 2 with a ribbed brass foot and VG brought $560. A Hardy Perfect in an unusual bright polished finish, which was in EX sold for $921.11. It was left hand wind and 3-3/4" in size. A Swiss Rainbow 888 reel that oscillates on the foot to level the line in EX sold for $356.

Rods:

It gets very tiring looking at quality bamboo fly rods with starting bids in the $3000, $2750, $2500 range. These sellers are not trying to have an auction, they hope to sell outright. One bid and the rod is sold. I guess that's an OK method, but it produces very few sales. The rods listed below that did sell all had a two figure starting price and a reasonable reserve.

A Leonard 7'6" 3/2 rod in EX brought 26 bids and sold for $1850. A Payne 8'6", 3/2 rod for a 4 weight line and in EX sold for $1583. A very nice item was a pair of Walton Powell companion rods, 6'6" and 7'6". They had matching serial numbers and were in VG and EX condition and sold for $1225.