eBay Report - June 2003

June brought some nice items that received high interest, but quantity was lacking. The summer seems to mostly be a buyer's market for the more common items.

Reels:

There was a very interesting auction for a B.F. Meek & Sons #44 Fly Reel. It was in EX condition, and drew 32 bids. Three of the well known high rollers posted bids that brought the reel to the selling price of $8600. Other fly reels of interest were a Leonard & Mills Salmon Reel of hard rubber and German silver that was near mint. It sold for $1925. A Bogdan #0 Salmon reel in EX condition sold for $999. An EX tiny 40 yard Montague hard rubber and nickel plated brass fly reel reached $184.49, and a Cozzone rubber and German silver model in VG condition brought $362.00.

There was a lot of buzz about spinning reels this month. A first version Mitchell 300 that was New in the box (VG) with papers sold for $3052.45. What was that about collecting spinning reels because they are inexpensive! Another fixed spool reel of interest was an English Howban reel that was in VG condition, except for a metal crack. This defect reduced the sale down to $490. This rare reel is shown here. Also sold this month was an Illingworth #1 in EX condition that was apparently a transitional model. It sold for $1775.

Quality Kentucky reels were scarce this month, but a B.F. Meek & Sons Bluegrass Simplex #33 in VG, in a nice box with papers sold for $685.

A Lenz reel from Seattle came up. This interesting reel has been climbing in value recently. The reel features a grease filled micrometer drag, and comes in many sizes, colors, and shapes. This example was 5" x 1-1/2", and VG condition. It brought $356.00, and is shown here. Another reel of interest was a Roy Roger's "Authenticated" South Bend #915 trolling reel. This reel was in VG-EX condition and sold for $119. A Monarch Indiana style reel in the box, Reel EX/Box G, sold for $320.00. 

Miscellaneous Fishing Stuff:

A pair of Shakespeare advertising signs came up in June. Both were mounted on stiff board, and probably used for displays at trade shows. One was 8.5 x 10 inches and featured a leaping bass. It brought $548. The other was larger - 20 x 48 inches - and featured the Marhoff reel. This three part sign sold for $1225.

A nifty Lucas Rectangular minnow bucket from Horrocks-Ibbotson in G-VG condition came up. This bucket featured neat graphics (shown here). It was 11 x 10 x 5 inches, and seemed like a good buy at $104.05.  A triangular glass minnow trap in G-VG condition sold for $242.50.

An interesting sale was that of a complete collection, or accumulation. This had been gathered with little regard to collectibility, just what the buyer liked. It consisted of 250 lures, 30 floats, 50+ reels, 35 rods & reels, and lots of misc. stuff. The shipping was $80-100. This accumulation brought $1525. A portfolio of the NY Forest, Fish & Game Commission prints consisting of 99 prints by Dentol, Fuertes, Ridgeway and Kemp in VG condition sold for $1301.10.

A Shakespeare early round split shot tin with the "honor built" logo sold for $270.07. It was in EX condition.

Rods:

A nice bamboo Jim Heddon Favorite #851 casting rod sold. It was 5-1/2 foot long, light action and in EX condition. It brought $255.00. An Orchard Industries Action-Rod with a green and white handle, and only 4-1/2 foot long and VG condition brought $232.45, and a Fenwick 6' Yellow Jacket fiberglass casting rod in VG-EX reached $285.00.

Bamboo fly rods that sold were a Paul Young 8', 5 weight 2/2 Parabolic 15 in EX condition. It reached $2159.88. A Dickerson #8014, 2/2, for a 6 wt line, but revarnished to VG brought $2005.00. An Orvis Rocky Mountain 6'6" rod, 2/2 for a 6 wt and EX condition sold for $770.

Lures:

Just as all those spinning reel collectors are finding that prices are escalating, so are those plastic lure collectors. A Heddon River Runtie spook in black shore minnow (XBW) and EX sold for $406.01. It is shown here. Another was a Zara Spook from the 1980s in an unusual color and the swayback version which brought $615. And then there was the black scale Sonic in EX that got 19 bids before topping out at $283.77. More traditional Heddon lures included an EX Black Sucker that was given to the seller by a relative, and sold for $4250.00. A nice Surface Wiggler in the box with papers in old perch color received 22 bids before selling for $1894.

A South Bend 3 hook minnow with yellow hex paint and EX condition sold for $295.

A Creek Chub Dinger in Fireplug color and EX condition received 27 bids before selling for $1101.77. It was a beauty, and is shown here. A CCBC Black scale Plunker in EX brought $620.

A pair of Charmer Minnows were sold (separately); both were EX in boxes (VG-EX), and both were purchased at the buy it now price of $3000 by the same buyer. Both were Orange, one with red stripes and the other had green stripes. A Detroit glass Minnow Tube, EX in a VG box came up twice. The first time it was bid to $2805, but did not meet the reserve. The second time it sold for $2375. Neither of the two high bidders the first time around came back to bid again. A beautiful Woods Expert Minnow sold for $1625. It was silver with a green back, and VG-EX condition. An Arbogast "Pikey Minnow" mint in a W&J Specialty Co. box sold for $1252.57.

A Pflueger St. Lawrence Gang Hook box, with a rubber minnow inside, all in G-VG condition reached $1425. I have a feeling the minnow attracted as much attention as the box. A Pflueger Kent Floater with side hooks missing, but otherwise EX brought $1082.50.

Many thanks to: Carl Schultz, Ben Wright, Frank Knapp, Walt Maynard, and Chris Labuz for your help this month