Fall Auction

eBay Report - March 2007

Over $2000 for a bobber is a bit scary, but the buyer and seller both must have been well pleased...

Miscellaneous Fishing Stuff

The highlight of the month was a 13" bobber with an American Flag pattern paint scheme and EX, which sold for $2126.99. It is shown to the right.

As often happens, the results of the sale of quite a few catalogs last month brought out many more this month. Interesting ones were a Creek Chub 1925 in VG for $412, and a 1927 in EX- reached $510.02; A 1925 South Bend in EX in mailer reached $180.27; A Fred Arbogast catalog in EX from 1941 sold for $88.88; A Horrock's-Ibbotson 1934 in VG reached $132.50; A Pflueger 1919 with no cover so G brought $271.89. A Tycoon/Fin-Nor advertising booklet in G sold for $201.50. Another notable paper sale was a Forest & Stream magazine from July 1916 with a Louis Rhead cover of a leaping trout in VG which reached $191.49.

A 10 tine eel spear in EX brought $152.50. Another marked "I.D. Fordham" and EX sold for $631. A brass spring gaff or frog gig, patented in 1889, and VG brought $122.39. A silver cigarette case with fishing scene in color and EX reached $218.12. A Gabby Hayes fishing outfit in a tin case, missing a few parts o/w EX, brought $107.05.

An Orvis glass minnow trap wooden box ONLY in VG with paper label in G sold for $302.98. A Sandy Hook minnow bucket, in green/gold decorations and VG, sold for $721.18. An Oscar Peterson Shiner spearing decoy, 5" and EX topped out at $599.95. One of my favorite fishing tins, an H-I rainbow trout leader tin in VG condition brought $107.50.

Rods:

Fiberglass rods are becoming collectible. Most readers are aware of the high price paid by Japanese collectors for older fiberglass casting reels; however interest is spreading to other types of rods. An Orvis Golden Eagle fiberglass fly rod, 6' 6", 2/1, in mint condition with an EX Orvis Madison reel brought $433.80. A Phillipson UL spinning rod #G-MS562, 5' 6", 2/1 in EX reached $213.61. A Phillipson fiberglass casting rod, 6', 2/1, in VG sold for $204.50. Another in model 800, 6', 2/1 and VG- brought $410.

A Hawes fly rod made for Abercrombie & Fitch, #A435, 9', 3/2 and VG sold for $737.50. An F. E. Thomas Browntone Special, 8', 3/2 in EX- brought $1800. An EX San Francisco Winston fluted hollow bamboo fly rod, 8'9", 2/2, reached $`1283. A 7' Leonard Model 38, 2/2 in EX topped out at $1535.55. A Paul Young Para 15 made for Dan Bailey, 8', 2/2 and VG sold for $1985. A Horrocks-Ibbotson Tonka Prince, 7', 2/2 and EX brought $235.78. An EW Edwards Quadrate, 8', 3/2 and restored to EX sold for $1325. A Thomas & Thomas "The Classic", 7', 2/1, EX brought $820.

A Kovalovsky Big Game wooden rod in good condition sold for $821.87, while a Leonard boat rod, 5'6" and Mint brought $405.99.

Reels:

An unusual Holzmann Surf King, hard rubber and GS reel in VG started off a strong month by reaching $1051. A similar Perez #1 in 2/0 size and EX reached $245.50.  An aluminum Ohio Tool Co. 4/0 in VG condition sold for $240.17.

A 100 yard Shakespeare Perfect from 1922 that was EX in a VG box sold for $317.66. It is shown to the right. A Pflueger Summit, EX- in an EX- box, date stamped 1937, brought $330.99. An early Pflueger Redifor in EX reached $214.49. A Talbot Eli from Nevada, MO and EX attained $760. A German silver G. W. Gayle & Son #3 in EX sold for $2000, while a Gayle Aluminum #4 in EX brought $2375.

Modern era casting reels included an Ambassadeur  2500 in VG+ for $635.99. An Ambassadeur 4000D, new in a mint box/papers reached $611. An ABU Ambassadeur 6500 in brown color and EX realized 22 bids before selling for $491. A Montgomery Ward Hawthorne (Bronson Invader), EX in case with papers topped out at $612.11.

NY style reels included a German silver, 3" Conroy & Bissett with S handle, in EX- which sold for $800. An EX Wm. Mills & Son GS, ball handle, only 2¾" x 1¾" reached $554. A larger Hawks & Ogilvy in GS with S handle and EX fetched $785.99. A Brass O'Haver & O'Bannon in EX and pat. 1871, brought tears of joy on St. Patrick's day as it jigged its way to $859.95.

British reels included A Hardy Jock Scott baitcaster with ebonite side plates that was in EX condition sold for $775. It is shown to the left. A Hardy St. George Jr. in VG with nice white agate line guide did well at $1225.

Unusual reels included a Waltonian sidemount reel that was in VG and brought $234.30. A brass Indiana Style reel in EX reached $188.29.

Lures:

Al Capp was probably beaming in heaven as a green scale Shmoo Plug in Mint condition brought $252. For those of you who don't remember Lil Abner, the lure is pictured to the right.

Other miscellaneous maker presentations included an Arbogast 3 hook wooden Musky Jitterbug, red/gold scale and mint that sold for $277.75; Another, only shad/black head color, brought $280.77. A 2 hook version in black color and EX- in a G box sold for $800. A Nichols Shrimp Lip, green scale and EX in an EX box sold for $598.88, and a Texas Sportsman's Shrimp, Mint in green frog color brought $500. A Paw Paw Bullhead, VG and green perch color reached a very nice $1600. A St. Croix Neon Firefly, red body with mercury inside, that was EX in box sold for $305. An Indiana made Retreating Minnow that was G in a G box, in black color brought $675.

Heddon lures included a 6" King Basser #8569SPPE that was VG in a VG box that sold for $510. A Luminous Basser #8502, Mint in an EX box reached $565. A Baby Dowagiac #20 in rainbow, EX- in an EX box brought $430. A Torpedo #139, green perch scale with toilet seat hangers, EX in a VG box reached $408.21. An EX Heddon Sonic, white/red eyes and a Johnson Outboard Motor logo, sold for $352.50. An old green crackleback 150 minnow with high forehead and VG brought $819.01. A 4 hook, friction collar Slopenose, white/blue nose and VG+ topped out at $828. A plastic Tiny Lucky 13 in bluegill and EX topped out at $547.75.

A South Bend Whirl-Oreno, red & white, EX in an EX box fetched $331.09, while a glass eyed Bass Oreno, red/black head and mint in an EX box brought $306. An aluminum Shakespeare Baby Revolution in EX sold for $239.33. A Pflueger Neverfail Underwater Minnow in rainbow and EX brought $610, and a Conrad Frog that was Mint in an EX box/paper reached $305.

Creek Chub lures continue to sell well, as a Giant Pikie, strawberry color and MIB with papers sold for $392. A Beetle in Western Auto RH Shiner, and VG reached $500. A Midget Plunker #5900, orange/black stripes and VG in a VG box, sold for $657. A Pop N Dunk #6300 Special, pearl color and VG in a VG box/papers, brought $457.99.

Modern era lures do well. A Castaic rainbow trout swimbait EX in box brought $305. I thought they were expensive when they came out at $90 or so, just a few years back.

The Jim Brown fly rod bait collection is still spewing out some dandies, and this month they presented an EX Louis Rhead frog in brown, which topped out at $1825. It is shown to the left. As often happens with high dollar sales like this, another example appeared a few weeks later. It was in G condition and reached $510. A Louis Rhead Sculpin in EX brought $481.56.

Metal baits included a Buel Arrowhead #2 spinner with 1852 patent. It was silver plated and VG and fetched $775.11.