eBay Report: May 2005

There were a few eye-popping wowsers this month, but most of the sales were of good solid tackle.

Reels:

I found more good reels offered than lures this month, which is unusual. Tops among the listings was the B. F. Meek & Sons #10 Tarpon Reel shown to the right. This early version of this sought after reel was also stamped with the New York retailer J. B. Crook and was in EX condition with a Crook marked original leather case. It sold for $10,100. A brass ball handle reel also with J. B. Crook markings, 2-5/8" in diameter and EX condition reached $451. Another ball handle - a Dame Stoddard & Kendall - in VG and 3¼ inches sold for $357. A Pflueger Atlapac 4/0 that was EX in a VG metal case reached $455. A 12/0 Edward Vom Hofe #722 big game reel in VG brought $1602.77.

Fly reels of interest included a Meisselbach Catucci Symploreel #372 with agate line guide that was in VG condition which sold for $240.19. A Billinghurst sidemount in VG reached $1551. A hard rubber and German silver Julius vom Hofe Salmon fly reel with raised pillars in EX brought $1265, while a JVH trout reel, 2" diameter, and German silver and hard rubber and VG reached $355. A Horton Meek #55 in VG sold for $206.48. A Generic hard rubber and German silver fly reel in EX brought $536.55. A Bodgan trout reel from 1974 that was unused topped out at $1285.68. A Leonard Bi-Metal raised pillar fly reel in EX sold for $3190.

Casting reels included a Meek & Milam brass #3 with 3 numbered screws and a restored crank knob but otherwise in EX brought $1425. An ABU Ambassadeur 5500C that was EX in an EX box with papers sold for $405. A ball bearing America Reel #2 in VG sold for $455. An unusual free spool Liberty Bell Model A, nickel plated brass and hard rubber, in EX sold for $305. A gold plated Ocean City #1810 casting reel that was EX in box with papers sold for $153.50. Another immediately came up, but as usually it did not reach the same lofty price and sold for $125.38. A Heddon Pal P41 narrow spool that was new in a VG box topped out at $167.50.

There were lots of reels offered from the UK this month, among them was a Scottish Pirn 3" fly reel made of Rosewood and brass and EX which reached $232. It is shown here. A 2¼ inch brass fly reel by J. Bernard & Son of London, which was in EX condition and brought $380. An Army & Navy brass 4¼ salmon reel in EX reached $268. A large Malloch Perth wood and brass salmon fly reel in EX sold for $666.25. A Hardy Hercules 4" brass salmon reel c1896 in G condition topped out at $650. A Perfect style Wesley Richards marked fly reel by Walter Dingley in 3¼ inch size topped out at $187.50. A French Wyers Freres type reel (I hope that's correct - The auction description was in French) that is very rare came up the last week of the month. It was in EX condition, and sold for $3130.

Miscellaneous Fishing Stuff:

There were some nice fish decoys this month. A Jim Nelson brook trout, 7" long and EX sold for $755. It is shown to the right. A Leroy Howell decoy in EX brought $300. It was an exotic red, gold and brown color with inch worm line tie. A VG Oscar Peterson trout decoy, 6" long, sold for $405.

A Malloch catalog from 1912 in EX reached $401.60. A Heddon catalog from 1936 in VG sold for $212.99. An Edward Vom Hofe 1941 catalog in EX sold for $185.50. A fine first edition copy of Martin Keane's Classic Rods & Rodmakers, in a VG dust cover brought $280. A Horrocks-Ibbotson calendar from 1936 in EX reached $255.56. The seller apparently did not know that the 12 calendar page prints were by Philip R. Goodwin. If he had stated that it would have probably doubled the price. A Remington Bullet Knife poster from 1986, "The Fisherman," in EX brought $139.41.

A really nice Falls City "Jones" minnow bucket in EX- received 16 bids and sold for $383.99. It is shown to the left. A black, lunchbox style, Shakespeare tackle box in VG sold for $167.50. Field & Stream badges continued to be hot as a gold tuna badge brought $732, a silver swordfish $676, a silver lake trout $306, and a silver yellowtail $560.

Lures:

The wowser of this section was a Bauman's Minnow Cage that was EX in a G-VG box. It sold for $3500 and is shown to the right. It was topped at the tail end of the month when an empty W. D. Chapman picture box in VG condition received 22 bids before ascending to the stratospheric price of $15,778.

Heddon lures included a Zane Grey trout size Wilder Dilg that was mint in an EX box. It sold for $289.08. a New Surface Minnow #402, white/blue head and VG, brought $284.99. A Punkinseed #730 in black with white spook ribs that was EX in a VG box/papers sold for $410. A five hook Minnow #159K, Gold Scale, with toilet seat hook hangers and EX brought $637.57. Another 150 minnow, this one in Sienna crackleback, L rigged and EX in a VG box sold for $660. A Goldfish/red scale shore Punkinseed #740 and EX condition was bid to $785. A Heddon Basser in frog scale that was EX in a VG box with papers climbed to $431.03. A Musky Crazy Crawler in the rare Chipmunk flocked finish and VG sold for $1148.

A Creek Chub Bait Company Underwater Minnow #1800 in Red side and VG reached $278.89. A Wigglefish #2405 in a beautiful redside finish and Mint in an EX box/papers sold for $381.88. A Lucky Mouse #4602 in Albino and EX brought $208.50. A Weed Bug in bug finish, EX in a VG box /papers sold for $575. A Shur Strike Round Nose Pikie bait in VG that was white/red head climbed to wowser status at $1675.

A Shakespeare Strike-It lure, white/blue head, and EX sold for $262.51. A South Bend Midget Lunge-Oreno in yellow/red head paint brought $315.56. A Moonlight/Paw Paw 5 hook Torpedo Lure, white with a red head and EX reached $866.51.

A Pflueger Musky Globe (5.25" long), yellow/gold spots, and mint in an EX canoe box brought $227.50. A VG Kingfisher 5 hook wooden minnow in white color with a VG box brought $330. These baits were made by Pflueger. A beautiful green mullet scale Surprise Minnow in VG condition sold for $454.

A Wise Mouse in grey splatter and EX sold for $647.06. It is shown to the left. A Jim Donaly Jersey Wow was one of the interesting baits by miscellaneous makers. It was yellow with black stripes and in VG and sold for $224.72. A Moonlight Lady Bug Wiggler, yellow/brown wings, and VG topped out at $531.01. A 5 hook Keeling Expert Minnow in green blend and VG sold for $265. A Darby Spin Head Weedless bait, white/green back and Red & White head and VG was bid to $300. A Chix salmon lure in VG, white/red head, sold for $315. A Florida Artificial Bait Co. Celluloid Shrimp, 5" long and EX sold for $406.

Rods:

An E. F. Payne fly rod, 8' 6", 3/2, with Edward Vom Hofe markings and EX sold for $2182. An Uslan 6' 6", 2/2 and EX brought $465. An EX Wright & McGill Granger Special, 8' 6", 3/2 reached $621.89. An H. L. Leonard 10' 6" salmon rod, 3/2 and EX sold for $820. A Leonard Hunt Special 50-5 that was unfished, 3/2, topped out at $3750. A Cortland impregnated cane fly rod, 7', 2/2, for a #6 line, and Mint reached $555.

A Phillipson Pacific bamboo steelhead casting rod, 9', 2/1 and VG brought $150. A Harnell black fiberglass Ultimate Tuna Rod, 8' 9" sold for $149.36. And just to prove that the Japanese are still buying those ugly Champion Featherweight casting rod handles, a green one in good condition brought $355.

This report could not be compiled without help. This month's contributors include Ben Wright, Bill Arp, John ???, Dan Basore, Frank Cristao, and Carl Schultz.