eBay Report - October 2003

The lure market didn't seem to get a great deal of activity, but there were some terrific reels and miscellaneous items sold this month.

Miscellaneous:

How about having an S. M. Davis Fish Trap, patented in March of 1877. What was described as a salesman's or counter sample of this unique item, which was probably an auto striking device, sold for $2550. It was cast iron and sitting on a wooden base. Take a look here.

A Thomas Chubb catalog from 1891 that was in VG condition received 22 bids before selling for $640. A Horton Manufacturing Co. Bristol catalog from 1940, which included the full line of Bristol rods, Meek reels, and Kingfisher line in EX condition sold for $182.50. A Creek Chub Bait Co. catalog from 1931 that looked EX condition reached $382.07.

A Maynard Reese original oil painting for the cover of the 1953 South Bend catalog sold for $625. It was a scene of a trout chasing a Trout Oreno lure. This was probably a terrific bargain considering the artists stature and the relationship to tackle collecting.

A toy Mercury outboard motor, 6" tall, but not working and sold as is, brought $858.99. It looked nice as you can see from this picture. Another Mercury #200 toy motor on a neat toy boat and in VG condition only brought $167.50. 

A Falls City "Confidence" minnow bucket looked very nice. It was green with silver decorations, and sold for $272.89.

A really neat piece was an old embossed Shakespeare glass dry fly oil bottle. It had a wooden stopper with brush, and in VG condition. It brought $273.88. (hmmm...I wonder what that one I used to own that was new in the box would bring on eBay today?)

One of many old magazines that appeared on eBay this month was a 1902 Field & Stream that was in EX condition. It topped out at $213.50.

Reels:

A surprise sale to many reel collectors was a "Huge Brass Reel" that weighed 30 pounds and was loaded with steel cable. A similar item had been discussed several months ago on the ORCA "Reel Talk" message board, and no one was sure what this "reel" could have been used for. Most believed it to be some sort of a winch. This one was labeled "G.M. Mfg. Co. NYC" and was in VG condition. It sold for $325.

A very scarce Meek & Milam #1 in VG condition sold for $4000. This is the smallest size Kentucky reel, which was actually made to be used as a fly reel. A G. W. Gayle & Son #3 reel of the raised gear housing "top hat" style and in EX condition brought $2683. A Montague made Pennell King German silver Kentucky style reel that was jeweled and in VG condition sold for $257. A Meisselbach round pillar style Takapart reel from 1903, with the auto click and in VG-EX brought $404. A Carlton 9 multiplier in VG condition sold for $535. This is a German silver and hard rubber reel. A scarce Heddon #3-15 casting reel with an anti-backlash bar installed and in EX sold for $835.

Fly reels of interest included A Hardy brass Perfect with rod in hand logo. This was an 1896 model, 3.5" salmon reel. It was in VG condition and topped out at £1755. It is shown here. Also a Hardy Monogram fly reel with agate line guide, marked with the Abercrombie & Fitch name, and in EX condition sold for $611. A Hard Rubber and German silver Julius vom Hofe #4 in EX condition brought $1025. An inexpensive reel at the time of manufacture, but very rare reel today, the Meisselbach Good Luck #6 was sold. It was only in G condition with a cracked foot, but still brought $472.19. A Carlton Lightweight fly reel in bronze finish and VG condition sold for $307.01.

Some interesting spinning reels included the Oliver reel made in Florida, with one being mint in a VG box. It sold for $219. A mint condition Zebco #333 sold for $338.33. This was because there were only two reels marked with the 333 number before the number was changed to #909 due to trademark problems. A green Penn uultra light spinning reel #716, EX in a G box with G papers brought $405.

A very scarce and unique reel to come up this month was a Liberty Bell Reel from Bristol, Connecticut. This is a hard rubber and German silver casting reel, and it was in EX condition. It sold for $450 and is shown here. An S handle Thos. J. Conroy marked NY #2 reel that was German silver and in EX condition sold for $1000.

A Shakespeare Miller in 10/0 size and in VG condition received 16 bids before selling for $2125. A pair of sandwich construction Pflueger reels provided an interesting comparison. A very early example marked "Pflueger Patent", 400 yard, and in VG condition sold for $510. One marked Avalon with the Bulldog logo and fitted with an early drag handle, but in only G-VG condition reached $910. Not to worry - the same bidder bought them both.

Lures:

The most interesting lure to me this month was not a lure, but an empty box. A seller posted five lure boxes in one lot, four of which were of minor interest, but the fifth was a white Heddon Killer picture box. It was only in good condition with staining on the box and label, but it sold for $4307.50. Take a look here. A Heddon #150 minnow in the wooden box with papers was offered. It was green crackle back (fancy back) and in EX condition and brought $2000. A Heddon #350 Musky Sufusser in Perch scale and VG+ received 29 bids before selling for $1194.69. In contrast a plastic Heddon Lucky 13, with tack eyes and in Rock Bass? color and VG sold for $898.

There seemed to be very little interest in the Creek Chub offerings this month as those I noted did not meet a minimum bid, and were not sold.

A South Bend 5 hook Panatela Minnow in the box, that was Aluminum with a red head, and in EX condition brought $363.88, and another South Bend 5 hook underwater minnow in perch scale and EX sold for $280.01

A nice Rhodes Mechanical Frog by Shakespeare in a cardboard box came up. The frog's rubber had hardened, but it was EX looking, and the box was VG, and it brought $2026 after 18 bids. It is shown to the right.

A Pflueger contract Neverfail minnow that was either a "New Winner" or a "Sterling", depending upon whether you looked at the top or the bottom of the box, was interesting. It was in EX condition, and the box was VG-EX, and it sold for $932.

Rods:

With most bamboo fly rod sale seeming to be in the tank, unless you didn't buy the rod on speculation, here are some other interesting rod sales.

A Champion Featherweight rod handle in green and in EX condition sold for $356. A J. C. Higgins Sears-Roebuck green solid fiber glass rod, with a marbled plastic handle reached $159.16. It is shown to the right. Also unique and interesting was one of those Stubcaster by Waltco, which was mint in the box with papers. Those are the rods bent into a coil spring in the middle and only 22" long. This one sold for $106.49.

Steel Action Rods are still hot. A five foot model with a white or ivory colored handle with maroon bands brought $287.55. Reverse the colors and have a maroon handle with white bands and it is worth only $182.50, or $197.50. Put a green handle with white spacer bands and it sells for $212.50 (this was a 4.5' rod), or make the handle in red with white spacer and it brings $163.16. It seems really strange to me to be color collecting steel rods, but then again, who'd figure anyone would pay $2000 for a plastic lure?

Thanks to all the contributors this month: Tom Maxon, Mike Frome, Randy Tschetter, Ben Wright, Chris LaBuz, Harvey Garrison, Carl Schultz, Bill Wiedemann, Bill Arp, and Kirk Ewart. If I missed some of your favorites, send them to me next time.