Fall Auction

eBay Report - September 2004

The fall upswing in activity didn't seem to occur this year. Maybe October will be the month...

Rods:

Mass produced rods of interest included a South Bend Cross Double Built M255 (shown to the right). It was 9', 3/2, and G-VG and sold for $168.50. I tried to fish one of those Cross double built rods for bass a long time ago, but it took a better man than me to handle it all day. An Unused South Bend #24, 8'6", 3/2 in mint condition with celo wrap still on the cork sold for $325. This was one of SB's higher quality rods in an Aluminum tube. A Phillipson Pacemaker, 8'6", 3/2 in EX- reached 199.50. A Phillipson Ed. M. Hunter model 3/2, 8'6", for an HDH line and EX sold for $232.50. A Heddon Expert #125, 8'6", 3/2 and EX reached $372.75. A Heddon #17, 9'6", 3/2, in the bag & tube and all in EX condition brought $331.99. Montague rods included a Fishkill, 8'6", 3/2 and in VG that sold for $165.98. A Redwing, 8'6", 3/2 and EX topped out at $255. An English Hardy Palakona "Marvel, 7'6", 3/2 for a 3-4 wt. line, and in Mint sold for $1566.

An 8' Payne fly rod 3/2 with detachable handle, all in the proper bag and tube and VG sold for $2325; and a Payne casting rod #308, 2/2, 5'6" and EX in bag and tube was snapped up on a buy it now for $450. An Orvis Battenkill, 8'6" for a 7 wt. restored to VG and previously owned by Joe Brooks came up. It had a Johnson Magnetic fly reel and a copy of Brooks book, Fly Fishing and had all the provenance and sold for $645. An Orvis 7' impregnated combo fly/spin rod that was mint drew 35 bids before selling for $345. An Orvis kit rod, 7'6", 2/1, impregnated, and EX sold for $356. An Edwards Quadrate #50, 8', 3/2, VG received 36 bids to sell for $905.50. A Winston bamboo casting rod, 6' 1 pc brought $424.24. The rod was reportedly the final non fly rod made by Winston in 1977. An E.C. Powell bamboo casting rod, 6', 2/1 EX with no bag or tube reached $331. An E.C. Powell 9'6" steelhead rod, 2/2, EX sold for $561. A Sewell Dunton & Son heavy duty fly rod with extended butt, 9' 2/2 in EX condition brought $250.

Those Champion Featherweight rod handles are still being gobbled up by the Japanese. A red colored one in EX reached $399.60. A Featherweight All Angle with cork grip in EX sold for $201.30. And then what was described as a yellow colored handle (it looks white to me) with a 5' custom glass rod, all in EX, reached $605.95. It is shown to the left. Actionrods are mostly sought after here in the US. a pair of handles (green and plum) with one 4'6" steel shaft, all EX, reached $201.50. Another Actionrod with red & white striped handle, 5' square steel shaft, received 20 bids before selling for $114.50. A True Temper Uni-Spin rod & reel combination, 6'6", 2/2 in case and EX reached $150.55. A Hurd Supercaster in VG-EX sold for $175. A Fenwick fiberglass Lunker Stik #PLC 65 received 19 bids before selling for $237.50. The rod is 2 piece + a detachable handle, 6'6", and heavy action. It was EX condition. A Silaflex fiberglass Medallion Fly Rod, 7'6", 4/1, Model MF75-4 in EX reached $280.

Miscellaneous Fishing Stuff:

A 7-1/2" Bear Creek Ice King decoy that was EX in an EX box sold for $174.23. It was pike color and is shown to the right. A Bud Stewart frog decoy in Mint sold for $243.50. An VG Oscar Peterson 6-1/2" sucker decoy with a plain jigging stick topped out at $1025.

A Creek Chub Bait Company catalog from the 1930s in VG sold for $275.33. Would someone please explain to me the attraction of a Storm Lure Co. catalog from 1997? An EX example sold for $76.00 and the seller refers to one selling for $180 in a past auction. A 1917 Hardy Bros. Angler's Guide in VG+ condition sold for $572.11. A William Mills 1917 catalog in VG brought $153.50. A 1929 Heddon catalog in EX reached $465.28. An 1891 Thomas Chubb catalog that unfortunately had no cover and was in only G condition sold for $112.50.

A nice copy of Zane Grey's Tales of Fishes, 1919 1st Edition by Harper & Bros. sold for $113.61. A Fine copy of Martin Keane's Classic Rods & Rodmakers in a VG dust cover, 1976 1st Ed, brought $135.39. A Ben Paris Pacific Northwest Fishing & Hunting Guide, 1956-57 version in VG sold for $101.

A Marshall Wells celluloid top split shot container in VG sold for $132.50. An Abbey & Imbrie version in EX received 38 bids and topped out at $189.57. Late in the month an earlier A&I tin that was green and white, with the dolphin logo and EX brought $128.19. It had a 1912 copyright date on it. An Abercrombie & Fitch leader wallet made with cellophane leaves and a cover sold for $192.50. It was new in the box.

An Orvis glass minnow trap that was EX in a VG home made wooden box sold for $260.53. A "Fat Boy" glass trap in EX brought $212.50. A Joy Big Boy minnow trap that was NIB topped out at $130.50.

A Poul Jorgensen signed salmon fly,  "Featherwing Durham Ranger" in EX sold for $316.87. It is shown to the left. A gold Pickeral Field & Stream badge in EX brought $182.50.

A Heddon Lone Eagle fishing kit, with casting rod and reel, line and stringer in a nice illustrated box in VG condition brought $534.99. A completed Heddon Jenny Model c1960s in EX sold for $406.

An L. L. Bean aluminum fish knocker with knife inside and in EX brought $73. An unused Case XX fly fishing knife with 10 dots (1970) sold for $240. A nice 1940's bobber, 7" and near mint, green/blue/white striping sold for $169.50.

Lures:

There were some interesting lures auctioned this month. Among the Heddon's was a Harden's Whiz that was EX and in a scale pattern It sold for $496.06, and is shown to the right. A rare Heddon Globe bait in rainbow and VG-, received 28 bids before selling for $338.33. A Tadpolly in green crackleback that was EX in a VG intro box brought $400. The big money winner among the Heddon's was a 901 Swimming Minnow that was EX in an EX box. It was yellow/red spots/black back. This bait received 15 bids before selling for $8,800. Another one was then put up for auction, which was EX in an EX white box in the same color and it brought $2025. A Heddon Dummy Double in "Carnival color" and VG sold for $915. A Tiny Punkinseed that was described at "lavender top/yellow bottom" shore pattern and EX condition brought $305. An EX Wiggle King in a VG box and strawberry color reached $460.87.

A Creek Chub Bait Company Fintail Shiner that was MIB with papers brought $1327. A Surfster in Silver Flash color and EX in an EX box/papers reached 432.74. A Fly Rod Dingbat, white scale and mint sold for $1226. A Sarasota in Yellow/black spots and VG brought $238.50. A #1517 Injured Minnow in Luminous, with both eyes cracked, otherwise VG in a VG box sold for $400. A Wag Tail Chub #800, EX in goldfish scale, brought $362.77.

A South Bend red and black hex pattern 5 Hook Minnow that looked VG+ sold for $250. A #975 shovel head Pike Oreno in mud minnow color that was EX- brought $258. A South Bend Whirl Oreno, EX in frog spot, maxed out at $405. A Pflueger 3 hook Wizard, white/green back and EX sold for $371.88. A Shakespeare Fishy Lure, new on the card and in a proper dealer box reached $251.01. And as a finale, a Shakespeare picture box (only) for a No. 33 GA (green back, aluminum belly) underwater minnow came up. It was a sound maroon box with a chewed label and topped out at $1525.98

Miscellaneous lures included a round Wood's Expert Minnow in VG condition. It was green color and was in a G box, and sold for $664.50. A c1904 Samuel Friend River Lure (3 hook minnow), with only G silver/black back paint brought $1375. This bait is shown to the left. Another classic, the Michigan Lifelike Minnow, VG, with green splatter back paint brought $867.78. A EX generic Pflueger Neverfail minnow called the Marvelus Minnow on its G maroon box and in green crackleback reached $480. A very interesting glass lure, a #3 Crawfish & Frog holder that was EX in a VG- box topped out at $1275 after 22 bids. A Pfeiffer's Trout Glass Minnow Tube that was EX reached $1125. A spring loaded Hookzem Weedless Lure in EX sold for $440.03. An Alliance Wiggly Wiggler that was EX in an EX box, and in red trim color sold for $500. A Jamison GEP Bait that was new in an EX box, silver/black head, brought $202.49. An Alger's Tantelizer Surface Bait in yellow/red crackles and VG sold for $655. The month closed with a sensational Detroit Minnow Cage bait that was Mint in an EX box with papers. It climbed to $3849.

A Smithwick group of sample Devil's Horse lures came up. There were 52 different bodies with no hardware, all EX, and they topped out at $789.99. An original Big-O, signed and numbered by Fred Young, yellow splatter color and mint sold for $525.

Reels:

Other than in Kentucky style reels, there didn't seem to be a great deal of activity this month, . Meek & Milam reels seemed abundant, however. Best of all was a #1 Meek & Milam that was EX and received 13 bids before topping out at $4000. It is shown to the right. A couple of Meek & Milam #2 reels came up. The first was originally listed with a Buy It Now price of $400, and immediately sold. Somehow the seller got eBay to ignore that, and it was relisted and sold for $1282. It was in EX uncleaned condition. Another #2, with owners name engraved on it and EX, but otherwise similar in all ways sold for $1626. Both had 12:00 handles. A B.C. Milam #3 with 12:00 crank, in a leather case and VG-EX condition. It brought $875. A Talbot Premier #3 in EX with 6:00 counterbalanced handle sold for $1292.77. A Talbot made for Schmelzer Arms Co. called a Lotus, in #2 size sold for $1275. It had a counterbalanced crank and was in EX condition.

Among the more modern items were a Lew's Speed Spool by Shimano, #BB-1 in EX, which sold for $132.50. A Garcia Ambassadeur 2600 that was mint in a VG box with accessories brought $287.75. A c1953 Dark Red ABU Ambassadeur 5000 with case and parts and in EX sold for $550. A Swedish Arjon Champion, mint in the original leather case topped out at $870.

A rather unusual Shakespeare tool for seating bushings that was in the original box sold for $243 after 16 bids.

An EX Keist Indiana reel in a VG tin box sold for $162.50.

Salt Water reels included a 16/0 Penn Senator in VG, which sold for $360.99. It received 17 bids. An Australian Seascape Minor #621 from the early 1970s, which is reportedly scarce, and which was VG in it's box with papers sold for $280.

I was astounded when an H-I Utica Automatic Fly Reel, model 5, that was EX- in a VG box reached $102.50. Then I was re-astounded when a Meisselbach Expert #19 with covered tailplate click sold for $182.50 after 24 bids. The reel was brass, but they are not that uncommon. Astute collectors recognized a "Vintage Bakelite" hard rubber and nickel plated #3-1/2 reel as a Julius vom Hofe. It was an unbound model with raised rubber rim and VG and sold for $255. A Perth style Salmon Reel by P. Sherriff of Glasgow Scotland, which had 4" wooden end plates, was bid to $176. The reel is shown to the left because I would assume that a fly reel with wooden end plates would be a bit unusual. However, I guess you never know what might turn up.