Fall Auction

eBay Report - September 2005

It was a big month for collectors of ABU Ambassadeur reels. Not that every month isn't pretty good, but there were some dandy reels in their original boxes this month.

Reels:

Despite all the ABU's let's lead off with the beautiful F. Vom Hofe & Son NY style reel/stop pictured to the right. It featured a reverse "S" handle with an ivory knob and was in EX condition in a fair leather case. This nice reel sold for $2000. Another nice NY reel was an A. Clerk & Co. brass reel with ball handle that was in VG condition and sold for $306.99.

The aforementioned ABU reels in NIB condition included a 2500C for $300; a #6000 for $338.34; a #5000 for $355; and a #4000 at $281. A 5500C, EX in box reached $310; a #2000 Mint in box ended at $626; and the topper was a #5500 in gold color that was in VG without box or papers and brought $709.98. Another reel from this modern era was a Shimano Bantam 100, NIB/papers, which sold for $180.50.

Fly reels included a Pflueger Medalist 1494, 1930s version, that was VG with instructions, which topped out at $177.50. An uncommon Hardy Perfect, 2-3/4" wide spool trout model in VG sold for $1399. Apparently the Japanese fly fishermen have become as enamored with the 1960's Orvis Battenkill (British contract) fly reels as with fiberglass casting rods. Several sold this month for fantastic prices, with the top one I noted being EX in case for $555.99. A much sought after Kosmic hard rubber and German silver 3" fly reel, missing the counterbalance weight o/w VG brought $1530.05. A Cozzone fly reel of black Bakelite and EX reached $281.09. A Leonard Bi-Metal trout reel in EX reached $3000.

Salt Water reels were lead off by a Meisselbach German silver and hard rubber reel that looked like a deep sea version and was EX at $573.63. A Meisselbach GS/HR surf reel with dial free spool and EX condition sold for $615. A Lenz Machine Works trolling reel in VG brought $426.

A CCBC Wawasee Indiana style reel in EX brought $1000. A modern Shakespeare President II from 1981 and EX sold for $151.51. A BC Milam #4 with 12:00 half handle in EX brought $1402.77. And finally, a Heddon #3-35 in a tournament version and EX received 21 bids before selling for $500. It is shown to the left.

Rods:

The Japanese are still buying fiberglass casting rods... A Phillipson Bass Tamer BC56 (5'6") in Mint condition wowsered (how's that for a new verb) all the way to $1993; an EC60B 6' in EX reached $636; while a Phillipson Profile Uniglass 6', 2/1 in VG brought $849.11, and a 5'6" in VG sold for $576.67. And they also buy Phillipson fiberglass fly rods as a Royal 6', 2/3 topped out at $356.01. A Fenwick Lunkerstik 2000 FC60, 6', 2/1 and EX condition brought $680.

A 7'6" Orvis bamboo Midge Rod, 2/2, for a 5 weight line in EX condition sold for $791, while a Battenkill Flea rod, 6'5",  2/2, and EX reached $395. A Sewell Dunton 7'6", 2/2, in VG brought $275. A nice Heddon M35, 8', 3/2, in near mint with leather tube sold for $1822.50. A Wright & McGill Granger Deluxe, 8'6", 3/2 in EX reached $734.

Lures:

The Wowser of the month was a 1906 Shakespeare lure display. This 31" square display board hung in Ostertag Bros. Floral Shop in St. Louis from 1906-1968. It held 28 lures and received 29 bids and over 4200 hits before selling for $67,900. It is shown to the right.

A Pflueger Musky Globe, yellow with gold spots, that was mint in an EX canoe box sold for $255. A Trory Minnow in only good condition with some over-paint still brought $2425.

A red and orange Beetle led off Creek Chub lures. It was EX- in an EX- unstamped box and sold for $265. A CCBC Wiggler in Chub finish and EX- in its intro box/papers brought $408.23. A #4400 scale Flip Flap in VG brought $273.89. An EX Baby Beetle in perch finish sold for $960.

A Kent Frog in green and VG condition sold for $2225. An EX 1800's Skittering bug, copper with silver wash trim, topped out at $405. A c1910 Charmer Minnow, gold/black spiral and VG sold for $425. A scarce Colorado Moth in VG brought $238.86. A Hinkle Lizard that was mint in a mint box in green color sold for $282.95. A Moonlight Trout Bob, Mint in an EX box/papers got 21 bids and sold for $1900. A Joe Pepper 20th Century Wonder 3 hook Minnow, green back/white and VG topped out at $760. A Paw Paw Rainbow Trout Caster in EX sold for $512.02. A Clark Streamliner with "Goodyear Tires" ad and VG sold for $275.51, and another with "Lone Star" on it in EX brought $231.50. These were all topped by the Jim Pfeffer fish shaped lure shown to the left. When the smoke cleared this interesting looking bait had sold for $3555.55. A Pfeffer Darter, yellow/green back and only G+ brought $795. An Al Foss Pocket Kit with 2 lures, hooks and pork strips, in EX reached $183.50.

Heddon lures included a bumble bee colored Crazy Crawler in EX, which brought $305. A #7500 Vamp in strawberry and L rigged, that was EX in an EX down leaping bass box/papers sold for $346.29. A fat body 150 Minnow in Yellow/L rig and VG brought $270. A Heddon Giant Runt in pike scale and EX reached $1010. An EX Chugger Spook, white/purple scale & glitter, topped out at $317.78. A Tiny Torpedo in brown coach dog and VG sold for $432.89

A South Bend Lunge Oreno, white with red head that was mint in an EX box with papers sold for $345.77. A Vacuum Bait, red/gold spots and EX in an EX box/papers reached $600. A Tease Oreno, frog splotch color and NIB brought $177.50.

A salt water Bone Jig with abalone decorations created a lot of interest among specialty collectors of bone jigs (before this auction, I didn't know there were bone jig collectors). It was 5-1/2" long and sold for $909. It is pictured to the left. A South Coast Minnow in VG-EX condition, white/green back, brought $201.50.

Miscellaneous Stuff:

A Weber giant fly on a wooden base that was a paperweight or advertising piece came up. It was in EX condition and from the 1930's and brought $510. It can be seen to the right. A "Rod & Reel Club" award button in the shape of a sea-horse and EX sold for $179.50.

There were several nice fish decoys sold this month. A Frank Mizera MN decoy, 9" black/yellow trim EX example brought $610. An Oscar Peterson 5" perch decoy that was early and EX reached $1425. An 8" Chatauqua Lake decoy topped out at $788.89.

A neat "Standard" folding line dryer in EX seemed a bargain at $86. A Big Mouth Automatic Fish Scaler by Worth in VG/instructions sold for $103.51. A 19th century fly fisher's Twist Engine in VG brought $450. An H-I double tapered silk fly line, NIB did well, ending at $129.05.

A Hardy ALN Tackle cotton shoulder bag in VG brought $103.06. A Pflueger wooden shipping crate in good condition reached $77.77. A woven wicker turtle creel in VG ended at $405. (Maybe the bloom is off these creels. For more information on where they come from and who imported them see Turtle Creel in the archives. They were not made in Colorado.)

The Eclipse No. 2 Minnow Bucket shown to the left was in VG condition and sold for $551.50. An EX copper minnow bucket by Abe Isaac of Kentucky reached $178.49. A pair of Marbles Trout Nippers in good condition sold for $158.05.

Again this month I give thanks for the help supplied by: Michael Kechkaylo, Frank Knapp, Bill Arp, Frank Cristao, Dan Basore, Larry Pearson, Brian Funai, Bill Wiedemann, and Ben Wright.