<![CDATA[Randy's Antique Fishing Lures - Blog]]>Fri, 21 Apr 2023 13:10:39 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Lure Of The Week / By Krissy Aguilar]]>Tue, 22 Oct 2013 11:39:17 GMThttp://randysantiquefishinglures.com/blog/lure-of-the-week-by-krissy-aguilarPicture
World War 2 Era Plastic Lip Jitterbug
They aren’t super valuable antique fishing lures. You won’t ever find a rare one worth tens of thousands of dollars. In fact, the reason that the Arbogast Jitterbug is our lure of the week is because they’re just so darned much fun to collect!!!

The Arbogast Jitterbug is one of the most popular and readily available vintage fishing lures. Whether it’s a first generation wooden, or a post-WWII era plastic model, these lures have sparked the antique lure collecting fire in more than a few collectors.

While they weren’t released until the late ‘30s, the prototype began with a wooden broomstick and the bowl of a spoon in the mid 1920s. When they were released, they soon became one of the most popular lures available. Arbogast still produces the Jitterbug lures to this day and they remain a favorite among fishermen.

The original Jitterbug was wooden with a metal lip. During WWII, plastic replaced the metal lip. Some colors and styles of the wooden lures are readily available, such as the white  with red-head. While rarer colors include black with white head, blue head and pearl with herringbones. These lures can be dated by noting several characteristics, including material, lip, body-style and hook hangers. For example, the first generation of wooden Jitterbug lures featured a rounded body style and round,“toilet-bowl” styled hookhangers, which were the first of seven styles used over the years.

While many collections may have started with Jitterbugs, no one will ever get rich by selling them. The availability of the lures’ various colors and patterns that make Jitterbug collecting so much fun, also means they aren’t the most valuable lure on the market, although rare colors can go for several hundreds of dollars at auction. Of course, as we’ve discussed before, antique fishing lure collecting is rarely about gaining assets. Jitterbugs offer beginners and veterans alike the chance to create a pretty impressive display of vintage lures. Check out JitterbugDrillers.com for a great presentation of both wooden and plastic models.

You can find these lures on Ebay.com, in antique stores or even at garage sales. Pick them up whenever you can, because aside from being a lot of fun to collect and display, you’ll find they’re also useful as trade items between collectors. And.....did I mention they are a blast to fish with!!! 

]]><![CDATA[The Art And Skill Of Hand Making Wood Fishing Lures.]]>Tue, 08 Oct 2013 00:03:54 GMThttp://randysantiquefishinglures.com/blog/the-art-and-skill-of-hand-making-wood-fishing-luresI found this great video on You Tube and thought I would share. This really gave me a new perspective on the work that goes into creating one of these little fish catching masterpieces. Obviously the tools that were available at the time of antique fishing lure manufacture were of a more primitive quality, thus leaving me even more amazed at the mass production that was acomplished in the days of old.
]]><![CDATA[TheEvolution of a Vintage Fishing Tackle Dealer: Curiosity and Obsession by Kris Aguilar]]>Fri, 04 Oct 2013 23:45:40 GMThttp://randysantiquefishinglures.com/blog/theevolution-of-a-vintage-fishing-tackle-dealer-curiosity-and-obsession-by-kris-aguilarSometimes it starts in your grandpa’s basement; sometimes you find an old lure in an auction box lot. However it happens, once they discover their first vintage fishing tackle, some people find themselves progressing from mild curiosity to full-blown obsession.

Why Do People Collect Lures?
I’m guessing few people can actually define the reason that they collect antique or vintage lures. Perhaps they have a general interest in all things fishing, or all things old, or the combination. To a collector, perhaps old lures, especially pre-1940s lures hold a special appeal, a sort of a tangible
angible memory of a simpler life.

Whatever the reason a person begins collecting, they certainly don’t do it to make money. Antique lures can be extremely valuable, but a hobbyist must possess a unique passion and dedication to evolve into a successful collector or dealer.

Curiosity Inspired Obsession:
When someone with no knowledge of collectible antique fishing tackle buys a box lot at an auction and finds an antique wooden lure in it, chances are they head straight to Google to see what they can find out about it.

They may be surprised when Google’s search engine returns over 750,000 results for the term “old red and white wood lure”. In an effort to determine which lure they have, they follow various links and image results. For some people, revealing the previously unknown variations of colors,
manufacturers and value of such lures triggers an obsession for more discovery and more old lures.

From Collector to Dealer:
A collector may start looking at antique malls, or Ebay.com to purchase antique lures and fishing tackle. They soon find that paying retail price for some of these lures is simply unfeasible on a regular basis. They begin negotiating trades with other collectors for items they want. The more they learn about vintage fishing tackle, the more items they covet for their own collections.

In order to support the growing desire for rarer and more expensive lures, a collector may start selling other items. They soon find themselves buying old tackle boxes at garage sales and auctions for the sole purpose of re-selling.

Before they really realize exactly where their original curiosity has led them, a casual collector has also become a dealer of antique fishing tackle, as well as an avid collector.


 

]]><![CDATA[Check Your Basement – Old Fishing Lures May be Valuable          By Kris Aguilar]]>Thu, 03 Oct 2013 07:22:45 GMThttp://randysantiquefishinglures.com/blog/check-your-basement-old-fishing-lures-may-be-valuable-by-kris-aguilarThere’s an old wooden box in my dad’s basement. It’s full of rubber worm fishing lures that I refuse to allow my father to throw away. I don’t know if anyone has even used them, ever. Essentially, they’re worthless to anyone but me.

Every time I open the box, I remember sitting on the basement stairs, sometime around the age of 5 -6. I’d play with those fake worms for what seemed like hours while my dad, brother and uncle reloaded shotgun shells and tinkered in the basement. That old box full of old lures holds only sentimental value, but that isn’t always the case.

Antique Fishing Lures
Many people keep their grandfather’s or father’s tackle boxes for years for the same reason I refuse to dispose of those rubber worms. You may have an antique tackle box in some corner of your basement or garage that you haven’t looked inside of for years. Of course memories aren’t only accessible through items and usually people eventually let go of such objects. Before you decide to go on some manic cleaning spree and sell everything at a garage sale though, you’ll
want to take a look inside of that box. 

Valuable Antique Lures
Some antique lures, like my rubber worms, aren’t worth a penny. Some, however, can be incredibly valuable. There’s a community of collectors and hobbyists who collect antique tackle, from lures to reels. Values can range from a few dollars to tens of thousands of dollars!

If you were to open that forgotten tackle box and discover that your grandfather had kept an original Heddon frog, you’d have found one of the rarest and most valuable lures. This was a hand-carved, wooden lure made by James Heddon in 1898 and it’s valued at up to $30,000 today!

Ethics Matter
If you’ve decided to take a look in that old box and see what you may have, it is imperative to find an ethical collector or dealer. You’ll want to find a dealer or collector who is a member of the NFLCC, or National Fishing Lure Collector’s Club. This is a paid membership that offers education and assistance to its members in regards to locating and identifying collectable fishing tackle.

Make sure you’re dealing with a collector that won’t low-ball a price because they know you don’t know the value of your item! Fortunately, the collector and dealer community is relatively small, and it’s difficult for a person to operate unethically in secret for very long. Still, do some research
and read some reviews or talk to a few people in the community before choosing a collector or dealer to work with.

Some collectors deal only in niche markets of the vintage lure industry, such as specific items or brands. If you have any questions about antique lures and tackle boxes or anything related to vintage American fishing history, you can contact Randy Nelson through his website, Randy’s Antique Fishing Lures. 

Randy has been collecting lures for over 25 years and has a reputation of an ethical collector, always paying fair prices for antique fishing tackle. He is always interested in new items, and will offer to buy single items as well as entire collections.

Go on down to the basement and open that tackle box. You could be pleasantly surprised by the valuable items you didn’t know you had.


 ]]><![CDATA[Economy and Antique Lure Collecting]]>Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:52:54 GMThttp://randysantiquefishinglures.com/blog/economy-and-antique-lure-collectingIt seems that I am always being asked what an old lure or reel is worth. Well, as much as I follow this antique fishing lure collecting hobby, even I can't seem to follow this strange economic curve. There are many factors involved, of which the ever unstable economy, seems to always be a major reason. New blood in the hobby, usually means young blood. Low wages for the younger generation seem to play an important role. Most can't afford the old values. Why have prices dropped on what were once considered valuable investments? Supply and demand. If the young collectors can't afford the prices, and the old collectors are dying off, well.......you figure it out. What was once considered common and undesirable, are now becoming more popular because they are affordable. Money is tight, so even those with money are unwilling to pay what they once did for the even rarer items. Why would they? So the next time you are basing your expected values on prices realized a decade ago, don't be surprised if you are greatly shocked at what one is willing or able to pay these days.  ]]><![CDATA[Go away winter!!!]]>Fri, 22 Feb 2013 02:40:23 GMThttp://randysantiquefishinglures.com/blog/go-away-winterI know all the hard water guys love it, but I'm ready for the spring run. Pike then bass in the shallows, and then Bluegills on the beds. Can't wait! I think I'll be trying out some antique lures this year.]]><![CDATA[Randy's Lure Pick Of The Week]]>Mon, 14 Jan 2013 10:40:21 GMThttp://randysantiquefishinglures.com/blog/randys-lure-pick-of-the-week2Picture
Wise Sportsman Supply Company Jim Dandy Lures / c. 1915
Since I have been a bit tardy with my Antique Fishing "Lure Of The Week" picks, I thought I would triple up and make up for lost time. This week I will feature The Wise Sportsman Supply Company from Chicago, Illinois. These are known as The Jim-Dandy Lures and were originally invented by Henry H. Schillinger from Paw Paw, Michigan in the form of hand carved and painted lures. Patent was granted to him, and he then sold the rights to the Wise Sportsman's Supply Company from Chicago, Illinois in 1915. For the next decade, this company manufactured three different styles of lures and then sold the rights to the William Shakespeare Company from Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Jim Dandy Single Spinner and Double Spinner are very scarce lures and difficult to find. All three of the examples of this company's lures and boxes are shown below. Please visit www.randysantiquefishinglures.com for more history on antique lures. I will buy your old fishing lures and reels!
]]><![CDATA[Lure Collectors Corner...]]>Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:55:27 GMThttp://randysantiquefishinglures.com/blog/lure-collectors-cornerThe "Lure Collectors Corner" page is really starting to take shape. There have been a lot of contributors, and I keep adding more all of the time. If you would like to see some great antique fishing lure collections, you should really take a minute and check a few of these collections out. Thank you guys for helping me out with this page!]]><![CDATA[Looking ahead....]]>Sat, 05 Jan 2013 13:20:53 GMThttp://randysantiquefishinglures.com/blog/looking-aheadWell.....we all survived the Mayan Meltdown as predicted, so I would like to wish everyone a very Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year. Hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas and I for one am ready for normalcy once again. I would also like to thank everyone who has contacted me and helped me out with my antique lure collection. I am looking forward to more a-lure-ing collecting adventures in 2013. I am also looking forward to some serious fishing adventures. The life of a musician has not made it easy to be a serious fisherman, but some changes are in store....  ]]><![CDATA[Randy's Lure Pick Of The Week....]]>Mon, 31 Dec 2012 13:07:38 GMThttp://randysantiquefishinglures.com/blog/randys-lure-pick-of-the-week1Picture
The Charmer Minnow. Springfield, Missouri / c. 1910
The Charmer Minnow Company first patented these unique lures in 1910 in Springfield, Missouri. A few different obscure varieties do exist, although they are  very scarce. Some of these include the Musky sized Charmer and the Half-Charmer.

Constructed with cedar bodies and german silver hardware, these are favorites among many early antique lure collectors. The unique "Barber Pole" paint patterns have probably "charmed" more lure collectors than they did fish. These are one of my personal favorite old lures by far. More of these cool early lures can viewed on my website by clicking on the link below.

http://randysantiquefishinglures.com/misc-lure companies.html
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