Old and Antique Lures and Fishing Tackle Values and Pricing
Collecting old and antique lures and fishing tackle is a great hobby.
Antique fishing tackle has a have everlasting appeal. They take us to a simple time, where smaller scale lure making was the way things were done. There was plenty of room for innovation, and the diversity of tackle and and abundant nostalgia make this a very gratifying hobby.
Any angler who found an tackle box full of old will know the wonderful feeling that comes from collecting old, antique, vintage fishing lures and fishing tackle. Although the lures may be dirty and rusted, they are work of art of a simpler and quieter period in history.
During the late 20th century,the little lure manufacturers conquered the industry. There were a few national lure brands but they were not marketed the same way as how things are mass marketed now. Most lure were regional innovations that worked well in the locations they were made for.
Many antique lures are larger than life, very big compared to some of the lures that we use today, generally designed for top water or shallow water use.
The weight was need to prevent backlash on lines, but as fishing reels and lines progress the need for larger lures diminished.
The main lures that are collectible belong to the main lure companies of the time, Heddon, Paw Paw, South Bend, Creek Chub, Pflueger, Arbogast and Shakespeare.
If your interested in newer lure checkout of Fishing Sports Show Website
Creek Chub Beetle
The Creek Chub Beetle Came in two sizes, Regular and a Midget version. Firts seen in the early 1930's it was in production for around twenty years. In great shape with box this lure can fetch up to...
Fred Arbogast Hula Popper
The Fred Arbogast Hula Popper was introduced in the late 1940's and continues to be a popular bait to this day. A very common lure, it is collectable because of its ease of acquisition and numerous...
Fred Arbogast Tin Liz (Original)
The Fred Arbogast Tin Liz was introduced in the late 1920's. Early lures had glass eyes. These lures in good shape can fetch up to $150.
Heddon Midget (Midgit) Digit
The Heddon Midget Digit was introduiced in the ealry 194-0's. (Catalog B-110) A small lure at 1 1/2 inches its a collectors favorite becasue of all the available colours. Sometimes called the...
Shakespeare Tantalizer
The Shakespeare Tantalizer was a early jointed lure. 4 inches long and 9/10 of an ounce. Catalog # 6638. First seen in the late 1920's Described in a early catalog as "a very successful bait for...
Shakespeare Evolution Minnow Bait
The Shakespeare Evolution Minnow Bait is a very early Shakespeare lure first appearing in the early 1900's. The lure had three treble hooks and is made of rubber They were made from 2' to 4" long....
Pflueger Globe
The Pflueger Globe was first introduced in the mid 1910's (catalog # 3700) A very collectable lure. It came in a variety of colours, Patented min 1922. According to an early catalog, "The Pfleuger...
Shakespeare Sea Witch
The Shakespeare Sea Witch was first introduced in the mid 1930's It also came in a 2 3/4 inch smaller version. An early catalog describes the lure as "A weighted underwater bait adapted to fresh and...
South Bend Nip-I-Diddee
The South Bend Nip-I-Diddee was first seen in the Late 1940's and was a very popular south bend lure. It went through many variations of hardware and hooks so there are many versions available. It...
Creek Chub Pike Minnow (Original)
The Creek Chub Pike Minnow (Original) was one of Creek Chubs most popular lures.Production began in the very early 1920's and was continuous into the plastic models ath were produced up into the...
Fred Arbogast Tin Liz Sunfish
The Fred Arbogast Tin Liz Sunfish metal lure was made around 1927. It has glass eyes, and the tail is marked The main color made was Sunfish and the length is 1.6 inches. The weight was around 5/8...
Fred Arbogast Jitterbug
The Fred Arbogast Jitterbug was first made in the late 1930's and is in continued production to this day. Originally made of wood, they are now made of plastic. A very common and popular collectable...
Heddon Game Fisher
The Heddon Game Fisher was a short lived lure, manufactured from early 1920's to the mid 1930's It was 4 3/4" long. A VERY similar Model was made by DAM after Heddon stopped production. The Game...
Heddon 1928 Vest Catalog
Here is a great find, a circa 1928 vest catalog. Below is an image of three small pages from the catalog.
Heddon River Runt
The Heddon River Runt was produced from the late '1920's to the early 1950's The catalog states "A small, compact, lively lure for light rods. Very effective for river fishing, particularly for...
Paw Paw Platypus
The Paw Paw Platypus was a short lived addition to the Paw Paw lure lineup. Likely produced during the 40's (1941 seems to be a common start date) and 50's by 1960 this lure was not available...
Pflueger Poprite
The Pflueger Poprite was manufactured from the mid 1930's to the mid 1950's and was available in two sizes a three treble hook 4 inch version and a two treble hook 3 inch version (Series 9500)...
Shakespeare Darting Shrimp
The Shakespeare Darting Shrimp is a fairly rare lure which was first produced in the late 1920's. It is a jointed lure weighing just under an ounce and is about 5" long. A Shakespeare catalog...
South Bend Woodpecker
The South Bend Woodpecker (Catalog Series 923-926) are generally found with a red head and white or luminous body. The body length is approx 4 3/4 inches, 3 treble hooks as shown below and a smaller...
Creek Chub Husky Musky
The Creek Chub Husky Musky was introduced just before 1920. Mainly made for muskie fishing, it has a metal lip and twp large treble hooks (Catalog series #600) The lure is around 5 inches long and...
Heddon Dowagiac Spook
The Heddon Dowagiac Spook (9100 catalog series) was first seen in the early 1930's as a "Ghostly Transparent Lure" According to the advertising, "This "Super Dowagiac Spook" is the greatest...