Buying reels at estate sales, off ebai etc... What to look for?

chockpish · November 27, 2018, 03:37:45 PM

I'm sorry if this is not the right place to ask this question! If so! Please post in the right forum!

I would like to buy some older reels, and I'm not realy sure what to look for? I know it's hard to tell what the condition of the reel is in without having it in hand to look at! I don't intend to make money, or some money out of it! I've been inspired by a lot guys on this site to try something new!

I would like to know what to look for? Do I look past the cosmetic looks of a reel? How far is to far gone? What is an appropriate amount of money to spend? Like I said, I'm not expecting to make a living out of this, but I love working on reels and this would be a great way to learn!

Looking forward to your answers!
Thanks in advace, Mike!

sharkman · November 27, 2018, 03:46:39 PM

That's kind of a hard question. If you are planning to fish the reels Penn is always a good option because easy to work on and easy to get parts for most reels. Sometimes you just buy reels because you like the way they look and are interested in how they work. Cost varies from location to location. Costal areas the prices seem to be lower. I always try to look at price by worst case (if I cant fix). Luckily you have come to a site with a world of knowledge. Good luck on your search.

Christopher M Songer · November 27, 2018, 03:47:09 PM

Are you looking for Salt or Fresh water reels. Do you want to collect, display, or just have them to enjoy and maybe find a new home for them someday?

oc1 · November 27, 2018, 06:51:29 PM

First Mike, I think you need to plan to waste and loose a bunch of money. If there was any money to be made in this hobby then it would go to the most experienced and shrewd among us, and there are guys who have been at it for many decades. Consider the money you waste to be cheap entertainment.

Buying beat up old reels, cleaning, repairing and reselling them is a break even proposition at best. There are legions of people who enjoy doing it and don't expect or even attempt to make a profit. That is going to set the price for everyone else

They say that the price of old fishing reels in general reached a high about ten years ago, crashed with the economy and has not fully recovered. You cannot expect fishing reels to be a long term investment. Any increases in price will probably be less than inflation.

You cannot buy them all and need to find your niche and specialty. The fun part is becoming obsessed with a tiny aspect of the hobby, researching and studying it until you become the expert on that particular bit of minutiae. When you become the expert you will know exactly what to look for. Until then, it is hit and miss and just part of the education process.

Go slow. There are those who will notice if you have deep pockets and start buying up particular types of reels without due regard for price. The experienced and shrewd will be happy to make those reels available to you and reap a few bucks in the process.

Good luck with the quest.
-steve

Swami805 · November 27, 2018, 08:23:23 PM

To echo Steve pick a particular type of reel and focus your efforts there. So many bits a minutiae to pay attention to. Look at it as a hobby you enjoy first, if you can come close to breaking even over time you're doing pretty good.

funhog · November 27, 2018, 08:37:44 PM

Buying, collecting, fixing, and chasing down parts and upgrades gives me something to think about at work. Using them is even more fun! Its a very rewarding and acceptable "vice" that can't cause a whole lot of serious trouble in your relationships. Of all my gear, its the old school stuff that keeps me excited. I know each reel intimately... not so true with the few newer ones I have.

steelfish · November 27, 2018, 08:39:35 PM

Quote from: oc1 on November 27, 2018, 06:51:29 PM
First Mike, I think you need to plan to waste and loose a bunch of money. If there was any money to be made in this hobby then it would go to the most experienced and shrewd among us, and there are guys who have been at it for many decades. Consider the money you waste to be cheap entertainment.

Buying beat up old reels, cleaning, repairing and reselling them is a break even proposition at best. There are legions of people who enjoy doing it and don't expect or even attempt to make a profit. That is going to set the price for everyone else

They say that the price of old fishing reels in general reached a high about ten years ago, crashed with the economy and has not fully recovered. You cannot expect fishing reels to be a long term investment. Any increases in price will probably be less than inflation.

You cannot buy them all and need to find your niche and specialty. The fun part is becoming obsessed with a tiny aspect of the hobby, researching and studying it until you become the expert on that particular bit of minutiae. When you become the expert you will know exactly what to look for. Until then, it is hit and miss and just part of the education process.

Go slow. There are those who will notice if you have deep pockets and start buying up particular types of reels without due regard for price. The experienced and shrewd will be happy to make those reels available to you and reap a few bucks in the process.

Good luck with the quest.
-steve

one of the best answers you will find on this topic.

even when Mike (OP) said he dont plan to make a money out of it, its easier to lose money when restoring any old reel than even make it "even" if you ever want to sold it as a collectable item.

the only reason some old reels (cuz they are some hidden treasures on fleamarkets, garage sales, etc) worth the time and money to bring it back to a working condition is for your personal satisfaction, but nobody will pay for your hours of labor, parts, etc most will only see an old beat-up reel.

MarkT · November 27, 2018, 08:40:14 PM

I look for stuff that looks brand new being sold by the widow for what the husband said he paid.

Maxed Out · November 27, 2018, 08:51:22 PM

Steve, you nailed it on the head !!

the only thing I might add is be careful about reels that may be obsolete and unobtainable parts. Even some later models can be tough to find replacement parts.

Ted

philaroman · November 27, 2018, 09:24:17 PM

Steve gave you GOLD!!! If you want to break even, or better -- SPECIALIZE!!!
you need knowledge to cherry-pick effectively -- i.e., recognize the value of something mislabled, misnamed, or otherwise overlooked, at a glance, without alerting the owner or competing buyers/bidders

chockpish · November 28, 2018, 02:14:53 AM

Thank you for the replies! I just love to work on reels! It's an adiction! I don't want to make money at this, there's just something about working on a reel that just relaxes me! I can forget about my woes and troubles for a few hours! I realy like low profile bait casters and spinners! I would like to get a few old reels that I could fix up and use! I can spend $300 a year on one new reel, but I think I could buy and fix a couple reels for that price! I think it would be a great boost to be able to bring back an old reel and use it! I like saltwater fishing, but I also like Brook Trout fishing as well! I am very fortunate to live just a few milles away for great salt water fishing, and the Chockpish river run in my backyard! The Chockpish runs in the Northumberland straight! I also live about an hour and a half from the Miramichi river, which is world famous for Atlantic salmon fishing, not to forget the awsome Striped Bass fishing! I've learned so much from the members on this site, and I value all infomation that you give! I think I would be happier doing this as a hobby, than trying to make money at it!

Midway Tommy · November 28, 2018, 02:58:06 AM

Steve hit the nail directly on the head!

About the only thing I can add is research and learn, in the types & categories that most interest you, which older reels were/are considered high quality. Those will hold their value, over the long haul, the best. Once you've figured out which ones you want to concentrate on be patient and hold out until you find a good and reasonable deal with regard to condition. Unless you are a collector looking for something obscure & rare there will always be another example that will surface. Don't fall in love and over pay until you've learned enough to feel comfortable in what you are doing. There are lots of 5 & 10 dollar reels at garage sales & flea markets so, like I said, be patient & take your time while getting started.

philaroman · November 28, 2018, 01:33:31 PM

OK, from pure hobby perspective...

OLD INDESTRUCTIBLE SPINNERS: read through old posts by Tom (above) & Fred ("foakes") -- whatever models they consider undervalued, are a good affordable starting point for a tinkerer... wire springs are the main concern, which you can make yourself, once you have one functional example to copy
for more modern / less durable stuff, I like old Shimano & Okuma, simply because so many parts are inter-compatible between different models... good gears are the main concern, so anything that's cheap & runs smooth (regardless of cosmetics), is worth adding to my pile

LO-PRO BAITCASTERS: Shimano & Ryobi, got their start in reels as OEM for venerable old Lew's, then went out on their own following the same basic design... some of their sturdy, all-metal oldies can be found dirt-cheap (esp., Ryobi), but spare parts are rare -- buying many reels w/ different issues might be the way to go. V-MAG 4 is good; someone else would have to suggest other specific models

Gfish · November 28, 2018, 02:47:46 PM

Like Steve mentioned in paragraph 4 of his post, as well as Philaromam and Midway, if you narrow things down and specialize in those reels(like say, pre-war Penn Long Beach's)you can sometimes see what's a good deal on "the big auction site".
You may even be able to tell by the sellers discription as well as the price, that they've undervalued a reel. I avoid this based on ethical considerations, but do make offers to knowledgable sellers when they give me that option. I've successfully offered as low as 1/2 the asking price.
Great question chockpish!

wfjord · November 29, 2018, 02:46:01 AM

I've greatly narrowed down the types of vintage reels I acquire, primarily purchasing those I'm at least 92% certain I'll fish with. Fortunately I'm running out of space to store them, so I'm thinking that'll curb the acquisition itch. And I've become fairly certain I don't want to be a "collector," in which case I've still got more than enough to keep me busy upgrading or customizing for years to come. But that's not to say I won't give in to a really sweet deal.

In regards to my several most favorite models to fish with, there were times I spent nearly twice as much as I normally would just to have one or two mint or near mint examples of those reels, although I don't fish them. But for the ones I know will get fished hard and rough, I shop for price and look for structural & internal integrity, with less regard to cosmetic wear so I won't care about getting them scratched or banged up. If the price of the reel is right, replacing a few parts is usually no big deal on the particular vintage models I like using the most.