Circa...?

[Aiala]

I just received a vintage Monofil 27 that I bought on eBay, and it came with this tattered old Penn catalogue #17:



I'm wondering if anyone can tell me how old it is?   

Thanks!   

~A~

[Oceanreels]

 The #17 Catalog would be 1953.  The reel came out the next year

[sdlehr]

Aiala, Mike Cacioppo (Penn Chronology) in his book explains that the first six Penn catalogs were unofficial, more like sales circulars, then in '39 when the company was 7 years old they published Catalog#7 (I think my dates and numbers are right, the book isn't with me). During WWII they used the same catalog 3 years in a row, so by the time Catalog 17 came around it was the company's 20th year, making it 1952 (or 3? somehow we're off by a year). Those numbers are pretty darned close if not exact.

[Tightlines667]

Does the catalog have the insert introducing some of the new offerings for the next year?  I can upload a pic of what I am talking about when I get home, if I remember.

[sdlehr]

Brian, I just went to your website and looked at your collection. Holy moly. I don't know whether to show the pics to my wife to show her how bad my obsession could be, or to not show her the pics in case she should get the idea that she should object at this early stage of my affliction.

[Oceanreels]

   You're on your own on that one.

[sdlehr]

Thanks. That was a big help!