Ted Williams 400...so cheap I couldn't resist.

[CincyDavid]

This particular reel is kind of grubby looking, was lingering on ebay at $22.99 with no takers. I had offered $20 several weeks ago, no response from the seller. They relisted it at $6, two bids, I got it for $6.50 plus shipping. I have no earthly need for another reel of this size and variety but for the price I feel like I couldn't lose.

[oldmanjoe]

 No picture , but the price is right for tinkering ..

[CincyDavid]

I'll upload pics when it arrives.

[jgp12000]

Dave,
I had to look up a photo & found some trivia in the process.

Ted Williams is the last Major League Baseball player to hit .400 or above in a single regular season, achieving a .406 batting average for the Boston Red Sox in 1941.

[CincyDavid]

Sears wasn't shy about attaching Ted's name to ALL sorts of sporting goods for about a decade. That was after they retired the J.C. Higgins name around 1961. Supposedly John C Higgins was a long time Sears manager and somebody thought it had a nice ring to it. Other sources suggest the Higgins name was made up. There were even some 1960s era Shirley Englehorn closed face spincaster reels in a teal color, to appeal to the ladies. The model # was 535-312540.  Shakespeare made the Englehorn reels.

[jgp12000]

My first baseball glove was  Ted Williams from Sears

[CincyDavid]

My mother had something against Sears, about the only thing she would buy there was scratch & dent Kenmore appliances. Aside from that, I don't recall anything in our house coming from Sears.

[Fishgolfman]

If it needs parts .. may have it

[CincyDavid]

If it needs parts .. may have it

knock on wood, my Zangi reels have all been in reasonably good shape and haven't needed any parts...yet.

[CincyDavid]

So it arrived, turns out it is an 1st version with the little round drag knob not the elongated teardrop shaped one. Very little lube in it, felt a little gritty at first. I cleaned and lubed it, feels good now, but it sure is grubby. Ther line roller is missing, but the mounting screw is there at least.

[CincyDavid]

Found a line roller with a big enough inner diameter to fit the reel...came off a Shakespeare Sigma 2200 040.

[Midway Tommy]

Good for you! Parts for those can be tough to come by unless one cannibalizes another reel.

You don't see those early versions very often.

[Gfish]

Ted Williams had 10/10 vision and a supernatural ability to react to anything that was gonna end up in the strike zone or close to where his sweet spot was.