For the love or for the money?

[Mandelstam]

I'm neck deep into my first reel restoration project, an older Penn Peer 209. A cheap simple reel that isn't worth very much if you count in dollars and cents or whatever your local currency might be.

The list on replacement parts I need to get this reel back to former or even better glory is starting to add up to what a new one costs and much more than you can buy a used one for. My heart is telling me that it's worth the money, that it's not just about saving some money on buying old gear and fixing them up yourself, it's about making this marvelous little machine make it another generation maybe. So what if I can buy a new one for the same amount or even a little less? It's about sticking it to whoever is telling us that we need to buy new and "better" gear each year when the new models come out in the catalog.

But then my head is trying to be rational about this. What am I doing spending more money on one old beaten up reel than I can buy a new one for?? Am i starting to get crazy?

So, I'm a bit torn here.. When do you guys draw the line, when is it not worth the money to save or repair a reel? I mean, if your goal is to repair and then sell the answer is quite simple I guess as you always have the current market value to abide by, but if it's a reel for personal use? When do you stop and say, hey, it's just not worth it! I'll just buy one that's working.

/Karl

[outdoorsaddiction]

I only justify spending more than the reel is worth on a few occassions.  One is sentimental value, if the reel is special to me or special to someone else I will put the money into it.  Two is rarity, my Penn Senator is a prime example because it is a reel that is so old that the side plate and the design of the reel is completely different from the modern versions.  Third reason is the reel cannot be replaced because it is discontinued. My Penn 450SS is another great example because it is the second generation model of a reel that has gone through 3 more generations and has been discontinued.  I hope you find the answer that works for you.  You just have to remember to work on it until right before you stop enjoying it.  The enjoyment is the reason we do this and the moment it stops being fun or worth it, then its time to move on to another reel.

[alantani]

in general, start by doing a full restoration on the reel that you have.  that includes all the old parts.  don't put alot of money into these old reels until you figure out what your potential return will be.   it is kind of addicting, though....   

[Alto Mare]

If we didn't spend our money on restoring and upgrading our reels, we wouldn't have much to do here .
It's not always about money .

[Jimmer]

return? This concept is totally new to me - please explain.

[alantani]

i mean that sometimes it's just not worth it!   

[Panama]

it's about making this marvelous little machine make it another generation maybe.......

I AM SOOOO FEELING THE ABOVE.....We should be more about the preservation of things!!!!
I know what you are going through (I deal with it often myself), but that is what caught my attention in your post!!!

Anthony

[Alto Mare]

return? This concept is totally new to me - please explain.

You've been here a while Jim, you already know.

[Irish Jigger]

Thev satisfaction of resurrecting a "dead" reel at minimum cost.

[Mandelstam]

Thanks for your thoughts on this guys! Much appreciated.

When I look at that old reel I sooo very much would like to get it working again. And if I then compare that to the amount of money (which isn't that much really) necessary it doesn't feel very expensive. It's only when you compare it to what a new one costs that you start question yourself.

Part of this is probably that this is my first ever restoration. I just don't want to give up before I even tried. And I will probably buy all the parts needed and look at it as a learning experience. Maybe next time I'll be more cautious about choosing a reel that's worth saving.

Another part of this is, for me, that it feels so good to even be able to restore anything these days. It feels like everything you buy today has a one year lifespan and is impossible to repair when that life is coming to an end.

[Norcal Pescador]

I only justify spending more than the reel is worth on a few occassions.  One is sentimental value, if the reel is special to me or special to someone else I will put the money into it.  Two is rarity, my Penn Senator is a prime example because it is a reel that is so old that the side plate and the design of the reel is completely different from the modern versions. ...........

X2 on the above. If it will only be a dust catcher in either of the above cases, it's justified to me.   BUT .... I will keep the original parts stashed.

[Nessie Hunter]

The value to cost ratio of restoration = The value of that particular Reel to you personally.

If its a keepsake or has other sentimental value, then the cost doesnt matter much at all.

Any other reel is just a tool, if a hammer gets out of service, it gets replaced.....

[0119]

I agree with Panama.  Plus, I'm very supersticious. Certain well performing reels must be kept at all costs.  Ive got a old Ka-Bar pocket knife in my pocket right now, its blades are nubs.  But its been in my pocket since the day my Dad pulled it out of his and gave it to me.  It'll be there when I lay in the coffin too.  Along with a certain Abu.

[George4741]

Am i starting to get crazy?

/Karl

Perhaps, Karl.   But it's OK.  You are in good company here.  Look at me.   I live in the desert and go fishing off of the California coast once a year.  Other than that, I don't have much chance to use my Penns.  I've spent some money buying, repairing and improving reels I'll probably never use.  The guys I fish with don't care if I beefed up or greased the drags.  They don't care if I resurrected an obsolescent reel or installed a Tiburon kit, either.  I also think the deckhands don't care.  But, it makes me feel good.  It's just less money I will leave to my ungrateful kids.

So, do you feel good about spending a little money on your reel?  I feel good about mine.   

BTW, I DO love my kids.
  George

[Alto Mare]

It's just less money I will leave to my ungrateful kids.
So, do you feel good about spending a little money on your reel?  I feel good about mine.   
BTW, I DO love my kids.
  George

Six in one hand and a half dozen on the other...The kids will have your money and the reels