Penn Catalogs - comments, questions, anomalies, etc.

Started by sdlehr, July 13, 2016, 02:58:41 PM

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Alto Mare

#15
Thank you Mike, you're a good investigator, I wouldn't have been able to spot the differences.
This now gives a good indication that the second edition catalog#8 does exist.

On the catalog #7, I was expecting something as this one:

This is why I asked my question if both had the same front cover or as a part list catalog .

Thanks again Mike,

Sal
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

broadway

Wow, Sal, never saw that one.  The "Penn Reels" font is like that of the #8 catalog. Sweet cat!
Dom

Tightlines667

That is a cool catalog there Sal.
Hope springs eternal
for the consumate fishermen.

Alto Mare

Yes guys, that is a cool one. You find it and it would be like hitting the lotto  :)
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

Tightlines667

Here's my closest one...

Hope springs eternal
for the consumate fishermen.

Alto Mare

That is a nice one John.
I'm showing mine above, but it isn't in the same shape as yours, yours looks much better.

My collection starts at #8, with a few missing in between, but I haven't really been hunting them down for a while.

I wish I had that #7 :-\
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

Tightlines667

Quote from: Alto Mare on July 16, 2016, 09:27:49 AM
That is a nice one John.
I'm showing mine above, but it isn't in the same shape as yours, yours looks much better.

My collection starts at #8, with a few missing in between, but I haven't really been hunting them down for a while.

I wish I had that #7 :-\

Me too.  I don'the think I am willing to pay 'market value' for these catalogs though.  Hoping to get surprised some day by finding one in a box, or in someone's hidden stash.  I pretty much like all the prewar reel and sporting goods catalogs, but own very few.

I like the catalogs from the 70s and 80s as well. 
Hope springs eternal
for the consumate fishermen.

Penn Chronology

#22
QuoteOn the catalog #7, I was expecting something as this one:

This is why I asked my question if both had the same front cover or as a part list catalog .

Sal, The difference you are noting between the catalogs is a Penn practice that goes back to the first magazine style catalog. Almost every year of catalog issue includes two types. Later in their publishing, Penn called these different type catalogs, "A" or "B" catalogs. Basically that difference is quality. The "A" type catalog has the color glossy cover and usually has an Introduction page that is not found in the "B" type, plain pulp cover. After the introduction page, the rest of the content is identical in both types. Here is an example of the first magazine catalog that came out in 1938, a year before the #7 "A" Catalog you pictured.


This is the front cover of the first "A" type, color cover catalog. This #6 "A" Catalog is Penn's first magazine style, before this it was all brochures. It is the same, half page size as your #7 "A" Catalog.

In 1938, Penn also issued a "B" type catalog with a pulp cover to be placed in the boxes of the reels:

I do not believe there is more than one edition for each of the 1938 issues; but, that can change overnight with a discovery of a new edition, like the #7 discovery.


On a side note. Look at this low res picture of a 1940 Trade Show. Notice all the Number #7 "A" type catalogs piled up on the tables.


Catalog collecting is an important and fun part of the hobby. To me it is the Bottom Line. It is as important as owning the reels themselves. The early catalogs, like the ones we are talking about, sell in the hundreds of dollars category. They have been selling at those prices for a long time; but, they can be found the old fashioned way, in the boxes the were placed in back in the day. I have found all of mine that way, except for the #6 & #7 "A" Type mags, they were not put in boxes and have to be found in other ways or you can pay for them on the rare occasions they come up for sale. Although, the very early "A" type catalogs (the #6 & #7) were made in lower quantities and were not put in the boxes, they were sent out in the mail or given away at Trade Shows.

Alto Mare

Ah, got it! Thanks for clearing that up Mike.
From what I've seen these sell for, I'm guessing they're still considered pretty rare.
Most of my catalogs have the glossy cover, but up to catalog #30, I do not see any letters after the number, but from 31 and up, well actually 32, I'm missing 31, the letter A follows that number :-\

This is very interesting, thanks again Mike.

Sal
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

Penn Chronology

QuoteMost of my catalogs have the glossy cover, but up to catalog #30, I do not see any letters after the number, but from 31 and up, well actually 32, I'm missing 31, the letter A follows that number Undecided

Sal:

You were right the first time. Penn placed the "A" after the catalog number first with Catalog 31A (1969)and kept up the practice every year up to Catalog 38A (1977). Catalog #38A was the last numbered catalog. In 1978 the catalog numbering system became history.

Alto Mare

Quote from: Penn Chronology on July 19, 2016, 05:20:35 AM
QuoteMost of my catalogs have the glossy cover, but up to catalog #30, I do not see any letters after the number, but from 31 and up, well actually 32, I'm missing 31, the letter A follows that number Undecided

Sal:

You were right the first time. Penn placed the "A" after the catalog number first with Catalog 31A (1969)and kept up the practice every year up to Catalog 38A (1977). Catalog #38A was the last numbered catalog. In 1978 the catalog numbering system became history.
Mike, all these secrets wouldn't mean much to us, if we didn't have you here to explain.
Thank you!

Sid, sorry for pulling away from the subject, at times you don't realize it. If you need me to delete or move some of this, I could do that, or you are welcomed to it.
I'm thinking it's good information, maybe we get away having it here.


Sal
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

sdlehr

Quote from: Alto Mare on July 19, 2016, 09:28:11 AM
Sid, sorry for pulling away from the subject, at times you don't realize it. If you need me to delete or move some of this, I could do that, or you are welcomed to it.
Sal
Sal, don't be silly. It's all great information.

Sid
Sid Lehr
Veterinarian, fishing enthusiast, custom rod builder, reel collector

Penn Chronology

QuoteSid, sorry for pulling away from the subject, at times you don't realize it. If you need me to delete or move some of this, I could do that, or you are welcomed to it.
I'm thinking it's good information, maybe we get away having it here.

We have all these great specific Penn categories in this area of the forum, maybe having a category about Catalog information anomalies would be a good idea. We could start it by moving these catalog differences we have been talking about here to a new thread.

Also, is there a category for the Model F or Model K?

sdlehr

Quote from: Penn Chronology on July 19, 2016, 04:14:25 PM
QuoteSid, sorry for pulling away from the subject, at times you don't realize it. If you need me to delete or move some of this, I could do that, or you are welcomed to it.
I'm thinking it's good information, maybe we get away having it here.

We have all these great specific Penn categories in this area of the forum, maybe having a category about Catalog information anomalies would be a good idea. We could start it by moving these catalog differences we have been talking about here to a new thread.

Also, is there a category for the Model F or Model K?
No, no category yet for the Model F or Model K. I can set those up, but everyone should know they are free to post new threads with new titles without consulting anyone - same as all the other boards. I just wanted to get a basic format set up a few months ago. I'm turning it loose. When it comes to moving things around you need a moderator. I'll see what I can do to figure out how to move posts to a new Catalog thread.

Sid
Sid Lehr
Veterinarian, fishing enthusiast, custom rod builder, reel collector

sdlehr

Three new categories are now available as requested.
Sid Lehr
Veterinarian, fishing enthusiast, custom rod builder, reel collector