Well used 1202

[foakes]

Hello Fred,
What is the size difference between a 1202 and a 1401. Same size body, smaller spool?
I've been looking for a pretty 1202 if I can ever find one.
Please send me a price on a pretty one if you have one.
I'll see if I can afford it.
-Steve

Yeah, the 1202 has the same gears and housing size as the 1401.  The rotor and spool are larger on the 1401.

Here are a few reels that I have ready to sell, there are many more.

1202's, 1401's, 1001's, 1000's, 265's, and 110N's.

Just pulled these out of a bin beside my bench.

Best, Fred

[sandbar]

You gentlemen that got started collecting many years ago are blessed with being in the position of being able to choose only the best deals. The rest of us fight over reels that you probably have multiples of.
It's a different ballgame. I'm learning. Made lots of mistakes early on and starting to zero in on the quality of the reels that I want for my collection. Ones I can collect and also feel comfortable fishing with. I will still grab some of the ones that I can't seem to resist just to collect. Like the Alcedo Micron, the Orvis 50A and others that have parts that are hard to find but seem to be special reels to have on the shelf.

[foakes]

You gentlemen that got started collecting many years ago are blessed with being in the position of being able to choose only the best deals. The rest of us fight over reels that you probably have multiples of.
It's a different ballgame. I'm learning. Made lots of mistakes early on and starting to zero in on the quality of the reels that I want for my collection. Ones I can collect and also feel comfortable fishing with. I will still grab some of the ones that I can't seem to resist just to collect. Like the Alcedo Micron, the Orvis 50A and others that have parts that are hard to find but seem to be special reels to have on the shelf.

In all fairness and full disclosure, Steve —

Each of us, if we stay at this hobby long enough — will develop our own preferences and systems for acquiring reels we enjoy to collect, fish, or both.

I can only speak for myself — when I say that that my preference is to just work on a few high quality brands of spinning reels from the mid 50's up through the earliest 90's.

These brands (D-A-M Quick, ABU/Zebco Cardinals, Penn, and Mitchell) — and this span of 3 1/2 decades — was a time I refer to as the "Golden Age" for spinning reels.

Good business practices were not carefully calculated by Corporate bottom line profits, or gobbling up of competitor companies to add to their stockholder values and future potential spin-offs of their companies.

Good business was instead measured by a steady output of products designed by engineers who were also anglers — and who wanted their products to last for generations, instead of a few years.  They designed reels that could be repaired by the owner, or an experienced tackle repair shop.  They supplied parts and dealer support.  The real product was quality.

Those days are gone — except for a few remnants here and there...

I gave up most all collecting a couple of decades ago.  When the realization hit me (after a few close friends and family members passed on all too soon) that my efforts would be better served by servicing, restoring, and offering parts to folks for these older quality brands.

So I made a 20+ year effort to amass all of the parts to make this possible.

Now, I can just be a reel mechanic, restore a few reels for folks, specialize in the brands I prefer and have hundreds of thousands of parts — organized and accessible.

Sort of like a Surgeon performing a serious and complicated operation on us — last thing we want to do is go into a messy hospital operating room, not cleaned up, not organized, supplies not to hand, inexperienced helpers.  Then we hear the Doc say — "now, where is that XYZ device?  Thought I saw it around here somewhere yesterday, or maybe last week!".

Folks can get a reel serviced or restored, get parts, fair advice, and fish their reels for the rest of their lives — or put them on a shelf.

Most of my reels are priced below market value, and if on my bench for service or restoration — many parts are installed for a very low cost, or free.  No one should get gouged on reel parts — since I am fortunate to have so many. 

It is old fashioned — it's corny — lots of folks laugh (including my wife) how I ever manage the parts, and only a few will ever understand. 

However, I just stay in the right hand lane, in my little niche — and enjoy what I do — until the time comes to pass on the parts and inventory to someone else down the road.

For each of us — it probably boils down to steady progress, a basic plan, daily activity & purpose, and the satisfaction of helping others who also enjoy our reel passion.

So, get a plan with possible sensible financial and time commitments — work it steady, enjoy every minute!

Just a few thoughts...

Up at 3:50 this morning — the deer and their fawns have visited early — the hummingbirds showed up at 5:44 — the cats are back to sleep — and I am starting my 4th reel for the day.

Best, Fred

[jgp12000]

My personal experience on Ebay has been positive except for the last 3 reels.The sellers claimed the reels ready to fish,I won the bids and received fixer uppers.I don't know if they were inexperienced of what ready to fish means or shysters.I can service and repair most anything provided I have  good parts.I ended up sending Fred 2 of these reels because he had all the parts plus some that were missing for the DQ 220.I would have been better off just buying some he had restored than messing with these jackwagons.I appreciate and am thankful for what Fred does.This world needs more people like him...

[jgp12000]

Also, I recently got a rebuilt PENN Battle 2(2500) at BPS for $50,originally $120.BPS in Springfield,MO and Macon,GA are the only 2 stores that have the outlets with the rebuilt reels, stated the manager. This is my max normally unless it's vintage and will probably outlast my modern reels made in China,of course.

[Midway Tommy]

I've been looking for that or the 1001, they typically go for about $80-90 if beat up, well into the hundreds in good condition..
$70 is a steal in fact ;-)

Each person has their own mind set as to what they think is a good deal, or are willing to spend. Me? It takes a special example for me to fork out over $40 for just about any used spinning reel unless it is in mint or new condition and includes its box.  

Hey, Tommy —

Everyone likes a bargain or a steal...

But how many of your reels would you sell for $40 - $60 - $80 - $100 — even without the box?

You have one of the nicest collections around anywhere.

However, the times they are a changin'.

And...you know very well what your reels are worth!

What we might have thought was worth $40 — someone else is willing to pay 2 or 3 times that amount for today.

That is not an opinion — it is what folks are willing to pay for quality, vintage, usable spinning reels from the 60's through the late 80's — providing they are a good, solid brand — and parts are available when needed.



Best, Fred

Believe me, Fred, when I say it's sometimes very difficult not to part with some of my reels when I see the prices many of the sought after examples are bringing. When I show those to my wife she always says "maybe you should sell it now".    Don't get me wrong, I've over paid more than once to fill a specific hole in a grouping, but I can count on all my digits how many times I spent over $50 for one. I'm a cheap skate at heart, and quite deliberate, so generally I'll just keep looking and waiting until a really good deal surfaces. I guess a NIB DQ 1001 for $5 that only needed a trip lever bumper, a NIB Penn 420SS w/ex spool for $18, a NIB Penn 712 w/ex spool for $25, a NIB Abu Cardinal 52 for $18 and a mint Zebco Cardinal 3 with a broken bail arm screw that needed extraction for $10, among a host of others, have kind of spoiled me.  I've learned, over the years, that if you're patient good deals will eventually present themselves. 

As far as selling some of them for a decent profit, the money isn't quite as important to me as admiring and enjoying fondling them every now and then.        

[jgp12000]

Tommy it sounds like you have found some great deals ! I am pretty content with my collection for now, I was looking for certain models/brands from the 60s, I just want to fish with them and keep them maintained for my grandchildren (they all love to fish). I have never even felt a Cardinal. I see they are quite pricey now, must be great reels. I know all my other Abu Garcia reels from Sweden are great. I think for now I will just look for those hidden treasures like you have found when I travel and stay off Ebay, it's too tempting for me.