Old Fishing Rods

I’m an avid fisherman and do weekly trips to garage sales. One day I saw a trout fly rod that look pretty old. I looked at it closely and thought it was interesting. The seller told me it belonged to his granddad, and that it was old but he knew little else about it. He thought it was antique and wanted twenty bucks for it. I offered ten. He said he’d throw in the reel if I gave him fifteen. The reel looked old also so I gave up the fifteen bucks and hoped that I’d found a bargain.   

I tossed it in my truck and got home a few hours later. I took it inside and saw a faint inscription on the cap under the rod handle. After rubbing the dirt of, I read the name, Hardy Bros, Alnwick England. The mark is also on the bone handle of the metal reel. It also said model perfect which meant nothing to me. I wondered if they had any value as collectibles or if I’d overpaid.  

I had looked up other yard sale finds on eBay so I figured I do a search there. I found several rods that were similar and the starting prices were from $125 to $275. Wow. After checking the model perfect listings for reels I found that it was worth $75 to $200. I just bought a rod and reel for fifteen bucks that was worth $400.  I ended up selling that rod and reel for $633. I became an instant collector. I know search for antiques everywhere I go - garage sales, thrift stores you name it.  

It is hard to find really good antique rods and reels, and I haven’t been able to come across another find that was quite as remarkable. That’s just how it works. I search everywhere and come across some good things occasionally. It is really fun. I find myself up on Saturday mornings ready to hit the garage sales. I’m always the early bird.  

When you’re at an auction, don’t participate in a bidding war. This only makes you spend more than you’d planned. Know in advance what you’re willing to pay and when you reach that price, stop. Antique rods and reels frequently appear at auctions in several cities. You may get an opportunity to check them over before the auction. There are usually viewings days before the auction.   

Gain knowledge about the prices of the things you collect so that you can better evaluate the items you find. If you find something that you aren’t sure about, you can access eBay from your cell phone to check prices.