Antique Fishing Lures: Starting Your Collection

The first time I truly became excited about antiques in general was when I began researching an old wooden fishing lure my father had purchased a few years prior. Someone over the years had lovingly applied an extra coat of paint, more than likely to entice a fish to bite. This of course wrecks the value, but I wasn't aware lures could be valuable back then.

After carefully removing the applied paint, I was surprised to find that the original paint was still intact and the hooks and hangers were virtually free of rust. After a little research, I found the lure was made in the very early 1900's by a company referred to as the Heddon company out of Dowagiac, Michigan.

I couldn't believe it. I was holding in my hands a lure that was nearly 100 years old that looked no more than 10. The craftsmanship astounded me; the sturdiness of the wood, the delicate glass eyes, the hardware, the overall design. I also found in my research that this lure was well worth forming a hobby around. I was hooked, if you pardon the pun.

There is no set rule on what is considered collectible because there are all types of interests out there when it comes to lures. Some collectors only like 19th century; some collect certain manufacturer lures; some collect certain colors; some collect novelties; some have a smorgasboard of a collection; and the list is endless.

The bottom line is, collect what you like. I, myself, collect all sorts of lures from several different manufacturers. Some were acquired because of value; some just because they were "oh so cute!"

If you are just starting out, the most important thing to do first is to become familiar with the lures out there. There are many books on the subject that give you dates of the lures, the manufacturers, and a rough book value of the lures(which is not definite. Auction value is usually much higher).

If you read these books and absorb the info within, you will begin to see the differences in the ways the manufacturers made the lures. Most lures have a unique piece that gives away their manufacturer's identity.

For example, Paw Paw lures have a distinct bowl shaped lip. Some Heddon lures bore two piece hardware, and some had "Dowagiac" stamped on spinners. Creek Chub had a certain type of spinner, and so on.

If you learn to spot the differences and learn which trait belongs to which company (if lure bares no name) , it will become very easy to spot and identify them out in the field.

Once you have your mind made up about the lure or lures that you wish to collect, study their company/ies so you can gather more information about your chosen lure/s. (i.e. the hardware the company used and at which time frame, the colors the company used and at which time frame, etc.)

Below I've listed some of my favorite books that I've come across over time, and I would recommend any of them to anyone starting out.

NATIONAL FISHING LURE COLLECTORS CLUB

-- Nonprofit, educational organization founded in 1976.

-- Fosters awareness of fishing tackle collecting as a hobby and assists members in finding, identifying and trading vintage fishing equipment.

-- Includes all fishing tackle and reels, rods, catalogs, advertising, minnow traps and buckets, creels, photos

-- 5,000 members worldwide

NFLCC Web Page

You'll get to attend all their shows, connect with other members, and you will recieve the NFLCC Gazette, which is published 4 times a year.