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Gabby Talkington
Antique Fishing Lure Prices
Updated: 2/26-2009
A selected pricing index for items which are needed for my personal collection ( 1902-1940 wood lures and lure boxes) and the approximate minimum price I will pay for a given grade.
Reasons you might not want to sell your lures on eBay
PLEASE NOTE....These prices are for excellent quality pieces and may vary up or down based on condition, desirability, and rarity.
Please call or email for exact quotes which may be higher than shown. Prices vary with color, condition, grade, markings, age, and desirability.
A list of prices for Shakespeare, Heddon, Pflueger, and South Bend underwater minnows.
We Are Currently Buying: Prices updated: 02/26/2009
NOTICE: Unless you are able to correctly apply grading guidelines,these prices may be misleading. I am willing to discuss and purchase lures or boxes in slightly lesser condition than excellent, but please be advised that prices will vary accordingly. Call for specific price quotes on high-end items you wish to sell. You may just be surprised...!
DETAILS: My written definition of excellent is outlined at the bottom of this page. The price may be adjusted in either direction for the condition, age, rarity, and color of a specific item. Follow this link to an extensive page on GRADING LURES or GRADING BOXES which may help you better understand the meaning of the term excellent and the deviations from that term.
Page last modified in some way: Thursday, February 26, 2009 06:18:56 PM
Here are some stories about people who have sold lures and boxes into this collection: a Tribute to the families and individuals who preserved our heritage |
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Click on the underlines for lure box prices
Look here for a flow chart to determine if your lures are pre-1940...
Shakespeare Lures
Please call or e-mail for discussion and quotes on Shakespeare minnow prices as they vary greatly depending on condition and rarity. I am interested in all glass-eyed Shakespeare minnows. See the statement at the end of the page on my exception to excellent condition relative to early (pre-1912) Shakespeare lures. All these lures and boxes listed are pre-1930's Shakespeare and Rhodes.
Prices vary with color, condition, grade, markings, age, and desirability.
Click here for photos of various Shakespeare boxes and lures
Click here for Prices: Shakespeare boxes
- Pre-1910 see-through gem clip or flat plate hardware underwater minnows in the correct labeled wood box: $500- up
- Pre-1910, gem clip see-through hardware, high forehead underwater minnows in the correct labeled picture box: $1,200- up
- Pre-1930 underwater minnows in the correct labeled gray box: $300- up
- Empty pre-1910 picture box, age and condition does matter: $1,000- up
- Empty 1912 era wood box with the paper label still on the end: $300- up
- Empty gray cardboard boxes with red and green Shakespeare Oval logo and marked for a specific lure: $50- up
- Early (pre-1910) gem clip 3 or 5 hook underwater or floating minnows with notched props: $250- up
- Later (post-1910) flat plate 3 or 5 hook underwater or floating minnows with notched or plain props: $200- up
- Metalized (metal plated) 3 or 5 hook minnows: $200- up
- Metalized '00' minnow:$200- up
- 3 or 5 hook wood Musky minnow: $850- up
- Standard or typical aluminum Revolution w/ no dents: $175
- Empty black and silver Revolution, Shur-Lure, or Bucktail cardboard box: $700- up
- White or yellow or red Whirlwind: $150- up
- Favorite minnow: $200
- Tarpalunge with glass eyes: $250 - up
- Punkinseed (Shakespeare): $250 - up
If you have something like the lures I collect, call or e-mail for a quote if you wish to sell.
NFLCC members, please call or e-mail for quotes...
Heddon Lures
Heddon lures are tough to price on a list because there are so many variables. These prices are in general for my written definition of excellent condition. Variations will exist for rarity, color, and age. Call or e-mail for specifics on a given lure and model, but only for minnows or items shown on this page or elsewhere on this Web site. For the specific lures I collect and need in Heddon, see and print out the manufacture date list. All these lures are pre-1940 and most are pre-1920's.
Prices vary with color, condition, grade, markings, age, and desirablity.
Click here for photos of various Heddon boxes and lures
Click here for Prices: Heddon lure boxes
Click on underlines to see the lures or boxes
- Heddon Dowagiac picture box with correct lure (less for empty picture box) Drawing of lure on top of cardboard box: $1,600-1,800 and up...
- Heddon Dowagiac wood slide top boxes: $300- up
- Heddon Dowagiac white two piece cardboard boxes with a red or blue bordered paper label on top: $400- up
- Down leaping Bass blue two piece cardboard boxes with blue border around the paper label on top: $300- up
- Marked, down leaping Bass red two piece cardboard boxes, ask if in doubt: $20- 200
- Early 150's, in tough colors, less for later or two piece hardware: $350-600
- Early 100's, in tough colors, less for later or two piece hardware: $250-500
- Series 0 and 00 minnows in excellent condition: $500- up
- 800 or 900 swimming minnow: $650- up
- Coast minnow depending on size and condition: $300- up
- Correct 150 in the marked wood box w/paper: $850- up
- Ice decoy: $500- up
- Correct 100 in the marked wood box w/paper (Not for common colors like rainbow or green crackleback): $650- up
- Spindivers: $450 - up
Pflueger Lures
I am generally only interested in Monarch's, but will buy 5 hook underwater Neverfails minnows if a good color and excellent condition. Always looking to buy early cardboard or wood boxes marked for Enterprise or Pflueger Tackle.
Prices vary with color, condition, grade, markings, age, and desirablity.
Click here for photos of various Pflueger boxes and lures
Click here to identify Pflueger Monarch minnows
Click here for Prices: Pflueger boxes
- $500-up for three or five hook gem clip (pre-1910) small cup Monarch's in the correctly marked wood slide top box.
- $300-up for three and five hook gem clip (pre-1910) Monarch minnows
- $200-up for later three and five hook Neverfail Monarch minnows
- $150-up for 3 or 5 hook Neverfails
- $200-up for Four Brothers cardboard box
- $200-up for red bull dog cardboard box
- $300-up for Pflueger Monarch wood boxes
- $250 -up for Pflueger contract wood boxes
South Bend Lures
I only collect early 3 and 5 hook underwater or floating minnows in South Bend. They are the ones that resemble Heddon 100's or 150's.
Prices vary with color, condition, grade, markings, age, and desirablity.
Click here for photos of various South Bend boxes and lures
$250-400 for 3 or 5 hook minnows with the box depending on color; price less without box
Click here to go to a price list for certain early miscellaneous lures
NFLCC members, please call or e-mail for quotes...
Click here for contact: phone numbers etc.
My definition of EXCELLENT relative to pricing lures
See the photo article on A Field Guide to Grading with examples
Just so there is no misunderstanding about the prices quoted above, this is an outline of the condition for which these prices apply:
Excellent lures means: (Excellent is defined for the benefit of those who do not understand what it means. I will buy lures in slightly less than excellent condition, but no lower than excellent minus.)
- there are no hook pointers in the paint, and no paint chips at all... none, no touch ups
- absolutely no hook scrapes, not even a little one
- no paint off the belly weight, but there may be a ring or crack around the weight
- absolutely no paint chips, but maybe only a very, very minor varnish flake or two
- the paint is shiny, but there may be age related crazing or minor fracture cracks in the varnish
- hooks and hardware are bright and shiny
Excellent minus allows for: (Prices above are not for excellent minus!)
- some very minor varnish defects, but no defects to the paint, no touch ups
- no paint loss other than maybe very minor chips at the tail tip or around belly weight
- no hook drags on the paint
- hooks should be consistent with the paint finish. If paint is shiny, hooks should be too.
Excellent plus means almost perfect. May not have a box with it, but well stored or perserved.
Mint means perfect and untouched just like it came out of the factory with the box and papers.
Click here to return to Lures Wanted photo page
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