AntiqueLures

Articles About Quality Antique Lures and Lure Boxes

By Dr. Michael Echols

GRADING WOOD LURES & BOXES: A field guide to grading wood lures and grading boxes. You need to know this information before you buy or price an antique lure or box.  Also see Factors in grading wood lures and boxes.

IDENTIFICATION OF THREE AND FIVE HOOK MINNOWS:   How to diagnose the difference between Heddon, Pflueger, and South Bend three and five hook minnows with cup hardware. 

WOOD LURE AND BOX PRICES: wood lure prices    Box prices for specific high-end collector level underwater minnows and their boxes. This is not an area for the faint of heart. Rare, excellent condition lures from the turn of the century are valuable and the prices are high.

LOTS OF INFORMATION FOR BEGINNERS, AND INTERMEDIATE COLLECTORS: A guide through this site and some helpful information to get you started.

SO, YOU WANT TO COLLECT/INVEST IN HIGH-GRADE, HIGH-$$$ WOOD LURES?  A few hints and some sage advice on what to do and not do if you want to collect the high dollar stuff...BEWARE 

HOW AND WHAT SOME OF US COLLECT: Patterns and methods useD for collecting lures and boxes.  Ideas for a new collector to learn.

A FLOW CHART: How to determine if you have pre-1940 wood lures and boxes.  How to determine if you have pre-1940 wood lures and boxes. 

BOX PAPER: A collection of early  box brochures, inserts, and ads.

GRADING FACTORS: A list of factors which effect the plus or minus in grading lures and boxes.

WHAT'S RARE AND WHAT'S NOT IN WOOD LURES: A generalized list of things that are rare and things that are not rare.  Ebayitis personified.   If you are looking for Heddon information, here's a list of what colors are rare and what's not.

WHY COLLECT WOOD LURES?  Why collect fishing lures and Collecting High Grade Antique Lures.

WHERE TO FIND ANTIQUE LURES:  How to find old fishing lures.  55+ methods and techniques to help you hunt down tackle treasures. A wealth of ideas on "secret" places to find old fishing lures.

WOOD BOXES:  Heddon wood boxes, Pflueger contract wood boxes, Pflueger Monarch and Neverfail wood boxes,  Shakespeare wood boxes

RARE MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTION: photos from a collection that defies description if you understand collecting early miscellaneous lures.

RARE REELS: by Ed. vom Hofe, Heddon, O. Zwarg in this collection.

WOOD LURE AND BOX IDENTIFICATION METHODS:  Other methods in the various indexes for each manufacturer.

Identify Heddon lures by the hardware

Identify Heddon, Pflueger, South Bend minnows by hardware

Identify the type of eyes your lure has

Identify Shakespeare by hardware type

Identify Heddon lure boxes both wood and cardboard types

Identify Pflueger lure boxes both wood and cardboard types

Identify Pflueger Monarch lures

Identify obscure contract wood boxes

Identify Shakespeare lure boxes both wood and cardboard types

Identify Creek Chub lure boxes

Advanced Collecting Knowledge from articles published in the NFLCC Gazette and Florida Tackle Collectors Newsletter by Dr. Michael Echols:

• Knowledge 101: determine if you are a collector or an accumulator and why collect lures

• Rarity and quality: why some prefer to collect the best possible

• Mental games: a list of helpful ideas on making a decision to buy or not, and why

• Rejection: why we need a lure fix from time to time

• Pricing lures: thoughts on how to price a lure if it's yours or mine

• Ethics: what to watch out for and who you can trust in the NFLCC

• Global thinking: maintaining your reputation in a smaller world

• Trading: some of the dynamics of trading tackle and how to avoid problems

• Books & References: a complete list of information to help you do research

• Price tricks: unscrupulous price rigging at tackle shows

• Auction tricks: caution at the auction and at eBay

• Fakes and repaints: a sorry state of affairs and a plague on our hobby

• Protection: a few hints on how to avoid buying a fake (maybe)

• Packing lures: for shipping.  How to wrap'em

• Cleaning paper and boxes: a resource for materials

• Hunting lures: 55 great ideas and techniques on where and how to find old lures 

• Grading lures: an introduction to grading lures with links to the advanced course

• Grading lure boxes: a simple system to help figure it out

• Factors in grading: things that change a grade from a plus to a minus

• Grading factors which effect the plus or minus in grading lures and boxes

• Lure insurance: how to insure that the bad guys don't get to them

• Cardboard lure box restoration and conservation techniques for valuable boxes.

• Cleaning lures and detection of fakes.  Methods and techniques.

• Storage suggestions to protect your lure collection.  Prevent damage during storage.

• Collecting high grade (expensive) fishing lures.  Methods and ideas on hot collectibles.

• Books and references on early lures.  How and where to find information.

   

Additional lure and box articles in the early Heddon section of the site

A FULL TOPICAL INDEX FOR ANTIQUELURES
 

A LIST OF ALL EARLY FISHING LURES IN THIS COLLECTION