Knowledge for Advanced Collectors of Heddon and Shakespeare

FULL SITE INDEX & ARTICLES 

Heddon Box Paper Brochure Sequences

By Dr. Michael Echols

Collectors as well as fishermen often switch the box paperwork and lure in a given box.  Knowing the correct Heddon paperwork and the time frame of its use can help date a Heddon box and lure.  The pieces of the puzzle are: dating the lure by the hardware, getting the correct box with the correct marking for the given lure, and then placing the correct paperwork in the right box.  Not an easy task and few collectors can do it correctly.

Click on photos to enlarge

"The Why Of It!". The first Heddon of the wood box papers. The company name is James Heddon and Son.  Left: Found in the one way slide top box that says "The New Dowagiac Minnow" on the lid, containing the c.1904, 3 belly weight baits. Has the word "Because" listed seven times, no printing on the back. Right: came with the two way wood slide top box that says "The New Dowagiac Minnow" on the lid, and the c. 1905-1907 boxes that have an exclamation point after the word "hung". It shows the 150, slopenose, and 300 on the back and has the word "Because" 6 times on the left margin.
The Last two 100 papers. Left: Company name is James Heddon and Son.  Shows the 150, slopenose, and two of the following...300, surface bucktail, or artistic minnow.  Right: James Heddon and Sons (1911). The white pasteboard box paper. Shows the 150, slope, bucktail, and the artistic. All of the prices have been reduced to make way for the new stock
Company name is James Heddon and Son (1902-1908). Left: Paperwork for the 175. c. 1906-1909. Found in wood boxes only. Right: Paperwork for the 400. c1909 (possibly 1908) found in white box for the surface bucktail minnow.
Company name is James Heddon and Sons (1909 - 1911). Left: Paperwork found in the last of the wood boxes (1909/10), the white pasteboard boxes (1909-11), the "Bass Logo" box (1909-11?), and the "swimming minnow" intro boxes. Right: Paperwork found in the last of the white pasteboard boxes and the very first red, white, or blue border boxes (c1911-12). Note the phrase "Heddon's Dowagiac" stamped on the spinners. This phrase was introduced in the late 1911 season for the new marked spinners - 1912.
Left: c1914 Dummy Double papers. Football rig, long version. Top Right: c.1914-15? Dummy Double papers. Football rig, short version. Bottom Right: c.1915-18 Dummy Double papers. L-rig, short version (only version)
Found  in the folded type boxes. Note the "Vampire". This dates to 1919/1920, and may go through 1922-ish.

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