Updated: 06/21/2007

What you really need to know to survive if collecting antique lures... stuff your mother didn't tell you about...

 Rejection | Auction-Action | Tricks | Trading | Rarity | Cleaning lures/boxes  

REJECTION AND THE "FIX" OF COLLECTING LURES

If you hang around lure collectors for very long, you are going to hear one of us mention the drug related feeling..."I need a fix".  If we lure collectors can't find something to buy or add to the collection on a regular basis, we tend to get withdrawal symptoms: hyperactivity, edginess, yearning for stimulation to the lure seeking part of the brain.  More than likely this is a pre-historic left-over from the hunting and gathering instinct.  A distinct, powerful lower brain function, not unlike sex.

Watch the antique lure chat rooms long enough and you will see someone mention they are fulfilling this need by relating tales of a find or begging for someone to post a story through which the rest of us can endure another lureless day.  It's the "I need a lure fix" syndrome.   It is why eBay is such a success.   Assuming you accept this observation as fact, let's see if we can burst the comfort bubble and hang out some psychological underwear for airing regarding this constant hunting and buying of fishing lures or any collectible.

We all hate rejection.  No one actually goes out looking for rejection in any form be it socially or business related.  One would suppose that healthy individuals avoid rejection on the assumption that rejection is something you would just rather do without on a good day.  I would suggest that the "need a lure fix" feeling is related to rejection avoidance.  Ask any insurance salesman: "What is the worst feeling you endure?"  I'm sure it will be rejection.  Salesmen in general, to be good at their craft, have to be able to handle rejection.  The rest of us avoid rejection like crazy.

Collectors of any ilk are not used to rejection because they satisfy their need to avoid rejection by constant buying in the name of "adding to their collection".  Think about it, no one is generally rejected when buying, that comes when selling.  If there isn't anything to buy in one area, then we shift to another area of collecting.  (Can you visualize plastic lures from the 70's?)  The same pattern occurs in most areas of collecting and shifts in collecting occur when the supply or price move out of the individual's comfort zone.

If you want to test this observation, just try to sell some of those " in very good plus condition" lures for which you paid so dearly.   This is when the chickens come home to roost.  If you are talking selling, then you are talking about moving out of the comfort zone.  Those who buy do so out of a need to avoid rejection and seek comfort.  (Ever notice all those women in the malls with shopping bags?)  No salesman says "no" to the buyer with the right amount of money or the ticketed price.

For the buyer, the comfort is found in the acceptance created by the buying.  If you doubt this observation, get on the Internet or phone and try to sell something at an inflated price.  If no one accepts your item, then you are going to find out about rejection on some level.  I would suggest all of us need to try to sell some of our collectibles from time to time just to get a reality check.  Want to find out if you are paying too much?  Buy a lure in the morning and see if anyone is willing to buy it for the same price in the afternoon. 

So, the next time you start getting that feeling that you need a "lure fix", remember that you are just avoiding rejection and all the other excuses why you are trying to make a buy are just rationalizations. 

PRICING ANTIQUE FISHING LURES:

Another variable relative to condition depends on just how much you are asking for your bait. Price and condition are linked in a way where correctly priced cheaper baits don't require the more strict condition one would expect for higher dollar values. If you are pricing at what is known as "retail plus" for a rare and excellent piece, then the grading is going to get real picky, real quick. However, if you are asking a reasonable price then maybe the mental gate for condition gets lowered a few pegs so the deal goes through.

I guess what I'm saying is don't expect to get an excellent condition price for a bait that is incorrectly graded. Both parties have to agree on the grading and then the price will follow.

The absolute bottom line on pricing is for you to attend as many shows as possible to look and learn about prices from actual sales. Yes, this is expensive to do and takes a lot of time, but again it is the price of your education and can't be done in a short period of time.

What someone "asks" is rarely the sale price in antiques and believe me, we are talking about antiques here, not just fishing baits. What a guy has for a sticker price will change depending on if it is the first or last day of the show. Trade prices are different than cash prices. Trade prices tend to be much higher. Cash talks.

Prices also tend to vary greatly from one part of the country to another. In Michigan, the supply of lures is greater than in Arizona, so the prices may be better in Michigan. The same goes for the number of collectors in an area. Competition among a large group of collectors will drive the price up due to demand. The number of collectors in Michigan is greater too, so the supply and demand equation works both ways. In this information age, the phone network or Internet can spread sales prices in one evening. To quote that sage of sages, Clyde Harbin, Sr., "Nothin' ain't worth nothin' except what someone is willing to pay." Just because a high price was realized at the last auction doesn't mean that my lure will bring the same price with the next buyer.

Here is a hint on how to price lures: look in the completed auctions list on eBay.com.  Sort by bid price and look at what a given lure went for at auction.  This is tricky because it is not absolute, but a one time event.  Price depends on condition and rarity, but also willing buyers.   That one particular  buyer may not have been at the auction, so the price shown may be abnormally low.

MARKET PRESSURE ON LURE PRICES:

It only takes a few buyers in the high-end of the market to set a trend.  A few years back it was auctions that set the pace, but more recently, the prices are set among a few collectors who are in constant communication by phone, on eBay, and by e-mail.  One buyer paying "stupid" prices can change the asking prices across the country in a matter of days.  There is always resistance to price changes among older collectors who have "seen it all", but new highly motivated collectors with serious money to invest will move past the older collectors in lightening speed.  The scarcity factor is very much in play across the country since 1998.  Lures from the large collections in the Michigan and New York areas are slowly surfacing as older collectors react to the reality that their collections are worth a fortune.  Again, the high-end part of the market (early excellent condition lures and boxes) are setting the pace and all other areas are responding in kind.

BROKER TRICKS:

One of the more disturbing tricks I've heard about involves an unethical broker or dealer (and endangered species). This individual will contract with you to sell your collection for a very low percentage (say 5%) and then gives you a letter of intent to sell at a given price for each piece. If you agree to the letter of intent, then he sells at that price as a minimum. He then sells off some of the pieces he doesn't want, but buys other pieces at the price of the letter of intent for himself. He then sells those pieces as his own at "real" prices. This is not ethical under any circumstances and it goes on all the time with brokering of large collections. In any collection there are always certain pieces which are worth more than anyone thinks. The broker know this and angles to buy those pieces at the lowest price possible. Even if he is getting a commission, buying a few rare pieces under the table at a low price and then reselling to private customers is too tempting.

AUCTION TRICKS:

Tackle auctions are dangerous business unless you know exactly what you are doing. The odds of getting a "deal" at a well advertised event is slim and none if many "collectors" or dealers are in the room. At an auction, your knowledge can make or break you in a flash. If the room is full of knowledgeable collectors or dealers and something "rare" is going for a low price, chances are there is something wrong with the piece and you best back off.

On the other hand when antique fishing tackle comes up at some non-tackle event like a gun show, look out because you can do really well with little or no competition on the floor. Auctions where tackle is not the center of the show tend to not advertise the tackle and bargains can be had.

In my experience, you are best to closely examine auction items personally or have an agent look at something for you if you wish to bid on by phone. Phone bids are safer than written bids because you get to bid against the bidders on the floor. Written bids, on the other hand, are the first number taken to open a bid and the bidding starts or stops with that bid. If the written bid is too high, and not challenged on the floor, the write-in bid is taken. What this means is that the people on the floor didn't think the object was worth the money bid by the write-in and passed on it for some reason.

Another area to watch is sharking at antique auctions. The way this deal plays out is a guy will put a collection on the auction block and buy the first items himself at an inflated price in order to drive up the prices of the other items. The most the guy is out for buying back his own stuff is the charges by the auction house. Apparently this went on in the duck decoy business a few years back. The only defense here is to know what the price should be and not play the game if it gets crazy or stay away from auctions unless you are very, very knowledgeable. An experienced collector or dealer will spot this kind of game and not play.

INTERNET AUCTIONS:

If you have not been in on the eBay.com action, then you have missed a world of fun.  On the other hand, you may have missed getting stuck with a bunch of junk lures sold by people with questionable ethics.  In some cases, eBay is where everyone is unloading the lures that don't sell at tackle shows.    Most of the stuff is in below average condition and is being sold for 30 to 50% more than normal prices.  In many case, like when there are eighty page of lures, items are being sold that could not be sold at an NFLCC show in a lifetime.  What this says to me is there is a pent up demand for antique lures and people who know little or nothing about antiques are buying just to buy.  It's sad to think what a difference a little knowledge would make to these individuals.  There are some great pieces placed on eBay for sale, but you better know what you are doing and not do it on impulse.

If you must buy on-line, do so with eyes wide open and don't buy it unless you check prices elsewhere first.   Just having a couple of the lure books will tell you if you are getting ripped off or making a fair buy.  Here's a list of reference books.

ETHICS:

Reality check. From time to time, there are individuals on the Internet chat lines cursing the NFLCC at large for the ethical infractions of a few. Unfortunately, being a member of the NFLCC does not insure ethical behavior. There is no system of referral or "tap" to weed out people with questionable ethics from joining the NFLCC although I wish there were.   

Unfortunately, all you do is pay your dues to the NFLCC and presto, you are a member. Yes, given enough reason, the club will expel a member for unethical behavior, but from what I can surmise, that is the exception rather than the rule. For these reasons, you have to be a little careful about who you deal with in the club. Don't assume that just because so and so is a member that their ethics are above reproach. Get to know a person before you deal. Eye to eye contact is usually the best policy, but barring that possibility, make the effort to communicate with the person and try to judge their behavior from more than one angle. One advantage of being a member of the NFLCC is that you can call other members and check out a given individual. Most of us who are actively collecting know one another or at least know someone who has second hand knowledge. It's called networking and is best done one on one.

All the membership offers is a set of standards for return privileges after three day inspection. There is no guarantee that the individual with whom you are dealing will act in an ethical manner or grade according to your standards. For new collectors, there is often the assumption that everyone in the club will "take care" of them and deal in their best interest. For the most part, this is true and the majority of club members I know will bend over backward to help you with your collecting. Probably 95% are well meaning individuals, but there is that fringe group who are in it for the money and couldn't care less about the collecting. I for one have never had a single unresolved problem, but I have heard of people who have had major problems. All I'm saying is be careful, have fun, but be aware that like any large group, there will be individuals who will take advantage of the unknowing and green.

Another word of just friendly advice...be extremely courteous on the Net or with any non-verbal communication like E-mail. You never really know who you are talking to when dealing with a faceless contact. Language becomes the eye contact where a "please or thank you" may have to substitute for a smile or a handshake.   And, for goshsakes sign your name to your E-mail....!

TRADING ANTIQUE LURES:

Personally, I found trading to be mind boggling for the first couple of years because I didn't know what was valuable and what was not. When older collectors would look at baits I found in the field and wanted to trade, I was suspicious (and with good reason as it turned out)  because I figured they knew a lot more than me and if they wanted it, it must be valuable. I still have difficulty letting go of items I know to be rare because I don't know if I can find another one. On the other hand, trading between two knowledgeable collectors who trust one another can be fun and help build your collection with better items. Just keep in mind that grading correctly becomes essential and the ground rules have to be clear before you actually exchange items by mail. One-on-one, in-person exchanges tend to be much easier than mailing items back and forth where you may find the other guy's idea of Excellent is your idea of Good.  This is especially true when dealing with non-collectors.

There are brokers who specialize in doing two and three way trades. I have one friend who has helped me build my collection and he is the master of the three way trade. If I send him such and such lure, he will use that to get three baits from so and so, then sell one of the three baits to two other collectors and so on. The secret here is the broker knows who collects what, he grades all the baits and sets the prices for a cut of the deal. It is the ultimate "I trust you" situation, and great if you can make decisions in rapid fire order. The bottom line: get to know the other person first so there are no hard feelings when making deals. The worst problem I hear about on a consistent basis is how one guy took advantage of another in the past. Those bad feelings tend to linger and breakdown relationships.

ANTIQUE LURE FAKES:

Now for the part of the hobby which scares me the most: repaints and fakes. When the price of common lures got above $200, it was just too much for some unscrupulous people to not fake the paint jobs. The NFLCC is presently (1998) working on new by-laws for the elimination from the club of anyone caught selling repaints, but like the wheels of justice, the gears of some older members of the club, who dictate policy, need a little grease. I feel it will come this year and hopefully buying from a member of the NFLCC will be an insurance stamp of approval that you are buying quality, and not taking a chance.

Just this week (3/20/97) I personally saw a letter written to a friend of mine by a lure dealer in Michigan who blatantly bragged that he sells repaints to tourists and "anyone else" (meaning you and I) stupid enough to buy the things (his words, not mine). Sooner or later, most of you in the club will see this letter, because it is being processed though the correct channels of the NFLCC for distribution to as many people as possible. This kind of despicable individual has to be eliminated from this hobby. Repaints which are deeply marked are acceptable as craft, but they are not antiques and should never be allowed to be sold as such.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM LURE FAKES:

Some hints to protect yourself from buying repaints and fakes:

• Get a UV black light. It won't help much with a total repaint unless you know what to look for, but touch-ups shine like moonlight under UV light in a dark room.  Newer paint will look exactly the same under the UV light as full spectrum light.  Red will be red if it's a fake.  Old red paint looks kind of a rust color, but it is not a bright dark red.   Fake yellow will turn a dark mustard color, but real yellow will still be a light yellow under UV.  The best way to use UV is to compare to other lures at the same time and see what color they turn.  You have to learn by comparison to lots of lures and under various conditions.   The ambient light where you examine the lure will cause some changes in the colors.  A totally dark room is best.  Someone needs to write a well researched article on this one.  This small unit like I own is from Antique and Collector Reproductions News, P.O. Box 71174, Des Moines, IA 50325  Phone: (515) 270-8994.

• Think about that "deal" price. If it looks too good to be true, more than likely it is. Evaluate the circumstance from which you buy, i.e. has the person had it since before time, or is it in the hands of a flea market dealer. If your grandfather had it, don't worry, but if you are offered a $500 bait for $100 by a questionable antique dealer, inspect and re-inspect before you buy.

• Carry a 10x magnifying loop on you at all times at a show or when buying lures. Look for age cracks, crazing, the fine age cracks in the paint or varnish of Heddon and other quality lures. Check for details under the varnish. Look for inconsistent paint jobs. If the gill marks look too new, assume they are. Lots of cleaned lures get fingernail polish gill marks added.  If you really want to get serious, pick up a dissecting microscope off eBay in the scientific instruments section and really take a deep look into those details.  I use it to compare lure to lure in my collection and look at larger areas of a lure or box.

• Look at every bait you can get your hands on. Go see good collections. Get to know what a 'real' coat of paint looks like. Believe me, you can't do this without hand holding hundreds of baits.

• If it's too good to be true, call and ask your mentor for an opinion. Is it in the right box? If in doubt, put a down payment on the bait and ask for an afternoon or a day to research it.

• Carry your books with you to shows or when buying. I have duplicate books which I have taken apart and placed the pages I really need in a notebook and carry to shows. Since I don't collect everything in the book, why carry the whole book. Book knowledge is cheap. Experience is extremely expensive.

• Buy only from trusted dealers whom you can return something which you don't like. Who can you trust? Ask other members of the NFLCC who they buy from on a regular basis. I can name several who I trust and will gladly give you their names.

• Ask for 3 day return privileges when buying, and above all, ask before you buy. Buy at garage sales or through ads, but beware of flea markets, antique dealers, and the guy on the phone who has a deal that's too good to be true.

• Really rare lures are rare because they didn't make many or they didn't survive. Where you find them (in a boat house or old hardware store) makes a strong argument for their authenticity. Something you buy from the widow of a 91 year old man can pretty much be counted on to be safe, but "salted" tackle boxes at yard sales are not uncommon.

• Beware of inconsistency factors, such as: rusted hooks and perfect paint or vice versa, mis-matched props, bubbles under the varnish, cracks or crazing in the paint which have smooth edges indicating over-varnish, paint on the eyes, mis-matched eyes. A sticky surface, or strong odor of paint. Perfect paint and nicks in the props or hooks are not consistent to me.   If the cups on a Heddon or South Bend don't seem symmetrical this is a tip off that someone may have "reworked" the cups.  Peen marks from hammering a cup back to shape is usually obvious.

 

CLEANING EARLY FISHING LURES AND BOXES

Want to clean your antique lures?  Unless you know exactly what you are doing...don't!  But, maybe it's safe to practice on a beater or two and then try it on a better lure.  I can't tell you how many lures I ruined when I first started collecting in the name of cleaning.  (If you are going to sell your lures to me, please don't touch them.)  I would rather buy them dirty than skinned of lacquer and chipped up from careless disassembly.

Unless you are extremely good at disassembly, I suggest you never disassemble a lure to clean it.  If you do, you may chip the paint on older lures where the paint stuck to the hardware.   Use soft cloth or cotton swabs, but don't soak them in water and soap.  The water will swell the wood if there are cracks.  Early lures should not be wet as any moisture may pop paint off.

If you must clean your own lures, (and I do), use something like the non-abrasive German made  product for cleaning fiberglass called "Flitz".  It is non-abrasive and works in seconds to remove grim and oil.  It won't damage the paint and I've used it for years.   It also leaves a polished surface to protect the paint. 

I know guys who use "Mother's" to clean, or one of the "cleaning cloths", but I've never had much luck with those.  For me Flitz is the answer.  Sometimes I use a hand cleaner product called "GOJO".  It has lanolin in it and works well, but apply with a soft cloth or cotton swab and wipe with a damp cloth soon.   Never use anything with ammonia or alcohol in it, because it will cut the paint.

Cleaning hooks is a work of love to be sure.  I've tried phosphoric, hydrochloric, and other acids with little results.  A wire brush on a Dremel works, but if you get near the body of the bait, you can ruin a valuable lure in seconds.  Cleaning with Flitz works, but there is a more abrasive product called Poe which can be used with a cotton swab.  Don't use Poe on paint. 

Cleaning boxes is a whole different story than cleaning paint and metal.  I have not used either of these products but I've heard that Wallpaper cleaner will clean cardboard boxes or use a product called asorene which can be found at good wallpaper and paint stores.  Eraser Powder, available at office supply stores or blueprint shops also does a good job I hear.  I've also heard that bread will absorb dirt and grease and that cleaning with mild soapy water can be done if you blot and not rub.  Don't take my word on this area, be very careful.  See restoration of boxes.