Hello Everyone. Collecting Antique Fishing Tackle is a great hobby with lots of great people AND it's a GREAT time to get involved in this hobby as lure prices are reflective of the current economy. 10 Years ago the only way to get a lure for your collection was by advertising in the newspaper, chasing them down at yard sales and flea markets or attending the many vintage tackle shows around the country. eBay has changed all that. Lures are now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is one problem. 99% of the people selling antique tackle on ebay are Honest folks. Its the 1% you need to look out for. Being a lifelong collector here's the guidelines I suggest for all NEW collectors when buying on eBay:

• If you are a collector, Buy the best condition lure you can. It will retain value should you decide to sell it or trade it down the road. JUNK will ALWAYS be Junk. Now, if you are collecting these "old warriors" as they are called strictly for display purposes, that's something different. Just don't pay a whole lot for them and enjoy them for what they are. Collectible lures are aways "CONDITION DRIVEN" just like any other collectible. Just because it's old, doesn't increase the value. The better the condition, the more it's usually worth.  Know who you are buying from. Check the sellers feedback. If there are negatives, there's a pretty good chance you won't like what you get. Also, if the sellers policies are longer than the description, BE VERY CAREFUL.

• IMPORTANT: By all means, stay away from PRIVATE AUCTIONS,  REPAINTS,  REPRODUCTIONS and auctions that say SOLD AS-IS, PICTURES TELL THE STORY, I DON'T KNOW IF THESE ARE REPAINTS, and other comments that will clearly give the seller an OUT for taking you to the cleaners. Terms like RP or REP (Which Mean REPAINT) are sometimes used in the title . Sellers of such items are only interested in one thing: Your $$$$. Repaints and reproductions are ALWAYS a LOSING  CAUSE when you go to sell or trade them. AVOID THEM AND BUY THE  REAL THING. You will not regret it.

• There are currently at least 10 to 20 sellers that routinely buy lures off of eBay, repaint them or touch them up, then place them back up for auction, making YOU the loser. They will always say,  "SOLD AS-IS". These names are well known. Stay away from them.

• Beware of fuzzy photos, or photos showing just one side.  If you can't see what you need to, ask for more pictures.  If they don't provide them, don't bid.

• Beware of auctions where the seller says "I don't know much about old fish'n tackle," and then goes on to describe his lure using terms like "bellyweight," "L-Rig" or "E-"  Odds are, he's probably hiding something.

• Just because the seller says it's RARE, doesn't mean it's rare. Look at all the listings that have that word in the Title. Ebay has a nice function where you can check COMPLETED AUCTIONS to see what similar items have sold for. Use it and you will see that 99.9% of the auctions using this word  are doing it just to get you to look at their item. 

• If you have questions email the seller. Don't wait till the last hour however. Do it early on. All reputable sellers and collectors are more than willing to answer all questions. You should get a response within 24 hours. If you dont get a response, it's simple, DON'T BID.

• Need help? There are lots of great collectors on ebay. Just look for one that mentions NFLCC member in the description, email them and ask for help. 

IT IS A GREAT TIME TO BE A COLLECTOR OR

 TO GET INTO THIS HOBBY.

LURE PRICES, AND MOST OTHER TACKLE

 IS GREATLY REDUCED

FROM SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

If you are somewhat serious about collecting Lures and other tackle, then give serious consideration to joining the NFLCC (National Fishing Lures Collectors Club).  For the yearly membership fee of $25, you will receive some of the best publications available relative to tackle collecting, values and the many shows held nationwide. Email me for further info and I'll be happy to foward you an application or other info.

  Good luck and

have fun collecting