Originally posted by: Mike Barrett on 1/19/2007 10:28:52 AM

I'm glad to see there comming back with some of the old time lures of the past. The only thing is that the quality of these lures will never come close to the lures Heddon @ Aborgast @ Rapala made in the past.Especially Heddon, when they were in production used 15 to 18 coats of paint on there lures and were mostly wood lures.But I,m glad to see them.

Originally posted by: lendog6963 on 2/3/2007 7:56:37 PM

i've noticed on e-bay that just the empty river runt boxes are expensive, i was on e-bay "just lookin" and picked up a couple river runt floater and sinkers and also a jointed, and a go deeper runt, all in perfect condition but with out boxes, also picked up a sonic which was in one batch of lures, i've been lookin for a good deal on a crazy crawler but keep gettin outbid, since i now have around 50 hellbenders i think i'm gonna start adding some heddon lures to my collection <!--graemlin::rolleyes:-->

Originally posted by: davesett2000 on 2/3/2007 8:53:10 PM

Unfortunately....lure collecting has become like real estate...in the sense that there are folks out there with big cash bidding up items in the market <!--graemlin::eek:-->

Manipulations usually only make things better for those who are well to do <!--graemlin::(--> as those who don't know what is happening get caught up in the madness <!--graemlin::eek:-->

Originally posted by: turnip on 2/5/2007 8:02:36 AM

Thanks to Dave and his e-bay savy, I have a 10 piece Risto Rap collection, many with the boxes. But alas, they will be in my tackle box to help me catch the fishies they were intended for! <!--graemlin::rolleyes:--> I also have a Hellbender thanks to Lenny! <!--graemlin::cool:-->

Originally posted by: lendog6963 on 2/5/2007 9:46:18 PM

pete , i'll show ya my collection at the blue marsh meet, i hope that hellbender is as lucky for u as it was for me, those are great lures <!--graemlin::cool:-->

Originally posted by: Mike Barrett on 2/8/2007 1:42:10 PM

I have been collecting for quite awhile now and the Heddon Crazy Crawlers have gone sky high. About eight years ago you could get the 2100s or the 2150s for $15.00. Now your paying $50.00 on up.I have the 2100 in Glow Worm I payed $20.00 for 8 years ago with the box and just try buying it now.
The most collectable lures right now are the Heddon Lures and you will pay top doller. But they were the best lures made for there time in my opinion. What company now can we think of puts 15 coats of paint on there lures. Condition and color is the key and especially if you have the box numbered with it.A great buy right now are the Bombers made in the 40s and 50s.Again condition and colors are the key.Common Bombers are going for $20.00 to $30.00.And you can spend the next 10 years collecting all the colors and sizes.They made 200s, 300s, 400, 500s @ 600s sizes plus the heavy duty and of corse the 49s which were a flop and made for one year. The 300s and 600s were made in 87 different colors.
Ones to look for especially are the No-eye bombers made only for a few years in the 40s.Happy collecting.

Originally posted by: turnip on 2/12/2007 8:41:42 PM

Here's a question for ya guys, when was "hellbender" first produced? <!--graemlin::D-->

Originally posted by: lendog6963 on 2/13/2007 5:14:45 AM

my guess is in the 40's, but that is just a guess, could very well be earlier <!--graemlin::cool:-->

Originally posted by: John C. Taylor on 2/13/2007 7:04:25 PM

I'm really liking this thread. I just picked up a Thurber Lucky J Minnow in nice shape with the original plastic box. I can't find any information on the now defunct Thurber Bait Company on a Google search. Now I've got this fellow I outbid on eBay attempting to buy it from me. I probably won't sell it but the Lucky J Minnow is pretty cool and I would like to learn more about it.

JCT

Originally posted by: Mike Barrett on 2/15/2007 1:17:39 PM

Turnip: Hellbenders were first Circa: in the early 1950s. Made by Whopper-Stopper Inc. from Sherman Texas.Made in 4 sizes: 3", 2 1/8", 2 5/8", 3 1/2".
Hope I helped.

Originally posted by: Mike Barrett on 2/15/2007 3:22:03 PM

John C. Taylor: I been looking thru my collector books which are about 30 and can,t find this company. I also have the N.F.L.C.C digital library which is the National Fishing Lure Collectors club and I am stumped.
You say you have the origianl box and does the box have a number on it or does it have a picture of the lure on the box? Is this lure a wooden lure or a plastic,or does it have painted eyes, tack eyes, or glass eyes? What kind of hook hangers does it have and what type of hooks? A picture would be great to see of it if you can post one. I haven,t given up yet but a picture would be great.

Originally posted by: Mike Barrett on 2/15/2007 3:24:20 PM

Thoes hellbenders look very much like the Bomber waterdogs don,t they???

Originally posted by: lendog6963 on 2/15/2007 5:02:31 PM

yep, the bodys look almost alike, the bombers have the head facing the back(looks like it swims backwards,tail first) and the hellbenders look like they swim forward(head first), there is a pic on page 4 of a case of hellbenders davesett2000 has <!--graemlin::cool:-->

Originally posted by: Mike Barrett on 2/17/2007 8:53:39 AM

Buying Items On E-Bay:
I buy @ sell alot of fishing lures on E-Bay and thought I'd suggest some things to watch out for.
Some things I run into is item not properly identified. Wrong lure and wrong box.They may say rare item or color and it is not.Bad pictures of item and they say EX+ condition and it is a beater.
Wrong hardware because it has been changed by previous owner.Repaints, this is a no-no to serious collectors so know your colors of fishing lures.
As far as shipping: If the seller doesn,t let you know what shipping is,contact him and ask for shipping charges by giving him your zip code.I have run into people who will charge $10.00 for first class shipping on an item that weighs 3oz. that will cost $1.05 to ship.If selling an item always describe the condition.
International Buying or selling: If you don,t want to ship international,don,t. People will try to buy from you from internatioal countries even tho you don,t ship there and will bid on a item but you have the option not to sell it to him even tho he won the item. The sell will go to the next highest bidder.Always ask buyer to contact you for shipping cost. Go into the U.S postal service for international shipping and you can find how much shipping is.
I accept pay pal and western union money orders only. Do not accept international wire transfers.
These are just some things to know about e-bay selling or buying.

Originally posted by: lendog6963 on 2/18/2007 11:51:51 PM

that is all great advice mike, i hate spending alot on shipping when ya know its only a couple bucks at most, i've been spend'in a little too much time on e-bay this weekend and picked up a real nice black and white tiny crazy crawler, a real nice heddon tiny tad(spotted beetle), a nice wood south bend babe oreno, and a frog pattern tiny crazy crawler, also added a few more deep diving river runts to the collection <!--graemlin::rolleyes:-->, i usually wait til the last minute and then throw a bid in and pick them up for a couple of bucks and thats with shipping, i hate spending more than 6 or 7 bucks for a lure and thats w/shipping, i figure in the spring i can hit some yard sales and maybe pick up a few more <!--graemlin::cool:-->

Originally posted by: Mike Barrett on 2/19/2007 10:11:56 AM

That's the way you win on E-bay waiting till the last 15 seconds.The only way you loose is if a person has a high bid which you can't tell. Watch the crazy crawlers especially the tiny Crazy crawlers # 320s which are made by Pradco now. What people are doing is going like to Bass Pro and buying them for $4.99 and selling them for $10.00 or more. I see it all the time on E-Bay.
Right now I'm collecting the wood Bombers which are a great buy and also the plastic ones which were only made in 1949 because they were a flop.
Enjoy collecting, it's a great hobby!!!!

Originally posted by: lendog6963 on 2/19/2007 5:18:00 PM

iv'e been pickin up an assortment of different makers of lures, most seem to be made by heddon and southbend, there was a real nice paw paw frog that had the jointed legs, that was in perfect condition and had the box, i was so tempted but it sold for 90 bucks, i picked up an old metal kennedy tackle box and planned on keepin alot of the collection in it, just as a sort of display, and thought that would be good to give the kid one day <!--graemlin::cool:-->

Originally posted by: lendog6963 on 2/19/2007 9:41:26 PM

who am i kidding, i'm gettin buried with those lures <!--graemlin::rolleyes:-->, i'm keepin my eyes out for a paw paw wotta frog and i'd like to pick up a meadow mouse, i'll be lucky if i can get a good deal on the frog from what i've seen <!--graemlin::eek:-->

Originally posted by: Mike Barrett on 2/21/2007 1:34:40 PM

Some Bomber's I have collected

Originally posted by: davesett2000 on 2/21/2007 6:03:57 PM

quote:

Originally posted by John C. Taylor:
I'm really liking this thread. I just picked up a Thurber Lucky J Minnow in nice shape with the original plastic box. I can't find any information on the now defunct Thurber Bait Company on a Google search. Now I've got this fellow I outbid on eBay attempting to buy it from me. I probably won't sell it but the Lucky J Minnow is pretty cool and I would like to learn more about it. JCT