Hello I'm Chris Sanford, welcome to Get Your Old Tackle Out. It's the last episode
today I'm afraid. Well I know, I know but all good things come to an end and anyway it's winter
time now and it's time for Ollie to go into hibernation. No it isn't. What? We don't hibernate,
we just have a good kip. Really? Well before you nod off you may be interested to know that
actually an inquiry has come in and it's about you. Dorian of Stoke Poges wants to know what it is
you actually do. I comment. Yes you certainly do. Well now in every show we try and bring you a little
clip from our Stuff series and today the little clip we've got you is very apt because today we're
going to be talking about values and here's a little bit with Keith Arthur and I talking about
the value of vintage fishing tackle on his sadly missed show Tight Lines. Have a look.
Up in Ludlow at Mulloch's auction beginning of November they had a lot of things that did record
prices. This was one of them. This is a bait by Gregory of Birmingham called the Windsor Bay. He
had his workshops in the jewellery district of Birmingham at the turn of the century. I bought
that, I'll just check, what did I buy it for? I bought it for £120 in 1995 and people said I
was barmy. I always say that. Yes indeed. In the auction it was estimated at a 1500 to 2500.
Wow. And I thought well it might just make that. It made, brace yourself, hold on to the table,
£4,300 plus 70% commission. Wow. And it is a lovely piece and as you said it made by
jewellers and the early lures were made by jewellers but when you look at it it's something that you'd
keep. It's not something you'd put in a frame and stick on the wall really. Would you do that?
I don't know. Well I don't know. I'm fascinated by his work and I'm especially fascinated now.
Well yeah and I mean I will keep on about it but you look at the engraving on it, each scale
and this was all done by hand by someone with a little tool. That's right. Little punch making
those scales. Exactly right. It is a piece of jewellery. They used to call it a jewellers job.
Well that's all tool. Yes a jewellers job. Is that right there? Ah yes. Now this looks like
more like an implement of torture. No it is a thumb vise sir. So if I do that that would be
right. Yeah thumb vise. It was a great boon to the tyres that used to just tie in their hands
and suddenly they could put this on their thumb and the hook would stay in the jaws of the vise
and they could use all their other fingers to hold the materials. The quality of the
workmanship on that is just absolutely incredible. I mean how old is it roughly?
I've got the notes here somewhere is it? Thumb vise. Yes here we go. 1910. Wow.
So that's over 100 years old and it is just as smooth as silk. I know. I've only ever seen
three others. No two others because that one's mine. And what would that be worth? Well it was
reserved. It's worth what somebody would pay for it. Of course it was reserved in Mullick's auction
at £800 to £1000 and I thought well I don't think it'll make that. I bought it. What did I pay for
mine? £75 in 2003 and I thought well I don't think it might make four to five hundred. It made
£800. Wow. £800. Amazing. Do you still buy bits and pieces now? I do but I can't afford it. Are you
more of an admirer of what you've got? Well some and some really. I do like all my stuff of course
but I buy the odd thing but I can't buy any more lures because hidden away in America, New Zealand
and Australia are three millionaires who are buying all the lures you ever come into auction and
that's why the price has gone quite high. Somebody really wants them. You obviously go to the
auctions. I know the Chiswick one is very famous and Mullick's you mentioned another one very famous.
But do you ever, people come up and say hey mate you like old gear. I've got something. Is this any
good? Because you will know. I refer people to you quite regularly for estimates or people want
to get rid of something and you're always a good sort, you and Neil, there's always a good source
of information. I've sort of shot myself in the foot really because I did the book The Best of
British Paints and people go I've looked this up in your book and then I've looked online and I
believe it's worth £7,000. But you've got a phenomenal collection. Thank you. You have it.
I mean I've been insane. It's an amazing. Thank you. I don't have room to display all of it anymore
and these very valuable things of course we have to keep in the bank because the insurance
companies go no. That's a shame. It is. It is a shame. There you are. I got this one out for you.
Yeah it's very kind of you. But it's mine you'll understand. Keith Arthur what a great presenter.
Come along you TV companies. It's high time you had a new show. Anyone who collects vintage fishing
tackle will be familiar with Neil Freeman and his company Angling Auctions. He has recently
moved his business from Chiswick in London down to Romsey in Hampshire and I went down the other
day to his latest auction. It's a great venue, a very light, very airy, plenty of car parking,
wonderful tea and coffee and some of the best fruit cake I've ever tasted. Okay I made some
notes. I brought you four items from the auction. There was a 600 lot auction so I can't bring them
all. I thought you'd be interested in these. Now let's start with lot 150. It was a very rare
ustanson brass multiplying wide drum winch with a faceplate engraved ustanson maker temple bar
London circa 1840 and any item of tackle with his name is certainly going to demand a large premium.
It was estimated this reel at 2500 to 4500 bidding moved very quickly towards the lower figure
then it faltered. It eventually sold for 2500 pounds plus 15 commission. A bit of a bargain
really. Now then if somebody read you this description what would you think they'd be
talking about? Six concertina slotted brass arms mounted on central spindle with tail locking nut
wasted crank winding arm with wasted ebonite winding knob G clamp brass table fitting with
thumb locking screw circa 1907. Well this is what they were talking about have a look. It was FM
Halfords famous sextile line dryer. It came in its original box with pasted instructions but also
it had perfect provenance proving it actually belonged to the great man himself. So there you
have it estimated at 8 to 1200 pounds it finally managed to sell for 900 which I thought really
for something with that kind of provenance was quite low. So there you go. Next ah yes this was
the star of the show a solid silver Munro reel it was made in Glasgow by David Munro around 1850
just over two inches in diameter as you can see absolutely beautiful engraving and the engraving
was on both sides. Now then the money estimated at 8,000 to 12,000 pounds okay bidding was pretty
fast and furious up to 12,000 then it petered off and it got eventually got a huge round of applause
when a collector bid 14,000 pounds. I'll pause for effect there okay 14,000 pounds if you add the
commission to that it is 16,100 pounds. Awful not to pay for a fishing reel but hey as we say in the
trade find me another one. Finally a beautiful little trout carved trout the little brass plaque
on it read rainbow trout caught on natural worm bait by Seaty Grenville River itchin weight one
pound July 1920 it was the prettiest little thing it was only 16 and a half inches wide a beautiful
little carving estimated at 1,000 to 1,500 it made 1,500 the top bid it was a bargain I thought
it was a really nice little fish if you'd like more info go to www.angling-auctions.com
oh he's dropped off faster sleep listen we're going to be doing a new show but we don't quite
know when so keep watching the website and we'll let you know okay we'll see you next time
you
