The Intrepid "Rimfly" was, for at least one generation of fly fisherman, the first quality reel in the tackle bag, and the story of K P Morritt and the Rimfly was one of the first to be included in WVFFM. Recently though, we have acquired two more reels that add just a few more lines to the Morritt story. The first is the South Bend 1122 clone made in the Far East and introduced to the Intrepid line-up by Gladding who owned the brand in the 1970's.
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Some of you may have read the story of T J Harrington elsewhere on this site and when I wrote tat page I was certain that I had an example of all the relevant Harrington reels, including a version of the "Omnia" fixed spool reel. One of the Harrington reels that appears less often is the Regina, a multiplying version of the popular Gemina and I was pleased to acquire an example for the page. Then this turned up.... Firstly I must apologise for the photo quality - I wanted to get this photographed quickly ... The reel on the right in the first and second image is the Regina from the collection. On the left is the newcomer. It has many features in common with the Regina, same multiplying capabilities, same checkwork. Where it differes is in the frame casting, the spool perforations and the handle. The casting is also completely lacking in any branding. Clearly it is Harrington, and possibly an earlier version of the Regina? But why no branding? One though was that it may be a prototype, but then how does a prototype reel from a maker in Walton on Thames find its way to north Northumberland, where this reel was sourced?
It's things like this that make running WVFFM so much fun, thanks for coming to look and sharing with me! From time to time someone will message the Museum and ask me if I can do a valuation. To be absolutely frank, I really don't like doing this. There are a lot of reasons for this , but chief among them is that people almost always over-estimate the value of an item and are consequently disappointed when the value suggested is less than their own idea.
Like our laws, valuations are usually based on precedent, - listen to anyone on the Antiques Roadshow and they will probably say something like "one of these was sold for...". This is how we arrive at a value, by looking for previous sales of the same or similar items. I'll let you into a secret...it's not hard once you have identified the item. Once you know what to look for, an Internet Search will provide back catalogues from such specialist auctioneers as Mullock's. Similarly, the Advanced Search on EBay allows you to look at completed sales, again providing an insight into what people think an item is worth. You can also search retailers web sites, but be aware that the sort of price an item can command in a retail setting is not what you might be offered should you try to sell. "The price of a second-hand item is inversely proportional to the number of people who will pay it..." Having said this, one of the things I do enjoy, and am happy to have a stab at, is the identification of items. The quality of photos possible with a Smartphone today would have been the envy of hobbyist photographers a decade or so ago, and sending images has become part of our culture so in real terms it's never been easier to get stuff identified, so please send your puzzles...just don't ask me to tell you what they're worth! |
AuthorIf you've had a look at the "About" page, you know what this is all for. Here you'll find progress reports on new items and other developments on the site. Archives
April 2023
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