By Doug Bucha
Early Vintage Heddon reels valued by collectorsWhile Heddon is most famous for its lure creations, most people dont realize that the company offered fishing reels in its catalogs as early as 1905.
These early Heddon reels were made by another other reel companies who stamped the Heddon name on them.
Heddon began making its own reels in 1920 after they lured a famous reel maker named Jack Welch away from the Talbot Reel Company located in Kansas City. Jack got things going!
The companys first in-house reel was the model 3-15 (1920-27), a non level-wind reel made of German silver. The name German silver is misleading as there is no silver in the metal.
The reel was well received by fisherman despite the $15 price tag, which was a lot of money in those days. In fact, you could buy a good Winchester lever action deer rifle for less!
The second reel Heddon offered was the number 3-35 (1922-26). This was a top-of-the-line reel with a price tag of $35. The reel didnt stay on the market long because of the price.
The last of the great Heddon reels was the 3-25, (1926-31). This reel offered all the bells and whistles of the 3-35 but at a reduced price of $25.
Any of the other Heddon reels made after the 3-25 are of far lesser value.
You may have noticed that the last two digits of the reel number correspond with the price of the respective reel. Heddon reels of those vintages are highly prized by collectors and usually sell for well over $100. The Heddon museum in Dowagiac, Mich. has examples of every model of reel that Heddon ever made.
(For more information, contact Doug Bucha at ndbucha@yahoo.com.)