Vintage Fishing Lure Box Collecting
Box versus No Box
One of the things people often find surprising about collecting vintage fishing lures is how much value can be added to a vintage fishing tackle collection or an individual lure by having the lure box. There are times when the lure box alone can hold more value than just the lure itself and a matched set of lure and box will carry a premium value over either of the two by themselves.
When looking for vintage fishing lure boxes to collect either with or without the matched lure, many of the same qualities that are sought in collectible vintage fishing lures are sought after in vintage fishing lure boxes as well. The more new looking and in better quality condition the box is, then the more sought after and highly valued it will be. When searching for a lure and box set for your vintage tackle collection, target to find a box that lists the lure type on the box that still has good, readable markings on it as more generic boxes without the lettering will hold less value.
Adding vintage lure boxes to your collecting strategy can both increase the enjoyment you receive from collecting as well as possibly increase the value of your collection if good choices are made.
Some common areas to evaluate box quality on are water marks or water damage, sun damage, faded lettering, faded pictures or images, and insect damage.
Water marks and water damage – This is what it sounds like. When paper products get wet, they can get either watermarks or stains, or even worse damage such as the harder surfaces becoming soft and pliable.
Sun damage – If a box has had too much sunlight exposure over time it will be faded and the writing and images will be difficult to see and read.
Faded lettering or images – Either time, sun damage, or some other environmental factor can cause the boxes lettering or images to become faded or less clear and clean.
Insect damage – The paper products in boxes can be targets for insects. Look for any damage marks that could be caused by insect activity.
