When going on a shopping trip, whether online or to the nearest tackle show, what to buy is a question on the top of every collector’s mind.
When buying vintage lures there are generally two frames of mind that a collector can be in at any given time. Those are buying quantity or buying quality.
Buying quality means you are looking for the rarest, oldest, and best condition vintage lures you have the money to buy. When looking for quality lures, the long term monetary value decision can come into play, as lures in this class should hold their value better by comparison to lower quality lures. Also, more experienced collectors who have already established a larger base collection may be focusing in on one or two items of specific make or color and are therefore looking to buy fewer items as well.
Buying quantity means that you are looking for relatively less expensive, lower quality grades, and more common vintage lures. When looking to buy quantity, a collector could be looking to expand a collection that is still smaller and needs some basic lures for showing well. There is also the “kid in a candy store” influence at work here. It seems more fun to buy a lot of stuff than a little and all those Ebay auctions or tackle at the show look very appealing and you want to grab as many vintage fishing lures for your collection as you can carry. When in this mindset, you can be a little less serious because of the smaller value per lure and lower grades that you will be reviewing. The pressure to make a very solid grade judgment won’t be as high if you are spending $10 on a lure versus $100.
Both of these mindsets will be experienced by collectors at different times and at different stages of the lure collecting process. If you lean more towards one than the other, then make a conscious effort to experience the other mindset to break out of old habits. If you normally buy 10 lures for a total of $100, then watch several higher value vintage lure auctions on Ebay and find one lure to focus on that you would really enjoy and see how that feels for you. On the other hand, if you prefer the thrill of hunting down a nice high price lure at $100 and have several of these on display, then try looking at some lower priced auctions and buy 10 lures for $100 to see how you like the experience.
There is room for people to learn new ways to enjoy the hobby of collecting vintage fishing lures even by experimenting with different buying styles. Keep an open mind and try something new for your next purchase.
Ebay Resources:
Vintage Fishing Lures on Ebay (Auctions)
Vintage Fishing Lures on Ebay (Articles)
If you don’t have an Ebay account yet, then click the image below which will take you to Ebay’s registration page.
Filed under Collecting, Ebay by on Jun 4th, 2010. 
Collecting vintage fishing lures is one of the fastest growing hobbies for someone to start. This hobby has enjoyed substantial growth in recent years which is one of the reasons making it easier for newcomers to the hobby to become involved and build a collection. As more people have become interested in collecting vintage fishing lures and as more of those collectors are taking to the internet for information and to build their collections, the ability to find pieces to collect has become more accessible to everyone.
For many collectors, the mental and emotional images evoked when they find and purchase a lure is a feeling of nostalgia. Many collectors remember their father or grandfather’s treasured tackle box full of great quality lures that they fished with and it brings back childhood memories of those good times. These older vintage fishing lures seem to have a quality that doesn’t exist in today’s plastic and synthetic lures. Somehow they seem more real and solid. It is almost as if they will last forever with a little care and cleaning.
Many collectors also enjoy the social interaction that comes with starting this hobby. Going to tackle shows and talking and interacting with other people who are interested in vintage fishing lures is a lot of fun and will allow you to meet a lot of interesting people. In addition to the lifelong friendships that can be formed by this, the network of other collectors that you will build up will give you access to more possible pieces for your collection of old lures than first thought possible.
Let’s not forget that many people get into collecting vintage fishing lures because of the potential money making potential. As the popularity of collecting old lures goes up, then so does the opportunity to start a business around it. This too helps out the collectors as items get brought to market and made available for sale that may have otherwise set around gathering dust. And let’s admit it, everyone likes the idea of being able to have their hobby also potentially be something that can be resold at a potential profit.
There are many options available to get started collecting. If you have a passion for fishing and want to make some great friends and get a great new hobby then you should start collecting vintage fishing lures today. This is a hobby that is fun, fairly simple to start and enter into, and the items you find may valuable and can definitely be passed on to future generations.
Welcome to the world of vintage fishing lures. Have fun and enjoy.
Filed under Collecting by on May 19th, 2010. Comment.
