Shakespeare Super Wondereel 1925

[john elder]

I'm always looking for the unusual, so I find myself blowing past the "common" ones...not because they are not great reels, but because there are just lots of 'em! but I was in an antique store the other day and with a paucity of Talbots and the like to uncover, I stopped to actually look at this Wondreel with a bit more attention...what a wonderful, well-made reel! Often, the spacers are shrunken or cracked, but this one has no problems and just gotta love the color of the plastic. The pillars are also made with care and for the first time, I noticed what must be a line keeper integrated into the level wind. The spacers are rounded rather than octagonal, which I believe Robyn indicated was typical of the last ('39-'40?) years of manufacture for the reel (date code on this one is GA).

Well, it ended up at a price I couldn't (didn't) refuse and it came home with me. I'm trying to thin out my herd, so it will be at the Nationals in the Silent Auction if someone in need of this one doesn't decide to make an early Club donation!

[jimbofish]

<< I noticed what must be a line keeper integrated into the level wind.>>
Well, I learned something today, albeit with a bit of regret.
I bought that same reel about two years ago, and, in the process of cleaning it, took that odd looking piece of wire off. Could not for the life of me figure out why that was there. Looked like a mangled bit of wire a previous owner had added for some reason.
The question now is what did I do with it?