Just a Brief Rant

[oldsaltnfla]

I, like most folks on this forum collect reels. My main collection consists of single action fly reels. I buy and sell most of them on the auction site we all know and (at least sometimes) love. Most people have pretty good photos of their reels, but what I HATE is when they fail to display photos of the reel with the spool removed so that one can see the drag system (or lack of one), the gears, and the general cleanliness of the reel's inner workings. I think most of the people are not fishermen and just don't know any better or they don't know how to remove the spool. I still hate it though.
Joe

[reelsmith.]

For me, this depends on the reel.

If a reel with an easily removed spool, such as a Hardy. I agree with you.

However, on any vintage reel that requires disassembly of the reel and possible buggering of the screws, I let it slide. I don't blame anyone for not wanting to take apart a reel that may have stuck screws.

Dean.

[reeltackle]

I agree wholeheartedly with Dean. If it is a vintage reel where you have to remove the screws to show the guts then not cracking the reel open is perfectly acceptable.

I consider myself a fisherman and I take reels apart regularly, however, I do not think it is necessary to open any vintage reel that needs to be unscrewed if you describe the reel's action accurately in your auction description.

[oldsaltnfla]

I completely understand what reelsmith and reeltackle are saying and I agree. But what I am talking about, and I should have stated it in my original post, are the reels with a push button spool removing system (quick, simple, and easy); i.e., Hardy, Orvis, and Pflueger Medalist.
Joe

[Ron Mc]

*ahhhh* (a let it out sigh)
Wartime (export) Young - you can tell because in place of 4 brass stanchions with Young pawls, they used 2 brass stanchions for the pawls (plus Hardy pawls), rivets and washers in place of brass stanchions for the springs - they were stretching available parts stores because wartime wouldn't let them use new critical brass.




vs. a few years earlier on an unmarked pattern 15a


though FFR is probably the forum for this rant - we always ask for the view if not provided, anyway.

[Ron Mc]

don't try this at home boys and girls
look at the delicate spring for the casting brake


I still love Douglas' clutch

[Reeltyme]

Ron! If we don’t try this at home,,,,where do we try it??? Take it apart CAREFULLY, clean it, lube it, reverse the “take it apart” process. Generally, if I list a reel that I am especially happy with inside and out, I will take photos of the inside. Vintage reels that is. If it’s some newer piece of quality lacking reel, you buy what you see. Opening any fly reel shouldn’t be a big deal, most are relatively simple! A lot of the reels on the Bay, are sold “as is”. If you know your reels, you can usually tell by the outside if it’s salvageable or not. I will admit, I have been unhappy with some of my purchases and I blame myself for not looking close enough at the pictures!

[Steve]

These are the photos I like:

Taken from across the street

Taken after forgetting to turn on the light

Taken during earthquakes

These are mechanical things, and buyers have a right to see what's inside. It's one thing if you know and trust the seller's "runs good," but that's not usually the case.

[Ron Mc]

Ron! If we don’t try this at home,,,,where do we try it??? Take it apart CAREFULLY, clean it, lube it, reverse the “take it apart” process. Generally, if I list a reel that I am especially happy with inside and out, I will take photos of the inside. Vintage reels that is. If it’s some newer piece of quality lacking reel, you buy what you see. Opening any fly reel shouldn’t be a big deal, most are relatively simple! A lot of the reels on the Bay, are sold “as is”. If you know your reels, you can usually tell by the outside if it’s salvageable or not. I will admit, I have been unhappy with some of my purchases and I blame myself for not looking close enough at the pictures!

then consider it was like humor
and it probably is ok if you do like I did and take enough photos that reassembly won't be an exercise in imagination

and you left out the take it fishing...
1917 St. George

[Reeltyme]

I’m with you Ron, (and I was just joking by the way), if you can’t see what’s inside, don’t know the seller and don’t want to get “burned”, buy from a reliable seller. Like someone from,, oh say maybe,, ORCA? I have purchased several reels from members (thanks Butch and don’t tell my wife), and have no regrets!

Bye the way, the shot from across the street is one of my favorites!

I fish often with my 25 year old hollow fiberglass rod and my old Penn “greenie”. Amazing but they still catch fish!

[Ron Mc]

nothing can stop a Penn

[wrong99]

"Works perfectly" the listing states. Then you ask him if the clicker and drag work, only to be told he's not familiar with those. Sigh...

[Ron Mc]

I've actually bought some really good reels for unopposed min bid on ebay because the seller was a bad photographer
I paid $5 - he could probably have gotten 50 with my photo

[Chuck Gano]

the spinning reels i collect should be opened for maintenance but i always look at the screw heads if there well buggered by "bad screwdriver guy" i usually move on to another, there is even smaller screws inside, unless its very rare & priced right

[Z3BigDaddy]

I have a whole different spin on this "rant". I kinda dig poor pictures just because it drives away certain people who will not take chances. Some of the best reels I own were bought with sketchy photos in the auction. The eBay return policy is so buyer centric that if the reel is grossly misstated your ability to return is pretty much 100%. So if it ends up missing internal parts and does not "work good" then at most you are out some shipping but normally not even that. In defense of sellers, I have been taking pictures for some 22 years for eBay auctions and a fishing reel is not a easy photo to take. I use a lens that cost more than some cameras with light tents and all the crap, and I still struggle to get decent reel photos.


May latest acquisition pictured below, is a Rogue model 200-M that was owned by Frank Woolner with the purchase price being only $68 plus shipping. I bid many times more on this reel, as this is right in the center of my wheelhouse of reel collecting and I did not want to lose it. Also the seller ran down his own reel by stating, "The reel is missing the drag stick but the manual dial drag works fine.". Well the "drag stick" is missing, but on purpose, as this is a modified Model 200 reel and that is the way it is manufactured. If I have no interest in the auction I will normally message the seller and point out their error but if I'm a buyer then mum is the word.

So I say bring on the crappy pictures and lets make a deal!