JC Penney reels

[Dan fish]

Hi all! I am a new member that is also a new collector.
I recently purchased 2 J.C. Penney spinning reels. They are model 600.
One is new in the box with the owners manual. The other is used in like new condition also in the box.

I have not been able to find anything on these on line. Can someone tell me what they are worth?

I can forward pics if you need them

Thanks!

[Midway Tommy D]

They were made by Olympic in the late '60s. They're similar to the Olympic 500 series reels. JC Penney also sold the 400, 440 & 660, all made by Olympic. They're not highly collectible. The NIB one might bring $25-$30 to the right person, only because it's NIB.

[40fordflathead]

Welcome to the club. Lots of people with a lot of knowledge to help out.

[Dan fish]

Thanks!

[reeltackle]

Sorry I could not help you with the reels but I'm glad someone on this board knew something about them and was able to give you the information you needed.

[Dan fish]

Thanks Ed

[Rook]

How could I not remember JCPenney Reels while growing up at my grandpa's Three Rivers Boat Dock & Restaurant in East Tennessee. I used to watch my grandpa and my uncle repairing reels and repairing outboard motors and I helped renting boats out to a few thousand fishing customers all through the 50s and 60s. That included loading customers fishing equipment into boats so how did I go through 70 years of life and never remember seeing a J C Penney spinning reel?? Did I really not see even one or has my memory gotten that bad. I should have at least seen pictures or heard about them from someone. I just looked on Ebay and sure enough there they are. Duh!

Sorry to hijack your thread.

[Mike N]

Hi all! I am a new member that is also a new collector.
I recently purchased 2 J.C. Penney spinning reels. They are model 600.
One is new in the box with the owners manual. The other is used in like new condition also in the box.

I have not been able to find anything on these on line. Can someone tell me what they are worth?

I can forward pics if you need them

Thanks!

JC Penney was founded in 1902 in Wyoming. Sears Roebuck was founded in 1893 in Chicago.

I always thought it interesting that JC Penney’s leading rival, Sears Roebuck, used the trade name JC Higgins for most of its sporting goods, including fishing reels.

The brand name, J. C. Higgins, was based on a real person, John Higgins who was a Sears employee. He had no middle name so Sears added the ‘C.” (to confuse consumers with J.C.Penney?)

Sears eventually replaced the JC Higgins line with the Ted Williams brand, after the last major leaguer to bat .400 over a season.

Mike N.