Unfound Ocean City Model-209

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m3040c
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Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by m3040c »

In the world of Ocean City reels, there must be 1000 different models. I have heard people say that all those different models may have been part of the reason Ocean City finally sold out and ultimately disappeared completely. Their product line became too complicated to keep creating and supporting.

All of these models are usually presented in their catalogs but I have found a model I can not find and is also sort of a strange size reel. It is the Model 209. I can not find this model number in any of the Ocean City catalogs or parts books that I have. I am missing some years of catalogs, so I am hoping, someone else may have info on this model. It has been in my small OC collection for a few years and is the only one that I have seen in this size and model number.

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From a side view, it does not look much different than other Ocean City reels from the late 1930's and 1940's. It has the auto free spool lever and the standard Ocean City handle from that era. It is a semi-large side plate with a 3 3/4 inch diameter but the width is tiny, like a fly reel.

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The tail plate is also what is expected on a Ocean City. There are no tricky anti-backlash devices, just a clicker button control and adjustable spool bearing.

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But here we come to the spool width. The distance from trim ring to trim ring is 1 1/8 inch. For a reel of this diameter and style, this is very weird. I would love to see the marketing concept applied to a reel built this way. There are other tall narrow salt water reels from Ocean City and Penn built this way for wire line trolling but they are at least a quarter of a inch wider than this reel.

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This model is so narrow, there is barely enough metal to stamp the necessary cuts and bends into the brass to create a stand. Also, on the rear side of the stand bottom there is a stamping which states Model C.

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The Model number is clear and the logo plate is normal and riveted to the side plate properly.

Well, there is it. maybe one of the Ocean City specialists out there can help me find out some more about this model.

Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas to all,
Mike C.
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john elder
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Post by john elder »

I would assume the OC reel came first, but this reel is very similar to the Penn "49" reels...149, 249, 349 and 49...most similar to the latter. haven't measured sideplates in awhile, but the Penns are about 6/0 diameter, eh Mike? I'm assuming you haven't missed this point.
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m3040c
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Post by m3040c »

John,

You are correct, the 209 is similar but it is a half inch more narrow and bit smaller in diameter than the Penn wire line trolling reels. The Penn 49 and its brothers are 4 1/8 side plates with spool widths of 1 5/8.

Actually my biggest question is, "can anyone document this model with some kind of catalog rendering or advertisement?".

The Penn narrow reels go back to the late 1930's, so knowing which one it the chicken or the egg is hard to say without being able to document the 209.
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john elder
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Post by john elder »

so, any feel for time-frame? logo pinned, not glued...so it's pre-?
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m3040c
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Post by m3040c »

Hold On :!: :!: I just found it in a 1951 catalog that Ocean City and Montague shared.

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The first part of the catalog is all Montague rods but on page 29 of the catalog the 209 is mentioned and shown in the Seattle series.

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It is considered a wire line trolling reel (no surprise) and is the smallest of the series. I also have a 1948, 1955 and a 1957 catalog, which are also Ocean City and Montague shared catalogs but the 1948, 1955 and 1957 do not mention the 209.
So, at this point, the 209 is a early 1950's reel that was introduced some time between 1949 and 1951 and ended some time before 1955.

This info puts me much closer to the reels production. Now I need to know the intro and termination of the model. That could explain why it comes up so rarely for sale. It may have had a very short life.

What ads to the confusion of Ocean City models, is that Model names may stay the same while Model numbers for those names can sometimes change. That is the case with the Seattle series. Seattle reels made before the war were larger than the 209 and carried model numbers of 1100 and 1110. These before the war models were rated as 200 and 250 yard reels. In 1951 there are three Seattle models numbered 210, 109 and 209. The difference between these new model number reels are that the 210 is a 300 yard reel and the 109 and 209 are 150 yard reels with different retrieve ratios. So at this point, in a ten year production run, we have five different model number reels, with all different specs but all are called the Ocean City Seattle. With that kind of business approach, it is no wonder they went out of business.
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m3040c
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Post by m3040c »

By the way, as I have gone through the catalogs tonight I believe I have solved the chicken and egg question. The earliest Ocean City Seattle I can find is 1940 but the Penn 49 is introduced in 1939. So far, unless someone knows of a earlier Seattle, the first is the Penn 49.

Now, does that make the Penn 49 the chicken or the egg :?: :roll:
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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by 54bullseye »

I just found this reel on eBay and while looking up info on it found this old post. It's an Ocean City model 209-C . Very narrow spool and I can't view Mikes pictures from photobucket but the spools arbor looks like copper ? Has anybody got any info on these reels ? First one I have seen. John Taylor





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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by Low Profile »

That is one sweet looking reel. Sorry can't add anything more that that. Years ago remember trolling in the northeast for blues and stripers with a friend who used similar narrow spooled Penn reels loaded with wire line. Wonder if that is what it was designed for?

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wrong99
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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by wrong99 »

Yep, trolling it is! Here's the 1951 catalog listing for the Ocean City No.209 "Seattle" reel. Looks like they were available in two different sizes and two different gear ratios. Only around for a short while, it appears.
Mark
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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by Tightlines666 »

I have a True Temper 603D, but have been unable to find one of these Seattle Deep Trolling reels.
Last edited by Tightlines666 on Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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m3040c
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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by m3040c »

First question of the new year.

This is an odd looking reel, it had a very short production run at Ocean City. Introduced in 1949 and ran to 1951. They pop up very rarely for sale so I do not expect their production numbers to be to high. Here is a scan from the 1949 Catalog. The spool arbor on mine is also un-plated, so I assume that is the way they were made.

Mine is not marked with the Model "C" like yours is. That may simply mean mine is an earlier model than yours. Ocean City loved complicating things with trick model numbers.







mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
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54bullseye
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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by 54bullseye »

wrong99 wrote:Yep, trolling it is! Here's the 1951 catalog listing for the Ocean City No.209 "Seattle" reel. Looks like they were available in two different sizes and two different gear ratios. Only around for a short while, it appears.
Mark

I noticed on the model 110 Seattle it says it has a removable plastic arbor. Maybe that is why the arbors on ours Mike are not plated ?? Any one have a model 110 ? John Taylor
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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by Ron Mc »

not just trick model number, but trick reel and trick photos - great thread
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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by 1badf350 »

Here they are in my 1950 catalog
-Chris R.
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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by 1badf350 »

I’m a bit confused by the 210. I have a 210 with box that says it’s a 250 yard reel. But the catalogs say it is a 300 yard reel. Is this a Seattle reel or a different OC reel altogether?



-Chris R.
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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by Reeltyme »

Gentlemen, here are a few photos of some of my O.C.’s. I photographed them as a group, next to a Penn 149 and a group of 49, 149, 249 and 349. Last group plus more is going up for sale by the way. The size difference is quite noticeable. The one reel marked only “Seattle” I believe may be the mysterious 110. No positive.


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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by wrong99 »

What's the gear ratio on your Seattle?
Reeltyme

Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by Reeltyme »

Mark, the gear ratio, using the old “turn the handle and count the revolutions” method, seems to be correct, 2 1/4 to 1.
Randy
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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by wrong99 »

Sounds like a #110 if it's a 300-yard model.
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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by m3040c »

I’m a bit confused by the 210. I have a 210 with box that says it’s a 250 yard reel. But the catalogs say it is a 300 yard reel. Is this a Seattle reel or a different OC reel altogether?
You should be confused. No Model 210 was 250 yards. They are either 150 or 300 yard reels. Except yours. Your reel is like the brain of Frankenstein...…………… It is A. B. Normal...………...
mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
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Re: Unfound Ocean City Model-209

Post by sea ghost »

The reel that you have here that's marked seattle only, is a No.1100 modal,
200 yard reel, the spool should measure 1 3/8" inch wide,

I own one and I am currently cleaning and servicing my OC Seattle No.1100 reel,
here's the catalog pages with this info,



In my humble opinion the reels with the seattle label seem to me to be the first reels built in this series.
Info I read here in orca stated the ocean city seattle reel was first built in 1940,
notice they have the older conventional style free spool shifters (moon shaped)
then notice the newer green label seattle reels marked 209 and 210 do not have the older conventional style (moon shaped) free spool shifters, they have the shift down perpendiculor style with the pop up when you turn the handle type.




Here's my Ocean City Seattle No.1100 Reel 200 yds
the spool measures 1 3/8'' wide as seen on the flyer info, notice it also has a direct drive shifter just like the reel shown on the catalog page.





THE POST IN ORCA REELS FOR OCEAN CITY SEATTLE REELS UNDER SALTWATER NAMED REELS IS INCORRECT

THE POST SHOULD READ AS FOLLOWS

Ocean City “Seattle” No.1100 & No.1110 Reels
Narrow spool trolling reels, two reels are shown the No.1100 is a 200 yd. size reel and the No.1110 is a 250 yd. size reel.
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