Member profile: Michael Cacioppo

[Richard Lodge]

A profile of reel collector and frequent Reel News contributor Mike Cacioppo



I've been a saltwater reel collector for about 15 years. How I got started is a strange story. I was liquidating some of my parents' estate on EBay and noticed that used fishing reels were trading like collector coins. I have been a fisherman all my life and had some old gear, so I tried selling it and the rest is history. Buying and selling fishing gear became a regular activity for me and it lead to a desire to learn more about the gear. One thing lead to another and here I am. ORCA and its members opened a new world for me. Over 2000 transactions on EBay, two books and over 20 articles in the Reel News make me wonder who I am talking about. Busy is my middle name, I work as a mechanic at American Airlines, have a family, am restoring an old Corvette, buy and sell on EBay, go to shows, research old saltwater fishing reels and the makers of them and even go fishing once in a while. In my spare time I look for spare time. Thank for listening.

[bettybarr]

Fascinating bio Mike! You are so productive you must not need much sleep. ORCA is fortunate to have you.

[Reel Addictive]

Nice job Mike.

I am not a Penn collector, but always enjoy your posts and articles.

Thanks for all your contributions and congrats on your book.

William

[scottorock]

Giddy up, Mike! Great job! Now I gotta read what's in those binders!
Scott

[john elder]

Fantastic job, Mike on all counts!...and i think its making you look younger!

[m3040c]

Fascinating bio Mike! You are so productive you must not need much sleep. ORCA is fortunate to have you.

Thank you Betty. Sleep is one of my problem areas. I get five or so restless hours every night and then try to squeeze in some pass out time during the day. I guess that is a result of working the night shift since 1972.

Nice job Mike.

I am not a Penn collector, but always enjoy your posts and articles.

Thanks for all your contributions and congrats on your book.

William

Thanks Will. it is nice to know I can entertain non-Pennhead

Giddy up, Mike! Great job! Now I gotta read what's in those binders!
Scott

Thank you Scott. Those binders would make very dry reading, they are mostly catalogs from the past.

Fantastic job, Mike on all counts!...and i think its making you look younger!

Thanks John. I miss working with you.

Younger? Ha, younger than who?

[Midway Tommy D]

Well done, Mike! I got tired just reading about it all! You've obviously got a lot of drive!

BTW, don't we have a similar thread that also includes ORCA members over here?: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11257 Not sure why we're starting a new one in a different forum?

Tom

[m3040c]

Well done, Mike! I got tired just reading about it all! You've obviously got a lot of drive!

BTW, don't we have a similar thread that also includes ORCA members over here?: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11257 Not sure why we're starting a new one in a different forum?

Thanks Tom, my drive gears are getting a bit worn; but I have a goal, when and if I get there, I will just cruise again.

I believe the person that started this new thread will be running the profiles on this thread in parallel with Facebook, the responses will be independent of each other; but, the initial profile posting will be duplicated on the ORCA Facebook page. That may be why a new thread was started.

I also believe there is an open invitation for members to submit their own profiles, so this idea can grow and members get to know each other better and put faces with names.

[fishhead]

I really appreciate your passion for Penn reels. Growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania I am a dyed in the wool collector of Penn reels. I have all of your books on Penn reels both the soft cover and hard cover editions. I am constantly reading and referring to your books to research my latest finds of vintage antique Penn reels. Your books are worth their weight in gold. Thank you very much for all of your great work. I will be anxiously waiting for your next book. I also collect Ocean City reels and I can't wait for you to put out some books on those fine reels. Your books on Penn reels are the bible of Penn reels. Keep up the great work.

[m3040c]

I really appreciate your passion for Penn reels. Growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania I am a dyed in the wool collector of Penn reels. I have all of your books on Penn reels both the soft cover and hard cover editions. I am constantly reading and referring to your books to research my latest finds of vintage antique Penn reels. Your books are worth their weight in gold. Thank you very much for all of your great work. I will be anxiously waiting for your next book. I also collect Ocean City reels and I can't wait for you to put out some books on those fine reels. Your books on Penn reels are the bible of Penn reels. Keep up the great work.

Thank you very much for the Kudos. Very happy that my work has enhanced your collecting hobby.

[Wayne B.]

Mike: great bio! When do you eat!

Thanks for all the help and insight you have provided me over the years. I started as a fledgling Penn collector. I think I have worked my way all the way up to novice! Helpless without your books!

[m3040c]

Mike: great bio! When do you eat!

Thanks for all the help and insight you have provided me over the years. I started as a fledgling Penn collector. I think I have worked my way all the way up to novice! Helpless without your books!

Eat, ha. Eating has never been a problem for me, unless you consider over eating as a problem. I am 50 pounds over weight. Believe me, I find time to eat! <:O)

Very happy to hear my works work for you. I have always felt my work is amateurish, in terms of writing and reference work structure. I know that if the reader gets past my style and creative shortcomings, the information provided is priceless. I use my own works all the time. That tells me that once you understand how they are put together and can follow my ways of creating a historical flow, they can be a great reference tool for a collector.

Thanks for the Kudos and yes, I am always trying to lose weight, every now and them I succeed.

[m3040c]

Little update on me. Changed my office around a bit. Sold my Corvette, not enough hours in a day, something had to give. Since I can never get enough time on the water and I do not own a boat, I now volunteer one day a week going out with an Environmental Group to clean up the bays around where I live. Still trying to get books published, finally got around to getting to the Penn Factory in Philly for a tour, I am still married to the same woman for 43 years today and I am not getting any younger.

My new shelving display. I need a bigger room.......




The business card of the clean up group.


And one of our beach stops in Zacks Bay with the Jones Beach Theater in the background.

[john elder]

Glad life is good, Mike! Sorry about the ‘Vette but understand. Mine has been out of the garage one time this year...even in retirement, there aren’t enough hours in the day. Continue to live large, Mike!

John

[m3040c]

Glad life is good, Mike! Sorry about the ‘Vette but understand. Mine has been out of the garage one time this year...even in retirement, there aren’t enough hours in the day. Continue to live large, Mike!

Ha, Thanks John.. didn't know I was living large, thought I was just busy. I like your version better. All the best to you and yours. Still working at American Airlines at 70 years old, keep telling my work partner I will retire someday, he keeps telling me "Don't Do It! It is a proven fact that more retired people die than people that are not retired." So I keep working.