Meisselbach Ranger No. 125 reel, any info?

[Larry Moellman]

Hello; I just picked up a Meisselbach reel that says "Ranger Level Winding Reel No. 125 on the front plate, and has the Pat. dates March 5, 07 and Aug 3, 09 on the back plate. I've looked in several books, (probably not the right ones), and can't find any info on the reel. Any help would be appreciated. Also any value on the reel . Thanks, Larry

[Reel Geezer]

Yes Larry, you didn't look in the right books. You need to get my Meisselbach book or my new Meisselbach booklet to learn about your Ranger. The Ranger was made from 1930 to 1933, and the shipping figures from the Elyria, Ohio plant show that only 457 reels were shipped. I don't think the Bakelite spool worked. This is a very rare reel, and quite collectible. My latest Meisselbach booklet has a photo of the only one I am aware of in the original box.

Incidentally, the items that I received from the Meisselbach factory when it was closed down (about 6-7 years ago) included the factory production records, and illustrates the value of securing the files of these reel factories (such as Fin-Nor). The items I received were heading for the dumpster.

[Guest]

Thanks Geezer; I was going to get one at West Columbia, but ran out of money, too many reels! Check will be in the mail tomorrow. Thanks again, Larry

[Jack S]

As Phil stated, the Ranger 125 is one tough reel! I've been collecting Meisselbachs for about ten years and I have yet to find one for my collection. So if you have any thoughts of parting with it...

Jack S