A little red cardboard box....

[Mike N]

After three decades of collecting, it is a blessing not to be so jaded that a circa 1895-1900 cardboard box with a few old, labeled wooden line spools has become (for today at least) the favorite item in my entire collection. Over a century old, and the epitome of vintage fishing ephemera. I got it for $75 on eBay this week as a “buy it now.”

[Mike N]

John Etchieson is the foremost expert on vintage fishing line and has provided me the bulk of my collection and has unselfishly shared his incredible knowledge. Here is what he told me about this box and the “thread spools”:

“H.J. Frost Company was a jobber and wholesaler of all types of fishing tackle in New York, City in the early 1900 - 1920 period and sold under the name Jack Frost Tackle, using the trade marks KELSO, SENATE, GOLD STAR, OTTER BRAND and ANCHOR BRAND.

Your ANCHOR BRAND line was manufactured for H. J. Frost by the Henry Hall Line Company (est. 1840) of Highland Mills, New York about 1900. ”

[Steve]

"Encore!"

[john elder]

Nice score, Mike!

[Stef Duma]

Great find.

[kyreels]

Great item. The old thread spools (the elongated ones like sewing thread) are under appreciated and I have not seen a bigger accumulation than you have. I know the tournament casters used a lot of odd sewing thread, distance in the early days being the goal before the wide use of spider line thread.

I have a good bit of tying thread from old tackle buys, but that is not quite the same thing of course.

[Paul Roberts]

Fun. Nice background too. Somehow get my heart beating a bit quicker.