Spalding Reel

ORCA Online Forum - Feel free to talk or ask about ALL kinds of old tackle here, with an emphasis on old reels!
User avatar
m3040c
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2485
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 10:52 pm
Location: Long Island, New York

Spalding Reel

Post by m3040c »

A friend just bought this reel. He asked me about it, I knew nothing except how I feel about the look. To me it looks like a vom Hofe, more than likely and early Julius vom Hofe, but I have never seen one with the Spalding name on it. The Spalding name means rubber balls to me.

Can someone help with a more clear history about this reel and possibly a approximate value?













mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
User avatar
RonG
Super Board Poster
Posts: 1468
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 8:49 pm
Location: Frostproof, FL
Contact:

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by RonG »

It looks like a Julius vom Hofe reel made for Spalding to me also.
Jay White
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 215
Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2008 1:32 pm

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Jay White »

Beautiful reel! :bow:
User avatar
Steve
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3940
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 6:11 am
Contact:

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Steve »

Spalding was advertising tackle, especially rods, not long after it was founded. The reel looks somewhat JVHish, but the main gear bridge, tho originally patented by JVH, was also used later by others, including Kopf. Also, JVH reels often used square pillar nuts. Jim Schottenham once sent some pics of a GS-HR mystery reel with a rectangular sliding button on the headplate rim for the brake, and it had a gear bridge just like the one in the Spalding reel.

Steve Vernon
ORCA Honorary member

Book: ANTIQUE FISHING REELS, 2nd Ed.
Websites:
Antique Fishing Reels
Kopf reels
Hendrick reels

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."
User avatar
Mike N
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3763
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 1:50 pm
Location: WV

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Mike N »

The wild-card as far as value is the baseball logo, which makes it interesting for collectors of the national pastime, as well. As shown in the second photo, Spalding did not always use the baseball in its logo. Great reel.


Mike N.
ORCA Founder, 1990
User avatar
m3040c
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2485
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 10:52 pm
Location: Long Island, New York

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by m3040c »

So not to make a silly pun, but it seems this reel is a real Home Run find!

I wonder if this is a 19th Century reel? I feel it is.
mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
wrong99
Star Board Poster
Posts: 2578
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2012 10:42 am
Location: S.F. Bay Area ORCA MEMBER

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by wrong99 »

Is the "R" in "TRADE" backwards?
Shellbelly
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 246
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 2:21 pm

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Shellbelly »

Wow. Comparing the two in the stamping, you could be "right99".
User avatar
Steve
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3940
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 6:11 am
Contact:

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Steve »

Is the "R" in "TRADE" backwards?
I wondered, too, but I think it's just that the left side of the letter is worn, or the left side of the trademark is poorly stamped. What's visible is like the right side of the "R" in "MARK."

Steve Vernon
ORCA Honorary member

Book: ANTIQUE FISHING REELS, 2nd Ed.
Websites:
Antique Fishing Reels
Kopf reels
Hendrick reels

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."
wrong99
Star Board Poster
Posts: 2578
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2012 10:42 am
Location: S.F. Bay Area ORCA MEMBER

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by wrong99 »

You're correct, Steve.
User avatar
Mike N
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3763
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 1:50 pm
Location: WV

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Mike N »

Spalding liked to advertise itself as America’s first baseball company. The trademark it used on wooden bats (as shown below and in the link) evolved over time.

One interesting sidebar: early baseball players were told to hit the ball squarely on the trademark. Anyone who played Little League with wooden bats in the 1960s will recall we were told to have the trademark on the bat facing our nose when we were at the plate and NOT to hit the ball on the trademark. The prevailing thought was that the trademark stamp had weakened the bat at that point and striking a pitch there would crack the wooden bat.

https://www.keymancollectibles.com/spal ... guide.html

Mike N.
ORCA Founder, 1990
User avatar
Mike N
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3763
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 1:50 pm
Location: WV

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Mike N »

Spalding metal spoons/lures with the baseball logo are also prized by collectors:
Mike N.
ORCA Founder, 1990
User avatar
john elder
Star Board Poster
Posts: 8541
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by john elder »

The stamp was a way of marking the grain pattern, i believe. It’s a lot less likely to break against the grain as opposed to with the grain. Of course, the good news for us as tweeners was that one of us would get a bat when someone on the varsity broke it. A good bit of electrical tape and we were in business! Used to have an Al Kaline autographed 32” bat i taped up… loved that bat!
(Sorry for the digression…. That’s what old guys do :roll: )
ORCA member since 1999
Honorary Life Member

Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
User avatar
Steve
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3940
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 6:11 am
Contact:

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Steve »

Spalding liked to advertise itself as America’s first baseball company.
Of course, that was a crock. What we consider as American baseball was being played from the mid-1840s. The Marsters Brothers, among many others, were selling base ball equipment (and fishing tackle) from the mid-1860s. They were already selling "Van Horn, Ross & Johnson's regulation base balls." And Peck & Snyder was one of many manufacturers of base balls ca. 1870. What's true is that Spalding made the first "official" ball for the National League, which was co-founded by Spalding. Here's some history. The first base ball factory allegedly was H. Harwood and Sons in Natick, Massachusetts.
A good bit of electrical tape...
Wow, they already had invented electrical tape when you were a tweener!?
Last edited by Steve on Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

Steve Vernon
ORCA Honorary member

Book: ANTIQUE FISHING REELS, 2nd Ed.
Websites:
Antique Fishing Reels
Kopf reels
Hendrick reels

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."
Teal
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2033
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 8:23 pm
Location: Cincinnati, OH

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Teal »

Thomas J. Conroy was very into baseball too. Back when I was researching the Conroys, I discovered he was a bit of a baseball manager of note. I used to blog about the connection between baseball and fishing a lot in the Fishing for History blogging days.

-- Dr. Todd
Shellbelly
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 246
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 2:21 pm

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Shellbelly »

Regarding electrical tape....we "stole" my Grandfathers friction tape for our cracked bats. We didn't think we would get caught until the black stuff showed up on our hands. And about digression...the tape came in a metal can...Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. Only old folks know what that became. I used the can for years to hold spec rigs. Now back to our regularly scheduled program...
User avatar
Eric J
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 334
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 6:43 pm

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Eric J »


Shakespeare had it’s own ball team. That’s the ol’ man in the back row center. This photo is from 1923. The early catalogs has baseball gear and other sporting goods.
I once owned a Kosmic bamboo fly rod that was stamped A. G. Spalding on the seat.
User avatar
m3040c
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2485
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 10:52 pm
Location: Long Island, New York

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by m3040c »

I am loving all this digression. Seems that the baseball connection can be a massive point of interest for this reel. If it simply had a Julius vom Hofe logo, it would just be another old vom Hofe. The Spalding Trade Mark brings this reel into a very special category.
mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
User avatar
Dustnstuff
Frequent Board Poster
Posts: 98
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 4:32 pm
Location: Cape Cod, Ma

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Dustnstuff »



Here's s a Lawrence creel with a Spaulding metal logo
Dustnstuff
User avatar
Steve
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3940
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 6:11 am
Contact:

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Steve »


Steve Vernon
ORCA Honorary member

Book: ANTIQUE FISHING REELS, 2nd Ed.
Websites:
Antique Fishing Reels
Kopf reels
Hendrick reels

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."
User avatar
Eric J
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 334
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 6:43 pm

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Eric J »

More discussion digression:
I don’t think these were a big seller- certainly not 50 million a year like Spalding!
User avatar
Steve
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3940
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 6:11 am
Contact:

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Steve »

Craig Barber was kind enough to spread the news that Fred Moog pitched to one of the Guthrie boys in a game played by Malleson employees on May 21, 1887. The Reel Makers beat the Rod Makers 23-20. Odds are pretty good that at least some of the equipment was Spalding. Both teams batted in Kosmic order.

Steve Vernon
ORCA Honorary member

Book: ANTIQUE FISHING REELS, 2nd Ed.
Websites:
Antique Fishing Reels
Kopf reels
Hendrick reels

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."
spaldingers
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:55 am

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by spaldingers »

Hi, that's a great Spalding trademarked reel your friend has. I wouldn't dare call myself an authority, but I have almost 30 Spalding trademarked reels in my collection, the majority of them being unique.
I went through my records and couldn't find any that matched the reel you have, although there were a few that were similar. The Spalding trademark on your reel is correct for the time period dating from between 1877 and 1900 after which they dropped their fishing line until picking it up again for an abbreviated three year period beginning in 1927 or 28.
Julius Vom Hofe is a likely maker, however a few years ago Jim Schottenham with Lang's Auctions was kind enough to survey my collection of Spalding reels and give me his take on who the makers were and on any of the special features my reels happened to have. The makers, Jim suggested, included, the aforementioned JVH, Conroy, Conroy Bissett & Malleson, Fritz Vom Hofe (Julius' poppa), John Kopf, and possibly U.S. Net & Twine and or Montague (mid to late 1890s). JVH tended to be prolific during the 1890's period, the rest earlier.
I would suggest sending an image of your reel to Jim. Back when Jim provided his expert advice for me, he wouldn't even take a freshly basked cookie as compensation for his toils. A pure act of kindness,,,,,.
If the owner is open to selling the reel, I would be interested in acquiring it. Again, Jim would probably be better at appraising it, but I would suggest $375 - $500
Thank you,
Jeff
spaldingers
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:55 am

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by spaldingers »

In regards to your Spalding reel I forgot to mention that the "oil caps" are definitely unique as compared to the configuration found on any of my other Spalding reels. The handle's "stop or brake" is also different from any others I've seen.
Jeff
User avatar
Jim Schottenham
Super Board Poster
Posts: 826
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2003 10:27 pm
Location: Upstate NY
Contact:

Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Jim Schottenham »

As for the builder of the Spalding reel above, I'm going to suggest Slote/Clark Bros. as the maker(s). For those members that can't access the 2015 Reel News article, Steve Vernon was kind enough to provide readers an on-line article that outlines the connection between Slote and the Clark Brothers:
http://www.antiquefishingreels.info/Art ... evised.pdf

A few similarities to this hard rubber example:
Jim Schottenham
ORCA Honorary member
www.SideMountReels.com
Post Reply