WANTED: 1960's Shakespeare Freespool Casting Reels

[NJFisherman]

I am looking for examples of any of the following reels (or boxes). They have a push button where the handle nut typically is.
Contest Free Spool No. 1933
Direct Drive Free Spool No. 1935
Direct Drive Free Spool No. 1937
Service Direct Drive Free Spool No. 1941
Service Direct Drive Free Spool No. 1949
Free Spool Sportcast No. 1982

Thank you. Dave Lucas

[kyreels]

I have a duplicate Direct Drive 1982 Model EJ. Curiously, the grasps are different colors, otherwise the same. Contact me if you are interested in one.

I had never heard of the Contest Frees spool 1933. I would like to get one of those also if anyone has any interest in selling. Will have to do a catalog search.

[leland99]

Matt, those are some nice looking reels. Many that you find are heavily corroded where the knobs connect to the handle, as apparently the materials in the plastic knobs would breakdown. I have only seen the white with brown knobs like the top reel in the photo, so possibly the all-white knobs are replacements. ORCA member Gary Neathery has some nice direct drive reels including the Contest (he shared a photo with me a few weeks ago; I also had never seen one before).

[kyreels]

The grasps on the bottom reel are not really white, they are yellow with green striations. There is no corrosion, although the green is a similar color to copper oxides.

A review of the Shakespeare catalogs in the ORCA library shows that the push button free spool reels were made from 1962 to 1964. Gone by 1965. So these reels are kind of scarce. The next free spool would be the 1969 Super Sport which was automatic free spool with anti-backlash. They also made a 1969B, a deluxe gold color version.