another Ustonson???

[TVY]

Hi you lot

I found this after a bit of googling around for more info on Ustonson and this auction happened this week in America! Did you all know about it? There doesnt appear to have been many interested buyers, and it seems older and prettier and more precious than mine... Im beginning to wonder if the estimate I have been given has been a little exaggerated! Or am I just panicking unneccessarily... what do you think?

Confused sharon from freezing cold and dark England

ps: sorry for the long link, do feel free to edit and shrink it mods

Click here for Lang's Ustonson

[john elder]

Sharon...do I understand you right? You're complaining about $6k for what was a door stop in your garage? Langs prices were all over the board...just might not have been the right audience for total stupid money on that one. From the looks of things overall, the stupid money was pre-occupied with painted sticks

ps: what day does yours go off?

[TVY]

It kicks off on the 18th, next Saturday at 10.30 am our time. The exchange rate puts that reel a little over £3000 GPB, and ours is in the catalogue with an estimate for £3000 to £5000 GPB, but the auctioneer hopes for £6000.

Please dont get me wrong here, Im happy with whatever we get, I just dont agree with being given false hopes of larger amounts, especially as the reel in that auction appears a lot older than ours. It especially got the other half thinking it might not even sell lol!

I know you shouldnt, but we are kind of banking on having a bit of this money after paying a few debts, for christmas pressies etc. Its that old saying never count your chickens before they have hatched... but I can see chicks lol!

As I said, whatever we get will be great, and we never had it before so we must'nt complain... but again, I dont like being lead up the proverbial garden path either...

And... Im still confused lol!

PS. It wasnt a door stop... it was in the ruddy bin bag!

[Harvey]

SHARON,
Remember that one mans trash is another mans treasure. Like John said, It was a door stop. I know nothing about early British reels but from this side of the pond to see two come up for sale in a month seems like it isn't a million dollar reel. After seeing yours and watching Lang's and seeing the two so close together, it suprised me that the one on Lang's sold for what it did. Point is, VERY RARE, EXPENCIVE reels come around maybe every couple years. I admit, there may be only more out there or seeing one sell for $6600.00 may bring a dozen out of the wood work. Plus, Don't forget, that reel sold to a floor bidder that could pick it up and play with it and he also gave a auction premium which brought the total close to $8500. Without being able to handle the reel in an auction is quite like shooting ducks in the dark. Seeing them let you select the one you want without question. I do hope that what ever monatary amount you collect, it helps with the bills. We all have them and every dime helps. Good luck and keep us posted.
Harvey


Oh yea, Quit puttin' those funny little upside "F's" in front of the numbers or give us the conversion rate. We buy our meat and patatoes in Pounds.

[Jim Schottenham]

Sharon,
Having done the description for that Ustonson in Langs catalog, I can tell you it was every bit as nice as it looked. Whats important to remember is that the estimate I put on that reel was just that, an estimate. Auctions are by nature unpredictable to a point. Estimates are intended to provide general guidelines for buyers and sellers and to stimulate competitive bidding, based on previous sales and market interest at the time. Your reel on that day has potential to sell within that range - or for more - or for less. The apraisers there may have a feel for what that audience will pay. Maybe there are collectors over there missing that reel to complete a set? In that case, sky's the limit if two people need it...
Good luck with it, I hope it does real well for you!
Jim

[Teal]

Sharon,

Also remember this is an English reel in America. While there are some English reel collectors on this side of the pond, the majority of high end bidders will be in Britain. Although Keith Elliot brought a band of British bidders over to Lang's, I would guess 75% of the people who might have considered bidding on that reel didn't (who wants to ship a 3000 pound reel over the Atlantic), and they may not have bid via internet knowing that yours was coming up in their own back yard.

Auctions are a crap shoot--I for one expect yours to get more than the one at Lang's.

--Dr. Todd

[john elder]

Todd: that's the worst limerick i've ever read ...maybe it just need more commas

[Teal]

John,

Well, even a Limerickist must at some point turn to free verse...

--Dr. Todd

[Richard Lodge]

Brit Ustonson banged out a reel,
he thought t'would make the Queen squeal,
And Sharon, it's said, thought she would drop dead,
if the bidders don't find it appeal'd.

[Stefan Duma]

The thing is Ustonson reels are over rated and over hyped. Look at the reel as a reel and not as something that Graham Turner thought was the best thing since sliced bread because he had a couple in his collection.

There is no great inventiveness to them, no patent breakthrough, they are brass reels not even made by Ustonson. Take the same reel and put any other London maker on them from the same era and it would sell for £100, $150.

If it sells for £2,000, $3,000 it will be a good price. The collectors of early London tackle all have one. The last one I saw at auction went for around the £3,000, $4,500 mark and an earlier one failed to reach its reserve of £1,000, $1,500, but it was rough.

What I will do on Friday night is ask some fellow collectors to estimate the selling price of the reel. I will make a note and let you all know.

By the way I will be dining with Roger Still and Norman Bastiani who many of you will know from trips to Langs and other venues.

[Teal]

Hi Stefan,

You are certainly correct about Ustonson. However, inventiveness and patent breakthroughs sometimes have little to do with pricing, at least in my estimation. Take for instance the Winchester reels. Now a few Winchester reels exhibit real inventiveness (Robertson patent take-aparts), but the vast majority are $10 trade reels when stamped with another marking which sell for 10-30X more with a Winchester stamp.

I'm not here to bash Winchester collectors, I am just saying Ustonson is one of the few reels the average American collector has heard of before (thanks to Graham Turner) so it has notoriety. With notoriety comes inflated prices.

This is the power of print--you write a book telling people your favorite reel is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and they will listen to you. Even when it isn't necessarily true.

--Dr. Todd

[TVY]

Brit Ustonson banged out a reel,
he thought t'would make the Queen squeal,
And Sharon, it's said, thought she would drop dead,
if the bidders don't find it appeal'd.

Very good lol!

Thankyou all for calming my girly nerves...

[Stefan Duma]

Sold for £4,000 ($6,000) afriend bid to £2,800 in the room before two telephone bidders took it to its final price.

The Kitchens Patent sold for £5,000 ($7,500)

All in all a very interesting sale.

[TVY]

Huge panic in our house as the sound was lost! I had to ring the auctioneers phone at the end of the sale to find out the price! Well pleased with the sale, but dissapointed we could not hear it, Dave really wanted to hear the bids roll in.

Does anybody know what it started at?

Anybody know the buyer?

[Brian F.]

Maybe not as much as you had hoped for but I'd say that's not bad for something your husband pulls out of a dusty sack, Sharon. And you didn't pay anything for a month of suspense, excitement and fun!

[john elder]

Hey, and don't forget all your new friends! Drop in and abuse us often, even though you don't have any more of our toys

all the best to you and Dave, from across the pond!

[Stefan Duma]

Missed what it started at and with two telephone bidders you will never know.

Two guys in the room have about 6 Ustonson's between them and one went to £2,800.

I asked him why and he said he did not want it but had to protect the price of them.

[TVY]

Id love to know who bought it... all of a sudden I feel like ive given a kidney away or something lol! = would really love to know its gone to a safer home than ours lol!

Thanks geezers... your a great bunch and if you dont mind I will pop in from time to time because without your help I may never have known what a little pocket rocket that reel turned out to be! = much appreciated and happy reel collecting

[drexelantiques]

sharon, I am glad you are happy. I think it brought much more than it would have had you left it on eBay the way it was originally set up.

[SWIM JIG]

cool-thumb jump usa , sharon, now that the ORCANs have helped you as they do for many, and that you have made a decent profit, why dont you make a donation to ORCA or at least subscribe to our ORCA mag, I doubt that you would break the bank and with a subscription you will enjoy at least a years worth of imformation. Knowledge is power and as you found out with a $6.00 door stop a lot of cash!Col. Milton Lorens aka SWIM JIG your Ohio Conection on LAKE ERIE 24 miles from CEDER POINT OHIO!