That day I found 50 vintage fishing lures in a garage cleanout

I was helping a buddy clear out his dad's old garage last spring, and buried under a pile of rusted tools was a cardboard box full of fishing lures from the 1960s and 70s. Most were in rough shape, but about 15 of them were still in their original packaging with the price tags still on, like 79 cents or a dollar something. I spent the whole afternoon sorting them by type and cleaning off the dust, and that week I sold a single one on eBay for $40. Has anyone else stumbled on a hidden stash of old gear that turned out to be worth something?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim_patel891mo ago

Yeah, that's a solid find! I'm actually jealous, haha. But here's the thing nobody's brought up yet - those old lures aren't just valuable because they're old. The hooks on vintage lures were made differently, and some collectors are just as into the hardware as the paint job. @the_henry is right that it depends on the person, but not just for storage space reasons. There's a whole subculture of guys who restore that old gear and fish with it, not just display it. Your box probably had some rare brands like Pflueger or Heddon in there too. The packaging condition matters a ton - if those price tags are still legible and crisp, that's like finding gold to a serious collector. A single rare lure in mint packaging from the 60s can go for $200 or more on a good day.

jenniferb532mo ago

Wow, guess that old saying about one man's trash is true.

-1

the_henry2mo ago

Guess it depends on the person, though. I mean, that saying assumes nobody else would want it, but plenty of folks would grab something like that in a heartbeat if they had the space.