The Lure Papers Book:
Under Construction !
All too often when we try to research a fishing lure or related item, the information is limited, incorrect, or not there at all. In an effort to help ourselves with our research, we have compiled a vast image data base of the items themselves, their packaging, and paperwork. Now EpawnAuction is making this detailed information available to the public.
This book has been under construction for all the years we have been buying and selling vintage fishing lures and other sporting goods. The EpawnAuction Lure Papers Book is a collection of paperwork and packaging for fishing collectable's, along with added tidbits of information. Feel free to view our Extensive Photo Gallery
The images in the book were scanned on a professional scanner and the originals these are taken from, are stored as a very high resolution image. This allows us to chose the correct resolution for a clear view by the reader, and a resolution that is quick to load. A scanner was the logical choice to retain the image in it's original size, and provide high resolution. The only drawback to the scanner is reflection of light on plastic packaging, and it is worst when the package surface is irregular. Though we have recorded the images in actual size, many of them have been enlarged for easier viewing in a web page.
If you have suggestions or information that might improve this book, please feel free to Contact Us
Introduction:
Just about everyday someone discovers an old fishing lure in an old tackle box, with no makers marks to identify it by. Due to the large number of companies and individuals that produced lures, the many different models and designs, stretched over more than 100 years, few,if any, people have the knowledge to identify every lure they see, and if you can recognize 90% of them you may be an expert. Some lures have little or no information trail to follow, as you try to track down their histories, but these are often limited production or one of a kind folk art lures made by individuals. The older the lure, the less information is likely to be found, and this can hinder correct identification, but you will often find books with great detail on very old lures because of the high prices they command at market.
Massed produced, factory made lures are on the other side of the spectrum from the folk art lures, because much information can be found. So much that it can be confusing and difficult to try to trace all the successive design changes, colors, company owners, and locations of manufacture for each lure. The Rooter by Smithwick is a favorite example with 9 different designs used, all with the same name.
Because there is no complete reference work on fishing lures, we found a need to record all the information we could as a lure passed through our hands that would help us identify the lure, the maker, and the correct packaging. When the file became large enough, it was hard to sort through all the information, so assembling the papers in an organized format with a complete index was the next logical step. This book is intended to provide a resource for the Identification and study of old fishing lures, and the companies or individuals that produced them, through the use of original paperwork and packaging supplied with the lure when new. When assembling this book, it was decided that just paperwork was not enough to give a complete look at a lure, as many lures come in packages that have all the information on them and with no papers included. You will find some images include the lure because to remove them from the package for imaging, would have meant breaking an age old seal and needlessly reducing the collector value of a lure. More common lures have been removed from their original packing to make the job easier.
Though a valuable source of information, lure papers and packages are by no means an exact method of dating a lure, they usually are a guide to a date range. For more information about lure package or paperwork dating see our Dating Clues Page. Should one be interested in narrowing the date range, more pieces of the puzzle must be included, such as lure hardware, color and other specifics. Introductory packages and paperwork introducing a lure can be very helpful in dating a lure but often the intro package and paperwork may have been used for more than the introductory season. The big companies like Creek Chub and Heddon have available, a great deal of information for the collector, including specifics on packaging and paperwork, so there is no need to cover these companies in great detail.