Definitions:
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Beginners:
people who know little or nothing and want to learn. Color
them green.
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Intermediate:
people who thought they knew something and have been screwed-over
enough times to have learned for sure they know nothing and need to
learn more. This person wears rose colored glasses and looks a
slightly darker shade of greenish-brown.
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Advanced:
people who have been screwed-over so many times they are
convinced they will never learn enough to succeed at this hobby.
Expect to see them totally dressed in black with a tall pointed hat
which has a crescent moon and stars above.
If you are among
those of us who count themselves as beginners, first let me welcome you to the
Club. The Club is composed of a bunch of nutty guys and gals who love to
buy, sell, or trade old fishing lures. For additional information on the
Club, I refer you to the article on the
NFLCC.
That should clear up any misconceptions you may have concerning with whom you
are dealing.
As a beginner, you
have no business buying anything priced over $30 until you have attended at
least one major tackle show and completely read
Luckey's
book from front to back at least twice. If you ignore this advice, you
are in serious danger of losing the rent money to a man who will gladly relieve
you of your hard earned money. Since you will want to understand you are
in good company and there are lots more people like yourself out there.
What should you
collect as a beginner? Collect only a few things and all of them should be
in excellent condition. If you don't understand excellent, look at
the information on
grading lures. Once you
figure out how to grade lures, then start looking at
boxes. After you become totally confused from those two articles, you
should study the various
factors that change
grades. Now you are ready to make a purchase. Do not go to eBay and
buy anything. You don't know enough to do it yet. You need to hold a
lot of lures in your hands before you bid on eBay.
First you have to
decide what you like. If you like Creek Chub, then you need
Smith's book on Creek Chub. Want to dive into
Heddon lures? You will need Luckey's book as well as Edmisten and Murphy's
book to help you identify the various lures and colors. Colors are
important and you have to know what is rare and what is not. Look at the
two pages of
Heddon colors for a sampling of lures
so you get the idea of what is rare and what is not. Don't even think of
collecting early miscellaneous to start. It's too difficult and you'll get
ripped six ways to Sunday buying in that area to start. Wait a couple of
years if that area is of interest or get a mentor to help you with the fine
points.
Speaking of a mentor,
if you are fortunate enough to have one, count your blessings. With eBay
coming on so strong, getting in a position to acquire a mentor at at show is
going to be difficult. The advantage of attending shows is the chances or
you meeting someone who will help is much greater. If you only buy on eBay
the odds are zero.
Often, what you
collect is what you find in the field or is given to you by a relative.
Acquiring an existing collection is the best start possible because you are
going to need a way to make up your mind what you want to "major in". Like
college, you will change your major area of interest more than once. The
objective is to learn with each change.
Speaking of learning.
Click here for about 30 pages of Knowledge
for you to read which covers all kinds of topics and you need to study this
information along with your identification books.
Intermediates:
Assuming you have
gotten past the accumulation phase of collecting. I suggest you refine
your education with visits to the NFLCC National or regionals in the northern
states surrounding the great lure belt around the Michigan and Ohio area as
often as possible. That is the seat of learning the fine points.
It's where the old dudes live and speak in tongues of the lure. Here are
some articles which may help you better understand some of the thinking I've
been through, but nothing will serve you better than experience.
So you want to
INVEST in lures...beware.
If you think you know
what you don't want to collect at this stage, the best advice I could give
you is to specialize and learn everything you can about a given area. No
one, other than a couple of people I can name, can learn it all, so it's best to
specialize. I specialized in early Shakespeare and certain areas of
Heddon. Outside my little areas I read about, I really don't think I know
much. But, I do know where to look it up or who to ask if I don't know the
answer. Kind of like school when the teacher told you to go to the library
and look it up. I can do that.
Advanced:
Who the heck am I to tell anyone what to do
or collect that thinks they are advanced? God help us both.