Those of you who follow this column know my passion for vintage fishing tackle. It’s a passion that drives me constantly, searching eBay and various other auction sites, and countless collector pages … all in the hope of finding something rare or unusual for my collection.
The places I like to search most, however, are vintage tackle shows — like those sanctioned by the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club (NFLCC), Old Reel Collectors Association (ORCA), Carolina Antique Tackle Collectors (CATC) and Florida Antique Tackle Collectors (FATC).
These organizations host meets throughout the country so that collectors from all walks of life can gather to buy, sell and trade their wares. The events are always well attended and they showcase some of the most impressive collections ever assembled.
Savannah calling
The most recent was the Savannah Southern Classic — a first-time event that I actually cohosted with two board members of the CATC.
With the help of Steve Herzog and Harry Matthews, the three of us came up with a plan for a fall show to be held on mutual ground. Since Georgia lies between Florida and the Carolinas, Savannah seemed like the perfect setting — especially since it’s known as “The Hostess City of the South.”
It’s not the first time such a show has been held there. But it was the first for us, and at a new venue — the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Pooler. What made this location so desirable was its proximity to I-95 and the Savannah Airport, both of which would serve as primary means for members to reach our destination.
Working in unison, we did our preliminary scouting and negotiations with the hotel, then booked the show to fall on two key dates — Veteran’s Day and the Florida-South Carolina football game. Since the FATC and CATC were sanctioning the event, it seemed only fitting to have it during such a great college rivalry matchup.
Once the date was set, then came the next phase, which involved designing and distributing flyers (both digital and printed), sending out press releases, registering exhibitors, arranging table layouts for the showrooms and finalizing any logistics with the hotel. All of these took weeks of back-and-forth dialogue and communique. But with the effort of all involved, we were more than prepared.
Two weeks before the show we sold out and began a waiting list for exhibitors. That’s always a good thing … especially for an inaugural event.
Although the greatest number of collectors would come from the Southeast, others ventured from as far as California, the Upper Midwest and the Northeast. And that was extremely gratifying … knowing we had attracted so many distant collectors.
Show time
A couple of days before the actual showrooms would open, early attendees engaged in what is referred to as “room trading” — where participants go from room to room throughout the host hotel, buying, selling and trading. It’s a first-come, first-served practice when countless deals are made. In fact, room trading can take on a life of its own. And the more active it becomes, usually the better the overall event will be.
Simply stated, room trading at the Savannah Southern Classic was robust!
On Thursday evening, before the actual start of the show, we opened the conference rooms for early setup. One by one, exhibitors entered with their loaded-down carts of tackle to arrange their tables — some mostly to sell, others to display.
In all, 126 tables were covered in mounds of vintage fishing lures, rods, reels, minnow buckets and various other forms of angling artifacts. It was a true exhibition, which was also open to the public. Part of our mission is to educate the public on the history of our sport and the importance of preserving the antiquities that help to define it.
After a full day of trading and displaying, we closed the showroom doors. Some of the attendees formed groups for dinner, others retreated to their rooms for the night.
The next morning, we reopened and a group of judges was enlisted to evaluate the exhibits. Among the contested categories were Best Pre-War Display, Best Post-War Display and overall Best of Show.
While this was taking place, people off the streets were bringing in their old tackle for appraisal, much of which was consigned to our Saturday Night Auction. When the day wound down, we opened the auction room for bidders to examine what was to be sold. Afterward, we broke for dinner and to watch the football game.
When everyone returned, we announced the raffle winners, then presented the awards. Best Pre-War Display went to Conrad Scarry of Okeechobee, Fla. Best Post-War Display went to Harry Matthews of Hoschton, Ga. And Best of Show went to Wayne Edens of New Smyrna, Fla.
Once the awards were presented, then came the auction — which was brilliantly presented by Richard Hart.
In his quirky, upbeat style, the Englishman blended humor with salesmanship to drive values to unexpected highs … which not only benefitted the consignors, but also the hosting clubs.
In all, it was a great event. Fatiguing, but also very gratifying. And I owe a great debt of gratitude to those who helped make this such a successful show. So much so, we have already secured a date for next year’s Savannah Southern Classic.
To see a full gallery of images for the show, click here.