Mitchell Reel Forum

Personally I had never seen an early 1000 serial number in a Mitchell, as I have never seen an early 500 Salt Water.
Now I have seen this A00248. (It is a 301 type right hand crank reel)
I want to ask you collectors..

Do you have serial numbers earlier than this A00248?

,I want to understand the lowest known number and see some mechanical characteristics.

Simone,
My earliest is A04173. The majority of my 3rd version reels do not have a serial number.
Kind Regards,
Bill

That's a great find and is the earliest serial number yet found, I believe. Well done.

It was most likely stamped on the very first day of serial number usage early in 1952, which would make it 71 years old!

Wow!!

Bailarm wrote: ↑Mon Sep 04, 2023 8:37 am That's a great find and is the earliest serial number yet found, I believe. Well done.

It was most likely stamped on the very first day of serial number usage early in 1952, which would make it 71 years old!

Wow!!

Incidentally, it cost $29.25 in the US, 50cents more than the left hand wind reel! It would have come in a bright red box, maybe that's what cost the extra?

thanks for your answer, I know you are a great expert and passionate about details.
I too often concentrate on these objects which perhaps do not have an economic value but are very important from a historical point of view.
This is the kind of object that is useful when writing a book.
I didn't expect to find this number in a Mitchell for a left handed angler.
It seems that besides me no one was interested in this fishing reel that appeared on ebay.
I'm a little sorry for this, maybe today we focus too much on objects of common interest and we don't focus on important objects.

I believe that no Mitchell expert noticed it on ebay. not that i am a connoisseur, my collection is for fishing.

G. Glen Simpson

Dartmoth, Nova Scotia

Thanks Glen for your comment!
As you said, Mitchell went to eBay from Princeville.
I also love Mitchell for use, some versions have found exceptional quality in certain periods.
I also love Mitchell because when you use him it's different from anything else, he has a very strong personality.
Today everything seems the same.
Nowadays, few of us enjoy an object that... for some reason we consider special.
I have some very nice Mitchells, they have good economic value for Mitchell fans.
But this is the type of object I like, as soon as I saw that number I wanted to have it and study it closely.
It's nothing special in a showcase, if you use it it's no different from others built before and after.
It's special to me.
Collecting is a disease in some cases, but I believe that in life the important thing is emotions, wherever a person finds them.
For me, after family, friends, fishing... after these things comes the hobby for old fishing tackle.
I hope what I tried to google translate is largely understandable

Simon,

I agree with everything that you say in your post.

Glen

D"accord avec tout.

Thats an incredible find . Such a low serial number. Well spotted .
John