Nice Catch: Wayne Edens’ celebrated fishing lure collection cast at Morphy Auctions

December 3, 2024

in Antique

Reading Time: 2 mins read

DENVER, Pa. – Fishing lure fans from coast to coast will likely be angling for the catch of the day on Dec. 9, 2024, at Morphy’s reside gallery public sale of the Wayne Edens assortment. The incomparable assemblage of lures – mentioned to be the biggest, most complete, and traditionally vital assortment of its kind to come back to market – is brimming with ultra-rare gems, not the least of which is among the eight celebrated Heddon “manufacturing unit board” frogs hand-carved in 1898.

One of many unique eight Heddon ‘manufacturing unit board’ frog lures hand-carved, c. 1898, by Heddon Firm founder James Heddon. Estimate: $30,000-$80,000.

Morphy Auctions

The all-original Heddon frog lure (or “bait”) was personally crafted by James Heddon, founding father of the Heddon Firm, Dowagiac, Mich., and exhibited on a show board on the manufacturing unit.

The frog lure in Wayne Edens’ assortment was acquired from Dudley Murphy (1940-2022), co-founder of the Nationwide Fishing Lure Collectors Membership. Murphy obtained the lure instantly from the Heddon manufacturing unit. The presale estimate is $30,000-$80,000.

Earliest mannequin Enterprise Mfg. Co. Trory Minnow. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000.

Morphy

A 3-part public sale collection for the Edens assortment is deliberate, with Components II and III to comply with in 2025. Every sale will characteristic 600 to 700 heaps. “Wayne’s assortment is, in a phrase, astonishing, and comprises many special-order and one-of-a-kind lures, some of their unique image bins,” mentioned Morphy Auctions’ founder and president Dan Morphy. “Along with Heddons, there are uncommon productions by Immell Chippewa, Shakespeare, Pflueger, Haskell, and scores of different high manufacturers. We estimate the gathering’s worth at round $3 million.”

Heddon particular order 1309 five-hook Black Sucker. Estimate: $35,000-$45,000.

Morphy Auctions

Wayne Edens mentioned that after he began accumulating lures in 1988, he got here to understand their historical past, magnificence, and engineering, describing every as “somewhat murals that has its personal story.”