Rocket
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when I was a kid only the bigger kids had cool toys.
Back to the tackle, I used to bass fish a bunch, well, not a bunch but some. Anyway, back in 1974 I bought a Lew's Speedstick rod and an Ambassador 5500C reel. The reel was about 65 dollars. Now, at Wal Mart I notice that similar Ambassador reels are under 50 dollars. Now, how can there be negative inflation over a 30 year period? Why does this stuff cost so little? Of course, my buddy I got forced /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif into fishing with is all high tech and has all sorts of fancy stuff but darn I thought my stuff was good and now I know it is not /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. I must admit my tech level needs to be upgraded, it has fallen dangerous low on the scale in all areas. I must address this disconcerting issue before it is to late. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif J
Back to the tackle, I used to bass fish a bunch, well, not a bunch but some. Anyway, back in 1974 I bought a Lew's Speedstick rod and an Ambassador 5500C reel. The reel was about 65 dollars. Now, at Wal Mart I notice that similar Ambassador reels are under 50 dollars. Now, how can there be negative inflation over a 30 year period? Why does this stuff cost so little? Of course, my buddy I got forced /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif into fishing with is all high tech and has all sorts of fancy stuff but darn I thought my stuff was good and now I know it is not /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. I must admit my tech level needs to be upgraded, it has fallen dangerous low on the scale in all areas. I must address this disconcerting issue before it is to late. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif J
Bird
Rest in Peace
JR, I'm not sure whether it's negative inflation or whether it's just that the high profit margin on fishing equipment has been reduced. I believe it was about 1977 when I looked at a couple of graphite rods here in Dallas that I really liked, but decided not to pay the $50 each price. Then a couple of months later, while visiting my wife's family in West Virginia, I found those identical rods for $20 each and bought them (I still have them). Now the oddest thing was that those rods were made in Ft. Worth and were priced here, 30 miles from Ft. Worth, at more than double what I paid over 1100 miles from Ft. Worth. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Incidentally, I still have my Ambassador 5500C that was a gift in 1981. I don't know what it cost then, but knew they were more expensive than I would have paid at the time.
Well Mr Byrd, it is a mystery to me. Maybe the things were marked up that much. I know that during the early 70's the 5500C was, I thought, the King of the Hill for bass fsihing. I could be wrong but seems I don't remember anything else that was considered a better bass fishing reel. Now I see similar rigs for 50 dollars. Now in fact they may not be all that similar but they sure look it. Well, I almost fell out of the boat when my friend told me his reel cost 350 dollars. A Shimano round reel of some sort /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. Darn, but my grandfather told me the Zebco 33 was the finest fishing reel on the planet. That may have been cuz we were poor or maybe cuz we were dumb but we sure thought they were good reels. Of course, I quickly learned that a Zebco 33 is not the finest reel, not even a good reel but in fact a sorta junky reel /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif but we sure caught lot's of fish on it. I think they were like 12 dollars. Now I saw at Wally World a so called authentic Zebco 33 for 13 dollars. Here again there has been essentially zero or negative inflation.
Speaking of the Zebco, I mounted it on a flyrod once and when I was about 12 tossed a shrimp out into the water at a place called Keaton Beach Florida. I had waded out several hundred yards. I caught a shark that was almost bigger than me. I dragged him to the shore --that was long before the movie Jaws. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif and yes, I had a wire leader /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif. J
Speaking of the Zebco, I mounted it on a flyrod once and when I was about 12 tossed a shrimp out into the water at a place called Keaton Beach Florida. I had waded out several hundred yards. I caught a shark that was almost bigger than me. I dragged him to the shore --that was long before the movie Jaws. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif and yes, I had a wire leader /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif. J
MossRoad
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My daughter and I were out in the pool the other evening and it was dark. We heard a whoosh as we were walking towards the house and I saw that our neighbors two doors down were launching one of those things. It quickly left the lighted area and disappeared into the dark. Then we heard the tree branches crashing over their house and it landed on their roof. Foul language ensued as they got a ladder and retrieved it. About 10 minutes later I was outside taking the trash out and they launched it again. Once more it vanished from sight and I heard it hit someone's roof much closer... Much more foul language came from the neighbors as they began to comb the neighborhood in the dark. I yelled over that I heard it hit someone's roof and went inside and told the wife. She said she heard it hit on our roof. Another trip outside and I found it had rolled off the roof into the flower bed. Neighbor lady comes over(obviously intoxicated) and says they are trying out their 5 year old's birthday present.... at night... in the dark... drunk... in front of their kids. Anyway... I gave her the rocket back. It looked pretty cool. It was inflatable and not heavy enough to do any damage. At least you have a large area and it is daylight! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
I remember having hard plastic water rockets when we were kids. They were only about a foot long. You'd fill 'em up and pump them with an air pump. They could knock you out if they launched while you were leaning over them. I think they took them off the market because of the danger. But the one like you have looks much safer as it seemed soft. How full do you have to fill it? How high do you think it went?
As for the fishing gear... I haven't bought any recently, but good gear keeps going down in price as even better gear comes onto the market. I remember drooling over the high dollar stuff as a kid... you know... the stuff that was $50.00 seemed like a lot of money back then. Have you priced the top end stuff recently? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
I remember having hard plastic water rockets when we were kids. They were only about a foot long. You'd fill 'em up and pump them with an air pump. They could knock you out if they launched while you were leaning over them. I think they took them off the market because of the danger. But the one like you have looks much safer as it seemed soft. How full do you have to fill it? How high do you think it went?
As for the fishing gear... I haven't bought any recently, but good gear keeps going down in price as even better gear comes onto the market. I remember drooling over the high dollar stuff as a kid... you know... the stuff that was $50.00 seemed like a lot of money back then. Have you priced the top end stuff recently? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
MicroPilot
Veteran Member
That is just to kewl!! How high does it go? How much water does it hold?
RobS
Super Member
J, I bought the same 5500C around the same time. Mine is mounted on a Shakespeare Ugly Stick. I also have a couple of Shakespeare baitcast reels from the same timeframe but they don't hold a candle to that ABU-Garcia.
Sadly, last year while out on a family camping trip I dropped the 5500C. We were fishing a small pond in the campground and it was edged with large limestone chunks. Reel hit a stone at an angle and was instantly bound up. I've tried several times since then to square the frame back up but it's not perfect. Any idea if it can be repaired professionally? At $50 it's not out of the question to simply replace it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Sadly, last year while out on a family camping trip I dropped the 5500C. We were fishing a small pond in the campground and it was edged with large limestone chunks. Reel hit a stone at an angle and was instantly bound up. I've tried several times since then to square the frame back up but it's not perfect. Any idea if it can be repaired professionally? At $50 it's not out of the question to simply replace it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
fishman
Veteran Member
RobS,
If it can be repaired, there are folks that can do it. Abu's are probably the most common reel repaired by independent craftsmen. I've never checked on the internet because we have someone right here in town who repairs Abu's, but I bet you can find someone either online or local.
If not, drop me a private message and I'll see if I can help you out.
If it can be repaired, there are folks that can do it. Abu's are probably the most common reel repaired by independent craftsmen. I've never checked on the internet because we have someone right here in town who repairs Abu's, but I bet you can find someone either online or local.
If not, drop me a private message and I'll see if I can help you out.
"I remember having hard plastic water rockets when we were kids. They were only about a foot long. You'd fill 'em up and pump them with an air pump. They could knock you out if they launched while you were leaning over them. I think they took them off the market because of the danger. But the one like you have looks much safer as it seemed soft. How full do you have to fill it? How high do you think it went?
As for the fishing gear... I haven't bought any recently, but good gear keeps going down in price as even better gear comes onto the market. I remember drooling over the high dollar stuff as a kid... you know... the stuff that was $50.00 seemed like a lot of money back then. Have you priced the top end stuff recently?"
That rocket went about 100 or so feet high spraying a trail of water. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif. I don't know how we ever made it through childhood with no helmets, knee pads and real chemistry set with real chemicals in them. I think my set had a pretty complete assortment of chemicals--imagine selling something like that today--no wonder kids today only want to play ninetendo--thanks to the lawyers.
Yeah, on the fishing gear, I guess I was just surprised at the low cost. Much of it is made in China but some is still from Swedon and the USA. Back in 1974 you could buy a nice new car for 5,000 dollars, now 25,000 is the average price. Therefore I figure a reel that cost 60 dollars in 1974 should cost 150-300 dollars. I think maybe that precision ball bearings and spaceage materials and new manufacturing processes have had a huge impact.
As I said , I think, I have told my wife that our tech level is dangerously low. I think it is an indication of becoming old people /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. My beautiful neice recently got married to a naval officer, a very nice young person. BUT, here is what she said. I was asking her about her upcoming move to Hawaii and she told me that she and her fiance "were going to be an active couple". /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif. The direct inference was that I and other (older) persons there were not active couples /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif. I was furious but of course smiled politely. I complained to my mother---what is she talking about--let's see--me and my wife have flown airplanes, sailed boats, got left in the ocean once kinda like this movie Open Water (only about an hour), scuba dived all over the place, cave dived, climbed mountains and hiked all over, got chased by a bear, raced motorcycles and triatholons, got mugged in Miami (where my wife bargained the mugger down to 20 dollars)---no--we have not been an active couple /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif. J
As for the fishing gear... I haven't bought any recently, but good gear keeps going down in price as even better gear comes onto the market. I remember drooling over the high dollar stuff as a kid... you know... the stuff that was $50.00 seemed like a lot of money back then. Have you priced the top end stuff recently?"
That rocket went about 100 or so feet high spraying a trail of water. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif. I don't know how we ever made it through childhood with no helmets, knee pads and real chemistry set with real chemicals in them. I think my set had a pretty complete assortment of chemicals--imagine selling something like that today--no wonder kids today only want to play ninetendo--thanks to the lawyers.
Yeah, on the fishing gear, I guess I was just surprised at the low cost. Much of it is made in China but some is still from Swedon and the USA. Back in 1974 you could buy a nice new car for 5,000 dollars, now 25,000 is the average price. Therefore I figure a reel that cost 60 dollars in 1974 should cost 150-300 dollars. I think maybe that precision ball bearings and spaceage materials and new manufacturing processes have had a huge impact.
As I said , I think, I have told my wife that our tech level is dangerously low. I think it is an indication of becoming old people /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. My beautiful neice recently got married to a naval officer, a very nice young person. BUT, here is what she said. I was asking her about her upcoming move to Hawaii and she told me that she and her fiance "were going to be an active couple". /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif. The direct inference was that I and other (older) persons there were not active couples /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif. I was furious but of course smiled politely. I complained to my mother---what is she talking about--let's see--me and my wife have flown airplanes, sailed boats, got left in the ocean once kinda like this movie Open Water (only about an hour), scuba dived all over the place, cave dived, climbed mountains and hiked all over, got chased by a bear, raced motorcycles and triatholons, got mugged in Miami (where my wife bargained the mugger down to 20 dollars)---no--we have not been an active couple /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif. J
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( J, I bought the same 5500C around the same time. Mine is mounted on a Shakespeare Ugly Stick. I also have a couple of Shakespeare baitcast reels from the same timeframe but they don't hold a candle to that ABU-Garcia.
Sadly, last year while out on a family camping trip I dropped the 5500C. We were fishing a small pond in the campground and it was edged with large limestone chunks. Reel hit a stone at an angle and was instantly bound up. I've tried several times since then to square the frame back up but it's not perfect. Any idea if it can be repaired professionally? At $50 it's not out of the question to simply replace it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )</font>
I think it can be repaired. It realy depends on if it is of sentimental value vs buying something new. There is a place here in Kansaw--Heartlandtackleservice.com----he has a good reputation for repairs and upgrades. It is a home operated buisness and has new bearings and parts. There are several other places that do similar work on the old Abu reels. The place I mentioned did some repairs on my 5500C and a 5000 I had, replaced bearings with new low friction types and installed an upgraded ball bearing level wind, cleaned and lubricated etc. Very fast service. Cost me 60 dollars to bring both reels up to snuff. The 5500C performs BETTER than new and 5000 performs good as new. Maybe he can help you or direct you to someone who can. You of course can go to Wal Mart and buy a new Abu for under 100 dollars---even much less--the round Abus are still made in Sweden. Apparently, however, the King of the Hill, bass reel today is the Shimano Calcutta 200TEGT. Well over 300 dollars and there apparently there is an electronic version with a self powered onboard computer (I will pass on that version). Visit ---tackletour.com. That is what my new fishing buddy (sorta) has. Hmmmmm-------well---ok. Do you think the bass knows he is being caught on a 60 dollar 1974 Abu 5500C or a 350 dollar Shimanno Calcutta? If push came to shove and the bass was big and the current was pushing in his favor--my bet would be on the 5500C to stop him cold in his tracks before he manages to wrap a log. I caught an alligator gar once with it that was bigger than my 14 foot jon boat--fact. He pulled me on a sleigh ride that left a wake behind the boat. That is a powerful reel that can take that--probably why it needed a few repairs from the tackle service /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. J
Sadly, last year while out on a family camping trip I dropped the 5500C. We were fishing a small pond in the campground and it was edged with large limestone chunks. Reel hit a stone at an angle and was instantly bound up. I've tried several times since then to square the frame back up but it's not perfect. Any idea if it can be repaired professionally? At $50 it's not out of the question to simply replace it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )</font>
I think it can be repaired. It realy depends on if it is of sentimental value vs buying something new. There is a place here in Kansaw--Heartlandtackleservice.com----he has a good reputation for repairs and upgrades. It is a home operated buisness and has new bearings and parts. There are several other places that do similar work on the old Abu reels. The place I mentioned did some repairs on my 5500C and a 5000 I had, replaced bearings with new low friction types and installed an upgraded ball bearing level wind, cleaned and lubricated etc. Very fast service. Cost me 60 dollars to bring both reels up to snuff. The 5500C performs BETTER than new and 5000 performs good as new. Maybe he can help you or direct you to someone who can. You of course can go to Wal Mart and buy a new Abu for under 100 dollars---even much less--the round Abus are still made in Sweden. Apparently, however, the King of the Hill, bass reel today is the Shimano Calcutta 200TEGT. Well over 300 dollars and there apparently there is an electronic version with a self powered onboard computer (I will pass on that version). Visit ---tackletour.com. That is what my new fishing buddy (sorta) has. Hmmmmm-------well---ok. Do you think the bass knows he is being caught on a 60 dollar 1974 Abu 5500C or a 350 dollar Shimanno Calcutta? If push came to shove and the bass was big and the current was pushing in his favor--my bet would be on the 5500C to stop him cold in his tracks before he manages to wrap a log. I caught an alligator gar once with it that was bigger than my 14 foot jon boat--fact. He pulled me on a sleigh ride that left a wake behind the boat. That is a powerful reel that can take that--probably why it needed a few repairs from the tackle service /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. J
MossRoad
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Why, it sounds like you've just been sitting around all these years! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Alan L.
Elite Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Yea, these things are a blast! )</font>
Hmmm, looks like you are providing the "continuous adult supervision". Did you let those kids play with the --er--toy. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif.
We could inflate the balloon portion with helium, or better yet hydrogen and then fuse it to explode /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif J
Hmmm, looks like you are providing the "continuous adult supervision". Did you let those kids play with the --er--toy. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif.
We could inflate the balloon portion with helium, or better yet hydrogen and then fuse it to explode /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif J
