FLEMING ISLAND – Fishing enthusiasts can gather this weekend for the Florida Antique Tackle Collectors Summer Antique Tackle Show to showcase, trade, buy and sell some of the rarest tackle made in …
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FLEMING ISLAND – Fishing enthusiasts can gather this weekend for the Florida Antique Tackle Collectors Summer Antique Tackle Show to showcase, trade, buy and sell some of the rarest tackle made in Florida.
With over 300 tackle makers in Florida – many who’ve been around for decades – the state is a great start for anyone looking to add to their rare and vintage tackle collection. Shows like these, hosted by FATC member Jim Berglund, helps starting or completing your own antique collection.
“We started because there were so many lure makers in Florida,” Berglund said. “There’s over 300 in Florida. It’s just that not many are well known because they’re not making thousands and thousands of pieces of tackle like some of the bigger companies. We all get together during these shows to help people find exactly what they’re looking for.”
Berglund is a collector and has been doing it for so long that he needs only 20 to 30 more pieces. Because of the rarity in tackle he needs, it could be a while before his collection is complete.
The FATC has been in service since 1978, and the first show decades ago had just 25 tables with about 45 people in attendance. Today, the FATC has more than 300 members, and they expect to see at least that many people at the upcoming show.
The diversity of the FATC is surprising to most, Berglund said. He said there’s retirees, people as young as 20, children, which are referred to as Minnows, as well as doctors, insurers, members from other states, Canada, Europe and Japan. While a worldwide audience isn’t expected here, Berglund said members from overseas often travel to attend the larger FATC shows.
Tackle available at each show can vary depending on quality, maker, rarity and other factors. Some tackle goes for just a few dollars and some tackle can go for as much as $125,000. Berglund said the $125,000 piece of tackle was the most expensive lure he’s seen.
“It sold for that price because it was one of the first lures ever manufactured,” Berglund said. “It was made of all copper and it was hollow with a spinning tail. It was a really, really great piece.”
Anyone interested in seeing antique tackle, including contemporary tackle made by members who recycle old pieces of tackle and mix it with modern designs, can check out the FATC Summer Antique Tackle Show on Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, for just $5 at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites at 1815 East-West Parkway on Fleming Island.
Children 12 and younger get in for free.
If you like what you see there, you can become a member of the FATC for just $35. By doing that, you’ll get access to the member-exclusive auction Saturday, June 22, at 7 p.m.
For more information about the event and FATC in general, you can visit FATC.net.