heddon mystery rod, its a pal, but its bamboo...

Question

heddon   i have a heddon casting rod, its 4'7" long with the handle attached. i cant find another like it anywhere on the internet. i think its bamboo since it has 6 sides, and appears to be more flexible than wood. it is signed "heddon" on the diagonal around 1 side. and is marked #851-5-L. i dont know if its a franken-rod or a counterfeit. does it have any value? any insight would be helpful, and greatly appreciated.

thanks,
-Chad

Answer
Chad,
Heddon History:
http://www.macsrods.com/JamesHeddon.htm
Used by the authors permission (Bamboo Rod Restoration Handbook by Michael Sinclair)

Price Book: Antique & Collectible  Fishing Rods: Identification & Value Guide Homel, Dan. 1997 (2nd edition 2000) add about 30% for age of book

Homel gives the Heddon casting rod an average value of 18.08, 44.51, and 82.51 for poor, good, and excellent condition respectively.

The rod that is closest to yours is the 850
Homel gives the Heddon Model 850 R bait bamboo cast rod 6' (1 piece) the  value of  $25, 70, $125 for poor, good, and excellent condition respectively.

Found several Heddon casting rods on ebay that reflect a more realistic price - even though they were made by a well known maker , casting rods just are not going to sell for much more than $50 even in like new condition.

Luck,
Mac

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