Hello Everyone,

I am wondering what the value is of my reel. It is a ABU Ambassadeur Deluxe 5000 made in Sweden. It is like new and complete in the box, with all the accessories and manual. I received it from my uncle and it has been shelved and unused for over 40 years. He wants to sell it, but we are unsure of the value. Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

Attached are links to the pictures in photobucket.

Steve

very nice About $100 to $200 its a keeper though it can  be sold on the fleabay .and id auction it with a reserve of $250

I can't value it but know there are ambassadeur specific sites and groups. Collectors pay through the nose for the right thing

I recommend that before you rush to sell it, that you spend a couple months watching auctions on eBay to determine typical asking, and actual SALE prices of that reel. Just search on "Ambassadeur 5000 De Luxe".  Right now, there are at least 6 of those reels for sale on eBay - with asking prices ranging from $299 for a reel with considerable rash...to a wildly optimistic asking price of nearly $1200 !

Take some time, find out what they really sell for, and then determine what price you think is fair for your reel.

Be prepared also foriegn buyers love these reels big market for japanese,singapore,australian,swedish buyers they love these reels especially in this condition and this model

Good gravy!  A moment of silence in respect for the awesome presence of the Ambassadeur...

As was said, collectors will pay through the nose for that.  While it might only appraise for about $200, I've personally seen them go for much more on auction sites and FB groups.

I'm not going to link to auctions here because, though I've not seen any rules addressing it here, I may have missed 'em.  Generally posting to live auctions on websites is frowned on.

Go to the various auction sites and search on "Ambassadeur".

Regards,

Josh

Later...

I just looked and one feller is asking $850 or best offer for the exact model you have, only difference being a different handle.

There is a 5600cdl (thumb bar, fast gears) that sold for $811 plus $30 shipping, with 19 bids.

The fact that yours is a four screw does make it slightly more desirable, too.

Looking through the completed listings, I did just find a

"Vintage ABU Ambassadeur 5000CDL baitcasting reel-Mint in sleeved wooden case"

... that sold for $359.00 plus $21.50.  The seller was in Malaysia.

I'm not a collector.  I just frequent places for parts and rebuildable used reels, and notice these things.

Regards,

Josh

 

1 hour ago, Josh Smith said:

................The fact that yours is a four screw does make it slightly more desirable, too.

An excellent point made by Josh. This reel is an early 4-screw - most of the 5000 De Luxe reels that I saw on eBay were 3-screw models with the later counter-balanced handles. Early reels do tend to command a price premium from collectors. There is one 4-screw 5000 De Luxe on eBay right now with a BIN of $400 but it has considerable rash/wear.

To the OP, if you're not familiar with the term, the 3- and 4-screw designations refer to the number of screws on the tailplate. In your photo below, note the 4 slotted screws. This feature was present on Ambassadeur 5000's until around 1967/68 (according to Shimomura). Reels made after that point had 3 screws and one locating pin. Also note on your reel the script Ambassadeur De Luxe marking - the later reels used block-type lettering.

According to one source (Shimomura) the De Luxe reels were made from 1962 until 1973. Another source (Skupien) says 1963 to 1977. Regardless, your reel is from the early part of those time-spans so should command that price premium.  So, when looking at eBay auctions, focus on those for the 4-screw model.

Take Goose52's advice. Seems like they are going for $300 on the low side and worn. Yours is very pristine. I would see if I could get on the higher side and would to get near $1000. If it doesn't move or the right buyer doestn see the least I would take is $750. With this reel being NIB, there is no reason why it wouldn't command a premium.

Hello All,

I just contacted my Uncle and he believes that the original box is floating somewhere around his house, he's going to try and track it down. I appreciate and am thankful for the responses as it gives me a better idea of what to ask for the reel. If he finds the box, I assume the value should go up considerably.

4 hours ago, fishermansteveshea said:

Hello All,

I just contacted my Uncle and he believes that the original box is floating somewhere around his house, he's going to try and track it down. I appreciate and am thankful for the responses as it gives me a better idea of what to ask for the reel. If he finds the box, I assume the value should go up considerably.

Sure. A box is just a box...............................until something becomes "collectible"...................then the box becomes $$$ !  

How much of a premium?  Who knows, but the more complete the package the better.

2 hours ago, Goose52 said:

Sure. A box is just a box...............................until something becomes "collectible"...................then the box becomes $$$ !  

How much of a premium?  Who knows, but the more complete the package the better.

Some boxes sell for a pretty penny just a box seen them go for $50+