I checked on eBay and the prices were ridiculous. 

 

Did I miss something?

I have the 51e. I will never sell it but I have had offers for around $300. Great reel but it has a following. 

Chronarch E, Chronarch D, Curado E, Core, Conqest 50 and the Conquest DC 50 are the "legendary" reels from Shimano that will only increase in price. Just like the yellow pixy, first gen ryoga1016, TD Ito, TDZ's (less so now, though. these got you a much higher premium five plus years ago), millionaire sss/i'ze light/slc, Steez EX, Z2020, etc. If you can get these reels in like new or NOS condition, they will get you a premium.

Back in 2023 i believe it was, a buddy of mine sold a NOS Curado E200 on ebay auction, and it got to something like $680 canadian dollars. Lots of people are paying big buck for the OG stuff, especially is nos condition with box and papers.

Good grief, I had no idea. I have a Curado 200E7 NIB just waiting until I need it. I had a Curado 50E and a Citica 200E stolen 10 years ago. That stung a little. 

 

They are great reels, though. It's largely why I know very little about new reels. My E series Shimanos and first gen Revos won't die.

 

I'm still using a few 50E reels. I will say the SLX 70 MGL I picked up on marketplace compares favorably to the 50E  after a full overhaul and adding 5 ball bearings to it.

Edited December 8, 2025Dec 8 by BradH
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I'm glad I picked up my Curado 201E7 and two Curado 51E reels years ago.  I'm also a fan of my Chronarch 100B.  I know the 51 size is well liked by many for lighter baits, but for some reason I'd rather grab an Alphas.  The Pixy is even better (for light lures) now that I have a couple.

 

Brad, I have an OG STXL that is loaded with 40# braid and used in Florida lily pads.  Used it once in brackish water where I caught flounder on a 3/4 oz. spoon.  Will launch that lure into next week.  

 

I've spooled 8# AN40 on my SLX 70 MGL but have yet to use it.  Have high hopes for it.

5 hours ago, FishTank said:

I have the 51e. I will never sell it but I have had offers for around $300. Great reel but it has a following. 

I have one also. I modded mine for BFS with shallow BFS spool with 4 pin centrifugal braking and drag clicker.  It casts 1/8oz on up lures pefectly.

31 minutes ago, ghost said:

I have one also. I modded mine for BFS with shallow BFS spool with 4 pin centrifugal braking and drag clicker.  It casts 1/8oz on up lures pefectly.

I hesitate to convert another reel for BFS, but what spool did you get?  Does the 4 pin centrifugal braking have any affect on its casting ability?

Wow, I have two that sit in my shop doing nothing...

small shimanos are hard to find now and when u can wow they doubled in price. glad i grabbed them curado 100d and citica 100s when i did...along with 4 100 size Calcuttas .they hard to find as well ..and run about 100 used..

5 minutes ago, Maxximus Redneckus said:

small shimanos are hard to find now and when u can wow they doubled in price. glad i grabbed them curado 100d and citica 100s when i did...along with 4 100 size Calcuttas .they hard to find as well ..and run about 100 used..

I gave a good friend my Curado 100D last fall for helping me out in a pinch.  If you are interested, we're about 30 minutes apart...

Shimano Aldebaran BSF reel is phenomenal and $245 shipped from Digitaka, $500 from TW. 
Tom

10 hours ago, WRB-2.0 said:

Shimano Aldebaran BSF reel is phenomenal and $245 shipped from Digitaka, $500 from TW. 
Tom

wow a 250 difference 

I own a bunch of the E series (Curado, Citica & Chronarch) in all the sizes (50 to 300) and gear ratios and these are my go-to reels to this day. They just got that mojo. Set it and forget an brake wise. Built like tanks. 

I have the JDM Scorpion with a yumeya spool.  I sometimes throw 1/8 oz hard baits with it.  Cool little reel but I have limited use for a centrifugal brake reel for very light baits. Not enough control for the kind of stuff I want to do around cover so it sees use with tiny cranks, poppers and the like.  

Things sure have changed. Back in the day when the Chronarch 50E came out, people here were complaining about it because it was nothing but a Curado 50E but in a different color. 🤣

18 hours ago, RB 77 said:

I own a bunch of the E series (Curado, Citica & Chronarch) in all the sizes (50 to 300) and gear ratios and these are my go-to reels to this day. They just got that mojo. Set it and forget an brake wise. Built like tanks. 

 That is. 2 pin on and forget. Smooth drag, good casting, and they last forever. Here in argentina, the 200E7 is THE REEL. 

6 hours ago, John B. said:

Things sure have changed. Back in the day when the Chronarch 50E came out, people here were complaining about it because it was nothing but a Curado 50E but in a different color. 🤣

as someone who was working tackle/gear sales when they released, i heard the same complaints in shop. 

E SERIES greatest reels, have a chronach and curado e, great reels that still do some work. 

I have a 201E5 with a slightly bent handle, went on eBay looking for a parts one and... Oooh boy

 

@wolfe_ohara I remember that. The Curado E was the last one made in Japan, right? Same as the Chronarch E. Now it's one of the reasons people like it so much. 

I bought a Scorpion XT1000 several years ago out of boredom and rebuilt it with a Core gear set, carbon drag washers, all new bearings, new brakes, etc. I have over $200 in it and it fishes great. However the high thumb bar irritates me to no end now that all my other reels are the new style sitting lower on the spool so it’s been on the shelf for a long time. 

I am not a massive fan of OG shimano's because of their braking system, but if they were to relaunch the same E series with their newer SVS brakes, with an external braking dial, that would be crazy. Outside of the Metanium, i wouldn't even consider anything else from Shimano if they did it.

Shimano could bring back the Curado 50E and Chronarch mg50 and they would sell well...even with the Chronarch's measly 5 bearings.

2 hours ago, Micro Module Police said:

I am not a massive fan of OG shimano's because of their braking system, but if they were to relaunch the same E series with their newer SVS brakes, with an external braking dial, that would be crazy. Outside of the Metanium, i wouldn't even consider anything else from Shimano if they did it.

Add the x-ship and you have the perfect reel.

Love my 50e with 7.1:1 and bearing upgrades. She's a

beaut and a beast at the same time :).

 

I switch it between my MxF and MLF rods depending

on what I'm throwing.

15 hours ago, JohnFromLisbon said:

I have a 201E5 with a slightly bent handle, went on eBay looking for a parts one and... Oooh boy

 

@wolfe_ohara I remember that. The Curado E was the last one made in Japan, right? Same as the Chronarch E. Now it's one of the reasons people like it so much. 

On my 200E5, right handed, I replaced the handle with one from a 300E (BNT3984). It is a slightly longer handle, giving me a little more torque. You might look up the Shimano schematic for a 301E and see if there is a left hand equivalent. It may be the same part number. Unlike the 200 series Curados, the knobs don't have a twist to them. It has the same 7x4 hole in the handle for the driveshaft.

 

I have a Citica 200E I added a bearing to the driveshaft and put the handle off a Curado 200G on. The 200G handle has the fat, twisted grips like the E series, but you can replace the 4 plastic bushings with ball bearings. You might try finding a 201G handle. If you go this route, you'll need the locking plate along with the handle. Handle bearings are 7x4x2.5 if you feel like upgrading.

 

BNT4355 is the G series handle. Dad's Old Tackle has it and the lock plate you'll need for it.