Generally speaking, are you still interested in buying older models released between the 2000s and say 2015, or are you mostly sticking to the newer stuff?

Both?

 

My daughter is left handed and just starting to use a casting reel. I've picked up some used reels on marketplace and got some great deals on used left hand reels. 

 

I bought a few new Shimano SLX reels, the 100 dollar ones. I'm impressed. They punch way above anything else at that price. However, I did take them apart, add six ball bearings, and clean & oil the factory spool bearings before I even fished them. So it's not a truly out of the box evaluation.

 

I'll buy an E series/Scorpion XT Shimano or a first gen ABU Revo if I see an used one priced fair. I couldn't say no to the Tatula CT over Christmas from BPS with the Monday discount and Veteran's discount on top of that.

 

 

Yes! All of my casting reels are Citica or Curado's, from the 1990's. 

 

Four purchased new, the other five have come to me via eBay or local swap meets. 

 

Note: almost all of my spinning reels are newer Shimano's. 

 

I would absolutely buy a Daiwa SV103, TDZ or Pixy if the price was right.  The ones I have perform as well FOR ME an my still rookie skills as my newer Zillions, Steez and Aldebaran.  I'm always on the lookout for a left handed Airy Red Pixy, or the original green TD ITO TDZ.

I will buy a quality older reel if it's a Daiwa and I can hold it first;  no on line purchases.  Maybe if I had the repair skills of BULLDOG and DVT I would react differently.

Buying-no, but all of my baitcasters are old. I fell in love with Team Daiwa-X and TDZ and see zero reason to switch.  

 

I also have a couple of Shimano greenies and Citica 200Es which are just bulletproof reels. To me they are like late 90s Hondas and Toyotas, they go forever.

No, I don't buy older reels because I have them already.  I never sell anything.  If I were to be on the lookout for some Shimanos Curados they would be, in order of age from older to newer, the original Greenies 200B, the 100D, the little gray reels that are really light and keep on ticking, the 200E 5, the Holy Grail for crankbaiting and in the newer gen.  the 70MGL, really nice and the Curado BFS.  

 

I also like the Chronarchs but ... that would make this comment a little to long.

The only older reel I would consider buying would be one from the late 70's early 80's. 

If I could find another almost new Shimano Core 101 MG, I would jump on it. I saw a recent pair of great reels on Ebay being sold together. It was a Shimano 200I and Shimano Core 100 MG. They looked brand new. If they were left handed, I wouldn't hesitate to buy them. 

I’m not buying any but I have several.  I have probably a dozen Shimano Stradics and Symmetrys.  I also have several Shimano Curado E7s and some G 5s.  They have been workhorses.

1 minute ago, FishTank said:

If I could find another almost new Shimano Core 101 MG, I would jump on it. I saw a recent pair of great reels on Ebay being sold together. It was a Shimano 200I and Shimano Core 100 MG. They looked brand new. If they were left handed, I wouldn't hesitate to buy them. 

Shame they never sold that reel in Japan.  I mean they did but with a lighter paint color, different color parts and name.  The Japanese used market is so much kinder than the horror show we have in the US.  Not only are the prices much better but the picture quality is much better and the condition descriptions are beyond honest to the point that you feel like you are ripping them off.  I've bought numerous "B" condition reels that were like brand new.  In the US, especially Ebay, you see a reel that should be a C or a D listed as "in excellent condition".  Nonsense.  

2 hours ago, Bigbox99 said:

Shame they never sold that reel in Japan.  I mean they did but with a lighter paint color, different color parts and name.  The Japanese used market is so much kinder than the horror show we have in the US.  Not only are the prices much better but the picture quality is much better and the condition descriptions are beyond honest to the point that you feel like you are ripping them off.  I've bought numerous "B" condition reels that were like brand new.  In the US, especially Ebay, you see a reel that should be a C or a D listed as "in excellent condition".  Nonsense.  

 

Ya, they had the Core in the US and Metanium MG7 in Japan, which I own one of as well. I can tell you it is not the same reel. It's not bad but it just feels different and the retrieve is not as smooth. 

 

As far as JDM used reels, I would be cautious. I have bought a few on eBay and returned a few. They may look great on the outside but the insides can be a hot mess. They are often fished in multiple types of water (fresh, salt and brackish) and the insides can be corroded. Often times Japanese anglers beat their reels to death as they mainly fish from the bank in places we probably wouldn't venture.  If you find a mint reel in Japan, it's usually one that someone purchased to collect or keep as a status symbol. Those can fetch a big price, like the TD-Ito. 

 

The best deals can be found on used lures, especially glide baits and swimbaits. Stores like Tackle Berry and Josuya are worth checking out.  I also have gotten stuff from Sansui (great store). Personally, I have never been there but I use to have a co-worker that would shop around for me but I found it was a hassle and just easier to order from JDM sites.  I do have a family member that is going to Japan in April. I am hoping to convince her to hunt down a few things for me that can't be found here. 

I look very casually, most of my older gear was gifted. My son has never had to think about higher end gear, and nephews and BoyScouts. Plus money talks and I’ve flipped older gear & same with baits. Heck I’ll sell you any rod or reel I got if you’re paying real well.. 😉🙂🤣 but I’m looking at a couple treasures and I believe eventually it will show up somewhere..

Missed a new old stock yellow pixy a couple of days ago from a japanese auction, and still triggered🤢

With the exception of a 21 zillion, all my reels are old Daiwa. Aside from 2 alphas sv 105, they all run 34mm spools. The 21 zillion is the only reel I own that has a t-wing. 

 

I hope to eventually get a OG zillion, and a T3. I have bought every sv103 I have ever stumbled across (unfortunately only 2) and will continue to buy them if one pops up at a used reel price and not a collector price. 

If I ever break down and learn how to shop the auctions in Japan it might become a... problem? I'm still sifting through the piles of beat up reels on ebay where most have way too high of a price tag. I don't mind a beat up reel, but I don't want to pay $300+ for a reel that looks like it got dragged behind the car on the way to go fishing. 

 

The second alphas I got from Japan had small twigs, debris, and a half of a leaf inside the gear box. I cleaned it out and cleaned it up and now its great, but how do you get that kind of debris in a gear box?

@Lead Head, the OG Zillions are the 3/4 ton pickup of bass fishing. Love mine, especially the crazy crankers.

8 hours ago, Lead Head said:

With the exception of a 21 zillion, all my reels are old Daiwa. Aside from 2 alphas sv 105, they all run 34mm spools. The 21 zillion is the only reel I own that has a t-wing. 

 

I hope to eventually get a OG zillion, and a T3. I have bought every sv103 I have ever stumbled across (unfortunately only 2) and will continue to buy them if one pops up at a used reel price and not a collector price. 

If I ever break down and learn how to shop the auctions in Japan it might become a... problem? I'm still sifting through the piles of beat up reels on ebay where most have way too high of a price tag. I don't mind a beat up reel, but I don't want to pay $300+ for a reel that looks like it got dragged behind the car on the way to go fishing. 

 

The second alphas I got from Japan had small twigs, debris, and a half of a leaf inside the gear box. I cleaned it out and cleaned it up and now its great, but how do you get that kind of debris in a gear box?

TD Zillions are great.  The top tier ones in no order to keep an eye out for are:

 

Deps Zillions

Megabass IP

J Dream

Zillion Type R

Zillion limited 

 

This is a limited.  It's not mine but I love the way it looks on that rod so I saved it for future inspiration

 

It inspired my me to do this to one of my Alphas SV 

I have purchased and fish with both. A Vanford 500 and a Garcia Mitchell 409.

8 hours ago, Bigbox99 said:

Shame they never sold that reel in Japan.  I mean they did but with a lighter paint color, different color parts and name.  The Japanese used market is so much kinder than the horror show we have in the US.  Not only are the prices much better but the picture quality is much better and the condition descriptions are beyond honest to the point that you feel like you are ripping them off.  I've bought numerous "B" condition reels that were like brand new.  In the US, especially Ebay, you see a reel that should be a C or a D listed as "in excellent condition".  Nonsense.  

I don’t know why I haven’t pursued this route especially after seeing @MiceNReets pull off some totally killer deals.

12 hours ago, DaveT63 said:

I would absolutely buy a Daiwa SV103, TDZ or Pixy if the price was right.  The ones I have perform as well FOR ME an my still rookie skills as my newer Zillions, Steez and Aldebaran.  I'm always on the lookout for a left handed Airy Red Pixy, or the original green TD ITO TDZ.

Not purchasing at my age and with what I already own, but if I did I wouldn't pass on a good deal for any of the above reels.  Of course, a good deal on some of the newer reels wouldn't be overlooked either, but that wasn't the question.

10 hours ago, FishTank said:

 

Ya, they had the Core in the US and Metanium MG7 in Japan, which I own one of as well. I can tell you it is not the same reel. It's not bad but it just feels different and the retrieve is not as smooth. 

 

As far as JDM used reels, I would be cautious. I have bought a few on eBay and returned a few. They may look great on the outside but the insides can be a hot mess. They are often fished in multiple types of water (fresh, salt and brackish) and the insides can be corroded. Often times Japanese anglers beat their reels to death as they mainly fish from the bank in places we probably wouldn't venture.  If you find a mint reel in Japan, it's usually one that someone purchased to collect or keep as a status symbol. Those can fetch a big price, like the TD-Ito. 

 

The best deals can be found on used lures, especially glide baits and swimbaits. Stores like Tackle Berry and Josuya are worth checking out.  I also have gotten stuff from Sansui (great store). Personally, I have never been there but I use to have a co-worker that would shop around for me but I found it was a hassle and just easier to order from JDM sites.  I do have a family member that is going to Japan in April. I am hoping to convince her to hunt down a few things for me that can't be found here. 

And then I read this and I realize why I don’t Pursue used reels as I definitely don’t break down and service my own reels.

Edited January 5Jan 5 by Eric 26
Grammar/context

Scorpions and Zillions.

My favorite reels to fish were manufactured between 2000 and 2015.  The Daiwa SV103 series (from 2015 to 2017 based on the OG Zillion) are perhaps the best reels made in that time frame.

E based Shimano's 

"Z" based Daiwas

Buy used, clean, do a drag swap, maybe a handle swap.  Out the door for less than a Tatula.

1 minute ago, webertime said:

E based Shimano's 

"Z" based Daiwas

Buy used, clean, do a drag swap, maybe a handle swap.  Out the door for less than a Tatula.

Well said...