I have a few rods that are 10-20 years old. They're in great shape and fish like the day they were new but I was wondering how many guys sell/trade rods age they get a little age on them for something newer?

I only get rid of rods I do not enjoy fishing with. And even then, usually gift to a kid in need.

A 10-20 year old rod will have minimal resale value unless it's in great condition and is still nominally the active lineup (like a 10 year old GLX would be close). To me, it's not worth the effort of selling them off. I've got 35+ year old rods in the basement and they get pulled out here or there. Some are for kids to use, some would be specialist backups. Mostly they just sit there.

Nope. I fish it till it breaks or stops serving a purpose in my lineup. My favorite rod is still an old OG Tatula with the gold aluminum accents. 7'2" MHR it just hits that perfect sweet spot between fast and moderate that makes it extremely versatile. It's my favorite rod for spinnerbaits and I will be pretty upset when it's time comes.

I sell one from time to time. My thing is the extra Shimano reels that I have and don’t use anymore.

Nope. I sell my rods and reels when i am tired of using them. Pretty much the only reason i sell em.

I've sold rods, reels and even some baits here. Quite a few in fact.

And I really appreciated every sale and buyer. IME, I see there are two challenges facing potential sellers.

First, there's the cost of shipping. Especially rods. Second, there's the flea market-style prices most potential buyers are willing to pay.

Think low, and then it's lower than that.

Combine these and post-sale money in the pocket dwindles

Selling baits is a bit better because several will fit in a smaller box that costs less to ship.

Good luck with your potential sales.

A-Jay

I’ll be so real with you, my rods pretty much have to break in half b4 I replace with another rod.

Reels that I can not get parts for any more are either tossed if I only have 1 of those reels or used for spare parts if I have reels that are the same or have interchangeable parts.

If I know I’m not using a particular combo I’ll give it to a kid who I know could use it. Pay it forward and keep the sport alive

Selling something because of age is difficult and usually not worth the hassle. There are a few items which are timeless or close to it, but once a piece of gear reaches the 10 year mark the value to someone else is effectively nill.

I tend to only buy a few rods a year and they are often higher end through a sale or calling a shop directly. When I do need to move them because they don’t fit my style or just collect dust I’m usually able to recoup a decent bit.

Nope. My jig rod will be 16 y.o. this year and it is full of battle scars.

1 hour ago, MassYak85 said:

Nope. I fish it till it breaks or stops serving a purpose in my lineup. My favorite rod is still an old OG Tatula with the gold aluminum accents. 7'2" MHR it just hits that perfect sweet spot between fast and moderate that makes it extremely versatile. It's my favorite rod for spinnerbaits and I will be pretty upset when it's time comes.

I needed antidepressants when mine broke. The Evergreen Shower Blows Combat Stick is suuuuuuper similar, I actually like it better.

1 hour ago, webertime said:

I needed antidepressants when mine broke. The Evergreen Shower Blows Combat Stick is suuuuuuper similar, I actually like it better.

That’s good to know thanks!

My most used rod last year is my cheapest and oldest.

It's a Gander Mountain Tournament Guide Series or something like that.

It's a good 15 years old at least. Brand new I think it was around $100 give or take $10.

I'm actually going to upgrade it this spring.

Definitely keeping it though.

Nope. I've given away a few spinning rods to nieces and nephews. I very, very seldom use a spinning rod any more. A couple casting rods sit because I don't like them, but not because of their age. Given a brother and his wife casting combos to learn on. Strictly a spinning rod family before that. ☹️

As A-Jay stated, shipping rods is too expensive for me. Waste of money unless you're getting a good price. And then it's only so-so after paying the shipping. Much better to simply give a rod away to someone who'd put it to use. I've a teenage friend whom I'm considering giving a couple casting rods/reels. Loves to fish, but he's still in school and his occasional part-time jobs don't pay much. That makes me feel better than selling.

I wish shipping wasn’t so expensive. I have moved numerous rods over the past thirty years but not as of late. My oldest active rod right now is 15 years old. Even when posting with club members, selling is slow.

I have a H20 rod I have had about 13 years. 2 or 3 new tips and it is still going strong. It’s faded and worn but ready to go this year . My Texas rig rod . It’s broke in for sure

Whatcha got? Not that I need anything but......I'll be passing through Rockford in about a month.

I tend to keep rods forever if i really like them. I sell stuff to help finance new gear.

A few years ago I sold an 18 year old G. Loomis GL3 SJR 700 (was my favorite rod) because the reel seat was broken and the cork was worn down. I replaced with with an imx pro SJR901S. love the imx pro as much as I loved the GL3.

By the time I quite using a rod or reel, even the Bait Monkey doesn't want them. I keep all of my fishing gear regardless of use, because I am a fishing gear hoarder. I have a problem, but I find comfort in the knowledge that there are others out there with the same incurable condition.

Like others, I have old rods too. I keep them and fish them. I have some pretty old ones. An example is an old Berkley Hank Parker light action spin rod. I think it's around 20 years old. It started as a 5'6, but the tip broke years ago. I replaced the tip and now it's around 5'3. It's caught scores of panfish over the years.

I sell rods and reels from time to time. I may want to update something or just move on from something that may be collecting dust. I have also bought a few rods and reels that I either didn't like or weren't a good fit. I take those funds and invest in something new.

The only way I'd sell a rod or reel is if I don't really use it. For example, I may sell a 6.1:1 reel for a faster one.

I couldn't part with a few of the SS reels I have. When I was 10, I mowed lawns, scraped barnacles and painted boats for months to get the 4500 SS. I used the 4500 and 2 other SS reels in what almost feels like a different lifetime. My Dad fished a little but isn't an angler. There was no internet as we know it when I was a kid. Through reading and fishing with different people that would become like family, is how I learned. The nostalgia and memories of people long gone when I pick those reels up, make them priceless.

No. If I upgrade, I either keep the old as a backup, or I give it to a kid.

On 2/18/2026 at 3:11 PM, Randy Price said:

I have a few rods that are 10-20 years old. They're in great shape and fish like the day they were new but I was wondering how many guys sell/trade rods age they get a little age on them for something newer?

I am kind of the opposite. Since I am now a senior citizen, many of my rods are 40 plus years old.

Today's modern rods tend to be getting stiffer. And so they started blening fiberglass with graphite to find a balance between modern and the way older rods bend deeper down the blank.

Some of my favorite rods today are 20, 30 plus years old. I still collect the older rods of higher quality. The Loomis, St. Croix, older Falcon rods, etc. To me they are fabulous rods to use. So no, I would not be getting rid of any of them for newer rods. If anything I may wind up ditching newer rods to go back to using my older rods.

The last time I went bass fishing I was using a 40 to 45 year old LCI blank made into a custom rod. The graphite reel seat cracked and shattered so this rod became unusable and I found it in a pawn shop for like $5 because it was broken and no one wanted it. All I saw was gold. The reel seat and blank were both identified as G. Loomis. So I stripped it down and rebuilt it. A great rod now back on the water. And now one of a kind as well.

Even my 12 year old son is catching on. His brand new custom rods he outright says dad its too stiff to cast well with light lures. He started fishing with Ugly Stiks made of fiberglass so he started with whippy rods that bend deep into the blank and even he wants to revert back to older rods, or as he asked, he now wants to try the modern blended rods with fiberglass/graphite construction.

Sometimes newer is not always better. To me vintage high quality rods are pure gold. And I keep those. That's why between my sons and I we now have close to 125 rods for sorts of fishing from freshwater to saltwater, from small fish to big fish rods, and he's getting into fly fishing now so add in those as well. I think my 12 year old son is already a vintage rod guy and he learned it from me. That's what dad's are for. Passing the magic of fishing on to the next generation. He will get the rods one day too.

I told him you can use any of my reels you want to. I could care less. But you don't touch my old vintage rods until I'm dead and gone and then you gotta pry them out of my cold dead hands. He wants all my old Loomis rods, St. Croix, All Star rods on LCI blanks, and Falcons and others like the All Star Emerald Edition rods... They just don't make rods like these any more. No need to get rid of them when they bring us so much fishing enjoyment every day we use them.