Here is the detailed info. I was asked by a Forum member to post more details.
Thanks again.
Orivs Impregnated fly rod style 99. Original tube missing the cap. Original bag with the "your new orvis rod" pamphlet still attached. I do not believe this rod was EVER used. Serial #23887. Nickel silver reel seat. Info on tube label states:
8 1/2 2 pc. 5 1/2 oz. line test "GBG" rod bag is green. Only 2 sections total to this rod but I was informed that was all that came with this model. Has a price tag on cork grip from Ambercrombie and Fitch for $62.50.
Nickel silver downlock reel seat, again, never used, no scratches. Dark Red wraps on guides. "Orvis Impregnated 99" on blank. Serial # on butt sectio and tip section.
Need a ballpark value please. Not a scuff mark or scratch on this rod.
Owner wants to sell but needs to know what it could be worth first.
Thanks

Rod was made around 1958.

Best place to get fair value would be to list it on @#$%& and let the world bid on it !

I gave you a ballpark value earlier yesterday. You'll see model 99's selling for anywhere from $250 to $500 depending on condition, length and line weight. Shorter rods bring more money than longer rods. He should be able to get about $400 for that rod without too long of a wait. It's not going to bring much more, however, unless he is willing to advertise to a wide audience and perhaps wait for the right buyer.

The Orvis bamboo rods don't bring the same money that their contemporaries do. They're good rods, but that's just the market right now.

............

Buzz,
Take a very close look at the reel seat. Are you sure it is nickel silver? The seat on my '99' (#22582) looks more like aluminum. I have never confirmed that with Orvis.

Jeff

Jeff,
You are right sir. I looked closer and it is aluminum. thanks for the input. What modern weight fly line are you throwing with your rod?

Buzz

gbg is about a 8 wt. Not a whole lot of people are looking for a 8.5 foot, 8 wt bamboo rod to actually fish with. (A few might be). Mostly a rod like this would be bought because someone thinks they might use it a little for bass, or because they can get a Orvis for a low price. A good caster might be able to cast a 6 wt line on that rod. It is generally thought that Orvis rods sometime carry a heavier line rating than modern users would agree with. Mostly that idea is promoted by people selling the heavier line weight rods, I suspect.

Also the fact that it is a one tip rod (even though it was made and sold that way originally) hurts the price people are willing to pay.

From what I have seen, Tom is right on on his pricing.

For bamboo rods, a good place to get information and to sell a rod is [p205.ezboard.com]. One of their members also has a database on just Orvis rods.

My experience with bamboo is that the CC ratings don't translate to bamboo directly as well as they do to graphite for me. My favorite 5 wt bamboo rates about 3.5 on the original cc system. That could just be my lazy way of casting bamboo, but the that is what cane rods is for.







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2007 09:43AM by Bill Moschler.

Bill,

Just a ruler will measure a wooden object as well as a steel one, The CCS will measure the power of a graphite rod just as well as that of a bamboo rod. The CCS doesn't know what the rod it's measuring is made from. It only measures power. A graphite rod and bamboo rod both with and ERN of 3.5 will indeed have the same amount of power. You can't fool the CCS any more than you can fool a ruler or yardstick.

An ERN of 3.5 relates to the amount of power the rod has. You can use any line on it you wish and the CCS doesn't state otherwise. The equation ERN = ELN is just a suggested starting point for those who need somewhere to begin. It does not name or describe rods as being a "3-weight" or "5-weight." I'm afraid this is one of the sticking points for many people - they haven't understood that ERN is a power rating, not a line rating.

Had it been up to me, I would have used the term ERP for "Effective Rod Power."

............

Tom, ERP would have prevented a lot of misunderstandings and helped people understand the objectivity of the system better.

Bill, one thing I've noticed is that rods made of a heavier material, like bamboo and fiberglass, tend to feel better when they are heavily loaded and their line ratings generally reflect this. Otherwise, the weight of the material causes the rods to bounce all over the place and not settle down. For example, I have a very well-made bamboo rod built on the Orvis Limestone Special taper 8'6" 6wt. 2/2. It has an ERN of 4.3. I really enjoy it with a 5 or 6wt. l or 7wt. ine but it is not fun to cast with a 4wt. line because there's not enough weight hanging on the rod to smooth out all the bouncing bamboo.

Most vintage fiberglass rods I've tested with line ratings in the 5/6 range have ERNs in the 3.5 range and I think the makers just really knew what would feel good on rods made of that material. Graphite recovers so much faster and you don't need to load them up so much to damp the oscillations.

Hello Buzz,
After acquiring the rod some time in the late '80's I fished it a few times, I believe with a five weight double taper. Haven't fished it since then and when I had it out to lawn cast in Spring I discovered that the ferrule became loose very quickly. Orvis replaced the ferrule and while they were at it changed the guides. The previous owner must have been a decent caster, not a mark on the blank, but the guides had grooved. They also removed the set in the tip.

I plan to fish the rod and will have to experiment with lines.

Jeff

The 99 series was the predecessor of the Manchester rods, i.e., a cosmetically lower grade of cane and usually made with only 1 tip. I believe "99" name refers to the fact that they were introduced in 1955, the year of Orvis' 99th anniversary. They are well made rods. The main reason that Orvis rods bring a lower price than some other makers is that there were so many made, and the impregnation process has allowed them to survive in decent condition for many decades. They are excellent rods. Of course most people looking for bamboo rods are looking for trout rods, so your rod would be outside this most desirable range. But if it's in really nice condition as you say, it will be worth something to someone who wants that particular rod.