I am ready to try my hand at building a bamboo fly rod. Due to the $$ factor, I was thinking of buying on older rod at an on-line @#$%&. It looks like I can pick one up for $100-$150(this would be within my budget).
My question is; is this a bad idea? What should I look for, what should I avoid? I am not really interested in restoring to original condition. Most likely would strip it down to just the blank and start with all new components.
Thanks to those who reply.
Corey
P.S. Tom, looking forward to my first issue of the magazine!

Nothing wrong with refurbishing an older rod, but that won't be the same as building one as your blank will already be constructed for you. What you would get, however, is some experience in wrapping and finishing, if the rod needs that sort of thing. But not much insofar as building a bamboo blank, which for most bamboo builders is the main part of bamboo rod building.

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You do need to be careful buying off @#$%&.. I have buying and selling on @#$%& for awhile now and I have gotten good deals and bad deals.. I got 2 Heddons I would sell in that price range and you can make 2 rods and possibly 3 if you want to make a indepent Handle.. If interested I can give you deatils on both rods.. Thanks Davesrods

Corey;
If you are just looking for a practise rod to learn to wrap and varnish on, then that would be a good way to go. If you are also looking for a rod that will be a good fishing rod and worth the efffort you will put into it, then buy a blank from A.J. Thramer. It will be a much nicer fishing rod when you are done with it, and have more value than a refinished old piece of you know what. And if it doesn't turn out to suit you the first time, you can always strip it down and re-do it.
john

Heck I forgot but if you want a good top of the line blank, then I am a dealer for Hal Bacon Blanks and these are top of the line blanks.. Check my sight out at bottom of page.. Thanks Davesrods

If you get a rod off @#$%& make sure the seller has a inspection/return policy. I cannot emphasize this enough. If the seller does not have a return policy, you'll get burned every time. Email the seller and ask plenty of questions on the rod's condition, return policy, etc. If the seller's responses are vague, doesnt answer the return policy question, etc. then probably best to pass on bidding on the rod.

Keep in mind that most sellers do not know bamboo rods and what they consider as being in EX condition, etc. is a far cry from what the rod's true conditon is.

I've generally had good success buying rods off @#$%&. I've had a couple deals that were not good. One rod I returned since the seller did have a return policy so that one turned out fine. The other one it turned out that the seller did not have a return policy and would not accept the rod back so I ended up trading it to a rod dealer/restorer for a rod that I had been wanting for a long time anyway so that one worked out good in the end.

Hope this helps,

Brian