J W Young Miniature Reels.... why?

[Wandler]

I occasionally see for sale J W Young miniature reels.

There is one here for example

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Minia ... 232bb2249c

They are really tiny and as a user of normal size Young's reels I often wonder why these miniatures were made. Are they 'apprentice pieces' or simply to show the skills of the makers or were they perhaps for advertising or promotion purposes? Executive give-aways?

There is now of course quite a flourishing 'micro-angling scene' particularly in the US and Japan. I don't think the miniatures were made for this type of fishing but maybe I am wrong.

Micro-angling is an interesting concept which makes catching tiddlers quite appealing!

Can anyone throw some light on the J W Young miniatures?

[Beresford]

I like my Youngs reels a lot but I do just think this is another way of a company creating a product to make money.

[Nobby]

Collector's tackle...not fishing tackle, I think:


http://www.jwyoungs.co.uk/minature.htm

[Wandler]

The sort of thing your family eventually give to the local charity shop along with a collection of flat caps!

[BBamboo]

I remember when these were made they were sold as display pieces but purposely made to be fully functional. Not that anyone could use them . Collectors items only

[Reedling]

Even though only useful as a collectable they would look nice in a display cabinet with other fishing related advertsing type items. I have always had a passion for miniature items or salesmans samples, a local company to me that closed down many years ago produced sanitary wares and were eventualy taken over by Doulton. They produced toilets and washbasins in miniature as salesmans samples (3 inches tall) and I have slowly been putting a collection together because I collect items of local historical interest. Each to their own I suppose, Reedling.

[I_am_mark_evans]

These sold well over the pond in the USA and the whole micro fishing scene. We had one of the fly rods some maker made for them, they were crazy small, like a quiver tip section with a tiny cork handle fitted. But you could fish with them and i remember seeing pics of some of the fish caught and they were nearly bigger than the rod! I think a few sold in the uk but naturally more as a novelty/display item.

We also made the collectors set of all 4 in the wooden display box, naturally a collectors item. I still have mine. Will never part with it.

I left school at 17 and went straight to work for JW Youngs and was there up to their unfortunate closure. Best job i ever had.

Mark

[Nobby]

Hi Mark, if you were part of the team making the miniatures were you working for the 'new' J W Youngs formed after Shakespeare closed the original firm down ?
Not sure what year that was...

I believe the new firm was itself aquired by Masterline in 2001. The website is a little confusing, saying the parts are made in Redditch but assembly is in Tewksbury, before Jim Young inspects the reel ( back in Redditch ??? ) and issues a certificate of authenticity.


I did read that the firm formed after Shakespeare shut the original was a join-up with Swift Engineering, the disposessed managers joining up with their old sub-contractor.

[I_am_mark_evans]

I joined them in 1997 (or was it 98, i don't quite recall now) and our unit was on the Enfield estate, so this was after everything before that time.

Masterline bought the name in 2001, and as far as i'm aware (i lost touch with everyone) Jim still turned out parts for the reels from a small unit that he had of his own after the closure, and stayed on with masterline as quality control over Youngs reels.

Garry Mills (who was my assembly manager at youngs) is now the Mill tackle company, he has a unit just down the road from me, i'm sure the last time i spoke to him he said he bought a cnc off Jim? so i'm not sure who actually make parts for the Youngs/Masterline reels anymore.

Naturally i'd say the Masterline guys couldn't build them as well as we did =p

[I_am_mark_evans]

I think it went a little something like

Top tackle
shakespreare
Swift (Jim & Mr Baylis)
Jw youngs (Jim & Sally Bayliss, Mr Baylis was still down as owner i believe) this is where i joined, late but better than never

I'm pretty sure Garry did buy jims stuff after Jim retired so like i said, i have no idea who makes the parts for Masterline now, i don't believe its Garry but i could be wrong?.