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Swedish Fishing Reels - Abu, Record and Ambassadeur Fishing Reels Site
Special Abu Items
This Page is dedicated to all those really hard to find or Special Abu Items!
Maybe here you will find Abu collectables, that you never even knew existied !
(Click on the link in each description to bring up a picture in a new window)
Prices are in US Dollars.
October 2016
1970's Abu Fishing Rod Stand - Sold for $394
Height 79cm , Width 30cm. Length 45cm - Collapsed 60x47x6 cm.
04 Sept 2016.
Abu Safari Zoom Fishing rod sold for $255.
Hard to find Abu Pocket Knife. This one sold for $174. If I remember right, these were given to Abu dealers, and NOT sold to the general public.
Hard to find Abu Keyring.. This one sold for $48.
First edition Of Abu's Napp och Nytt from 1948. This one sold for $325. Watch out for fake copies !
Another variant of the hard to find Abu Pocket Knife. This one sold for $364. Update Nov 2019 a similar Abu pocket knife to the one above sold for $443.
A Very Rare Abu Record Catalog from 1946 sold for $235. (Back in 2009) I just wanted to add this in here from my earlier records.. The 12th Feb 2017, yet another of the same Catalog pictured, sold for $250.
An Abu Ambassadeur (No Abu Marking) made around 1958. These Abu reels are a little special and tend to only pop up every now and again. These reels were made when Abu was moving away from the earlier Record reels, and eventually the Abu mark would replace the Record. So this is why, this particular reel is of interest to collectors.. Simply marked "Ambassadeur" NOTE: The reel did NOT sell, and was passed in with the highest bid at $335
November 2016
An Abu Ambassadeur Champagne Gold Edition. Consisting of an Ambassadeur 5500CS (24k plated gold), 2 x Orrefors Intermezzo champagne glasses, and an Abu Toby also 24k plated, incased in a beautful case... Note: The reserve price not meet and the last bid bid was $492. UPDATE 25 Oct 2018, A similar set sold at auction for $797 USD.
HERE IT IS... Yet again, A RARE Black Record Ambassadeur 5000 from 1952-53- Sold for $3926, There were 2562 views on this auction, and 88 bids later, this reel had a new home!
Ambassadeur CDL Gold Reel (Napp 6 Nytt) Only 250 examples of this nice collectors set exist. 49 bids were placed and the set sold for $632
Ambassadeur CDL Gold Reel (Cognac Edition) Only 285 examples of this nice collectors set exist. 17 bids were placed and the set sold for $447
February 2017
Ok, its a set of ABU Playing Cards.. But you willing to pay $111 dollars for them ? Wish there was more then one photo..Curious to see how they looked. 19 bidders on this I guess HARD TO FIND Abu item.
Back in the days, when ABU sponsered fishing competitions, winners would receive not only a brand new Abu fishing reel, but also these special fishing pins and patches.. Gold representing 1st place, Silver in 2nd, and Bronze 3rd... This little collection got 24 bids and sold for $122. Picture is a bit blury, but you may see that one of the gold patches is damaged, the actual material has come away from the backing. This was mentioned by the seller :)
Abu Record Kuggfett in english means..Lubricating grease for spinning reels. This little tin sold for $12. I wonder how much they costed back in the 1940's - 50's ?
A Reserve spool for an Abu Record 5000 with its round wooden housing sold for $52 (18 bids)
March 2017
You must have seen them on your Vintage Abu Reels.. You know - those little gold coloured Abu Emblems.
Well somebody hade 40 of these to auction out on the Swedish Auction site. The winning bid was $106 USD.
Never ceases to amaze me, how much us Abu collectors are willing to pay for really hard to find Abu items.. Must admit, that I have never seen them
on an auction site before. But would i have paid that amount ? and I wonder - Would you have ?
Abu Record Gold Pin. I believe these pins were given out in the early Abu days, as prizes in fishing competitions. They come in Gold, Silver and Bronze. This one sold for $37 and there were 34 bids.
Got a spare Abu Record 5000 Reserve Spool lying around ? It could be worth $33+ dollars.. This was actually quite a good price.. Im my auction records, I have a few of them that have sold for over $50 !
Abu Record 300 (ice-fishing reel) Once in a life time !!! I have seen maybe 3-4 Record 300's in my time of recording auction prices. But I have never seen one complete with the blue grass box. Well here it is, and sadly my budget stopped me from bidding long before the auction ended. There were 38 bids placed and the winning bid was $1426 ! This reel really is a piece of Abu history !! The reel was described as being in very good condition. The seller noted that the bottom corner of the box hade a split in it. Also the short dise of the box (No picture) had the following writing on it.. Record Pimpel och Spinnrulle N:O 300
April 2017
A 12 page Abu brochure with the name Spinnfiske, sold for $115. I have never seen this before.
July 2017
For the Abu fishermen who cant sleep at nights.. Here is the answer to your problem, Your very own brand new (but old stock) Abu Bed sheets (128cm x 64cm) Yes Abu folks, just when you thought you had EVERYTHING in your collection, I bet not too many have a pair? of Abu bedsheets, and according to the seller, these are no longer in Abu's merchandising any more.. So to the winner who got them for a bargain price of $24... "Good night, sleep tight, and hope the bed bugs don't bite"
Abu Record 1300 Dark Turquoise Green - This reel belongs here because of its colour. The Dark Turquoise Green Record 1300 is not so comman. For those of you are just starting out as a collector, I have put a photo of a normal coloured Green Record 1300 (Pic 1) NOTE that this reel has NOTHING to do with the next 3 images of the Turquoise Green 1300. It just to show you the colour difference. The Turquoise Green 1300 is also worth ALOT more money than the comman green. So, this reel sold for $190 USD. No real description was given. Viewers told t look at the pics and decide yourself the condition ?? Hmmmm
August 2017
ABU Ambassadeur 5600 C4 - 911 FireFighter Edition - Sold for $328. Described as being in mint cond. this was number 187 av the 911 reels Abu made as a tribute to the 911terror attack in USA.
Abu Ambassadeur 2500 - Extremely rare 1961 1962, mint condition
Ebay - Sept 2017
Sold for $1201 / 25 Bids
Copy of Description..
The reel itself is in pristine condition, probably never used. The action is butter smooth and cosmetics are excellent (please refer to the photos). The box is in fair condition, and the photos show the wear on the exterior and the damaged area where the
reel sits in the interior of the box. The price tag attached indicates an original purchase price of $14.23. The leather carrying bag is included as well as a metal wrench/screwdriver and a small bottle of reel oil, still in its sealed plastic bag.
The following is a description of the Abu Ambassadeur 2500 reel by a well known collector:
"ABU Ambassadeur 2500
Production was 1961 and introduction was 1962. It was only available for the 1962 season and dropped from the line after that making it one of the hardest reels to collect. The 2500 was a direct drive model along with the 2000 and 2050. The 1750, 1750A, 2600 and 2650 were the free spool models of seven total for this series of reels. Engraved with it's model number, it was not serialized but stamped "Made in Sweden" on the foot. It came in a beautiful stand-up display box similar to those for the 5000.
The large knurled aluminum knob is part of the drag system which was incorporated into the handle. By tightening the knob to a desired tension, you could apply drag washer pressure against the drive gear assembly which is similar to the conventional star drag wheel. Holding the handle still you will notice the knurled knob rotating when the fish made his run. Finding one new in the box would indeed command a high value."
Very EARLY Record 1300, with its original box which is also very rare to find. Sold for $466. There were 29 bids on this super rare combo !
Welcome to ABU - This booklet, from what I can see, was probably given out to new employee's back in the day. It covers various policies within the company, such as Safety, Smoking, Sick Leave, Staff insurance and even Staff rebates as well as other guide lines within the company.. Sold for $92, with 18 interested bids.
October 2017
Reserve spool for a Record Ambassadeur 5000, complete with its wooden round housing, sold for $128. There were 65 bids.
A very hard to find Abu 333 with the unusual red colour housing, sold for $504. They were sold by a department store in Stockholm called Åhlens and in my time as a collector (15 years), I have only seen about 2-3 of these appear for auction. There were 30 bids. Described as being in very good condition, the seller thought it was never used ?
Rear as hen's teeth ! This Abu Cardinal 7X was sold for $1,022 USD. In the description it says that the reel appears in 2 books. It appears in Abu's service manuel in 1986, and also appears in Marco Malavasi's book called - The Reelstown Guide to Abu Spinning Reels. 54 bids and I wonder if we will ever see one of these again ? Foot number was 780400, and the reel was described as being in ver good condition.
November 2017
Abu Bottle Opener - Can't say I have ever seen one of these before ! Sold for $88 USD The opener was 24.5cm long and wrapped in leather (around its frame) for a good grip ;) UPDATE: The 04 Nov 2018, an exact similar (or maybe the same one ?) sold for $175 USD !!!
Telur (Pocket Watch, Watch, Clock) To be honest Im not quite sure what the correct word is for Telur, but lets just call it a clock or watch. Anyways, as you Abu Collectors know, these watches were made at the Abu Factory (Urfabriken) i Svangsta Sweden, so they are pre any fishing reel that was ever made! I was surprised to see it sold for only $73. And it came with its original box which looked in very good condition. Ok, the glass is missing on the front of the clock, and the clock itself was not working - buy still ? $73 ? In my opinion, a VERY good buy !
Abu Whiskey or Beer Coasters ? Sold for $53. No Description and poor photo's, it amazes me that collectors bid on things that they really cant see what sort of condition the items are in ? Still - Whwn these hard to find items turn up, it is hard NOT to put in a bid :)
Book - ABU Spinning Reels of Sweden, sold for $61. The Reelstown guide to ABU Spinning Reels of Sweden. Collector`s Reference Marco Malavasi. 353 pages and hardly used.
December 2017
Abu Record Taxi Meter - Sold for $622 USD
Description below
Chance to own a piece of Abu's History, A rare and hard to find Abu Record Taxi meter. These taxi meters were made at the Abu Factory between 1934 and 1939. When world war 2 broke out and with an international shipping blockade in place, it made it impossible for Abu to export their taxi meters. It was then that Göte Borgström turned to his love of fishing, and started designing fishing reels. The rest as they say, is history !
The weight of the Taxi meter is 3.5kgs and there are 3 different versions of these Taxi meters.
Salesman Sample of a Cardinal 44. Described as being in very good condition, this hard to find reel sold for $316.
January 2018
Abu Suit Pin.. Jointed fish made to sit on a suit ! Dont see to many of these popping up. Despite that, this item sold for $20.
March 2018
Abu Record 300 - A Rare chance to own one . Ive probably only seen about 3 of these ever pop up, so not surprisingly there were 92 bids placed..Described as being in good condition. The reel sold for $1116 USD (No box with this one)
April 2018
ABU Ambassadeur Salmo Salar 6500 SDL - Sold for $505. The set was brand new and there was 79 bids. Only 200 of these very collectable sets were made. Apart from the reel, it comes with 3 x Toby lures and a beautiful glass sculptured salmon !
Record Seagrass box (No Reel) Yup this green piece of cardboard would have set you back $357. But its NOT your normal cardboard box as you Abu collectors well know. These boxes will get harder and harder to find as time takes its toll on them. I suggest you keep them in a dark, dry enviroment !
Abu Big Fisherman statuette - Sold for $713. Description as follows..
Rare Abu Big Fisherman statuette made in bronze. The statuette is 15,5 cm high and weights 1,5 kg.
July 2018
1942 Abu Record 2000. Sold for $1,301.00
A VERY RARE and HARD TO FIND... . I have only seen one other reel like this one appear on Tradera in all my years of watching the listings. That particular reel can also be found on my site... Anyways - THIS reel sold for $1,301 and attracted 18 bids. It looks like the original owners name has been engraved on the side plate, and i guess it was a present to whoever the lucky person was *WOW*. Described as fully functional, this reel has the beautiful yellow ivory spacers, agate bearing caps and is also engraved with the earliest type of wave like lines around the outer side plate.
Oct 2018
An early Record Ambassadeur5000 sold for in the incredible price of $1,740 USD ! Why you ask ? On the first picture you will see behind the leather case an OLD cardboard box. That alone has pushed up the value of this fine example of an early Record Ambassadeur 5000. The set is as complete as it could be, and that is why this set is sooooooooo HARD to find these days. As a newbie collector, if one day you are at a garage sale, and your lucky enough to find something like this, dont make the mistake of throwing away that old cardboard box with the hole in the corner... That my Abu friends is a CRIME, and you would be throwing away literally hundreds of US Dollars !
A 1944 Record Catalog called Record Fiske sold for $156 USD.
Nov 2018
New Released CDL Limited to only 200 Sets
Yup - How many of us can drawl over Abu's latest CDL Fishing set. Complete with Wooden barrel, Two glass blown Orrefors rum glasses, cigar cutter and of course the gold detailed Abu Ambassadeur 5500 CDL reel. With a worldwide limit of only 200 sets, this will become a well sort after collectable, if you can afford the price !
Abu Ambassadeur 5500CS - Sold for $2,149. Only 60 of these sets were made to celebrate Abu's 90 years (1921 - 2011). Both the reel and the wrist watch are engraved with the number of the set.
Jan 2019
Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5500CS Vintage Wine Edition, complete with 2 Orrefors wine glasses and original xox, sold for $584 (1 bid)
An Ambassadeur 5000, without the Abu or Record ingraving. These reels were produced for a short time only during the change over from Abu to Record. There were 32 bids and the reel was sold for a staggering $964. As you can see in the pic, the reel was in beautiful condition. I have seen these reels show up from time to time, but Im sure, this is the highest price, i have seen for this particular reel.
Feb 2019
Abu Pocket Knife - No other description needed, pictures tell the story. 31 bids, sold for $392
March 2019
Abu Garcia Admiral Everol 4/0 Big Game Fishing Reel, Rare as hens teeth! This beautiful used example sold for $2300. Its the first Abu Admiral I have seen for sale, in all my years of collecting and recording prices. This one was sold on Ebay.
April 2019
A Record 1300 Junior Set from around 1953 has been sold for $538 ! I have seen maybe 1 or 2 of these in my many years of looking through auctions. The seller was firm with his price and it was listed with a starting bid of $538, and as so many of the rare abu items do, its now on its way to Japan! The set is made up of an Abu 1300 reel, A Record No 22 Rod, and even came with 2 fishing lure's. Firstly an Abu 20gm Plankton, and an Abu 18gm reflex. And it just goes to show, that you should never through away your kids old cheistamas presents. One day they can be worth a lot of money :)
Another Fishing set, this time from the 1970's, and also known as an Abu Junior set, sold for $126. The set included an Abu-Matic 220, with rod and a fishing lure called Koster. There were 24 bids placed.
September 2019
An Abu Cardinal 55, used by sellers to show the inner workings of the reel. This was done by replacing one side of plate with a see through hard plastic plate. Very hard to find these today. There were 23 bids, and the reel sold for $265 USD.
Ambassadeur 5000, transition period reel (No Abu or Record markings) Serial number 68155. This incredible set included the original brown paper box, that the entire set was packaged in, even showing the reel's serial number, which (VERY IMPORTANTLY) matches the actual reel. The pictures give you an indication of the reels condition, and why the final price at auction reached $2622 USD. (25,500kr Swedish Krona)
Abu Ambassadeur 5500 cs Orrefors Wine Edition. Beautiful set in mint condition. Only 200 of these were made. Sold for $494,
Record 1600, Blue Seagrass box ONLY... How much did you say ? Dont tell the wife, they never understand these things... Whispering quietly now... $442 Sssshhh !!
Speaking of the wife, if it was YOU that purchased the box above, I HOPE, it was also YOU, that won the bidding on these very unusual Abu Earrings. First time I have ever seen them in all my years of collecting and viewing thousands of auction results, but here they are anyways. They sold for a mere $52
Record Ambassadeur 5000 with SERIAL NUMBER 50055 !!! In 1955 Abu started to use serial numbers on its Record reels, and it is said that the first serial numbers used started at 50000, so this reel is a VERY early model, and according to the seller, there are not many reels around today, that are known to come under this reels serial number. The reel had the smaller A grey spool, and the roman numbers X111 on the inside plate. A reserve FAT spool in its wooden round container, oil bottle and empty spare parts tube where also included. Finally the leather case, which also was in top condition. This rare and beautiful set sold for $736 USD
Abu Cardinal 33 CDL Gold Reel Set, sold for $567 USD. Serial Number GC 00082, Original teak box, manuel and oil bottle. Described as being in "Mint Cond."
October 2019
Record 2000 from 1945, Seldom seen reel with low serial number 626 sold for $400.
December 2019
Simon Shimomura Classic Ambassadeur Record 5000 Green. In mint cond. Sold $850.
Simon Shimomura Abu Ambassadeur 5500C Teal in mint cond. Sold $402
Simon Shimomura Classic Abu Ambassadeur 6500 CDL Grey in mint cond. Sold $554
Rare Abu Record Combo - An early Abu Record fishing set, made up of an Abu Fishing rod (Abu 22) and a Abu Record 1300, and 3 lures, complete in its original packaging and never used. Sadly the 3 lures were not included. Im assumming they went missing over time.. It sold for $544. A truely hard item to find.
Record Ambassadeur 5000 Mod SG from 1952, sold for $1600. Another truelly hard to find set. Yes there are still quite a few mod sg REELS only around, and Yes there are also some very nice complete sets still popping up now and again. Here you have the HOLY GRAIL. Why ? Because this one has what most others do not. The original paper box that it came in. You know the one ! Think back to 1952, when you purchased that amazing brand spanking new Abu Record Mod SG. This was the fishing reel that set Abu apart from all its rival's, this was the future of fishing reels in your hands, but anyways, lets RIP that boring plain paper box apart, so you can start drulling over your new space age Abu 5000... Go on Rip that sucker open... Or maybe DONT ! Who would have known back then in 1952, that, that plain boring box with just the number 5000 written on it, that you just you just ripped open, and threw in the rubbish, would be worth hundreds of dollars years later
January 2020
Jan 2020 starts off with a BANG. A RARE Abu Record 2000 with Yellow amber spacers and a serial number of 483 sells for $4,350 USD. The chrome on the reel which was not the best quality at that time shows its age on the reel. Another problem with these reels, is usually with the spacers, which crack over time. No mention of this by the seller and no indication on the pics of cracking. The reel was described as - Working as it should be. The price could have been much higher if the rare case with extras was included, but I think any Abu collector would be delighted in owning just the reel. I can also tell you there were 33 bids and in the end it was a fight between 2 collectors. One in the USA, the other in Japan. The Winner was USA.
May 2020
Abu Record 500 with the hard to find original blue lined wooden box sold for $703 USD.
Abu Record 450. Sold for $668 - S/N 405 - Very RARE. Reel Only, Described only as "Good Working Cond." From the pics, cosmetically the reel looked to be in Superb Cond. The price reflects how a reel that is hard to find and in excellent cond can sell for this amount.