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| The system shown in the table below has been adopted by both ORCA and NFLCC as an official "shorthand" means of grading old fishing reels. The system requires that a reel be rated by two sets of criteria: appearance (or cosmetic criteria) and mechanical condition. A reel is ranked on a scale of 1 to 10 for each set of criteria. Although the system comprises a convenient means of providing an overall rating, it should never be substituted for a detailed description of the reel. The descriptions in the table include examples only, and they do not include all of the defects that may be encountered on old reels. A description of an "average" used reel might be expressed as "A7/M6."
Collectors bidding for reels in online auctions or who are buying reels by mail, sight unseen, would be wise to ask sellers to describe their wares according to these criteria. |
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GRADE
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APPEARANCE
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GRADE
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MECHANICAL CONDITION
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MINT
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"Mint" Original factory condition; never used. |
MINT
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"Mint" Original factory condition; never used. |
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A10
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"Unflawed" Looks "mint", but no guarantee as to whether or not it was used. |
M10
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"Excellent" All functions work perfectly; no wear. |
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A9
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"Excellent" Hard rubber still polished; edges sharp; markings sharp; machining marks crisp; plating intact; no corrosion, pitting, chips or scratches. |
M9
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"Excellent Minus" All functions work well, though some wear apparent. Spool fully adjustable; strong click; strong brake; smooth level wind (if present). |
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A8
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"Very Good" Occasional light scratch; minor normal plating wear; rubber edges may not be sharp; minor foot imperfections; clean; crank knobs tight. |
M8
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"Very Good" All functions work well, though complete adjustment may not be possible. Slight spool "dinging;" some click wear; brake pressure might not be maximal. |
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A7
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"Very Good Minus" Small chip(s); some plating wear; screw slots obviously used; light cleaning required; if recently polished, some surface defects. |
M7
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"Very Good Minus" Normal use and wear. Spool "sloopy"; click weakening; level wind slight wobble. |
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A6
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"Good" Chip(s); small dent(s); scratch or two from normal use; light corrosion; foot filed heavily or bent severely; some screw heads buggered. |
M6
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"Good" All functions work, but with some difficulty; click or brake not functional; level wind jams, broken gear tooth or worn gear. |
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A5
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"Good Minus" Larger chip(s) and/or scratches; heavier corrosion; light pitting; slight bends in pillar or crank; knob pins bent or loose; may need small replacement part such as a screw, nut or bearing cap. |
M5
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"Fair" Functional problems requiring replacement parts to make operable. |
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A4
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"Fair" Has significant problems. Heavy corrosion; buggered screws; cracked rubber plate; small broken part(s); missing major part(s) such as pillar, line guide, click button; foot seriously damaged. |
M4
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"Fair Minus" Major functional problem(s) possible due to missing or broken parts that are not easily replaced. |
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A3
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"Fair Minus" More serious problems. Broken foot or other frame part; bent or badly dented plates. |
M3
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"Poor" Major problem(s) throughout the reel. |
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A2
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"Poor" May be useful for parts. |
M2
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"Valueless" No mechanical value - parts reels only. |
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A1
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"Valueless" No aesthetic value. | ||
| NOTE: Conditions may be clarified by the use of (+) or (-) rating with each scale. | |||