Johnson Reels' Marketing Genus
By Dick Braun
In the Mid to late '50s, Joe Fisherman walks into the bait and tackle store looking for some new equipment for that new state or world record he knew was out there just waiting for him to show up and set the hoook.
Joe walks up to the counter and says he is looking for a new rod/reel and-the owner of the shop says Boy are you in luck, JOhnson reels district salesman just dropped off this brand new Johnson rod/reel combo and told me to lend it out to the fisher person looking to buy a new outfit. Take it with you today and use it. See how you like it, bring it back into the store before we close this evening or tomorrow morning and I'll sell you one just like it without the word DEMO or DEMONNSTRATOR stamped into the reel.
As far as I've been able to find out there are only 4 different models of the Johnson reels that were DEMO Reels,
1. Johnson Century Model #100,
2. Johnson Citation Model #110,
3. Johnson Centennial Model #120, Note that I have two of this model different only in the fact that DEMO is a little smaller type and on the left back side of the front/back plate of the reel spool housing, the other has a slightly large type of the word DEMO and is located on the right side of the back/front plate behind the handle so to speak, (see photo~).
4. Johnson model #80 side mount reel, this one has Demonstrator stamped on the box as we'll as the reel, (see photos). All of these reels were 1st issue model of each.
There could be a rumored 5th model, the Sabra, but so far it's just that, a rumor, as one has never been found to date that I know of.
An inventive way to get your reel into the hands of the fishing community, lend it to them. A reel for the day to fish with at no cost to them (the fisher person) and end up maybe selling another of your product which is what it was all about. What a great marketing ploy this was!
How many DEMO/DEMONSTRATOR reels are still out there for the collecting public to find and have? Want to borrow my Demo for a days' fishing, to test it out?
-- Dick Braun
8 comments:
Speaking of Century reels, can anybody tell me the difference between Century 100A and 100B models?
I'm trying to restore a 100A Model (double handle) and I'm looking for some spare parts. The 100B model seems to be more common, at least on eBay.
I found this article searching for a little history on my fathers Johnson rod and reel combo.
It's so fascinating because this is the exact story he tells me. My father, a baby boomer, went into the local tackle store as an adolescent to look for a combo to get started. The gentleman helped him to these beautiful rods and shinny green reels. That night he came back, satisfied to make a purchase.
Today, that rod and reel combo is mine. He fixed it up real nice and is happy to have seen it lasted more than 50 years of on and off fishing. Mine doesn't say demo on it but it is some incredible craftsmanship for what was probably a cheap combo at the time.
Scott,thanks for the nice complement. funny thing about cost they were anything but cheap reel in their day. if the reel was $18.00 in 1955 that same reel in 2015 dollars would run you $158.91. Look up inflation calculator and go to Bureau of labor Statistics. it's a lot of fun to plug in the original price of an item and the year it sold and see what it would cost you in the year 2015. Regards Dick Braun, that-zebco-guy
Thanks for the wonderful information about Johnson Demonstraters. I had thought it meant they were reels used at shows my salesman to show off the reel.
Have 2 model 100 what's the worth of them
Value is a very hard and wide thing to answer the DEMO reels are so far and few between that it's really anybody's guess as to what each model would bring on today's market. Condition, condition, condition is 1st and then is it with the box and paperwork and is the correct box stamped DEMO. All three would have a direct bearing on the end value as a collectible item. Dick Braun
I'm putting this here as a history reference for these reels... It needs to be preserved somewhere
The Johnson Force 335 is large like the Sabra reels and they have basic non-oscillating drive train of the Sabra 545 and the large Country Mile and Tangle Free reels. Pics of some of mine below. The Johnson Models 160 guide, 165 guide, Sabra 130A & B Models, force 340 & 440 freedom all had the oscillating spools in them, The oscillation assemblies being a little different from the 130 A & B sabra up to the 340 force and 440 freedom which ran the new and improved short hook version of the oscillation assembly. I have saw the late version of the 130B sabra's with this newer yoke and oscillation assembly in them too, which was used in the 165 guide 440 freedom and the 340 force. Now when you get into the drive trains of these reels your 415 strike, 435 strike, 170 Seville, 440 freedom, 155 guide 155 guide model A 160&165 guide all shared the same drive trains plus the dual drags they sported, but here again the 415 & (435 oscillating spool) strike, both 155 guide models plus the 170 Seville did not have the oscillating spools, like the 160 & 165 guide 130A & B Sabras, 440 Freedom & 340 force reels did. When you get into the bigger Force reels 315(710 size) & big 335 Force,& (131 Sabra oscillating spool), reels where all the same internally, no oscillating spools, no dual drags, But sported the same drive train as the newer Sabra 130B, minus the oscillating spool. Rotors where the same part no. for the 335, Sabra 131, Sabra 130 A&B. Johnson Part no. 511-5! These are a real S.O.B to find these days, and all rotors from these reels will fit one another and are like gold! But as with any Sabra rotor the age old problem of the line cutting into the rotor doomed a lot of these before they're time came. Now, your 155 guide models both sported the same rotor Johnson part no. 111-5 which are fairly common and easy to find, not a high fatality item such as the big Sabra rotors. 155 & 155A models small reels sported the dual drag and gear setup's as there bigger brother's did, such as the Strike models, but the spool and rotor setup's where smaller for lighter line use and easier to handle in a smaller more compact version, then say like the Strike series or a 440 freedom. These two little guide models where more comparable to the 420 freedom model, which all three reels I have in N.O.S. The only down fall of the of the 435 strike, 440 freedom, 170 Seville, 160 & 165 Guide & the 340 Force I found to be is the rotor and the snubber assemblies that Johnson liked to run on these reels years ago. The rotor's, Johnson part No. 1011-5 or, old Johnson part no. 510110 plus Johnson part no. 312511 are a real pain in the butt to find these days, and in some cases not at all. If you end up smoking a rotor assembly or a snubber assembly in any one of these reels, good luck, that's all I can tell you. I myself, only have 3 of these left, N.O.S with the snubber assemblies, and they aren't leavin my basement until I happen to find a bunch more N.O.S some where so that I can help a guy out if he happens to need one. Those 2 Johnson rotor's, 511-5 plus the 1011-5 are like gold folks! If you've gottem' you'd better be Holden on to them, they’re like trying to find a needle in a haystack so to speak! Almost like having gold!
545 big not direct drive
525 Force little DD*
440 Freedom big DD OS
435 Strike big DD OS* 160 rotor
420 Freedom little DD
415 Strike Little DD
340 Force big DD OS
335 Force big DD heavier than 130 A and B
320 Force Little DD
315 Force Little DD*
170 Seville Little DD
165 Guide Big DD OS Rotor in between size of 130s and 710s
160 Guide Big DD OS Rotor in between size of 130s and 710s
Sabra 131 Big DD OS*
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