The purpose of this guide is to help bidders make decisions regarding the purchase of some types of vintage fishing reels on Ebay. I have some experience with this, as well as buying vintage reels from curmudgeon sporting goods dealers with ancient new stock and have repaired any number of old reels I've been given or picked up over the years. Schematics for many models are available on the internet, so don't worry too much about purchasing one of the more popular classic reels available on Ebay. Chances are, there's information about it out there and replacement parts are available for those willing to do a little snooping.

There are so many "Vintage" Mitchell reels out there for sale, that it bears explanation of what this originally French company's freshwater line was comprised of. The Mitchell 300 is ubiquitous. It's everywhere, and some reasonable deals can be made, but be aware of this: sooner or later, the bail spring on a Mitchell fishing reel WILL fail. Probably sooner on a vintage reel. Purchasing some NOS (New, Old Stock) bail springs might be a good idea. They are usually fairly inexpensive and easy to install. Mitchell 300s (now this just isn't true for left-handed model 301s) shouldn't go for more than $50, unless they are a limited edition model, and there have been several production runs of those. I have purchased NEW old stock ones for around this price. Expect to pay a tad more for Mitchell 300A models (high speed retrieve--recognizable by their plain silver aluminum spools and nomenclature on the side of the gear case), but be aware that later model 300s--built in Taiwan--are actually identical to Mitchell 300As. They fetch no higher price. The Taiwanese models are not as well made as the French models, but seem to hold up pretty well. No standard Mitchell 300 is worth the $100 I recently saw a seller asking for it--not even one in pristine condition that's been hermetically sealed for 40 years. The gear ratio on the high-speed models is 4.2 rotations of the bail to one crank of the handle.

Ordinary (and older) Mitchell 300 models feature a 3.8 to one gear ratio.

The Similar Mitchell 310 (ultralight) and 308 (light) reels are mechanically similar, but just scaled down. Several parts (such as the handle) interchange across the model line.

The 300 Excellence reel produced in the 90's is a rear drag reel with about zero in common with its alleged ancestry. Don't get me wrong, its a fine reel with a 5.2 to 1 gear ratio and a graphite body and spool--its just not really descended from the classic Mitchell lineage. The 300X and 300XE recent production reels are front drag, high speed, ball bearing reels that are just spectacular, but they have more in common with their corporate cousins sold under the Abu Garcia name. These reels are equipped with aluminum spools and composite bodies and alloy trim.