Article about Mitchell boxes

This is a article about original Mitchell packaging, boxes, meaby some people think what is this all about, we collect reels, but it is known that a reel with it's original box is worth more money than one without

This is not only the case with spinning reels all old antiques collectible's, with their original box, booklet, warrantycards, users manuals are worth more money than the colectible without.

When collecting old Mitchell spinning reels you will find out there are a lot of diffrent style boxes, every era has his special boxes.

Mostly the boxes where trown away after buying a reel, that's why it is a great to find a reel wich is still in it's original box.

If the box and the reel have matching srl.nr's than that is a BONUS, and will ad some extra to the value of the set.

After all thoose years of collecting I have my favorite boxes, the oldest ones with the boxtop and bottom.

For me thoose old blue boxes are nr 1, blue color and the words "Mitchell" and made in France written in gold of silver lettering, they are the jewels.

Listed above the first version box for a Mitchell halfbail with round anti reverse knob and pictured below the second version box Mitchell released, not many around of them anymore, still a hard to find item.

Below some of my nicest boxes, the Mitchell "RAPID" and Mitchell 314.

As you can see Mitchell used many different colors blue, most of the later blue boxes have the model nr on the box, but the "Rapid" and "Salt-water" have their name written on the box and are more rare than the later versions.

In the 1960's in Europe lot of the Mitchell reel where sold in the same kind of boxes, boxtop with bottom but the had the reel wich was sold in the box dispayed on the box, for me the nicest boxes from that era, much better than the Garcia boxes sold in the same period in the US ( Sorry guy's) .

Here some excample's of thoose boxes. Mitchell 300/304/306/302

The box for the Mitchell 306 has also a stamp on it with PUM, wich means this is a original Mitchell 306 fitted with a manual pickup roller original sold that way from the factory.

Left hand reel form the same era where sold in a different box, red boxes from the beginning and in Europe in the 70's in the same box with the reel displayed on the boxtop.

Please note the Mitchell 307 ( Europian version) has a lefthanded reel pictured on the box and also LH.

Mitchell made some different style boxes around 1965/1970, they looked like the earlyer boxes with the reel displayed on the  box, but the new versions where in the same style but one piece boxes with a toplid. I have seen the Mitchell 304/305 and the Mitchell 316 and Mitchell 316 PUM in this box.

Picture's of the Mitchell 304, Mitchell 305 and Mitchell 316 PUM boxes.

In the 70's , I think after some distributor's as Albatros stepped out ( 1974) , the Garcia Comp took over and as we can see the boxes  where made cheaper, I think to reduce the costs, boxes from that era are not as nice as before, simple cardboard boxes with a window with a insert with the information.

Some excample's shown below:

Just befor that period Mitchell released in Europe the Mitchell dual series and they where the last one's sold in the two piece boxes, I think the most valued boxes Mitchell made, thoose versions are hard to find in any condition.

more coming sooon.