The first questions a beginning lure collector usually asks are: 'What is it?'; 'What is it worth?'; and 'Who made it?' In order to provide these answers and facilitate the reader's understanding of antique fishing lures, the authors of this book have intentionally avoided lengthy pages of text. Instead, they have used excellent color photographs and a lifetime of knowledge and experience with fishing lures to create the most complete and convenient single volume available today: Fishing Lure Collectibles, An Encyclopedia of the Early Years, 1840 to 1940. This benchmark concept has proven its acceptance among its readers by becoming Collector Books' bestselling book on collectible fishing lures. That the tackle collecting hobby is difficult to learn is undeniable, and it is for this reason that these foremost experts prepared this helpful publication. As one of the three founders of the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club and editor of its magazine, Dudley Murphy, along with noted lure collector Rick Edmisten, bring a combined total of over 75 years of advanced collecting experience to this book.