Basore inherited his grandfather's fishing gear, sparking his in collecting, and he has built a collection he estimates is worth "seven figures." He also administers the Honorary Member Program for the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club and often fields calls from folks like me.

"All the time," he said, "and I'm happy to do it. That's how I get to see certain things."

Basore shared a story about acquiring one prized lure.

One day he got a call at home from a man who was having a moving sale. He said he had tackle that was too old to fish with but might be collectible. He wanted $400.

"He had a very recent Plano tackle box," Basore said. "I opened it, and, lo and behold, there was a Haskell Minnow. It was like finding the Hope Diamond in a Cracker Jack box."

Haskell Minnows, hollow-bodied copper minnow imitations, start about $30,000 with collectors.

Basore had my attention. I had e-mailed him digital photos of my lures and their original boxes and eagerly waited to learn the total of my newfound riches.

"The Heddon is worth $75 to $80, and the Martin $20 to $25," Basore said.

So it wasn't a fortune, but it still was nice appreciation for lures that cost less than $2 new.

Several factors affect a lure's collectibility, Basore said.

Demand is No. 1. Rarity is another factor, but some lures can be so rare that no one really collects them. Condition of the lure is critical, and original boxes or packaging can boost value.

Still, the collector market is fluid, so values change.

Basore had sensible advice.

"I would keep them for sentimental value," he said. "I'd find a photograph of him (my grandfather) with some fish, maybe an old license of his, and keep it on display as a memory box. What good are they tucked away in a drawer?"

Sure, that sounded reasonable, but I was still thinking about my retirement and three daughters' needs for college funds.

I wanted a second opinion. I turned to Wayne Williamson of Chapel Hill, N.C..

Williamson, 58, is an outdoorsman who collects a variety of gear — including side-by-side and over-and-under shotguns; Smith & Wesson pistols; and white-tailed deer racks and mounts — but his first love is antique fishing tackle, particularly Creek Chub lures.

Williamson said his collection of Creek Chub Suckers and Gar Minnows is considered among the best around. He also collects a color phase of lures called dace (think rainbow trout hues).

His inspiration was local.

"The reason I collect Creek Chub is a fellow I knew in Hillsborough," he said this spring in the basement of his house, where a full-body brown bear mount presides over his collections.

"Gilbert Petty caught more big bass than anybody I knew, and he used Creek Chubs," Williamson said.