The Encyclopedia of Glass Minnow Traps by Brent Vonderheide

Table of Contents

After writing my first book, The Collector's Guide to Glass Minnow Traps, I discovered a great interest among collectors for the diversity in color of the glass used in the production of glass minnow traps. What I want to accomplish with this book is to help shine some light on the wide variety of minnow traps and the different colors that you can find glass minnow traps in. The Encyclopedia of Glass Minnow Traps covers all known production models of glass and plastic traps, as well as unusual metal minnow traps. In addition, it has detailed sections on unknown models and folk art traps. With over 350 photos in color, this book will be a revelation to Minnow Trap collectors. It gives a rarity scale as well as a general value for all the traps covered in the book. It is the perfect book for trap collectors, antique dealers, glass bottle collectors, fishing tackle historians, and anyone interested in the history of fishing!

A NOTE ABOUT GLASS COLORS IN MINNOW TRAPS

For the most part, the color of the glass that was used to manufacture the traps was determined by the glass company itself. They would choose what the most cost effective glass would be for their client. Sometimes they would have leftover glass from a previous client in the machines and they would use up that existing stock before changing to a lower cost color of glass. The exception to this rule would fall into play with the companies that came onto the scene in the later 1990s and were more into the decorating aspect than the actual catching of minnows. In the world of collecting glass items such as old bottles, fruit jars, insulators, marbles, lightning rod globes, target balls, etc., all of these collecting fields use the same logic of grading rarity. If it's an unusual color then it will add more value. Some rare colors increase the value many times when compared to the standard color of production. Other factors that can add value to the jars are unique mold markings, air bubbles, and glass imperfections that make for an interesting variable to the regular design of the trap. Eye appeal will always be a defining factor when determining the value of any glass minnow trap. I would shy away from glass traps with cracks or glass traps with lime deposits, as they are very hard to clean out. The addition of rare colors of glass minnow traps to your collection can add a great diversity and aesthetic attraction to your collection. I hope you find this book to be helpful and a joy to read. Thank you, Brent Vonderheide