Deconstructing Old Ads: Introducing the Min-Oreno
1933 Introduction of the Min-Oreno
It is always of interest to me how economic conditions effect the sale of fishing tackle. Tackle companies at present are complaining about poor sales in the current recession. 1933 was the worst year of the "Great Depression" with unemployment at 25% in the USA and 27% in Canada. One cannot imagine a worse time to introduce new fishing lures as few folks could afford a dollar on a fishing lure while wondering about the mortgage or next week's groceries. This is born out in today's ad from the June 1933 issue of Field & Stream. By any standards the two "new" lures in the ad, the Min-Oreno and the Crab-Oreno, are scarce lures today. I don't believe this is so much due to their inherent fish catching abilities as to the the fact that very few could afford to buy them.
As an aside, I must say that when it comes to old magazine covers this is close to being my favorite. It reminds me of many pleasant evenings, standing on a similar rock north of Chapleau Ontario, casting with a similar vintage outfit for pike and walleye.
-- Bill Sonnett
