Post #253097 by VanTiki on Fri, Sep 8, 2006 11:46 AM

A couple of years ago I stumbled upon a collector's show on the Big Island and was blown away by this guy selling his father's fishing float collection. We talked for a long time, and he showed me some of his favorite floats. I told him my father used to bring home floats all the time that he found at work (at Makai Research Pier in Waimanalo, Oahu) - and it turns out that the collector's father got most of his floats while fishing on the same pier! Small world. We both lamented the fact that you rarely see glass floats anymore - now it is just plastic crud floating in from the fishing fleets. He knew the history behind all the markings stamped on the floats, and told some great stories. I bought a handful of really neat "micro floats" (about the size of a baseball) that had some spiffy stamps on them, and I took a photo with the star of his collection to show my dad - the biggest glass float I have ever seen! I forget how much it was - but I really regret not buying more floats from the guy!

VanTiki