Baxter bamboo rod value

Question
I have two H.R.Baxter fly rods manufactured in Kalamazoo Michigan. (1) 7 1/2 foot trout rod w/ 2 tips (2)9 foot double built bass rod w/2 tips both are in great shape. Are these bamboo rods worth much?

Answer
Hi Mark,

I don't find anything about Baxter fly rods at all.  There are a couple of possibilities.

One, Baxter was an independetn rod maker producing bamboo rods.  If this was the case, more research into the background of H.R. Baxter is needed.

Two, H.R. Baxter may have owned a sporting goods company in Kalamazoo and had rods made for reail sale in the store(s).  This may be a likely scenario since Shakespeare was located in Kalamazoo.

Shakespeare did not actually make rods.  Most of their rods were made by South Bend which would have included the double built line of rods initiated at Cross rods after they were acquired by South Bend.  If these rods were made by South Bend, for Shakespeare or for Baxter directly, in great shape they would each be worth somewhere in the $200-$300 range depending on actual condition.  The shorter rod would typically be valued higher.  The double built rod is a bit heavy for many these days, but is still a good rod.

Hope this helps since it's mainly guess work.

Joe