The Akron is Pflueger's everyday casting reel, and 1893 is its model number, not a date.
Old oil and dirt are the Akron's usual problem, and a reel that turns stiffly or barely spins usually needs a clean rather than parts.
Price range is INFERRED from completed eBay listings; verify against current sold comps before bidding.
About 40 Akron 1893s are listed, and most sell for $15–35 delivered, so a working vintage Pflueger baitcaster costs less than a new budget reel. Two basic 1893Ls sit at $14.60–15.14 shipped, where shipping is most of the cost, and the dearer one says it works. Above that, you pay for evidence or history: a serviced reel at $44, early patent-marked and new-in-box reels at $46–47, and a boxed reel with papers at $60. No parts or risky-seller listings stand out. Beginners should take the $15 working reel; collectors, the new-in-box cork-arbor reel.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 1, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ — eBay shows your exact total before you buy.
$14.60 delivered ($5 plus $9.60 shipping) on Buy It Now, the lowest fixed total on a complete 1893L. The listing is bare, so assume it needs a clean and fresh oil. Seller feedback is 99.2%. The reel listed as working costs 54 cents more, which is the better buy if you want to fish it.
Vintage Pflueger Akron No. 1893L Fishing Reel USA
The seller says it works, at $15.14 delivered on Buy It Now from a 100% seller: the bottom of the $15–35 band and only 54 cents more than the bare cheapest listing, so the working claim comes almost free. Ask whether the level wind tracks smoothly before buying.
Vintage Pflueger Akron 1893L Baitcasting Reel, Works Made In USA
The seller says it works, and $15.14 delivered on Buy It Now makes it an almost risk-free first baitcaster for learning to thumb a spool. The seller has 100% feedback. Expect a quick clean and a drop of oil, and practice with heavier lures first.
Vintage Pflueger Akron 1893L Baitcasting Reel, Works Made In USA
Cleaned and serviced per the seller, $44.03 delivered with Best Offer open, from a 99.8% feedback seller. That's above the typical band, but it's the only listing claiming service; you're paying about $29 over the working reel to skip the bench work. Offer near $30 plus shipping.
VTG Pflueger Akron No 1893L Baitcasting Fishing Reel USA Clean Serviced
New in box with a cork arbor and patent dates on the side plate, $45.89 delivered on Buy It Now. That's a modest premium over loose reels and less than the $59.77 boxed listing with papers. Ask for photos of the box end and confirm the reel shows no line wear.
New in Box Pflueger Akron 1893 with Cork Arbor; Patent Dates on Side
Snapshot captured — listings may have ended
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 1, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ — eBay shows your exact total before you buy.
UsedVintage Pflueger Akron No. 1893L Fishing Reel USA
$5.00 + $9.60 shipping
Lowest fixed total at $14.60, mostly shipping; bare listing, so plan on a clean and oil.
nokota
99.2% positive from 5.8K ratings
UsedVintage Pflueger Akron 1893L Baitcasting Reel, Works Made In USA
$8.00 + $7.14 shipping
Works per the seller, $15.14 delivered; the easy first buy at this price level.
716jets1234
100% positive from 1.5K ratings
ServicedVTG Pflueger Akron No 1893L Baitcasting Fishing Reel USA Clean Serviced
$36.95 + $7.08 shipping
This seller takes offers, and sellers often accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Only serviced reel listed, $44.03 delivered; Best Offer is open, so negotiate the service premium.
plasticpopkltr
99.8% positive from 1.7K ratings
New old stockNew in Box Pflueger Akron 1893 with Cork Arbor; Patent Dates on Side
$37.99 + $7.90 shipping
New in box with cork arbor and patent-dated side plate at $45.89: the collector buy here.
jitterbugman1
100% positive from 6.7K ratings
UsedEarly Pflueger Akron 1893 4 Patents and Patent Pending Satin Nickel
$39.99 + $6.80 shipping
Early patent-marked satin-nickel reel at $46.79; check that the side-plate stamping is legible.
paposvariety
100% positive
UsedVintage Pflueger Akron No 1893 Level Wind Fishing Reel Box Papers Excellent
$49.99 + $9.78 shipping
Box, papers and excellent condition at $59.77 delivered, about $14 more than the new-in-box reel.
gleslie
100% positive from 1.7K ratings
Prices and availability change daily. The full, current search on eBay shows every matching listing, including new ones since Oct 1, 2026.
See all current listings on eBay ⟶The Akron is Pflueger's everyday casting reel, and 1893 is its model number, not a date. It was made in Akron, Ohio, for decades, and collectors date examples from the 1920s through the 1950s by their patent markings and details.
It came in jeweled, patent-dated, green-handled and L versions, and it was a common sight on Ohio riverbanks in the 1940s and 1950s, when anglers prized how long its spool would spin. Today it is the bargain of American vintage casting reels: our latest snapshot found about 40 listings, most at $15 to $35 delivered.
Early patent-marked and boxed reels are the only ones worth paying much more for. At these prices a clean Akron is the cheapest way to learn thumb-casting on a vintage reel, and a light clean and oil is usually all it needs.
The catalogue files it under the 1940s, the earliest decade it lists; production began earlier.
