Vintage Johnson Reels
The Century 100 100A Packaging 100B The 088 The Skipper The Discussion Board Current Market Prices Company History Links	The Century Model 100A Packaging The reasons for the variations have yet to be authenticated. We will assume them to be “official” factory variations as transition units etc., though there is a high possibility that they are the result of subsequent repairs using whatever materials were provided, or fakes. Follow the links on the left to read about each model. If you have a variant not listed, or have reasons to prove any to be false, please contact Justin Crouse at justinc@vintagejohnsonreels.com. Var. 1 Var. 1 and 2 of the 100A came packaged in a box identical in style to the 100. The coloring is the same. The reel is posed the same as the 100, though the new drag knob assembly is illustrated. The box is marked “Model 100-A”, but there are examples of reel Var. 1 coming in boxes marked “Model 100” and picturing the older style drag. The reel came shipped on a plain black plastic stand. This is sometimes confused as a store display piece. While it’s likely that some storeowners utilized this piece, it came standard with all Var. 1 and 2 reels, regardless of the model listed on the box. The instruction sheet is similar to the 100, though the actual reel is shown. The Century’s gaining popularity is evident by the listing of the “World Famous Features” on the instruction manual. Var. 2 Reel Var. 3of the 100A came packaged in a box with completely new artwork. The color scheme was white, green, and black with a pair of yellow diamonds on the sides, probably as a throwback to the predominantly yellow artwork of the model 100 box. The fish motif is carried over from the 100 artwork, but they are of a much simpler design. The “fish sides” are vertically mirror images of each other. The plastic stand is printed “Johnson Reels Patents Pending”, which further adds to the store display claim. The instructions are the same as for Var. 1 above. Var. 3 Despite improvements to the artwork on the reel Var. 4, the packaging artwork remained much the same on it’s box artwork. The reel picture prominently shows the new dual cylinder crank handle. The fancy, new scroll artwork of the reel isn’t shown at all on the box or the instructions. Also, sadly, the original yellow is eliminated from the color scheme; the double diamonds on this box are white. The same, vertically mirrored “fish sides” are used. The instruction manual introduces a new white and gray motif. Instead of the “World Famous Features”, this reel offers “Famous Advantages”. The tungsten-carbide pickup feature is replaced with the “Drag-Click”, which always was an option on the previous versions.
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