Looking for how to find the manufacture date / age of vintage Abu Garcia Cardinal reels.
Thanks!

Awesome, thanks for the info!!

If you're interested in the ABU Cardinals that were made in Sweden, they can be dated with the 6 digit serial numbers on their reel feet. The 1st 2 digits are the year of manufacture. As an example, the serial number on my Cardinal 33 shows that it was made in 1976:

There were smooth spinning reels in the Mitchell era, and even before - Penn, Luxor (1937-), of course Hardy (Altex - 1932-; or Exalta 1958-65).
I've never collected Cardinals, but I believe they're pretty smooth, too.
My latest Tica inshore spinning reel is slick with 8 ball-bearings and roller-bearing anti-reverse, but I wouldn't say it's overall any smoother than my Mk V (Mitchell-era) Altex - the reel in the masthead photo. Computer balancing has made a big difference in modern reels.

On the rod in that photo is a Mitchell 440, only been out of the box for that photo, and to tinker a bit with the Ottomatic bail.
When the question came up on the forum, Garcia Conolon are probably the best long glass spinning rods made then - a toss up with Berkley.
I also have a blue Mitchell 410 with an aftermarket metal spool, and a notably smoother reel than the Mitchell 300 I fished through in high school (literally wore that reel out in 4 years fishing inshore and jetties).
I always recommend to people asking about old Mitchells to fish, to make sure they buy at least 400-series reels.

Thanks.
that's a CAP version 4 half-bail (1st model) with anti-reverse, c. 1949. I match it with a 5' Cortland rod, though my older daughter liked it best with the period 4' solid-glass Airex rod - she loved fishing the half-bail.
I've never found any use for the Ottomatic bail, but the NOS reel was a good buy - it's as much thought to push the bail down for it to pop open as it is to open it. Though with practice, can do it with your thumb, making for one-hand operation. I think it's more of a novelty, or we would see more of them.
The HS gearing on the 400 series makes less noise than the 300 reels, and the bail closure has an impact damper.
I bid a few 810 and 910 reels, but never acquired one. I would trade everything on the shelf for the Mk V Altex and Penn 716, though the post-'54 Luxor is a very close 3rd.

I'll be taking the 410 and blue rod to the coast in October for a dock-fishing loaner, along with the 716 and 6-1/2' H-I Star (great spinning rod - recently sold a MF70 because I like the H-I better).

ps - the big Sagarra in the back was the first skirted-spool reel, and they still make them today. An offshore workhorse.

line spooling machines are the worst.
I still use the phone book approach - route the line through the middle of a phone book - it's self-regulating, because the friction varies with the line diameter.
Problem is, so many people don't know what a phone book is anymore.