I haven't seen a St. Croix ever sell in the price range that indicates any collectibility factor. They had a great reputation for good rods at low prices. When I bought my first rod, a $12 St. Croix in seventh grade flytying activity class, the great Art teacher Joe Mamome straightned out the kids that were teasing me - "Any St. Croix is a good fly rod!" Now I only have two graphite singlehand fly rods, out of about 80, and one of them is a St. Croix.
They were a high volume low price producer. The models I have seen did not have high end fittings, but I amy not have seen their higher end models.
Very few of their rods were babied at all, so one in near mint condition, if a high end model, might eventually see some collector interest. Upstream Bob's, the Aluminum o-ring ferrule was about the top kind of ferrule before integral glass ferrules were developed in the sixties, the model you have is probably a lot better than my $12 1968 rod.
I for one have some sentimental attachment. And if glass rods continue to increase, the same thing might happen to Early St. Croix as has with bamboo Grangers and Heddons, and to a lesser extent South Bends, which some might consider the bamboo equivalent to St. Croix.
Anyways, even moreso than most other rods -your St. Croix has much more value for fishing than anything else - and iftaken care of will not hurt it's value much by fishing.
-Vinnie in Juneau
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