The tough question is always: What Heddon lure should be in which Heddon box?  You have to be able to coordinate hardware, lure shape, box type, and the nomenclature to match up the correct lure with the correct Heddon box.  If you are in the field or at a show and need this information, it can save your butt, not to mention your wallet. 

Note: Some Heddon box information was drawn from discussions with various collectors; an article by Bruce Dyer in the NFLCC Magazine, 1993;  Clyde Harbin's Historical Foot Prints book as well as Roberts and Pavey's Heddon Book, 2002.

See the page on identification of early Heddon lures by hardware and prop type.

Heddon Boxes:1903-1930

1902-1905: Heddon Picture boxes: the 'vine or oak leaf' type border is earlier than the double straight line design.  A 'Slopenose' box above, the 'Killer' below.

1906-1911:  Heddon White 'standard' cardboard and intro boxes: shows the later double straight line design.  See article on lures which go in the white box.  A 'standard' box above, and the Bucktail Surface Minnow in the middle, and the 900 'It Swims' introduction box below.

Above standard box is 'white', label is a color print

1906-1913:  Heddon White Musky Boxes, the earlier is marked "MUSKY"  on top, and has a double blue line on the border.  It is also marked Musky on the end.  The later box (c. 1912-13) has the down leaping Bass logo printed, not pasted, on the top of the box which has a single blue line on the border.  The later box is marked Musky on the end of the box.  Both of these "MUSKY" boxes are marked for a 707 sienna lure.  The same downleaping Bass labeled box was used for the Black Sucker and marked 1300.

1905-1910: Heddon wood boxes (variations type 1 - 5):  the more expensive line of lures were packaged in wood boxes, while the cheaper lines were sold in the white boxes.  The top box is the early c.1903 'New' Dowagiac Minnow box.

Click here for an extensive discussion of Heddon wood boxes

1912: Pine tree cardboard box: marked on side with "Stamped on Spinners"  Expect fat body 100's and 150's with long gill marks, cup rig, single belly weights, both name and no name on the props, but name on prop started in 1912. See article on lures which go in the Pine tree box.