Clarence Dewey invented the Floater Getum lure sometime in the late 1910s – early 1920s and he is known as the founder of the Outing Manufacturing Company. There is very little documented history about the company or the purchase of the company by Heddon.
The following antique fishing lures were made by Outing in Elkhart, Indiana: Floater Getum, Bassy Getum, Pikey Getum, Bucky Getum, Lucky Getum, Porky Getum, Feather Getum and Du Getum. The Porky,Lucky, Feather and Bucky Getums were shipped on a metal ruler. The lip slides into a vertical slot in the ruler then the eye is screwed tight against another hole in the ruler to hold the lure in place.
In addition to fishing lures, a company brochure suggests Outing manufactured (or in some cases distributed) other items at their Indiana facility like tackle boxes, the Boyer Winona Reel, fishing nets, camping gear, goose decoys and more (click here to view a 2nd version of the brochure).
In 1927 Heddon bought the Outing company specifically for the rights to the popular tackle boxes. Heddon sold all the lures that were in inventory and the Getum lures were never made again. This Heddon / Outing Folding Tackle Box Brochure illustrates the tackle boxes Heddon offered and notes that all lures would be discontinued. The relationship between Heddon and Outing is “complicated” as I have found a 1940 Outing Tackle Box Sales Price List that has absolutely no mention of Heddon on it.
This 15-Page Outing Tackle Box Brochure features tackle boxes such as the “Master Angler”, “Prize Angler”, “Supreme Angler”, “Salt Water Angler”, fly boxes, cricket cages, a movie film humidor and a picnic refrigerator. This brochure came with a price list from 1940 which is odd because it was thought that Heddon purchased Outing well before that time. Three versions of the Heddon / Outing Tackle Box are shown below:
The Outing company also manufactured camping gear, fishing nets, decoys and other outdoor items like this special case to protect motion picture film.
Some other Outing products I’d like to add to my collection include the Outing Snipe Decoy, Folding Stove, Outing O’Boy Kit, Goose Decoy, Dewey’s Aluminum Crow Call and the Folding Camping Table.
Old Indiana Lures 