The 486 is Mitchell's big high-speed saltwater spinning reel, the faster sibling of the 386.
A saltwater Mitchell that was put away wet can seize at the line roller, the gears or the drag.
Price range is INFERRED from completed eBay listings; verify against current sold comps before bidding.
Supply is thin: only 9 Mitchell 486s are listed, none for parts, with working French reels at $80–135 delivered. Asks then jump to $280–355 for a used reel and a new-in-box set. Nothing here is listed as serviced, and a 486 that was stored with salt under the rotor cap can hide corroded gears, so ask for photos under the cap. Watch two things: one seller has the same-titled 486 at $89 and $265, and a "486 in a 488 box" isn't a matched box. Fishers should take the $80 tackle-shop reel; collectors should watch the unused boxed auction.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Sep 25, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ — eBay shows your exact total before you buy.
About $80 delivered ($69.99 plus $9.95), Buy It Now, from a 100% bait-and-tackle store, the lowest total on a complete 486 and at the bottom of the typical band. It's the Mitchell Special 486 French reel. The title makes no working claim, so ask whether the bail trips and the drag pulls smoothly.
Mitchell Special 486 Saltwater High Speed Spinning Reel France Vintage
The same $80 tackle-store reel. Every other used 486 here costs $98–125 delivered for the same bare "vintage" description, so this one saves $20–45 for no visible drop in condition. Ask the store to check under the rotor cap for salt corrosion before shipping.
Mitchell Special 486 Saltwater High Speed Spinning Reel France Vintage
Described as never used, excellent and complete in box, so there should be no salt damage or worn pawl to deal with. The auction opened at $99 plus a steep $21.05 shipping, about $120 delivered at capture, and runs until around Oct 5. Old grease may still want refreshing after decades in a box.
Mitchell 486 Reel. In Box. Excellent Condition Never Been Used Complete
Unused and boxed, the configuration 486 collectors want, opening at $99 with no bids at capture in an auction ending around Oct 5, from a 100% seller. The only other new-in-box 486 here asks about $355. Set a ceiling around $160 delivered, which still leaves this well below that one.
Mitchell 486 Reel. In Box. Excellent Condition Never Been Used Complete
Snapshot captured — listings may have ended
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Sep 25, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ — eBay shows your exact total before you buy.
UsedMitchell Special 486 Saltwater High Speed Spinning Reel France Vintage
$69.99 + $9.95 shipping
Lowest-priced 486 at about $80 delivered from a tackle store. Ask whether the bail trips cleanly.
duvallsbaittacklestore
100% positive from 17K ratings
New old stockMitchell 486 Reel. In Box. Excellent Condition Never Been Used Complete
$99.00 + $21.05 shipping
Never used, in box, auction from $99. Shipping is $21.05, so count it in your max bid.
estate-decor
100% positive from 2.7K ratings
UsedMitchell 486 Spinning Reel Blue In A 488 Box
$90.30 + $8.17 shipping
The box is for a 488, not a 486, so value this as a loose reel at about $98 delivered.
fish44fun
100% positive from 538 ratings
UsedVintage Garcia Mitchell 486 Saltwater High Speed Spinning Fishing Reel
$89.00 + $13.85 shipping
This seller takes offers, and sellers often accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
About $103 delivered from a seller listing a same-titled 486 at $265. Ask how the two differ.
johnnybeagle3
98.6% positive
UsedVintage Garcia Mitchell 486 Saltwater High Speed Spinning Reel france
$125.00 · free shipping
Free shipping puts it at $125, the top of the working range with no condition details.
thegreensurfingman
98.9% positive
UsedVintage Garcia Mitchell 486 Saltwater High Speed Spinning Fishing Reel
$265.00 + $14.85 shipping
About $280 delivered, same title as this seller's $103-delivered 486, with nothing listed to explain the gap.
johnnybeagle3
98.6% positive
New old stockMitchell Garcia Reel 486 BNIB with Paperwork!
$329.99 + $24.80 shipping
This seller takes offers, and sellers often accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
New in box with paperwork, but about $355 delivered, nearly three times the unused boxed auction here.
kianaelaine
98.4% positive from 3.5K ratings
Prices and availability change daily. The full, current search on eBay shows every matching listing, including new ones since Sep 25, 2026.
See all current listings on eBay ⟶The 486 is Mitchell's big high-speed saltwater spinning reel, the faster sibling of the 386. Both were introduced in the late 1960s and appear in Garcia's 1973 catalogue as upper-range saltwater reels with stainless steel internal parts and room for about 420 yards of 15-pound line.
It was built in Cluses, France, for surf, pier and inshore fishing, and it is much scarcer on the used market than the freshwater 300 family. Our latest snapshot found only nine listings, at $80 to $135 delivered for working reels, with asks jumping to $265 to $330 for boxed reels or listings claiming rarity.
In that snapshot the same seller had two near-identical 486s listed at $89 and $265, so compare carefully. The bigger saltwater Mitchells seize if they were put away wet, so look for photos of a clean bail roller and a spool that turns.
