"Canadian Pickers" - Episode 17 - “Canoe Conundrum”

Tripper Scott

Curious about Wooden Canoes
"Canadian Pickers" - Episode 17 - “Canoe Conundrum” 1.30.2012 The guys hunt for a classic old Canadian canoe in Saskatchewan’s north but find themselves up a creek without a paddle when the collectors aren’t too willing to sell. Scott gets frustrated when the proprietor of a genuine Trading Post in La Ronge, filled with choice furs, bear traps, and beaded buck skin jackets, won’t even sell them his dried beaver balls! And deep in the wilderness, they discover a treasure trove of stunning historic canoes, but to get one they have to haggle with a quick-witted teenage girl. Watch it here >>> http://www.history.ca/video/?releasePID=n6kesK4CdQcWIe_wX3uUKGMvFPiY1_SX re: Part 4, Good on the young girl, Sarah, for not selling her 14' red Huron canoe; no way would I sell my 16' green Huron canoe : ) Cheers, Scott
 
"Canadian Pickers" - Episode 21 - "Sasquatch Country" Air-date: Monday, March 5, 2012

In Cranbrook, a cowboy collector's glitzy silver saddle impresses but its hefty price tag wipes off the sheen. But when he leads the guys to a hot collection of cedar-stripped canoes, the Pickers perk back up.

Dan
 
Well, I sold most of that "hot collection" to the fellow in Cranbrook. I kept only the good ones for restoration which included 3 solid Hurons. They are now restored and ready for adoption. Can't wait to see the show.
 
I thought I had read something online about an upcoming episode of Canadian Pickers where they buy canoes from Dave or something like that....so good to know more....

Interesting the varied selection of canoes they looked at in this latest episode....the bark canoe in the trading post....the stripper built locally owned by the bush pilot (but I don't understand why they talked about removing the fiberglass from the hull of the stripper?!?!?)....then at the outfitter's they looked over a Chestnut Prospector....then the 14 ft. Huron valued at $1500 by the outfitter, but considered by his daughter Sarah to be worth more....more valuable to paddle than having money to buy a car (good choice by Sarah :) :))....then an unknown make of wood canoe that had been damaged in a night ride through rapids resulting in a hole in its hull....and an old wood Peterborough from the 1920s that had been bought for $20 (why can't I ever find such deals LOL LOL)....

Each of these canoes, no matter their vintage or type, were not for sale....either for sentimental reasons....or because they were used by their owners....guess it proves what some of us wood canoe fanatics know already, paraphrasing a certain credit card ad:

birch bark canoe - if for sale, several thousand dollars (up to $10,000 or more)
stripper canoe - valued as little as $600 in Sask., but as much as several thousand $ elsewhere in Canada (mostly home-built)
Huron wood canvas canoe - valued at $1500 or more
old wood Peterborough canoe - could be bought if really lucky for $20, but worth several thousand $

being in your own beautiful wood canoe (of any value) - PRICELESS
 
Your comments are right on the mark...besides a paddle a day keeps the "Pickers" away!
 
Unfortunately, while Rogers is free to intercept my cell phone signal (I get a "Welcome to Canada" text every time I walk out my front door...), those of us who happen to have settled south of the border are blocked from watching the Canadians pick their stuff... Oh, well.
 
This epic saga was continued last night with the Canadian Pickers visiting northern BC in (again according to the Canadian Pickers broadcast schedule, http://www.canadianpickers.com/the-show/broadcast-schedule):

“Sasquatch Country”

Keeping one eye out for Big Foot, the Pickers hunt for big deals in Southern B.C. Scott and Sheldon come up against a poker-faced collector stocked to the gills with local memorabilia. In Creston, Scott’s eyes light up when a motivated seller shows the guys her cornucopia of vintage pedal cars, penny toys, and miniatures. If only she would sell her husband’s mint-condition toy trucks. In Cranbrook, a cowboy collector’s glitzy silver saddle impresses but its hefty price tag wipes off the sheen. But when he leads the guys to a hot collection of cedar-stripped canoes, the Pickers perk back up.


Find this (and other episodes of Canadian Pickers) online at http://www.history.ca/video/.

So they did find their canoe eventually….they deal with some guy dressed up in a cowboy outfit, complete with a big floppy cowboy hat (not sure if he was going for the ‘John Wayne look’….but if so it didn’t work LOL LOL)….he finally leads them to a number of canvas covered canoes….which seems like a ‘mecca’ of sorts to the Canadian Pickers (again they should check out Kijiji LOL LOL)….mostly identified as Chestnut canoes (including one Prospector)….as well as a ’100 year old’ Peterborough that is identified as the most valuable (and from what I saw, it seemed in rather rough shape….and not likely as old as 100 years….and not likely worth the $6000 that the seller claims it will be worth ‘with a little restoration’)….there’s a bit of discussion on the Chestnut Canoe Co…..as well as more on the ‘importance’ and the ‘uniqueness’ of Peterborough canoes (I guess the Canadian Pickers didn’t know that from the mid 1920s to the demise of the Peterborough Canoe Co. in the early 1960s that many of the Peterborough canvas canoes were actually built by Chestnut….what some of us refer to as ‘Peternuts’).

Any way, the Canadian Pickers end up with about half a dozen canoes….including the ’100 year old’ Peterborough and the Chestnut Prospector….as well as a ’fixer upper’ of a canoe, a bare hull neeeding not only new canvas but also some woodworking….the prices ranged from about $400 to just over a $1000 for each canoe….which seemed like fair prices….

The funny thing is that the ‘collector’ the Canadian Pickers had done this ‘epic search’ for a canoe finally shows up….he is very pleased with the various canoes they found….and then proceeds to ‘trade’ for the canoes with an assortment of swords and martial arts weapons….he tries to get three canoes….but ends up trading two swords (a Civil War era German made sword….”they have the best steel”….and a ceremonial Scottish claymore type sword) valued at $2500 by the Canadian Pickers for one canoe….the green Chestnut Prospector that the Pickers had paid $1000 for….it seemed in reasonable shape….and everybody is happy….

As noted here before Dave Lanthier reports he sold most of this ‘hot collection of cedar-stripped canoes’ to the fellow in Cranbrook who deals with the Canadian Pickers.

You just never know what you’ll find out on the Canadian Pickers show….even possibly see them ‘bag’ a sasquatch....or a canoe....
 
Thanks for the excellent resume of last nights episode. I have to agree with you wholeheartedly and found the whole show a bit goofy in scenes. I don't know quite enough about canoe identification yet but I think that the canoe that the client picks up at near the end of the show might be a "Tremblay" and sure looks a lot like mine. The very plain decks, rail mounted babiche seats, two small hand thwarts, single center thwart and copper looking stem bands sure make it look a lot like a "Tremblay", the only thing I couldn't make out for sure was the gunwales and the canvas material. For those who can, try pausing clips and comparing canoe characteristics of the three boats in the final scenes. All in all it was great fun to see these old canoes being bartered for.
 
With only so many hours in the day (and so many wasted this far) i cant give these guys any more time - i will confess to watching Pawn Stars once in a while; manufactured drama aside the writers at least do a good job of researching the pieces and giving a quick history lesson, not unlike the antiques roadshow but with more realistic values. Too little time is spent ensuring accuracy with this show, and since there's nothing to learn it is too painful watching them stumble through items they know little to nothing about. Too much good stuff hidden in books waiting to be found to sit through this show i am afraid...
Just MHO, after squirming through the first canoe-themed episode.:rolleyes:
 
The Tremblay was a 1975 Soux 14' [ serial # 83975 ] with the original Verolite. Due to extensive dry rot I felt it wasn't worth restoring. The yellow 16' Peterborough was a grade A, model 604 [ serial # 9444 ], circa 1910+. It had the original brass tag on the bow deck. Unfortunately it had been well fiberglassed and 75% of the ribs needed to be replaced. The red 14' which they tied to the top of their van had a serial of 4866. Never did figure out whether it was a Chestnut or Peternut. It was fiberglassed, inwales and outwales had been highly modified and it sported plywood decks.
 
With only so many hours in the day (and so many wasted this far) i cant give these guys any more time ... Too little time is spent ensuring accuracy with this show, and since there's nothing to learn it is too painful watching them stumble through items they know little to nothing about. ...Just MHO, after squirming through the first canoe-themed episode.:rolleyes:

So, I guess I should be grateful that streaming this show across the border is forbidden... :rolleyes:
 
Same feeling as finishing a grueling marathon, I'd imagine...;);)
Still waiting on Fay's book, need those shots of #10, Whitecap! Feel like a trip to Cooperstown??
 
Andre is right that these inane guys are not worth the bother....since we're not up in Fort Severn yet, I guess I just happened to have too much time on my hands LOL LOL (thank God we'll be up there soon and I can get away from this trite on TV for a while)....or maybe I really wanted to see how bad it would be (after shaking my head after seeing the Canoe Conundrum episode)....and it was indeed bad...the seller in a cowboy outfit....a pet skunk guarding about a dozen canoes....little or no info that really didn't explained much....the trade of one canoe for two swords....I really can't wait to get out for a paddle again....
 
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Thanks for verifying that Dave, I thought this was probably the case but wasn't 100% sure...still new to all of this.
 
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