I inherited this canoe in 2012, as it was bought by my grandparents in the early 1900s. I have photos of my father in it in the mid 1940s, and even a letter talking about servicing the canoe in 1938, from the Old Town Canoe Company. I also have a letter documenting the history of the canoe.
Point is - I want it to end up somewhere it’s appreciated, but I don’t even know where to start as I assume there is only a niche market looking for hundred-year-old canoes, haha.
Can anyone suggest where to post this for sale? Or even know what to price it at?
I’m not looking to sell it to make a fortune - but unfortunately I’m never going to use it, and it’s become more of a hassle to have. I would rather it continue to be loved and even used.
The letter you have : is it a build record? Ie date ribs laid and canvas and first filler etc.? You can get those also over at the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association website.
WCHA is the place to start.
Try to reach a broad audience.
The one photo shows pretty good condition. It is worth somewhere around $3,000, maybe more it if is an unusual model.
It’s not that type of letter… one letter I have is handwritten and tells how it was bought in San Francisco in 1911, I think? It was flown to Alaska on a mining plane, which then crash-landed - damaging the canoe. It was then repaired by a company there. I can’t recall the rest, but it’s genuinely quite a detailed story. The letter is in a box in my garage.
The other letter is from Old Town Canoe talking of some parts my grandpa was inquiring about. That too I would have to re-read to be sure, but I just figured it would help show the canoe has had one family as its owner for its entire life.
WCHA ( Benson Gray specifically) has access to all the Old Town build records. You need to furnish the serial number.
The letters do add to the value of the boat. It probably is not rare. Sponsoned Old Towns are numerous and the gunwales seem to be of a more recent vintage than 1911( they are open not closed) This seller had the same impression of what looks to be a similar canoe ( but my impression was sponsons were a 1930s thing) . Anyway here is where you should be looking for a number and it may be partially rubbed out as this discussion shows
