Little Things That Matter: Collecting Factory Sample Canoes - Roger Young

Signed by the author, and featuring many of the factory samples that are on display in our galleries!

Humans have always been drawn to explore their world. Our earliest ancestors walked (and sometimes rode) across the land. When they encountered shorelines and water, they created watercraft to navigate lakes, rivers, and oceans. Occasionally, they also built smaller replicas, many of which have become prized collectibles today.

Miniature canoes and kayaks are at the heart of this book—both Indigenous and factory-made artifacts that author Roger Young collected from around the world. He shares his discovery of varieties developed by vastly different, widespread Native cultural groups, then explains his ‘pivot’ to concentrate on counterparts from the earliest (1870-1930) North American commercial canoe manufacturers. These latter are extremely scarce factory ‘display’ items, often incorrectly called “salesman’s samples.” Along the way, he applies lessons learned through gathering art, antiques, and vintage hunting decoys, all the while suffering from ‘collector’s disease.’

Through this personal account of one collector’s quest to build a unique, high-quality gathering, Young shares his expertise, provides a valuable collectors’ guide, and offers the only book of its kind to explain and document the breadth of historical canoe factory samples.

“SPECTACULAR” says Jill Dean, Co-Founder, Wooden Canoe Heritage Association;

“WONDERFUL READ” – Rick Sandstrom, President, North American Decoy Collectors Association;

“THE MARKET IS RIPE FOR THIS BOOK” – Herb Bond, Editor, Canadian Antiques & Vintage magazine;

“THE SORT OF BOOK RELATED TO PASSIONATE
HOBBIES THAT I ENJOY MOST” – Rod Taylor, renowned author, collector, antiquer.

300 colour photos

142 pages

38,000 words