New: Please help

[meatman10523]

I have acquired a wooden old town canoe, I have no idea of the history it was left in a friends shed when he moved into the house he rented, he said I could have it in return for helping him move. I am going to make a serial number inquiry but I am unsure what to do with it now. The canvas looks in reasonable shape in terms of holes, it has some damage near the ends where it meets the wood (sorry I don’t know the right jargon) so I am unsure if it needs recovering. It definitely needs painting or whatever was on the outside of the canvas. I wish I had to time to restore it my self as it looks like a simple job, but I am a poor college student and have little use for it so I probably will sell it. I was wondering if it could get some advice on its worth or the best way to go about selling it. Other forums to post on etc… after finding this site I think I will look and see if restoration is feasible but any advice would be greatly appreciated.
-Ben

 

[Benson Gray]

It sounds like you got a great deal for helping your friend move. The general rule of thumb is that your probably need to replace the canvas if the canvas, paint or filler looks bad. However, this should not prevent you from using it if the leaks are not serious. The information at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=57 is a good summary of how to value and sell an old wooden canoe. You can also take a look at http://classifieds.wcha.org/ and http://www.ebay.com to see the prices of other canoes in similar condition. There is lots of information in these forums and you should be able to restore it yourself. Some of the books at http://merchandise.wcha.org/ may also be helpful. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson