1910 18ft IF Model Old Town value

[RW Mullaney]

I have just recieved info from Old Town that the canoe I got from my grandfather sn14765 is an IF model 18ft made in 1910. They even sent me the order/build sheet. Does anyone have an idea on this canoe's value or rarety as I loooked at the WCHA old town data and believe they are only 3% of all canoes made. I'm asking because they want 2800 to restore it and need to see if it is worth it. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[normsims]

I have attached the build record I found for your canoe, I think. It was actually out of order in the files and I'm not sure the last number here is a 5.

Anyhow, folks can read this and try to help out. I don't know what an IF model was, but others might be able to help on that. A 1910 canoe is an old one.

I'm currently having a 1927 Carleton canoe restored. It was in pretty good shape and it's costing more than $2,800 to restore. That sounds like a bargain.

Do you have photos of the canoe that you might post?

Norm

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Hello RW,

The IF, or Ideal Fisherman, is the same as the Guide model canoe. I'll attach information from the 1910 Old Town catalog, courtesy "The Complete Old Town Canoe Company Catalog Collection, 1901- 1993", available on CD from http://www.wcha.org/catalog/ and http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/cdrom.htm on the web.

In the discussion of canoe value at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=57 I think you will see that $2800 is a reasonable figure to expect to pay for canoe restoration-- especially one that is 100 years old.

What is most rare about your canoe is that it belonged to your grandfather. I'd love to have "an old family canoe"... but have to "settle" for beginning that particular tradition, rather than being on the receiving-end.

If you are planning to sell the canoe, you may not want to put money into it. Many who collect canoes would rather do the restoration work themselves, or have it done by someone whose work they know. Most antique/vintage/old canoes tend to sell for about what the restoration cost, or even less.... so it makes sense to put the money into restoration only if you plan to use the canoe yourself or keep it in the family.

Kathy

 

[RW Mullaney]

thanks

Thank you both for the quick response. Norm, the document you sent me is the one old town sent me too. I even have the paddles listed on the order as well as the seats. It is a Guide Special. Will post pictures as soon as possible. It is a family heirloom and I hope not to sell it, are there any "cheaper" restorers around?

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Hi again-- You can always tell a restorer to "do the minimal" to get a canoe back into the water. There's a link to a list of restorers on the home page of this website, and our journal always contains a number of ads for those who restore canoes.

You might want to think about doing some of the work yourself.... this is what many here have done. One idea might be to see if there's a local WCHA chapter or a member near you... someone who might help... at least, you'd get some suggestions regarding who to hire for restoration.

We love pictures, and when you post some you may get feedback about what needs to be done-- what might be necessary now, what you can put off, what might be simple enough for you to tackle and what might be tricky without the proper tools.

How cool that you have the original paddles that came with your canoe! Did Old Town explain the build record for you?--- it can take a while to understand the abbreviations and "canoe lingo". I'll decipher for those who aren't familiar with how to read a record:

Old Town 14765 is an 18 foot GS (guide special) grade IF (Ideal Fisherman) model canoe, completed June-July of 1910. It has closed spruce gunwales, birch decks, and ash thwarts and seat frames. Original color was slate. It was shipped to Raymond, ME, in 1910 but I can't make out the date... probably shortly after it was completed in July. Is your grandfather the person listed on the record?

Kathy

 

[Dave Osborn]

Well put, Peter!

RW,
As a full time restorer, I can tell you that it's doubtful that you'll find a cheaper restoration cost on the average.
Dave

 

[Kathryn Klos]

One of the things I wouldn't have known before we began looking into what we needed to restore a canoe, is the difficulty finding the proper wood-- the right species, right quality, and right length. Those who restore canoes for a living have had to make the connections necessary for the job to be done right.

 

[Benson Gray]

It is a family heirloom and I hope not to sell it, are there any "cheaper" restorers around?

My experience is that you usually get what you pay for in a restoration so you should carefully consider exactly what you want. There can be a huge difference between a repair that simply makes it functional and a true restoration.

Dan Eaton has restored many similar canoes and the information at http://www.smallboat-shop.com/Restoration Process 2008.pdf details the process along with some of his estimated prices for comparison. I would encourage you to contact some of the other restorers listed at http://www.wcha.org/buildsupply/ to get more than one estimate.

There are many good used canoes available at http://forums.wcha.org/forumdisplay.php?f=33 and other sources for $2800 or less if you just want to go paddling. The new 16 foot long Old Town Guide model is listed at http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/canoes/classic_wood/guide_16.html for $7599. The message at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=57 has more information about valuing old canoes.

I too have agonized over decisions like this and more than one member of these forums has listened patiently while I did. The decision is a very personal one in the end. I have been fortunate enough to find two of my grandfather's canoes and ended up paying more than $2800 each to get them restored.

Peter Egan wrote an article in Road & Track about his purchase of a sports car in college many years ago. A friend asked how much it cost and responded saying "That is a lot of beer and pizza!" Some things are simply important to us for reasons that others may not understand. Good luck with your decision and let us know what you decide.

Benson