Dust of those family heirlooms and antiques, the Great Canadian Roadshow has returned to Barrie.
The travelling show has been running a little over 10 years, with Barrie being the first on-the-road-show that GCR ever did. The show has been all over Canada and the world from the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, England, France, Holland and even the Philippines. Max Smirnov is an organizer of the GCR and says that what the road show brings to towns and the people in them is very beneficial to those looking to sell and those looking to buy.
“What we do is we come to local cities and advertise for people to bring in antiques and collectibles,” said Smirnov. “Over the years we have built a large data base of collectors who are looking for particular things. We sometimes buy on their behalf and give folks an opportunity to find out what their items are worth, there’s no limit to how many items you can bring in, and we match them up with collectors who would like to purchase their items.”
While they are experts on hand to take a look at different items, it’s not full of experts in every field like some of the shows on TV, but rather relies on its extensive database to make sales and connections. Shows like The Antique Roadshow have really popularized the hobby/business of antique collecting, but real life is nothing like the TV.
“It’s certainly not like what you see on television,” said Smirnov. “On the shows you see someone get told that their item is worth $8,000 to $12,000 and they get all excited; then the camera goes to someone else and the people who were excited ask how to get their money and are told, no we don’t buy it. It’s all for the excitement and such, but very little transactions are made there. It did however get people to look around their house for unique items and bring them out to shows like ours, and we enjoy not just connecting people but also seeing the items as they come in.”
Some things brought in to the GCR have been quite unforgettable, such as the Vampire Killing Kit, the Monarch Death Ring and a handkerchief from a paratrooper. While Smirnov enjoys seeing people get paid for items they want to sell, he very much enjoys the art of collecting itself. Smirnov is a collector too and has a soft-spot for unique paper money. He got started in the industry while with a company in Florida. The first event Smirnov was a part of was an appraisal event that saw people come in with war memorabilia, musical instruments, a lock of Marilyn Manson’s hair and even a glove from Michael Jackson. But it was fateful encounter with a guitar collector that made Smirnov realize that connecting people through a database was the way to go.
“A man came in with a guitar and said he was actually looking for more guitars,” said Smirnov. “He wasn’t a big time dealer or collector, but rather just a regular Joe. I told him to leave his info so I could connect him if I had someone bring some in. It made me realize that this is what my job needed to be, helping regular folks connect and complete a collection or sell what they don’t need any more to someone who is looking for it.”
Stephen Rykes was at the event last night and had several coins that he wanted appraised. While the items he took in weren’t worth very much, he is happy with sharing them and seeing how others felt about them.
“I just love showing these off and talking about them,” said 49-year-old Rykes. “I started collecting coins and trinkets when I was about 14 years old, and it’s just become a fascinating hobby. My oldest coin, in great condition, is a Maple Leaf Silver Dollar. I never take it out of the house even though it’s not in the greatest condition. I really am not in this for making money though, I just love finding new coins to add to what I have and having people check them out. Even if someone isn’t into coins, when they see the age of them, they become fascinated.”
The Great Canadian Roadshow takes place at the Monte Carlo Inns Barrie Suites at 81 Hart Dr. from today until Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
