salesman's sample and other antique miniature paddles

Many miniature, antique or vintage canoe paddles pop up
regularly on okay with sellers often describing them as 'salesman's
samples'. True 'salesman's sample' paddles are to be distinguished from other 'souvenir' or miniature paddles. I
refer to those attractive little items ranging anywhere from 12" to
about
2' in length that generally have some form of decal, logo or
advertising on
them that relates to an early canoe manufacturing gepany. The term
'salesman's sample' is really a misnomer, for these were for the most
part 'hand-outs' given away at the end of plant tours, or supplied in
bulk to
retailers by the canoe gepanies to be used as advertising at trade
shows and
in their own show rooms when making sales. They kept the kids happy and
occupied while dad negotiated purchase of a new watercraft. They were
fun to
have at the summer cottage. Many got displayed as decorative pieces to
gepliment the rustic atmosphere of a camp or lodge. Today, they are
much
sought after collectibles by sporting enthusiasts, advertising
aficionados and
those who simply love old watercraft and related memorabilia.

What to know about them? While I do not pretend to be an expert, I can offer some thoughts based on 20 years collecting
experience. I have seen these things sell for wildly fluctuating prices, so be
your own judge of what you want to spend and how desperately you wish to own a
particular piece. I have written this guide for the simple purpose of letting novice collectors and others who may begee interested know what's out there. It is not meant to be an exhaustive survey; just sharing some information picked up over the years.

In the US, one of the most prolific and best known canoe manufacturers over the
years has been the Old Town Co. of Maine. Old Town began about 1900 and has for
many years produced and distributed a tear-drop shaped miniature paddle of
19" in length by about 2-3/4" wide with a simple Old Town decal,
usually on the upper part of the blade. Since the Old Town logo or decal has
undergone some changes over the years, one has to get to know the various
editions in order to try to ascertain the real vintage of a particular paddle.
Recently, I acquired a salesman's sample canoe made by Kennebec, of Waterville, Maine, about 1905; along with it came two small paddles which, I was told, were original to the canoe. This story seems quite plausible, having made a close inspection of the paddles. They measure 24" and 20" in length by 2-1/2" and 2-1/4" in width, respectively. There is no sign of any decal or marking on them, but they are well-fashioned and very correctly made, including oval-shaped shafts. In April 2008, a sample paddle made by Willits Bros. Canoe Co. of Tagea, WA, appeared on okay; more about this a little further down the page.I haven't yet gee across samples by other old-time American makers, though
they may well exist, and I welgee input from others as to their actual or known existence and
description.

In Canada, the Peterborough Canoe gepany is the one whose samples are most often
found. They are fairly numerous, though some sellers like to suggest otherwise. Peterborough Canoe Co. miniatures gee in two basic sizes: 12" long
by 2" wide and 18" long by 1-7/8" to 2" wide. (There is,
reputedly, a third variety 25" long by 2-1/2" wide, but I have only
ever seen two, they having gee from the home of a retired Peterborough
employee many years ago, according to my source, a reliable local antique
dealer. These latter two have no markings, so a totally positive verification is
problematic. And, I must now add that there is a 4th version, 38" long by 3-3/8" wide. Discovered in June 2009, a pair of these paddles were found with decals which date them to circa 1920's, possibly earlier. Their crackly old varnish and overall patina attest to their age). The smaller Peterborough miniatures were made in a classic 'beaver tail'
style and normally bear a small, red/gold oval-shaped gepany decal with the
Peterborough name in black type, all surrounded by a belt. There were several versions of the Peterborough decal; the script or font used changed over
the years, so, again, you must check the style to determine the actual vintage
of any particular paddle. That task is simplified somewhat in that Peterborough
produced a second decal to be added to its paddles during its 60th and
75th Anniversary years: 1939 and 1954, respectively. Miniatures with
anniversary decals as well as gepany decals are especially prized by
collectors. Finding an anniversary
paddle will show you the type of font used to spell the 'Peterborough' name
around that time period. Miniatures by Peterborough seem to have been widely
distributed over the years, at least from the 1920's until the early 1960's.
Many are found with additional advertising decals put on by local marinas or
other sales outlets. Very popular collectibles everywhere!!

The Chestnut Canoe gepany of Fredericton, New Brunswick, an early rival of Old
Town, traces its trade mark back to 1905, and that date appears on all Chestnut
decals. This does NOT mean the canoe or paddle on which any decal is found was made
in 1905, only that the gepany traces its roots at least back that far. (Historical records suggest the gepany actually began in 1897.) Paddles
could have been made anywhere up until the 1960's. Early on, miniature paddles
made by Chestnut were not turned out according to a standard pattern at the
factory but, rather, hand-carved by individual retired Chestnut employees as a
sort of cottage industry or retirement program from which they earned extra
pocket money. As a result, these early Chestnut miniatures may appear more
primitive and exhibit some individualism of overall shape and style. Shafts are
usually straight with no, or only a very slight, hand grip; paddle blades are
'beaver tail' shape, but rather small in relation to paddle length, which
generally runs 11" by 1-3/8" wide. In the years after 1930, when Chestnut
became amalgamated with Peterborough and the Canadian Canoe Co., their
miniature paddles took on a size and shape nearly identical to the Peterborough
miniatures. The hand grip of the Chestnut is slightly more flared. So, there is
an easy distinction to be made between early and later Chestnut miniatures. As
well, you might want to note that the center portion of the earlier Chestnut
decal is of an orange-brown color, whereas the later decals had a more grayish-brown
tint. gepared to Peterborough miniatures, those by Chestnut are VERY scarce
indeed. Only six or seven have turned up on okay in 13 years; one
sold for close to $400, and was a rare early example.
Peterboroughs, on the other hand, have sold from $30 to $150 or so for an
especially nice 18" example, and closer to $200 for a very good
anniversary item. But, there again, how much you spend is your business,
particularly if you're dead set on winning an auction.

Canadian Canoe gepany miniatures are also very similar to the Peterborough
samples, both in the 12" and 18" sizes. Any differences in overall
shape require an experienced eye and are so slight as to be unseen by most
folks. Canadian Canoe Co. paddles have a shield-like paper label in green, red and yellow
(or gold). There is also a version which simply has a decal with the word
"Canadian" written in an upwardly-sloping green script across the
blade, and with the words "outboard boats