Finding treasures in unusual places across Canada is in their blood.
Both Scott Cozens and Sheldon Smithens have rich backgrounds in rooting out and gems from coast to coast.
The stars of Canadian Pickers, which begins a 13-week run on the Canadian History Channel in April 2011, stopped by the Red Deer and District Museum and Art Gallery Sunday to view the Magnificent Toys Exhibit at the museum.
Both pickers are from Calgary and grew up with family members who were keen on collecting, picking and auctioning items.
“I think we’ve been collecting for our lifetimes,” laughed Cozens.
Cozens’ grandmother Gladys started the picking in his family.
“She would go to all those white elephant sales and she’d always pull out all the gems off the table.”
Smithens is an antiques dealer, auctioneer and appraiser by trade. He said spotting quality takes time and patience.
The interest spread to his mom Joyce who attended auctions with Scott in tow.
“We still go to garage sales.
“We start with a coffee and just drive around looking. We don’t look at newspapers to find them,” he added.
Both read a lot of books on collecting but it comes with time and the fact they handle quality items on a daily basis.
“I honestly believe that both of us were born with a bit of an eye,” Cozens said.
The two got together because Smithens said Cozens was once his customer.
Smithens said china, glassware, silver oil lamps and Canadian furniture collectibles, have fallen on hard times lately.
Smithens said “demographics and cheap imports” have caused the slide.
“The influx of very inexpensive from the Orient primarily have that look,” he added.
Smithens enjoys the Red Deer museum and compliments the hard work and dedication the staff have put into making it a showpiece.
He said most people don’t know the museum is a true treasure rich in history of the area.
“I’ve done some work for the museum before and we were asked to drop buy after we finished filming just last week,” Smithens said.
Their weekly show will feature travel, leisure, purchase and resale, all in respect to the seller and his philosophy of life.
Cozens said the show is reality TV.
“We buy things with our own money. Nothing is staged. We don’t know what to expect when we walk into a place or house,” he said.
The pair rummage through old barns, messy yards and abandoned attics in search of objects with historical, collectible and pop culture value.
jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com