Legendary Canadian Picker Wayne Learie Retires with Historic 2,000-Item Collection Auction
TL;DR
Collectors can acquire rare investment-grade pieces like a 1938 Chief August Jack carving and Tiffany lamps in this once-in-a-lifetime auction from Wayne Learie's collection.
DirectAuctions.Com will host a two-day online auction featuring over 2,000 items from Wayne Learie's personal and store collection, with worldwide shipping available.
This auction preserves cultural heritage by offering historically significant Indigenous art and rare Canadiana, bringing unique artifacts to new generations of caretakers.
Discover extraordinary finds from Led Zeppelin's robe to vintage jukeboxes in The Mad Picker's legendary collection spanning six decades of treasure hunting.
Wayne Learie, known professionally as The Mad Picker, is retiring after more than 60 years as a trusted name among collectors and antique enthusiasts across Canada and internationally. His career has spanned decades of discovering hidden gems in basements, backyard sheds, and estates, building large collections for investors and earning a reputation for his sharp eye for the rare, unusual, and extraordinary. Learie recently sold his business to DirectAuctions.Com but continues to collaborate with owner Jeff Schwarz as he prepares for his well-earned retirement.
The retirement auction features more than 2,000 rare and collectible pieces from Learie's personal and store collections, representing what is expected to be the most significant auction event held in the Fraser Valley in the past 25 years. Among the standout pieces is a historically significant 1938 local carving depicting Chief August Jack Khatsahlano of the Squamish Nation, an experienced medicine man and revered leader instrumental in preserving Squamish Nation oral history and collaborating with Vancouver's first settlers. The chief is featured in the book Conversations with Khahtsahlano 1932-1952 by J.S Matthews, an early Vancouver City Archivist.
Other notable items in the collection include highly collectible early Canadian Addison radios from the 1950s, an original mint-condition framed Girl on the Beach Coca-Cola sign, a fully restored Austin children's pedal car, and a signed Tiffany table lamp and candle holder. Collectors will also find a selection of Hardy fishing reels and rods from the 1920s and '30s, rare Canadiana furniture, a large collection of carved Chinese jade, fine jewelry, sterling silver, and Indigenous art. Additional treasures include vintage display showcases, military swords and badges sourced from estates worldwide, and beautifully restored Seeburg and Wurlitzer jukeboxes.
Jeff Schwarz, owner of DirectAuctions.Com and known as The Liquidator from television reality programming, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration and auction event. Schwarz noted that acquiring The Mad Picker business and collaborating with Learie allows DirectAuctions.Com to further expand into the estate and collectibles market, representing an exciting new chapter for their teams. The auction will be hosted live online over two days, with both Schwarz and Learie calling the auction and streaming it worldwide to allow collectors everywhere to participate.
The Wayne Learie's Incredible Antique Store & Personal Collection Auction will take place October 28 and 29, 2025, beginning at 1:00 PM PDT each day. Interested participants can view the auction and register at https://bid.directauctions.com/Wayne-Learie-s-Incredible-Antique-Store-Personal-Collection-Auction_a74880?m=all. World wide shipping is available for successful bidders, making this collection accessible to international collectors and enthusiasts. This event represents not just the culmination of a remarkable career but also a rare opportunity to acquire pieces from one of Canada's most respected pickers and appraisers.
Curated from 24-7 Press Release