Legendary 'Mad Picker' Wayne Learie Retires, Auctioning 60-Year Collection of Rare Canadiana and International Collectibles

After more than six decades of professional picking, Wayne Learie, known throughout the collecting world as The Mad Picker, is retiring and auctioning his extensive personal and store collection through DirectAuctions.Com. This auction marks the culmination of a career that established Learie as one of Canada's most trusted names among antique collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. His reputation was built through decades of discovering hidden treasures in basements, backyard sheds, and estates, with a specialization ranging from rare gas pumps and vintage signs to celebrity memorabilia including Led Zeppelin's robe.

The upcoming auction features more than 2,000 rare and collectible pieces that represent Learie's sharp eye for the unusual and extraordinary. Among the standout items is a historically significant 1938 local carving depicting Chief August Jack Khatsahlano of the Squamish Nation. This carving represents an important piece of West Coast history, featuring a leader who was instrumental in preserving Squamish Nation oral history and collaborating with Vancouver's early settlers. Chief Khatsahlano is documented in the book Conversations with Khahtsahlano 1932-1952 by early Vancouver City Archivist J.S Matthews, making this carving particularly valuable to historians and Indigenous art collectors.

Other notable pieces in the collection include highly collectible early Canadian Addison radios from the 1950s, an original mint-condition "Girl on the Beach" Coca-Cola sign, a fully restored Austin children's pedal car, and a signed Tiffany table lamp and candle holder. The diversity of the collection showcases Learie's wide-ranging expertise, featuring Hardy fishing reels and rods from the 1920s and '30s, rare Canadiana furniture, carved Chinese jade, fine jewelry, sterling silver, Indigenous art, military swords and badges, and restored Seeburg and Wurlitzer jukeboxes. Jeff Schwarz, owner of DirectAuctions.Com and known as "The Liquidator" from television, expressed excitement about the collaboration, stating "It's been an honor and a privilege to work with Wayne over the years. We're thrilled to present such a unique collection that rarely, if ever, comes up for auction."

The acquisition of The Mad Picker business allows DirectAuctions.Com to expand further into the estate and collectibles market, positioning this auction as a significant milestone in the company's growth. The two-day live online auction will be hosted by both Learie and Schwarz and streamed worldwide, enabling international participation in what is anticipated to be the most significant auction event in the Fraser Valley in 25 years. Collectors can view the auction and register at https://bid.directauctions.com/Wayne-Learie-s-Incredible-Antique-Store-Personal-Collection-Auction_a74880?m=all. The event takes place October 28-29, 2025, with worldwide shipping available for successful bidders, ensuring global accessibility to these rare collectibles that represent a lifetime of dedicated picking and preservation.