Mike Huen

Mike was born in Winnipeg in 1958. A collector of antique bottles since he was a kid, Mike thought it would be fun to try running an antique shop for a year or so after he’d been to community college and he’s been at it for 26 years.

“I love nostalgia and collectibles; Items that people accumulate by the room full,” Mike says. “My biggest passion is old advertising, tin cans, toys, dolls, and soft drink memorabilia. My wife, Barb, and I are still avid collectors. We have many small collections from napkin rings, Moorcroft pottery, tin toys, early advertising signs to Indianapolis 500 items.”

Mike agrees that the antique business has changed a great deal in the past several years. “The internet has made items more accessible and in many cases brought prices down.,” Mike says. “The collectors in many different fields are aging and not buying anymore and thus you see more supply than demand. Younger collectors prefer to buy off the Internet.”

Mike has been on two Canadian Antiques Roadshow tours now and says that the “time with the Roadshow was an honor. When I was first asked I was extremely excited because it felt like my years of experience in this business was finally being recognized.

”The other great thing was meeting the people who brought in their treasures and the stories attached to the item(s). These stories are what are usually lost when antiques are sold. That was most fun and interesting for me.”

Mike was amazed by what people brought into the shows including “many exciting items, some of which I have never seen or expect to see again. Each show brought some very rare and unique antiques.”

Like most of the Roadshow appraisers, Mike encourages potential collectors to “buy what you like. Do not think of investment. Buy the best items you can afford in the area in which you collect.”

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