Canal Collecting

There are lots of opportunities for collecting canal memorabilia. There is paperwork from the original canal companies. This can be letters and invoices for cargoes sent on the canals or plans and papers dating back to the original construction of the canals.

Some of the easiest and cheapest things to collect are postcards. They can be bought for £1or £2 up to £20 or £30 depending on the age and condition. Postcards with real photographs showing working boats are the most expensive.

There are lots of books about canals. The British Waterways Inland Cruising Booklets are popula with collectors. I think they are popular because they have a number of editions for each canal and they are numbered. Anything with a number on it and different editions of varying rarity will attract collectors in my experience. The booklets have nice photographs and adverts in them and show how the canals have changed in the leisure age.

As well as guide books there are books set on or around canals. There are some nice first edition books from the 1950s with canal orientated covers. "Canal Cats" by C.Fraser-Simson is a childrens book about cats growing up next to the Regents Canal in London. I picked it up for a couple of pounds, its not worth much but its a nice reminder of the days when working boats were still pulled along the canals by horses.