News

The ultra-Canadian goods that people buy and hawk online

We asked eBay to crunch the numbers on some of the ultra-Canadian goods people have bought and sold on the site over the years

Ahead of Canada Day 2017, we asked eBay to crunch the numbers on some of the ultra-Canadian goods that people in this country have bought and sold on the site over the years. Here’s what we learned:

Canada’s favourite prime minister is…: If the measure is the amount of money spent by Canadians for prime ministerial-related items, the winner is Sir John A. Macdonald. But when it comes to the quantity of items purchased, Pierre Elliott Trudeau comes out on top.

(eBay)

(eBay)

Who is more popular, Trudeau Jr. or Sr.? It’s dad for the win, according to eBay. To date, Canadians have spent nearly four times as much on items related to Trudeau Sr., but the company says Trudeau Jr. is catching up—what with all the Justin Trudeau bobbleheads, cardboard cutouts and t-shirts.

(eBay)

(eBay)

In terms of the popularity of items related to prime ministers in the Trudeau-to-Trudeau era, father and son hold the top two spots, followed at a distant third by Stephen Harper (there were seven times more items purchased related to Trudeau Sr. than Harper), with Jean Chrétien and then John Turner rounding out the top five spots.

What are the most expensive items bought and sold by a Canadian in relation to Canada’s three most popular prime ministers?

Sir John A. Macdonald
Bought: Hand-signed vintage card for almost $11,000
eBay_CANADA_Sir John A MacDonald Hand Signed Vintage Card
Sold: Rare Sir John A. Macdonald daguerreotype photo (the earliest type of photographic print) for more than $2,500

Pierre Trudeau
Bought: Signed Canadian Charter of Rights, for more than $10,000
Sold: Same item

Justin Trudeau
Bought: Signed Human Rights Museum artwork for nearly $25,000
Sold: Same item

What’s the most expensive hockey stick bought by a Canadian? That would be a souvenir Team Canada men’s hockey stick for nearly $9,500.

After adjusting for population, here are the provinces and territories ranked by the most hockey stick purchases:

  1. NWT/Nunavut
  2. Atlantic Provinces
  3. Saskatchewan
  4. Alberta
  5. Manitoba
  6. Quebec
  7. Ontario
  8. British Columbia
  9. Yukon

What’s the most expensive Canadian flag bought by a Canadian? An 1870 design Canadian Red Ensign for more than $1,000. However, according to the company, the most expensive Canada-related flag bought by a Canadian on the site was a rare early-1900s Newfoundland & Labrador Red Ensign, acquired by a buyer in Manitoba for more than $2,000.

eBay_CANADA_Pre Confederation Flag Full

After adjusting for population, here are the provinces and territories ranked by the most Canadian flags purchased:

  1. NWT/Nunavut
  2. Saskatchewan
  3. Atlantic Provinces
  4. Alberta
  5. Manitoba
  6. Ontario
  7. British Columbia
  8. Quebec
  9. Yukon

After the Canadian flag, the five most popular flags bought by Canadians are:

  1. Britain
  2. United States
  3. Germany
  4. Russia
  5. Ireland

What is the most expensive single item ever sold by a Canadian?

  1. Felix Ziem painting – 1821-1911, French: $260,000
  2. Ivan Pavlovich Pokhitonov painting – 1851-1925, Russian: $190,000
  3. Patek Philippe 5970R Rose Gold watch: $160,000

What are the most expensive single item ever bought by a Canadian?

  1. Warren Buffett charity power lunch: $2.3 million (purchased by a Canadian firm)
  2. Vasily Sitnikov Russian painting: $570,000
  3. 11.09 CT F SI2 round diamond solitaire ring: $150,000

 

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.