"this is the most canadian video i think i’ve ever watched"*
March 3, 2019 10:13 AM Subscribe
The affable owner of an antiques shop in Edmonton travels to a rural town on the Saskatchewan-Alberta border to seek items in a 100-year-old hoarder's house, once the home of a talented Canadian potter-artist ... and decides to purchase the entire property, initiating an epic indoor excavation-exploration and tracking his laborious progress in arctic conditions on Youtube as he painstakingly makes his way through literal tons of accumulated trash and the occasional treasure.
Alexander Archbold of Curiosity Inc. antiques shop has produced seven long (average ~45 minutes), fascinating Youtube episodes so far (plus some sidebar vids related to the project):
We Bought a Hoarder House Pt. 2... we found hidden cash woo hoo!
Hoarder House Part 3, we find a secret room... and the floor!
The Potters House Part 4... this hoard is nearly gone!
The Potters House Part 5. Planning Day And A Few Surprises...
The Potters House Part 6, up in the attic... let the demo begin!
The Potters House Part 7, Kitchy Kitchen Planning. A 'new' antique kitchen.
(plus some other discussions and updates on the project on the Curiosity Incorporated channel)
Accompanied by occasional family member-helpers plus viewer favorite, local man-of-all-work "Hans," as well as a posse of addicted viewers who offer their own advice, warnings, and tips on finds in the comments section (surprisingly, mostly not terrible!), Alex battles persistent allergies, unrestful accommodation, a surprise stop by local law enforcement, snow, sleet, ice, a distinct lack of gas stations on a long, lonely, lonely road, and the inevitable going-awry of some best laid plans with humor, heart, and a hazmat mask.
* Title from a viewer comment
Alexander Archbold of Curiosity Inc. antiques shop has produced seven long (average ~45 minutes), fascinating Youtube episodes so far (plus some sidebar vids related to the project):
We Bought a Hoarder House Pt. 2... we found hidden cash woo hoo!
Hoarder House Part 3, we find a secret room... and the floor!
The Potters House Part 4... this hoard is nearly gone!
The Potters House Part 5. Planning Day And A Few Surprises...
The Potters House Part 6, up in the attic... let the demo begin!
The Potters House Part 7, Kitchy Kitchen Planning. A 'new' antique kitchen.
(plus some other discussions and updates on the project on the Curiosity Incorporated channel)
Accompanied by occasional family member-helpers plus viewer favorite, local man-of-all-work "Hans," as well as a posse of addicted viewers who offer their own advice, warnings, and tips on finds in the comments section (surprisingly, mostly not terrible!), Alex battles persistent allergies, unrestful accommodation, a surprise stop by local law enforcement, snow, sleet, ice, a distinct lack of gas stations on a long, lonely, lonely road, and the inevitable going-awry of some best laid plans with humor, heart, and a hazmat mask.
* Title from a viewer comment
How did the rat patrol not torch this place already?
posted by Space Coyote at 10:58 AM on March 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Space Coyote at 10:58 AM on March 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
Oh man this is extremely up my alley, thanks for posting!
posted by saladin at 10:59 AM on March 3, 2019
posted by saladin at 10:59 AM on March 3, 2019
I stumbled upon this about two days ago and bingewatched all the episodes in one go.
There's a bonus episode as well, where they track down the woman potter who was the original owner and meet her for an interview (she is still alive, and in a nursing home). The focus of their interview with her, though, wasn't a whole "omigod how did you let your house GET like that what is WRONG with you" kind of thing, but a much more sensitive and celebratory "you've lived a long and amazing life, tell us about it!"
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:59 AM on March 3, 2019 [9 favorites]
There's a bonus episode as well, where they track down the woman potter who was the original owner and meet her for an interview (she is still alive, and in a nursing home). The focus of their interview with her, though, wasn't a whole "omigod how did you let your house GET like that what is WRONG with you" kind of thing, but a much more sensitive and celebratory "you've lived a long and amazing life, tell us about it!"
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:59 AM on March 3, 2019 [9 favorites]
Good point:
"Maybe years of being covered in clothing preserved it somewhat."
"Oh, ya."
"Good thing we don't have rats in Alberta."
I can't get over the degree to which the woman's voice in the background in part one sounds like my mother in law, eh? Wow. Oh geez, eh?
I like his review of hotel reviews at 31 min. or so.
Watching this takes me back to when I spent a good chunk of a summer cleaning out a similar house that was on the street I lived in for a while in university.
The woman who owned it had left it the way her parents had left it when they died, and it was chock-full of plenty of usable stuff, just dozens (or hundreds) of the same things, many of them unopened and in original packaging dating back to the 1960s.
Sheet sets. Silverware sets by the dozens. You want screwdrivers? Hundreds and hundreds of those.
The basement at the beginning of part I of this was reminiscent of that, but it was more of a slog, because it was as though sedimentary layers of everything you would expect to find in a cluttered basement workshop was there, but in quantities that were layered like limestone strata formed by old newspapers and rags and such.
Four brand-new chainsaws, IIRC. Hundreds more hammers. A hundred-ish deadbolt sets. Pesticide containers from way back when ("New! Improved! Now with 10% DDT!").
But the worst was the deep freeze. It had never been unplugged, thank googly-moogly, but bacon that's been in there since it was priced at $0.49 per package? It turns black with time, as I learned.
Had I been older and wiser, I would have demanded a proper respirator, because there was mouse shit everywhere.
The owner, who as it turned out was a bit on the squirrely side, insisted it would take "just a few days" to clear out the house.
It took me and my roommate over a full month of full-time work. Fortunately, she was paying us well above minimum wage, in cash, but we had to have more than a few arguments with her, like this:
Us: "You need to take those containers of DDT-laced pesticides to a hazmat disposal centre - along with that unopened box of asbestos tile we just found."
Her: "I was just going to leave it on the curb."
Us: "Gah. Just give us your car. We'll go and do it."
According to the owner, her parents had died a couple of years before, one very shortly after the other. At some point, the penny dropped in my callow 20 year old brain: "They were living like this right up until they died," and the work became a bit sadder after that.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:04 AM on March 3, 2019 [22 favorites]
"Maybe years of being covered in clothing preserved it somewhat."
"Oh, ya."
"Good thing we don't have rats in Alberta."
I can't get over the degree to which the woman's voice in the background in part one sounds like my mother in law, eh? Wow. Oh geez, eh?
I like his review of hotel reviews at 31 min. or so.
Watching this takes me back to when I spent a good chunk of a summer cleaning out a similar house that was on the street I lived in for a while in university.
The woman who owned it had left it the way her parents had left it when they died, and it was chock-full of plenty of usable stuff, just dozens (or hundreds) of the same things, many of them unopened and in original packaging dating back to the 1960s.
Sheet sets. Silverware sets by the dozens. You want screwdrivers? Hundreds and hundreds of those.
The basement at the beginning of part I of this was reminiscent of that, but it was more of a slog, because it was as though sedimentary layers of everything you would expect to find in a cluttered basement workshop was there, but in quantities that were layered like limestone strata formed by old newspapers and rags and such.
Four brand-new chainsaws, IIRC. Hundreds more hammers. A hundred-ish deadbolt sets. Pesticide containers from way back when ("New! Improved! Now with 10% DDT!").
But the worst was the deep freeze. It had never been unplugged, thank googly-moogly, but bacon that's been in there since it was priced at $0.49 per package? It turns black with time, as I learned.
Had I been older and wiser, I would have demanded a proper respirator, because there was mouse shit everywhere.
The owner, who as it turned out was a bit on the squirrely side, insisted it would take "just a few days" to clear out the house.
It took me and my roommate over a full month of full-time work. Fortunately, she was paying us well above minimum wage, in cash, but we had to have more than a few arguments with her, like this:
Us: "You need to take those containers of DDT-laced pesticides to a hazmat disposal centre - along with that unopened box of asbestos tile we just found."
Her: "I was just going to leave it on the curb."
Us: "Gah. Just give us your car. We'll go and do it."
According to the owner, her parents had died a couple of years before, one very shortly after the other. At some point, the penny dropped in my callow 20 year old brain: "They were living like this right up until they died," and the work became a bit sadder after that.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:04 AM on March 3, 2019 [22 favorites]
Oh, and there's another bonus episode where he's figuring out what to do with all the clothes; a lot of the clothes were in surprisingly good condition, so after the first couple bags were unearthed he decided that "well, we don't usually sell clothes in our store, so maybe we can get a couple racks and have a clothing section for a while until this is sold off."
...However, that was before he finished sorting and discovered he had 17 bags' worth of sellable vintage clothes. So he has a second bonus episode with a pilgrimage to a clothing-display rack wholesaler, a couple trips to a laundromat, a reveal of the in-store setup for the clothing section, and ending with "I only had space for two bags at the store, here's the other fifteen bags in my house waiting for their turn...."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:06 AM on March 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
...However, that was before he finished sorting and discovered he had 17 bags' worth of sellable vintage clothes. So he has a second bonus episode with a pilgrimage to a clothing-display rack wholesaler, a couple trips to a laundromat, a reveal of the in-store setup for the clothing section, and ending with "I only had space for two bags at the store, here's the other fifteen bags in my house waiting for their turn...."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:06 AM on March 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
The algorithm has been pushing this at me for days. I give in. It looks interesting. I'm watching it now. Dishwasher repair videos can wait.
posted by monopas at 12:57 PM on March 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by monopas at 12:57 PM on March 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
Watching these videos I got the feeling that I knew this guy. I did! He's the store owner who tracked down a homeless guy who found a Disney animation cel and brought it to the store to sell. The homeless guy originally got $20 for his trouble, but once our hero determined that the cel was an original, he split the proceeds with the finder. The whole story.
posted by Zedcaster at 12:59 PM on March 3, 2019 [30 favorites]
posted by Zedcaster at 12:59 PM on March 3, 2019 [30 favorites]
I want the showerhead in the hotel room by the train tracks.
posted by not_on_display at 2:05 PM on March 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by not_on_display at 2:05 PM on March 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
I thought the most Canadian video ever was the one of the woman rescuing the porcupine.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:20 PM on March 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:20 PM on March 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
Been following this one too. Alex's interview Mary Borgstrom mentioned by EmpressCalipygos above is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGXFhhpaTc4
posted by thefool at 2:27 PM on March 3, 2019
posted by thefool at 2:27 PM on March 3, 2019
I love how he mentions about always being on the lookout for oil and gas memorabilia because it sells so well. Ahh, Alberta.
That's a Girl Guide/Brownie pin on the table, I think.
Neat videos.
posted by quaking fajita at 3:51 PM on March 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
That's a Girl Guide/Brownie pin on the table, I think.
Neat videos.
posted by quaking fajita at 3:51 PM on March 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
The focus of their interview with her, though, wasn't a whole "omigod how did you let your house GET like that what is WRONG with you" kind of thing, but a much more sensitive and celebratory "you've lived a long and amazing life, tell us about it!"
These videos were moments ago suggested on my youtube sidebar, and I didn't click for fear of the attitude towards the former owner. Thank you for reassuring me!
posted by wellifyouinsist at 5:27 PM on March 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
These videos were moments ago suggested on my youtube sidebar, and I didn't click for fear of the attitude towards the former owner. Thank you for reassuring me!
posted by wellifyouinsist at 5:27 PM on March 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
Somebody in the video comments said that he should be on TV, but I disagree. A big network would ruin this great show. They would want to start some family drama (for the viewers), or they would tell him to say the house is haunted. I think the old model of media is on it's way out, and this type of show is the future.
posted by ambulocetus at 6:45 PM on March 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by ambulocetus at 6:45 PM on March 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
I just started watching the series but I need a spoiler: what's the name of the small town where he finds this house?
posted by bluebelle at 8:11 PM on March 3, 2019
posted by bluebelle at 8:11 PM on March 3, 2019
Man, this is the best show to clean house to. Doesn't need that much attention, but not exactly boring.
I love the pottery.
posted by suelac at 9:10 PM on March 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
I love the pottery.
posted by suelac at 9:10 PM on March 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
Provost, a town of <2000 people, out in the plains af Alberta...
Pretty easy to see how this could happen. Good to see he's treating it with essentially, the respect it deserves.
posted by Windopaene at 11:10 PM on March 3, 2019
Pretty easy to see how this could happen. Good to see he's treating it with essentially, the respect it deserves.
posted by Windopaene at 11:10 PM on March 3, 2019
I just lost my weekend to this. The production value and editing on this series (and his videos about purchasing defunct antique shops) are fantastic. He could sell this to HGTV tomorrow, and it wouldn't look out of place, but for its charm.
posted by groda at 7:41 AM on March 4, 2019
posted by groda at 7:41 AM on March 4, 2019
I appreciate that he manages to be upbeat and engaging without what I think of as "YouTube voice", that sort of hyped constant "isn't this so fun and exciting!!!" pitch that is annoyingly common.
posted by tavella at 7:56 AM on March 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by tavella at 7:56 AM on March 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
I’ve been watching these from the beginning as I was already a follower of their videos. These were fascinating, though the abundance of mouse poopies were triggering re clearing out my moms 90% less hoarder condo last year.
I talked to the videos a great deal as I was constantly seeing things I didn’t want Alex to miss!
Also, check out his music videos, he has a great voice too.
posted by antiquated at 8:05 AM on March 4, 2019
I talked to the videos a great deal as I was constantly seeing things I didn’t want Alex to miss!
Also, check out his music videos, he has a great voice too.
posted by antiquated at 8:05 AM on March 4, 2019
I love this guy and this post made my weekend brighter, thank you. I think the way he treats the home's sellers and previous occupant, and Alex in the video about the Bambi cell, exemplifies what I think of as a nice streak in many Canadians that focused on dignity. I was pretty awed at the production values too.
posted by warriorqueen at 8:32 AM on March 4, 2019
posted by warriorqueen at 8:32 AM on March 4, 2019
The potter mentioned in the show is Mary Borgstrom. There's a video of her on Youtube, mentioned above.
Provost is the kind of town on the flat prairies where you can watch your dog run away for three days.
posted by blob at 9:07 AM on March 4, 2019 [9 favorites]
Provost is the kind of town on the flat prairies where you can watch your dog run away for three days.
posted by blob at 9:07 AM on March 4, 2019 [9 favorites]
Just started part II.
OH NO THE FREEZER.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:18 AM on March 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
OH NO THE FREEZER.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:18 AM on March 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
Oh, ok. Freezer not too gnarly.
Glad that he's wearing a respirator now.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:21 AM on March 4, 2019
Glad that he's wearing a respirator now.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:21 AM on March 4, 2019
Darnit blob, why you gotta go and make me chop onions in the kitchen?
Thanks - I noticed how after a few episodes, the title changed from "hoarder house" to "potter house". For someone born in that era, going through the wars and the depression-era, throwing anything out was impossible. I wonder, also how much of the stuff was hers - and how much she helped other family members out by taking in, when they passed on. Some people are actually too generous with their help - and then it overwhelms them.
posted by jkaczor at 10:30 AM on March 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
Thanks - I noticed how after a few episodes, the title changed from "hoarder house" to "potter house". For someone born in that era, going through the wars and the depression-era, throwing anything out was impossible. I wonder, also how much of the stuff was hers - and how much she helped other family members out by taking in, when they passed on. Some people are actually too generous with their help - and then it overwhelms them.
posted by jkaczor at 10:30 AM on March 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
I've watched everything in this series now, including the interview with Mary Borgstrom, which also made me cry. I wish I had watched it before posting, but I was following the numbered episodes. In the beginning it seemed like Alex went to specific pains not to mention the artist's name, which is perhaps what the family wanted at that time, so I didn't mention it in the post.
posted by taz at 12:21 PM on March 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by taz at 12:21 PM on March 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
Holy shit. I just finished the series on the house, and then stayed up and watched the interview with Mary Borgstrom.
This shot of her at 12:48. Awesome.
Thanks for posting this, taz.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:04 PM on March 4, 2019
This shot of her at 12:48. Awesome.
Thanks for posting this, taz.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:04 PM on March 4, 2019
I appreciate that he manages to be upbeat and engaging without what I think of as "YouTube voice", that sort of hyped constant "isn't this so fun and exciting!!!" pitch that is annoyingly common.
You've reminded me of the exact moment I fell in love with this series; I can't remember which episode it was in, so I can't link to it but it is easy to describe:
Alex has just found a book titled "Enthusiasm Makes The Difference." The book is what we see in the shot first. Then there's a shot of him looking at the book, then giving the camera a deadpan look. Then he looks at the book one more time - then back at the camera, where he gives an obviously-fake cheesy grin.
I literally cackled.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:18 AM on March 5, 2019 [2 favorites]
You've reminded me of the exact moment I fell in love with this series; I can't remember which episode it was in, so I can't link to it but it is easy to describe:
Alex has just found a book titled "Enthusiasm Makes The Difference." The book is what we see in the shot first. Then there's a shot of him looking at the book, then giving the camera a deadpan look. Then he looks at the book one more time - then back at the camera, where he gives an obviously-fake cheesy grin.
I literally cackled.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:18 AM on March 5, 2019 [2 favorites]
I totally agree about "YouTube voice"; I'm very, very, very over that voice. It's becoming as physically unbearable as laugh tracks on old tv sitcoms to me.
posted by taz at 4:42 AM on March 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by taz at 4:42 AM on March 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
The intro to the video had me wary, because the 'following my dream and spend more time with our family' bit was reminding me of various YouTube channels that are basically 'we monetized our family life and are pushing it really hard', but no, he really is interested in this stuff and while it's undoubtedly helping support his business, it isn't just desperation for clicks. It kind of reminds me of Lofty Pursuits in that way.
posted by tavella at 8:40 AM on March 5, 2019
posted by tavella at 8:40 AM on March 5, 2019
The eighth episode is up.
One thing that has puzzled me is how they are doing all this work with no water. No water to clean and mop? I can't picture that. Also, bathroom needs? For just one or two dudes, okay, maybe they can sort of make do, between a quick frosty wee in the bushes and trips to the motel if necessary, but they have other people working in there (not all men!) for hours. I wonder if a friendly neighbor is helping with that, or what?
Someone in the comments said Alex reminds them of Brendan Fraser, and I was like, omg, that's it! I couldn't figure out why he seemed so familiar!
posted by taz at 8:57 AM on March 6, 2019 [3 favorites]
One thing that has puzzled me is how they are doing all this work with no water. No water to clean and mop? I can't picture that. Also, bathroom needs? For just one or two dudes, okay, maybe they can sort of make do, between a quick frosty wee in the bushes and trips to the motel if necessary, but they have other people working in there (not all men!) for hours. I wonder if a friendly neighbor is helping with that, or what?
Someone in the comments said Alex reminds them of Brendan Fraser, and I was like, omg, that's it! I couldn't figure out why he seemed so familiar!
posted by taz at 8:57 AM on March 6, 2019 [3 favorites]
Also, bathroom needs?
I was kind of wondering that too.
At least there are no hauntings.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:42 PM on March 8, 2019
I was kind of wondering that too.
At least there are no hauntings.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:42 PM on March 8, 2019
I don't know if network TV would ruin it: It reminds me of Canadian Pickers a lot, basically teh same idea, but (so far) less of a focus on the cool items and more on the people.
posted by Canageek at 9:56 AM on March 10, 2019
posted by Canageek at 9:56 AM on March 10, 2019
I'm now curious how the real estate in Provost works. Given it's a town of 2,000, I was kind of surprised at the reference to most houses on the street being $200k. Granted, that's Canadian so more like $150K, but I don't normally think of tiny farming towns on the bleak Northern plains as the kind of place where there's much of a market for cute retro flips?
posted by tavella at 2:26 PM on March 10, 2019
posted by tavella at 2:26 PM on March 10, 2019
Contractors who do jobs lasting a few days or more, often drop a portapotty on site. You bring in water to a dry site. Bottle or truck, depending on needs.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 6:01 PM on March 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 6:01 PM on March 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
They apparently indeed were making runs back to the motel to use the bathroom. Which sounds annoying!
The house is mostly done, and looks quite nice, though I think they were a little too devoted to retro in some places, notably the refrigerator. Old clawfoot tubs are nice, old refrigerators are small, unreliable, and total energy pigs. I would have done the thing they were talking about, hiding a modern refrigerator behind cladding. I'm still wondering what kind of market there is in a small and declining plains town for quirky retro flips, too.
Also, I'm entertained how everyone working on the house seems to have an instagram or youtube channel, even the guy making the doors. I guess it is what you have to do if you are trying to make it as a craftsperson or artist, even as a side hustle.
posted by tavella at 7:56 PM on March 28, 2019
The house is mostly done, and looks quite nice, though I think they were a little too devoted to retro in some places, notably the refrigerator. Old clawfoot tubs are nice, old refrigerators are small, unreliable, and total energy pigs. I would have done the thing they were talking about, hiding a modern refrigerator behind cladding. I'm still wondering what kind of market there is in a small and declining plains town for quirky retro flips, too.
Also, I'm entertained how everyone working on the house seems to have an instagram or youtube channel, even the guy making the doors. I guess it is what you have to do if you are trying to make it as a craftsperson or artist, even as a side hustle.
posted by tavella at 7:56 PM on March 28, 2019
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posted by taz at 10:21 AM on March 3, 2019