With snow falling already, (sheesh!) holiday shopping can’t be far behind. So why not throw in your bid for this vintage portage pack from 1882? The “buy it now” price is a mere $100,00 American dollars.
While packs like this have never been cheap, this one’s value rests upon more than just how well-preserved it is. According to the seller, this one was handmade by the founder of Duluth Pack, Camille Poirer. Moreover, the date stamped on the brass tag reads “November 10, 1882” — just over a month before Poirer applied for a patent on the thing! So potentially, this thing could be *the* first of its kind. More details:
At the time of this listing, Duluth Pack Company was contacted and a representative of the company said the earliest Pack they had was received by donation from an Australian and this was the Auto (Car) Pack. That pack was dated in the 1920′s and the ”Pack Strap” up for auction is many years older than that as you can see. There are no known “Poirier Pack Strap Sacks” left in existence so this is a TRULY ORIGINAL and a one-of-a-kind RARE item. It is believe this bag is the original patent design prototype because of the three stitch marks above the patent date where the umbrella leather loop would sit. The bags that Poirier sold in his store were stamped in ink ”Poirier Duluth Back Strap” in this location on the front flap.
The seller claims the bag is just as trail-ready as ever, so I don’t question that it’s worth many thousands of dollars. Still, I hope it ends up in a museum where everyone can enjoy it, instead of some private collector’s McMansion on Lake Vermilion. Via Murat.
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