Company Overview:

Miller and Miller Auctions is Canada’s trusted seller of high-value collections. We are a full-service online auction company with a global reach specializing in luxury watches, Canadiana and folk art, petroliana and advertising, and rare historic objects. Our goal is to provide serious collectors with a trusted place to buy and sell.

Job Overview:

In the true spirit of the collector, we in the petroliana and advertising division of Miller & Miller believe that detailed, accurate research matters. Collecting is a journey of learning and discovery that results in the dividend of knowledge - we want to produce catalogues that build knowledge. Our belief is that assumptions and unfounded statements jeopardize buyer confidence. Accurate catalogues win the confidence of buyers: the collectors who eventually become our sellers. In the spirit of true collecting, we want our catalogues to be seen as a source of truth; a permanent record that instills buyer confidence.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who:

● Works well independently.

● Has deep curiosity and enjoys discovering facts.

● Pays exceptional attention to detail.

● Thinks critically and questions assumptions.

● Balances analytical thinking with creativity.

● Enjoys trial-and-error research and solving difficult problems.

● Communicates complex information clearly and concisely.

● Is comfortable contacting experts, historians, collectors, and authorities for additional information.

● Knows how to ask insightful questions.

● Is receptive to constructive criticism while confidently defending well-supported conclusions.

● Can carefully analyze an object and identify meaningful clues.

● Has a genuine passion for history and material culture.

Responsibilities and Duties:





● Determining the production date of signs and advertising pieces, ideally narrowing manufacture to within a ten-year period.

● Identifying manufacturer marks and understanding how they evolved over time.

● Researching company logos, branding changes, slogans, trademarks, and advertising campaigns.

● Studying manufacturing methods, materials, and construction techniques to establish production periods.

● Investigating patents, product introductions, mergers, acquisitions, and corporate history when they directly relate to an object.

● Identifying country of origin through maker's marks and historical evidence.

● Finding photographic or documentary evidence that supports dating or authenticity.

● Identifying characteristics that distinguish one variation from another.

● Researching the collector-recognized names ("nicknames") used to identify specific signs and advertising pieces.

● Producing concise written research that explains and justifies your conclusions.

Key Skills and Qualifications:

Specialized knowledge of petroliana or advertising collectibles is an asset but not a requirement.

Candidates may come from backgrounds such as:

● Accredited appraisal

● Authentication and valuation

● Academic research

● History or museum studies

● Journalism or investigative reporting

● Libraries and archives

● Law or legal research

● Historical collecting

If you're an exceptional researcher with transferable investigative skills, we encourage you to apply.

Please email a copy of your resume and cover letter listing your relevant experience and interest in collectibles to: [email protected]

Job Type: Part time

Pay: From $25.00 per hour

Flexible language requirement:

- French not required

Work Location: Remote

📌 Researcher - Pre-1970 Petroliana and Advertising (Canada)
🏢 Miller & Miller Auctions
📍 Canada