And it flat works. In the early days, most carvers engraved their initials and date on the bottom of the decoy. There are a lot of companies producing duck decoys nowadays. The Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection of American Bird Decoys was sold by Copley Fine Art Auctions in Massachusetts. 3 3. They were carved sometime around 1915-1917, shortly after he began carving and have held their aesthetics and shape for over a century. 4 4. And then it builds from there. I was, Ill be honest, skeptical about the visual benefits, per se, of fully flocked (FFD) duck decoys; however, upon seeing Greenhead Gears FFD gadwallwell, lets just say I became a believer, and that to the point where today Im setting FFD mallard floaters, full-body mallards (drake heads only), and pintails in my day-to-day spread. No, they dont look like they came out of the workshop of Fred Zink or Dave Smith, but youre not paying $20 a decoy either. Join our exclusive 2,500+ email list to get tailored advice, product roundups, and be the first to see our new content. Their colors, detail, and body positions are all excellent. Red-Breasted Merganser Hen Carving, by Lothrop Holmes. That means the decoys tend to run on the more expensive side. Higher end dekes use paint that wont glare. All rights reserved. Gus Wilson may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of famous decoy designers, but hes one of the most recent record-holders for duck decoy sales. How to identify valuable duck decoys, spot identifying traits, & assess value. Head and bill positions. No matter which species you chase or which flyway youre hunting, these four skills are required for success. The concluding activity in this straightforward process involves sanding, priming, and painting the fowl in natural colors. And so it goes from there, but its a good thing, really. In my experience, fully flocked duck decoys are not worth it. There are other videos, articles, and books you can consult on this subject to learn to recognize these antique items. What are the most expensive duck decoys? We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 'The most wonderful thing about this decoy,' Rosenberg continues, 'is that it wasn't created for humans to admire, but for other ducks the intention being to fool them into . Does it appear rugged and durable? Any manufacturer worth his/her salt will make a point of explaining just how well the paint sticks to their decoys, and why it does that. Interestingly, some John Blair decoys have gone for $12,000 or less, but this one mallard has been trading hands and increasing in value for years. 'The most wonderful thing about this decoy,' Rosenberg continues, 'is that it wasn't created for humans to admire, but for other ducks the intention being to fool them into . Oh, I have to have four or five dozen divers, minimum. Ive hunted with many of these picks for several years and can attest to their durability. Im sure Im not the only one who thinks Dive Bomb has become a household name among modern waterfowl hunters, especially the field goose hunters who have flat gone ga-ga over these new silhouette decoys. There was always a demand for it during the early days as commercial hunters and sport hunters needed as many as possible to lure as many preys as possible. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. $250 5 Bids. Around 50-bucks and you can kill ducks over them. Lothrop didnt start out with decoys; it was more of a side hobby that later turned into a career. What are you going to hunt? A brand with high-quality products and outstanding customer service is the ideal choice for best duck decoys for the money. In my humble opinion, duck decoys are all about two thingsvisual realism, and durability. There are only two knocks on this decoy. Manage Settings Body shapes and profiles are good. A part of the puzzle. Singles and pairs will lock into a regular mallard spread. Antique and vintage duck decoys in pristine conditions can command a fortune. The Wilson Merganser Drake Duck Decoy. The second is the price. Why It Made the Cut: The XS Pulsator does what its meant to do: Move water and create motion in an otherwise static decoy spread. The measure immediately put a stop to commercial and sport hunting. While many wood ducks get shot while pass shooting or as bonus birds, I target them specifically in the Mississippi flyway (which is loaded with wood ducks at certain times of the year). The individual most expensive decoy actually belongs to Lothrop Holmes, but since it was still purchased for a lower denomination, it comes in at number two. Stephen B. OBrien Jr with the record breaking pair of Duck Decoy by Elmer Crowell. They reported that these imitations served as prey to other live birds. Its like having a piece of history, from your favorite thing, sitting right on a shelf somewhere. The real downside here is that in high wind (often when the duck hunting can be very good) any type of shells on a stake will bob or spin frantically. When buying or selling any wooden ducks, you must consider every crack, chip, and gap. This hefty and ultra-realistic decoy is the ultimate option for targeting mallards on big water. Were still in New England guys, but this time were in Maine. The "Mackie Auctions" established the waterfowl decoy collecting market. Where Foskett and Tanglefree excel, perhaps, is in the diver realm; that is, with their canvasbacks, redheads, and bluebills. In most species you want the colors to be bright so ducks can see them, but not so bright that they look unnatural. Rule of thumb. It would be best if you also inspected the eyes of the decoy. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. In all cases, I leaned toward decoys that look realistic in the field. The guy we all know and hate. Thats because the Pulsators themselves are moving, but they also create little ripples that move the decoys close to them. This was an auction record for the carver's pieces I opened the box of the then-new Dive Bomb mallard floaters, took one look, and told no one but the month-old chickens in the pen in the garageDamn! A rare swan decoy made by Charles Birch sold for $186,500 in a 2011 Guyette & Schmidt, Inc. auction. I dont know how much you paid for your antique duck decoy, but youre about to be frazzled by how much people have paid for them in the past. This is the most expensive decoy bundle ever sold to date. First, the mounting spots on the keel are not complete holes. If youre hunting migrating ducks on big waters, the right number is: as many decoys as you can safely fit into the boat. Some people pick up carving vintage or whittling as a hobby, but this man did it so excessively that his work is still revered over a century later. What is the most expensive duck decoy ever sold? Glare off a decoy is a deal breaker. This technique had served the Native Americans for over 900 years; hence the Colonists sought to improve this technique quickly. In 2007 Christie's sold the world's most expensive duck decoy, modelled on a red-breasted merganser hen, for $856,000. If you are familiar with these items and their collectors, youd know that there is always a person or a group of persons willing to pay exorbitant prices for this piece. Some decades ago, the Fine Arts of Boston picked up a few of his works and saved them in their museum. On the flipside, you dont have to buy the most expensive duck decoys either. Of all the rabbit holes duck hunters get lost in, decoys might be the deepest, most labyrinthian. A supposed vintage and antique decoy that looks new is most likely a modern replica. Since 1984, "We have brought in a $134 million in decoy sales." The most expensive decoys ever solda preening Pintail Drake and a Canada goose by the late master carver Elmer Crowellwent for one million each in 2007. Hence the reason why most of them are sold for $100 or less. In 2007 Christie's sold the world's most expensive duck decoy, modelled on a red-breasted merganser hen, for $856,000. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Unattributed Slot Neck Canada Goose Decoy. Theres not a ton of information available on Brant. Im not mentioning the same creators over and over again, so for the sake of transparency, its also important to note that Lothrops Ruddy Turnstone sold for $470,000 back in 2000. If youre looking to build a premium spread of the best duck decoys that will last long-term, you wont do better than the GHG Pro Grade XD Series. Stephen OBrien of Copley Fine Art Auctions, Boston, said studying Adele Earnests The Art of the Decoy would go a long way in familiarizing oneself with the fine details of duck decoys. The carve (shape and detail of the body) should look like a real duck. To create a duck decoy, a carver would first craft the general shape of the duck with a hatchet. It will run in as little as six inches of water. However, Lothrop started as a Ship Carpenter and carved only as a hobby. In 1965, decoy expert William J. Mackey Jr. published American Bird Decoys and Adele Earnest published The Art of the Decoy: American Bird Carvings, further legitimizing the folk artform. Like many others on this list, he lived until the 1940s but didnt enjoy much of his work being sold. Of the ones that he did make that were aware of, their beaks werent the best. The hunters who were still active at the time destroyed most of their wooden decoys and embraced the plastic items because they were less expensive and lighter. Colors? The scarcity of wooden decoys worsened when some manufacturers began to produce plastic wood decoys in the 1960s. Some movement in your spread is good. The Eider Drake Decoy on Monhegan Island. Nice to know, though. Take a glance at the top 50 decoys ever sold with Guyette a& Deeter, Inc. Top 50 Sold. However, the majority had two-dimensional profiles. The exact date the first duck decoy was produced is not recorded; however, I can categorically state that this art has existed for at least a thousand years. Give it some thought. They get rained on and covered in snow and ice. Replicate this when you set up your spread. It was the highest ticket item at an $800,000 auction, bringing in $299,000 individually, which greatly surpassed the average for the dozens of other items in the auction. Unattributed Slot Neck Canada Goose Decoy. Its simply called a wood duck, but this Thomas Chambers decoy sold for a decent price at $187,000 back in 2004. Also, because you can remove the heads on these shells, you can stack them. Cheap decoys typically have more issues with glare. The reason these were so expensive is that they were some of Crowells first documented decoys. Continue with Recommended Cookies, All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. Some are exceptional, while others are okay. Stability, low shake, and low noise. Even the gentlest breeze got these decoys moving on the water, and the dual keel design allows them to move even more freely in any sort of current. But back to duck decoys. When accessing your vintage duck decoys, research their purpose. Buy the best your pocketbook will allow, but understand that a combination of realism, durability, and quality, all backed by service after the sale, isnt cheap in this day and age. Branding. This piece is shrouded in a tone of mystery. Of all bird decoys created, duck decoys were the most commonly made, however it wasn't unusual to produce other species, such as geese, turkeys, swans, grouse, partridge, and pigeons. This in itself is a tricky task. Most vintage duck decoys do not have identifiable markings. If there were, it might be overcoming the psychological aspect of gunning over something other than traditional three-dimensional decoys. That all said, I have a lot to concern myself with when Im duck hunting; I dont want to worry about my decoys unraveling. The drakes have a few scratches on the heads that are noticeablebut not enough to pull them from the rotation or even touch them up with paint. At $ 187,000 back in 2004 but they also create little ripples that move decoys. To them over them $ 100 or less not worth it shape detail... Copley Fine Art Auctions in Massachusetts and carved only as a hobby most valuable duck decoys... 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