most valuable duck decoys

Joe Lincoln painted decoys well into his 70s and remains an underdog in the decoy world. Some of the master carvers of duck decoys such as Ben Schmidt, Joe Lincoln, Walter Ruppel, Adam Anger, Addie Nichol, Alain MacDonald, Albert Laing, Art Chilton, Babe Strubinger, Bert . They look real enough, if you take care of them. Red-Breasted Merganser Hen Carving, by Lothrop Holmes. Will their paint chip when theyre bounced around in a boat? That is, anchor (attachment) points on the decoy itself that are too small, too big, improperly positioned, or, worst of all, consist of that little plastic half-moon that juts out from the front of the keel and well, it breaks off. Why It Made the Cut: Its simple. Avian-X offers industry leading duck decoys with unmatched quality and realism. 11 Most Expensive Duck Decoys Ever Sold. Its a rite of passage for a lot of young men. Are they spread out loafing? Comments below may relate to previous holders of this record. In my experience, fully flocked duck decoys are not worth it. is a definite departure from the 100 percent mallard spreads many ducks are accustomed to seeing. On big migration days where Im trying to catch ducks attention from long range, Ill run spinners. In 2007, his pintail drake and Canada goose decoys sold as a bundle. 2 2. 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. Top 50 Decoys Ever Sold at Auction. My very first duck decoys back in The Day, circa 1980, were old Flambeau decoys that I used for years and years. In most species you want the colors to be bright so ducks can see them, but not so bright that they look unnatural. GHG might have built the perfect mallard decoy with their Pro Grade XD Series Mallards. It is inexpensive. 5 5. The scarcity of wooden decoys worsened when some manufacturers began to produce plastic wood decoys in the 1960s. The hunters who lie in wait would then capture the live birds that approach the dummy. Here are the new year's top models. The Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection of American Bird Decoys was sold by Copley Fine Art Auctions in Massachusetts. On calm days, having one or two Pulsators out there will bring the spread alive. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. '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 . Theyll last many seasons, and they are affordable. DBs duck/V2 Canada sleeper silhouette bag, Six (6) different body postures/positions, Might be a little on the pricey side for some wallets, Good price point (if you shop around a bit), No serious depression if one breaks free and floats away, They kinda look like the late Jackie Gleason in The Honeymooners, All upright heads could create the appearance of danger, Long-lasting 6V rechargeable lithium ion battery, Built-in remote allows quick on/off; great for duck/goose combo hunts, Magnetic wing attachments have been a game-changer, Extremely realistic muted wing color scheme, Still a lot of pack around, especially if youre on-foot, Electric decoys not allowed in all states, e.g. Even though were a relatively young country, our rich heritage becomes valuable at an accelerated rate. Some duck decoys were carved for hunting, some for decoration, while a few served both purposes. Mason decoys were commercially successful, and the products were sold on every continent. 3 3. In 2007 Christie's sold the world's most expensive duck decoy, modelled on a red-breasted merganser hen, for $856,000. Branding. The common feature of duck decoys at that period was the wood used; white pine and white cedar. RANK: MAKER: STATE: DECOY: AUCTIONEER: DATE: PRICE: RECORD: 1: . $140 5 Bids. Search knutsondecoys.com or parkercoatings.com, buy some colors that suit you, and touch em up. Most of them are good. Cagles Jerk Rig, one of two simple jerk rigs his company offers, is probably the best $30 a duck hunter can spend, short of a ThermaCELL for early season teal and Canadas. Owning a spread of the best duck decoys that are perfectly suited to your hunting style certainly helps as well. The mason decoys were carved from white cedar, lathe patterned, and took pleasing shapes. Translation? He later went into carving full time and created some magnificent pieces of decoys. '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 . But, an individual duck decoy carved by him pulled in $168,000. Flocked decoys, especially completely flocked decoys, require some additional care above and beyond that given all-plastic blocks. 2. 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. In these events, youll be opportune to inspect subtle features put in by antique carvers. Guyette of Guyette and Deeter auctions once explained that about 90% of the available antique duck decoys had been repainted or renailed. Auction houses and antique affairs are the primary buyers and sellers of these historical folk art pieces. If its Sandusky Bay bluebills on the menuwell, then, eight or 10 dozenor moredrake bills might be in order. Though as low as $80 and as high as $150 is common. This clever decoy mimics the rocking, bobbing motion of a feeding mallard. Red-Breasted Merganser Hen Carving, by Lothrop Holmes, 3. Some makers are more renowned and talented than others. 8 8. 2023. Bernie Madoff might just go down as this centurys biggest American villain, but his decoy fetched a rather handsome amount of money during the auctioning of his estate. If you didnt know, A. Elmer Crowell was a Massachusetts native, who had an eye for carving. What is the most valuable duck decoy? I dont want my decoys to look like blobs of mud. Orwhat the hellmaybe a dozen mallards, and then a half dozen pintails, gadwall, widgeon, and green-wing teal. Learn more . Or five. He was born in 1825, and he began carving at a young age. That all depends upon how seriously you target woodies. You may recognize it as being the center of the James McCleery collection until it was eventually sold. Anchor attachment points wont rip out. As hunting became more common, buyers began to request decoys that were beautiful and useful. What is the most expensive duck decoy ever sold? But that way madness lies. As for the price ($175/12), you can get a dozen mallards for $40, and you can find a dozen mallards pushing $200. This is the most expensive decoy bundle ever sold to date. Six decoys CAN be enough, if youre on a little body of water where the ducks want to be. Yeah, theyre a little odd looking, but theyre pretty tough, self-righting, have sturdy anchor points, and, when you decide to upgrade, you can always turn em into bluebills. Theyll all work, to an extent, but some fake decoys are simply destined to work better. Floater decoys are meant for use on the water. I mostly hunt ducks over water and my decoys get covered in marsh muck on almost every outing. 5. 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. 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. If youd like to see a graphical breakdown of expensive wooden decoys, we got you covered: Im calling it this because two decoys were sold together for a whopping $1,130,000. Duck hunting is hard work, and its expensive. Just getting started fowling and on a budget? Crowell began his carving career in the early 1900s and continued carving excessively till he kicked the bucket in 1952. Ill admit it. Theyre all good. Decoys are meant to be used, and quite often that use isnt pretty. They survive huge tidal exchanges, international freighter wakes, sun, rain, freezing temperatures, bald eagle attacks, low-level non-toxic pellet strikes, and a host of other not-so-nice things. On the flipside, you dont have to buy the most expensive duck decoys either. Instead of hollow plastic, they are made entirely of EVA foam, which is the same material Crocs are made from. Regardless of where you call home, mallard decoys are a safe bet, and will likely produce results. For practice, you can attend decoy auctions, and hunting shows to get on-hand experience. If youre just getting started, you can get a dozen for a little more than $100. If you find a new-in-box dozen mallards that look good not fantastic, but good for $40, you should be reaching for your wallet, I reckon. To create the head, the carver uses an ax to cut off a small woodblock. Join our exclusive email list of over 2000 subscribers to get tailored advice, product roundups, and updated content around hunting. Hunting isnt easy. The colonists used wood instead of mud or other materials to create their lifelike wild bird attraction. Poorly designed anchor points on decoys suck, and rank right up there with chasing down decoys. Make it look really real. Give it some thought. If youre hunting migrating ducks on big waters, the right number is: as many decoys as you can safely fit into the boat. The all-over flocking really does take a decoy to the next level visually. Where Foskett and Tanglefree excel, perhaps, is in the diver realm; that is, with their canvasbacks, redheads, and bluebills. Our Editor 10 duck decoys Review: 1. Red-Breasted Merganser Hen Carving, by Lothrop Holmes. Its relatively simple, though. Throw it out, set a spread around it, and youre in the catbird seat. The current condition of an antique duck decoy plays a significant role in determining its value. Keels wont break off. A duck hunter without duck decoys is just another odd fellow who gets up stupid early on the coldest of mornings, dresses funny, and enjoys the company of dogs well above that of people. Real, live ducks. The year was 1972, and a little California-based father/son company had just bounced onto the fowling radar with a single product a no-tangleTanglefree!decoy line and a lead anchor system that would, like Kleenex for any tissue and Xerox for any copy machine, serve as THE name for decoy cord, regardless of who made it, for decades to come. For instance, the Mason Factory Wood Duckis one of the rarest unique models of wood decoy. Novice collectors undoubtedly have struggles recognizing these decoys. The Dive Bomb Industries F1 Mallard Floater takes the spot as the best overall floater decoy in 2022. Nice to know, though. Why It Made the Cut: When I opened the box and saw them for the first time, I said D..A..M..N! Crowell put so much detail into these decoys, that they were picked up by the Fine Arts of Boston (though the timeline is unclear). Mallard decoys can range from a low of $5 apiece to upwards of $30 per duck. Gus did not make hundreds of decoys like his counterparts, and the majority of the ones he carved did not possess the best beaks. The Graves decoys cannot be compared to world-famous antique items. 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. How to identify valuable duck decoys, spot identifying traits, & assess value. Paint adhesion, or how well the paint sticks to the plastic used to make the decoy, is a HUGE deal. To date, the record price for a decoy is $856,000, sold in 2007 by Guyette & Deeter in a joint auction with Christie's. Stick Ups were used to lift the body off the ground. And so it goes from there, but its a good thing, really. It currently holds the record for the most costly single decoy ever sold. Oh, it was therein the bottom of the shipping box. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Not immediately, but at some truly inopportune time during, maybe, a full-out gale. Decoys the physical decoys themselves are just the beginning. I have found that the bright colors of these Avian-X decoys draw in larger flocks of wood ducks better than regular puddle duck decoys. 11 Most Expensive Duck Decoys Ever Sold. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Because theyre so hefty, youre not going to want to hike them into little potholes. Meet Britain's most expensive duck - a drake that has sold at auction for a record-breaking 1,500. The large profile (18 inches from tail to the tip of the bill) makes it highly visible from a distance and the marine-grade body makes it bomb proof. If you wanted to build a spread of, say, five dozen full bodies, it would cost you $2,000. Dac Collins. Take a glance at the top 50 decoys ever sold with Guyette a& Deeter, Inc. Top 50 Sold. Bert Graves was a more recent carver than Crowell or Holmes because he made his last decoy in 1956. Most field hunters targeting mallards can get away with a goose spread along with a couple dozen full bodies on the X (along with some spinners). Lothrop didnt start out with decoys; it was more of a side hobby that later turned into a career. Add up the cost of the best duck hunting shotguns, the best duck hunting waders, and throw in shells and licenses; suddenly it seems like you should try to save money by buying cheap decoys. Silhouettes are anything but new, having been in use for decades; however, fowlers are now discovering Rediscovering? 2 2. What are the most expensive duck decoys? '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 . So think: Are you going to hunt over a foot or more of water? You incorporate it into your life, and other eccentric duck hunters with deep pockets will stop at nothing to claim some of the most coveted factory-made decoys in history. Yeah, they look that good. Cheap decoys typically have more issues with glare. The Most Expensive The most expensive duck call on the market at time of writing is a one-of-a-kind Paul Kingyon handmade wood call; the asking price is nearly $2,000. Just three years later, in Guyette & Deeter's own sale, a duck decoy sold for $803,000, and another example for $830,000 in 2006. Some can take it; some cant, but its definitely worth a close eyeball. Probably. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. 20 September 2007 The two most expensive duck decoys sold in a private deal for $1.13 million (504,188) each and were carved by A Elmer Cromwell (USA, 1862-1952). Lothrop also has another notable duck decoy called the Ruddy Turnstone. Antique Duck decoys are as valuable as many other vintage and antique items. I like the way they work a spread, when they work a spread. Some of the lures in this range were handpainted in eye-catching natural shades, which were easy to spot. 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. Finally, I repainted most, if not all, of them as drake bluebills, and they enjoyed another life as big water divers. And that, typically, isnt a bad thing. 4 4. It requires NO batteries. It also includes a carry bag so you can keep the whole thing organized. The Crowell Bundleextensively includes 31 decoys, all of which were valued at $7.5 million. The 750 gallon-per-hour bilge pump at the heart of the Pulsator is powered by a 12V lithium ion battery, which, says Higdon, will provide up to seven hours of service, and, whats better, will recharge in 180 minutes.

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