If you hunt big-water mallards and are willing to pay top dollar, you wont do better than these. In the mid-1900s, duck decoys were as scarce as ever and were regarded as collectible items of folk art. These are hunks of plastic that are going to be abused. Duck decoys do not and cannot have a fixed price. Meet Britain's most expensive duck - a drake that has sold at auction for a record-breaking 1,500. Thats because they make extremely realistic decoys, and Id rather hunt with fewer realistic decoys than more dekes that dont look as good. He made one of the most realistic goose decoys out there, showing a Canada goose in mid-motion that really makes it look like theyre scurrying along the water while the decoy bobs. Just $1 per month , These decoys will have puddle ducks and divers coming in hot, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Here are three of my favorites. Face value, in part, but it never hurts to again do your homework. The Eider Drake Decoy On Monhegan Island, 4. In my humble opinion, duck decoys are all about two thingsvisual realism, and durability. The right mix of iridescence and matte finish. During this period, it was more or less an art form practiced by adults and children alikesome carved duck decoys for commercial purposes. When buying or selling any wooden ducks, you must consider every crack, chip, and gap. This is a foam-filled, one-piece decoy with a seven-hour run time. The original carver of the work is unknown, and all indications point out that no one will ever find out. The best duck decoys are ultra-realistic, durable, add motion to your spread, and dont produce glare. '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 . Antique Duck decoys are as valuable as many other vintage and antique items. However, the majority had two-dimensional profiles. 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. Divers are typically not the wariest of ducks and they will come into a puddle duck spread. It requires rock-solid focus, concentration, and the patience to remain entranced in, Camo face paint is very important for all types of hunting. What you hunt and where you hunt those birds play a major role in what you buy and how many. Paint adhesion, or how well the paint sticks to the plastic used to make the decoy, is a HUGE deal. Cobb Brant is one of the earliest duck carvers. I want them to look as real as possible. Over the last few decades, weve seen some of the most expensive duck decoys ever sold, and the details are quite interesting. 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. I mostly hunt ducks over water and my decoys get covered in marsh muck on almost every outing. 11 Most Expensive Duck Decoys Ever Sold. If you didnt know, A. Elmer Crowell was a Massachusetts native, who had an eye for carving. You should also check the markings on the decoy. Is it the right size? There are only two knocks on this decoy. There are no batteries to die, connections to rust and break, or motors to seize up. They reported that these imitations served as prey to other live birds. These are large, full-body decoys that look amazing in the field. Some can take it; some cant, but its definitely worth a close eyeball. Learning to identify vintage and antique duck decoys is an art lesson. 4 4. Theyre all good. First, I need the decoys to look like the real thing, and the Dive Bomb floaters certainly do have that covered. In 2007 Christie's sold the world's most expensive duck decoy, modelled on a red-breasted merganser hen, for $856,000. Yet, this particular antique keeps getting traded at higher resale values. Clich? They held onto these until their value escalated. The latest crop of cams is one of the best in years, including one unit that claims eliminate false triggers. Yes, Im sure they can be effective at times; Ive just not had that off-the-charts hunt I could attribute to a SWD. Its relatively simple, though. Do you really need wood duck decoys? However, Lothrop started as a Ship Carpenter and carved only as a hobby. As for hunting with spinning wing decoys, theyre not the silver bullet some hunters believe them to be, especially now that so many hunters use them and ducks see them all the time. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Of all the rabbit holes duck hunters get lost in, decoys might be the deepest, most labyrinthian. 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. Any vintage duck decoy, regardless of its availability, details, manufacturers (carvers), or age, can be worth lots of dollars. Bluetooth remote, long-life 6V lithium ion battery, magnetic wing attachments SCORE one for the home team there! You must carefully inspect the duck item. Does this make them more usable or viable than inexpensive, brand-new models? Paint wont erode. 7 7. Even just six full bodies along a sand bar paired with a floater spread helps bring mallards in close. And if you give them just the smallest amount of care, they will last you many years of good hunting. Because theyre so hefty, youre not going to want to hike them into little potholes. Silhouettes. Holmes spent his time as a ships carpenter for years, which allowed him to grow his proficiency in woodworking. To date, the record price for a decoy is $856,000, sold in 2007 by Guyette & Deeter in a joint auction with Christie's. Whenever you attend an antique event or visit an antique store, you may also find very tiny decoys and larger ones. Floater decoys are meant for use on the water. A few of these floating decoys appear buoyant because they were hollowed out, while the rest maintained their solid features. The smoothing and fine-tuning aspect would be completed with a drawknife. This technique helped families during the civil war to catch prey for feeding. 6 6. Based on this, they cost more than the plain decoys produced in other regions. John Blair was a PA native and spent most of his time outdoors when he wasnt carving duck decoys. The Lincoln Hisser. It wasnt until the late 1900s that many of the vintage lures we have now emerged as collectors items. Vintage and antique duck decoys look and feel old. Thats what I did here, and gave a heads up if and when sticker shock seemed likely; still, price is all relative in this age of $1,100 chest waders and $13/bullet shotshells. Now THATS how I want my decoys to look. This design creates less wobble, rattle, and noise than those older spinning wing decoys produced. Famous carvers including Ben Schmidt, Walter Ruppel, Art Chilton, Bill Goenne . Professional and expert collectors find it easy to identify markings and details on duck decoys because theyve had years to study these vintage items. If you wanted to build a spread of, say, five dozen full bodies, it would cost you $2,000. That means they will take up less space in a decoy bag and youll be able to load your spread into a truck instead of needing a trailer. In turn, the demand for decoys grind to a halt. 2. Unlike other carvers on this list, Chambers was born in Ontario, Canada. 3 3. Given this scenario, two decoys may be plenty. I dont want my decoys to look like blobs of mud. Are they realistic in appearance? Does it appear rugged and durable? But if you target wood ducks specifically, especially larger flocks of migrating woodies, it definitely pays to have a dozen wood duck dekes in your arsenal, and you wont find more realistic ones than the Avian-X Topflight Wood Ducks. There is limited information on Brant. 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. At the last listing, it cost up to $650,000. I hate No, I abhor feeble means of anchoring a decoy to the bottom. If youre hunting small water like a little pond or stream, six to a dozen is great. 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. The texture also differed based on region. What is the most valuable duck decoy? Are they the most common duck in your neck of the woods? Often, the color used depends on the variety of ducks and fowls found within that region. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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 . 5 5. Glare off a decoy is a deal breaker. Below are the best duck decoys you can buy right now. Most of them are good. Otto - Longest human tunnel travelled through by a skateboarding dog, Ashrita Furman - Most Guinness World Records titles held. He was renowned for his artistic vintage decoys that featured multiple intricate details. Although it wasnt as expensive as the paired Crowell Bundle, this single pair sold for a whopping $856,000. 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. AXP mallards lead the category with a true-to-life flock of hens and drakes designed by world champion decoy carver Rick Johannsen. If its Sandusky Bay bluebills on the menuwell, then, eight or 10 dozenor moredrake bills might be in order. The measure immediately put a stop to commercial and sport hunting. Many of Gus pieces have had their beaks repaired or replaced. 1 1. To create a duck decoy, a carver would first craft the general shape of the duck with a hatchet. And it undoubtedly works as intended, if not just a bit unnaturally, what with the fountain of water and all. Duck hunting is hard work, and its expensive. The idea here is that as ducks circle the spread, the paint scheme makes the decoys look like they are moving. Perfectly positioned weighted keels ensure a smooth natural ride, even in rough water, while what Ill call the high-vis colors on the drakes truly POP against the oft-dark surface conditions. The Eider Drake Decoy on Monhegan . So think: Are you going to hunt over a foot or more of water? When accessing your vintage duck decoys, research their purpose. Its bottom of the boat beating around. Today, Cory Foskett and the folks at Tanglefree still make that line, along with a lengthy list of other fowling products, including decoys. 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. Recent research points to a man by the name of Eben Weed being the original creator of this decoy, but some of the evidence is inconclusive. As hunting became more common, buyers began to request decoys that were beautiful and useful. The details of these ridiculously expensive vintage items are captivating. Not all of Blairs pieces are worth this much. The Crowell Bundle. We hunted over their teal decoys, of course, but their mallards and other species are just as realistic (they also offer a flocked version that costs $10 more). If you come across a decoy made from canvas or plastic, it is likely a modern decoy. 3 3. Can you easily and securely attach an anchor line clip to the keel? 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. What is the most expensive duck decoy ever sold? McIntyre took those first decoys the decent looking ones at least to Ducks Unlimited dinners, where he sold the three dollar ducks for $15, the $20 ducks for $50. Rule of thumb. Yeah, they look that good. Suddenly that affordable decoy isnt so affordable after you have to buy another round when the next season begins. Theyll last many seasons, and they are affordable. Vintage duck decoys can be ridiculously expensive. Rare Mason Brant Decoy by Auctioneers, Inc. Est: $0- $0. Carved by John Blair, this simple antique piece fetched about $214,000. Which duck decoys are worth money? Hunting isnt easy. Stephen B. OBrien Jr with the record breaking pair of Duck Decoy by Elmer Crowell. Chambers is the only one on this list who wasnt American-born. Why It Made the Cut: Diver decoys need to be tough and highly visible. What is the most expensive duck decoy ever sold? When it comes to expensive duck decoys, Joe Lincoln is a name that often comes up. 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