SOLD ITEMS PAGE!
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All items on this page are SOLD! Click on "Decoys" above to view current inventory.
Last updated: August 25, 2008 (Downsized to load faster)
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Superb, never rigged oversized Black Duck by A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952), East Harwich, Mass. Circa 1915-20. Very clean all original paint & condition. Paint is very dry, clean with a perfect patina of age. Has good strong oval style brand. Measures approx 17 inches long, and has the big, bold, deep body style. Has a couple of spots of old white near head, probably done by Crowell when he was making a rig of hunting birds, could probably be removed but shows age & doesnt distract. Solid body with glass eyes & has typical body check along length of bottom of bird, common with Crowell birds because of the solid wood he used. Has nicely done rasped head & breast. Extra pics available. This is a excellent example for any collector looking for a strong Crowell Black Duck to add to a collection. Good buy here as Crowell decoys continue to be the strongest part of the decoy market, early unrigged examples this nice are getting impossible to find at any price. SOLD! |
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Superb & rare Mason Glasseye Dove, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Mich. Circa 1910. Ex-McCleery collection. Has a double "McCleery" stamp on bottom & "Mason Dove" is written in ink. Paint is very strong, clean & all original. Measures approx 9 3/4 inches. Perfect glass eyes & original bill. A few minor rubs to the surface, & a few shot marks. Mason decoys continue to soar in value, and good quality like this example seem to have no limit. Great color on this one. Very clean, not perfect mint but close to it, & as good an example as you will find of this scarce species. More pics avail. Sold, click on "DECOYS" at top of page to view current inventory |
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Superb & near mint Black Duck by Miles Hancock (1888-1974), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1950. Near mint, all original paint & condition. Paint is very clean & great detailed scratch paint style. Cottonwood body & head that measures 18 inches long. Has tack eyes. This is a great thick body style by Hancock. It is pictured in "COLLECTING ANTIQUE BIRD DECOYS and DUCK CALLS", by Carl F. Luckey & Russell E. Lewis. If you been wanting a seriously nice Hancock Black Duck, this is it. Sold |
Superb oversize Black Duck by Ira Hudson (1876-1949), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1930-1940. Excellent, very clean, & all original paint & condition with one "in making" check on left side. Paint style & form are highly desirable. This is one of Hudson's football, banjo tail models. Solid cedar body, measures approx 17 1/2 inches long, has tack eyes & retains original line tie & weight. Nicely done scratch paint patterns & carving style, with slightly turned head. This is a fine a Hudson as you will find. Sold |
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Stunning
"dead hang" Greenwing Teal pair by Grayson Chesser, Jenkins
Bridge, VA. Excellent all original paint & condition, and mounted
on a very cool old shutter. Life size carved cedar bodies measure approx
14 1/2 inches long each, with great head & full body carving. Overall
size of piece is appox 31 X 15. Grayson was the "Carver of the Year" at
the 2004 Harve de Grace Decoy Show, and just did an exhibit at the Smithsonian
Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. Grayson makes a great bird &
his "dead hang" carvings are very, very scarce and a collector
favorite. This is a fabulous piece of art, and will please even the most
demanding of collectors.
SOLD! |
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Outstanding rare & very early hollow Canada Goose by Lou Barkelow
(carved approx 1870-1950), Forked River, New Jersey. Circa 1880-1910.
Ex-Collection of the Noyes Museum & marked as such with number on
bottom. Bird was gifted to the Museum by his brother. Paint is very
strong and all original. It is very clean & bone dry & has never
been waxed. Great swirl painting style, and the color & patina on
this one is a killer. Its hollow carved & measures approx 24 1/2 inches
long. Retains original splined bill & tack eyes. Also has original
pad weight & leather line tie. Very little paint loss on this one.
This Goose is one of a small group of decoys that was given to the Noyes
Museum by Edward Barkelow, who was the brother of Lou Barkelow, and the
only other son of Joel Barkelow. In the past these were a toss up of either
Barkelow or Dude Crane, but futher research suggest they were made by
Lou Barkelow approx 1880s & are much earlier then Dude Crane who carved
a less stylish decoy & is a bit later. This is a fabulous old Goose
decoy. It is a rare opportunity to add any Goose of this vintage &
condition to a collection, especially from NJ. Great bird here for the
money.
SOLD! |
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Superb
& early Yellowlegs decoy by Charles Clark, Chincoteague Island, VA.
Circa 1890-1910.
Excellent all original paint that is super crisp, thick & clean. Some
dryness flaking to bare wood in a few spots. Bill is a replacement (that
will save you a bunch of $'s). Solid carved body measures approx 10 3/4
inches long. Classic Clark with the sharp ridge carving down the entire
back with flared tail & fat jowl & skull carving. Nice fat body
has a good look & feel in hand. Charles Clark made some of the best
folk art shorebirds made & they have become a high demand item in
the last few years. Rarely are they offered this nice & clean, &
you could live with a replaced bill at this price on this rare beauty.
E-mail for more pics if interested, examples of Clarks shorebirds have
sold for over $100,000.+, they are great decoy folk art & after the
Clark Yellowlegs sells in NY in mid-Jan at Americana Week 2007 at Christies
this will be the last one you see in this price range, this nice of condition
is nearly impossible to find.
SOLD! |
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Superb, early & very fat, hollow carved, drake Bluebill by Ira Hudson (1876-1949), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1925-1935. Has good, dry, clean all original paint with very little wear for the age, most body wear is age/grain line, some rubs to head as shown. No repairs or touch ups of any kind. Measures approx 13 1/2 inches. This is very rare hollow carved body style (dont see many hollow Bluebills), with what appears to be extra fancy painting, swirls go all the way around the body, even onto the belly area. Has extra wide banjo tail with 8 carved fluted areas. Had ice dip carving on back. Body is hollow carved cedar, the head is balsa, dont understand why some Chincoteague makers did that except that wood was always scarce. Miles Hancock also did that quite frequently & he was known for sturdiness in the birds he made. It held up well with no neck cracks, but does have slight blunted area to end of bill. A desirable & early Hudson, with a great head style with nicely carved bill, very fat and round football style body, & tack eyes. Retains the original weight & line tie. Nicely done paint style & as good as you can expect to find on a bird of this vintage. Great bird & as clean and honest as you will find a Hudson, very cool bird that will surely please. More pics avail. A very charming bird for any collection. SOLD! |
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Superb
& near mint drake Mallard by Charles Perdew (1874-1963), Henry, Ill.
Circa 1948-52. Superb
all original paint & condition. Paint is just about perfect mint that
is bright, clean & crisp with great detail & patina. Hollow carved
it measures approx 16 inches long with a slightly turned head and glass
eyes. The only thing this keeps this classic beauty from being drop dead
perfect is a very small chip on lower right side bottom edge of bill as
shown in top pic. Has small less then inch paint shrinkage on back of
head & small paint rub on tip of tail. Retains original weight &
line tie. This bird is a killer & you could get yourself "crushed"
at auction trying to buy one this nice. Some great info can be found in
any of the books that cover Illinois River decoys. Perdews are classics,
& not just in the mid-west, his work is highly sought by many collectors
all over the country. This is a outstanding example of his work &
you would have a hard time finding one with the same vintage in this condition
at anywhere near this price. Great piece here for even the pickiest condition
collector or investor. More pics avail if interested. SOLD! |
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Outstanding & very scarce Black Duck decoy by J. Corb Reed (1897-1982), Chincoteague Island, VA.
Stamped "J.CORB REED". Dated 1974. Excellent all original paint &
condition.The colors on the feathers are the most accurate I have seen on any Black Duck I have ever handled. Nice slightly raised wings with great head, tail and feather carving. Bird is carved
in "sleepy-eyed" resting pose with slightly turned head & glass eyes. Measures approx
14 1/4 inches long. Corb Reed started carving around 1912, he was well known
for his decoys and flatwork art of marsh & wildfowl. He painted many wall murals in the government buildings in Washington D.C. This is as fine
a Corb Reed Black Duck decoy as you will ever find. The decoys by Corb Reed are the most underated & undervalued decoys to come off of Chincoteague Island. More pics of this beauty available. SOLD! |
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Rare & superb running style Yellowlegs shorebird decoy by Miles Hancock
(1888-1974), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1950-60. A rare species
by Hancock & any shorebirds by Hancock are very scarce. Probably not
quite full size, measures 9 1/4 inches, maybe 3/4 size? Excellent all
original paint, with very nicely done scratch paint patterns on back &
side and has no wear! This is cedar body bird with metal tack eyes. Has
splined bill thru head. This is a tuff piece by Hancock, shorebirds are
nearly impossible by him & a rare addition for any collection. |
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Rare
& very early Black Duck decoy by Ira Hudson (1873-1949), Chincoteague
Island, VA. Circa possibly pre-1900, in unused all original condition.
Very good strong, dry, all original paint with edge wear as expected.
No repairs or touch ups of any kind. Has thin partial neck crack that
doesn't go thru neck, and both side bottom edges of neck to shelf have
thin cracks, as would be expected from a 100 year old gunning decoy. But
all is secure & clean, worst side shown, more pics avail. This is
Hudson's earliest documented style & examples are rarely ever found in
all original paint. Solid body measures approx 15 1/4 inches long &
has a nice shelf carving. Has painted eyes & was never weighted, decoy
was never used as no evidence of a line tie exist. . This is the earliest
Hudson Black Duck I have ever seen in original paint & the only one
I have seen in unused condition. Great bird here & formerly in the
collection of Grayson Chesser. |
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Superb
& mint Canvasback drake by Robert McGaw (1879-1958), Harve de Grace,
MD. Circa 1930-40. Excellent all original paint & condition, great
patina & aging. Never waxed, paint is super strong, dry & crisp. Has
never been gunned over & is near perfect, only some lite paint flake
at neck base as shown. More pics avail. Measures approx 15 3/4 inches
long, has original weight & line tie. Also has McGaw's brand. Outstanding
paint patterns in McGaws best style. Formerly
in the collection of
noted
author & decoy historian Henry Fleckenstein, and has his early ink
collection stamp on the bottom.
As good as they come, and of the quality you just can't find at any price
these days. You will be thrilled with this beauty, it is as fine a McGaw
Canvasback decoy as you will ever be able to find of this vintage. SOLD!
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Superb & very scarce Mark McNair hollow carved Wood Duck decoy, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa 2004. Outstanding all original paint that has been aged & shows a stunning patina. Measures approx 14 inches. Glass eyes & raised wing and hollow body carving. Has leather line tie & is weighted. This is a neat style & looks 100 years old, its all Mark's style & that is what makes it superb. Its tuff getting any McNairs & this is a pure beauty. Carved McNair signature. Hard to find these at any price & probably your only chance to ever get a McNair Wood Duck. SOLD! |
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Superb,
early & rare sleeper Canvasback pair by R. Madison Mitchell (1901-1993),
Harve de Grace, MD. Signed & dated 1954. Excellent never gunned all
original condition. Excellent all original paint thats strong, dry & clean,
great brush work on these early beauties, with just a couple of handling
rubs from age. Measure approx 14 inches long each. This early matched
pair have never been used & is as nice a Mitchell matched pair of sleeper
Canvasbacks as you will ever find at any price. Retains original single
nail end weight & staple rig line tie in each bird. Also have the "brad
nail in butt" that marks them as his best quality wood. More pics avail.
You have seen the Mitchell market soar this year & this being a matched
sleeper pair of this vintage & high quality puts them in a class all
their own, a sleeper Black Duck from the 40s sold for over 6K at Guyette
and Schmidt April 2004 sale. This pair was sold earlier this past year
from a small group that was fresh to market from the shelf of the original
purchaser, which he bought from Mitchell in 1954. A superb & rare
old decoy pair by the dean of Upper Chesapeake Bay makers & for the
Mitchell collector looking for only the best. Priced to sell, you will
be thrilled with this pair. |
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Rare
wooden Black Duck pair of decoys by Delbert "Cigar" Daisy (born
1924), VA. Signed & branded "CIGAR". Excellent
all original paint & condition in unused condition. Proper painted bills
for true matched pair. Stylish carved bodies measures approx 18 1/4 inches
each, with great head & full body carving, with raised wing carving detail.
Both have glass eyes. Seldom found species in wood as most were made out
of cork. Cigars decoys have soared thru the roof in the last couple of
years & are seldom offered at any price. Very nice pair, if you have
been watching the price of these the last few years or been to any of
the local auctions on Delmarva you know what a good value this pair is.
SOLD!
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Very rare 1929 edition of "SHOOTING-STANDS OF EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS" by John C. Phillips. This book was a private printing by Phillips in 1929 in which monies raised were to benefit the Mass. Fish and Game Association, Boston Mass. John C. Phillips is best known for his fabulous group of decoys made for him by Elmer Crowell, including the world record Pintail. Crowell was his live decoy handler & is mentioned in this book, as is Joe Lincoln & others from the area. Book is 157 pages & in very good shape with the exception of some wear to the spline. Great hunting history book with details on kills & predominate species at each blind. Very rare book here for the collector of Mass hunting history or the collector of decoys from the area, especially decoys by Elmer Crowell. SOLD! |
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Superb & scarce Nathan Cobb style Canada Goose decoy by Mark McNair, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa less then 10 years old. Outstanding all original paint that has been aged & shows a stunning patina. The paint on this Goose is as clean, tight & aged as perfect as any I have ever seen by Mark. This beauty measures approx 24 1/4 inches. Body is hollow carved proper with swimming root head & is patterned after the finest Goose decoys ever made, the geese of Nathan Cobb of Cobb Island Virginia. Glass eyes & has leather line tie & is weighted. This is a neat style & looks 125 years old, its my favorite of the many styles by Mark & I have ask several McNair collectors & best we can come up with is about 5 of these made, could be more, I have one in my collection & handled this one & one other, I will ask Mark when I talk with him again. Not an easy model McNair to find & with talk of a McNair book in the works its a good time to be buying some of his work to add to your collection while it is avail. Its tuff getting any McNairs & this is a pure beauty. Carved McNair signature. For you McNair decoy collectors looking for a outstanding & scarce addition for your collection here is as fine a McNair as you will ever see. SOLD! |
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Superb
Northern Pike fish plaque by Marty Hanson, Prior Lake, Minn. Circa
1990's (?). Marty told me this was the only fish plaque he has made. Has Marty's white ink stamp on back.
Excellent all original paint & condition with a great patina. Paint is very detailed & aged to look 100 years old. Has great looking aged "burst" painting behind the fish that really makes it stand out. Also the frame paint is aged perfect to just make the whole thing a great work of art. The 4 body fins are made from copper & the tail is carved wood, eye is glass. Body is 3/4 carving that measures approx 25 inches, overall length of plaque is approx 30 X 9 1/2. Ask for extra
pics if interested. This rare one of a kind piece is outstanding & will be a great addition to any collection. If you have ever tried to get any decoys at a show by Marty you know he sells out fast & you wont find one of these. SOLD! |
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Superb & early Canvasback pair by R. Madison Mitchell (1901-1993), Harve de Grace, MD. Circa early 1950's. Never used & excellent all original condition. Excellent all original paint thats very strong & clean. Measure approx 15 1/2 inches long each. Hen has no faults, drake has a hair thin age line around neck & lost the puddy over head of 1 nail head. This pair has the original flat bottoms and were either made as Christmas Ducks or as mantel birds, the extra nice paint work on them is excellent and the head carving is extra nice. Not signed but these were made way before Mitchell started signing his decoys, and is guaranteed 100% Mitchell. More pics avail. You have seen the Mitchell market soar this past year & this being a matched pair of this vintage & quality puts them in a class all thier own, early Mitchells have brought 5 figuires at Guyette and Schmidt April 2004 sale. A superb 50+ year old perfect matched pair by the dean of Upper Chesapeake Bay makers. Priced to sell, you just don't find Mitchells this early & in this condition anymore, very good buy on these. SOLD! |
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Very rare A.E. Crowell (1862-1952), miniature Semi-palmated Plover shorebird carving. East Harwich, Mass. Circa 1900-20s. Excellent all original paint & condition, with only fault being small bottom edge of part of bill chipped on side shown & small paint chip on tail as shown, but neither shows when displayed. Paint blending & colors on this bird are superb! Bottom is stamped "A.E. Crowell Maker, East Harwichport, Mass." Has #22 wriiten in pencil by Crowell on bottom to signify it is from a set. Approx 2 7/8 long & 2 3/4 high. More pics avail. Very nice mini & rarely found species. These have soared in value over the last couple of years & are a solid investment and a joy to own, and Crowell mini shorebirds are at the top of the list. SOLD! |
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Very rare unused drake Redhead by William Heverin (1860-1951) , Charlestown, Maryland. Circa 1925-35. Strong, dry & clean all original paint & condition, & has never been rigged, only a line tie attached. Fat & full size bird at approx 14 1/2 inches, no checks or cracks. No eye model bird with great feather back painting & swirls, and classic Heverin form. Extra pics avail. Nicely done head & bill that are deeply carved. No faults at all on this one. A classic & very clean Heverin bird for any Chesapeake Bay decoy collection. Rare one here, in impossible to find condition. Formerly in the collection of Evans McKinney. SOLD! |
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Outstanding
hollow carved
Ruddy Duck by Mark McNair, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa 2002. Excellent
all original aged paint, looks over a 100 years old. Great style hollow
carved body that measures approx 10 inches long & the body is held
together with pegs. Has great form with nice carving & one of the
neatest style Ruddy Duck decoy styles I have seen by Mark. Carved signature
"McNair". Not an easy model McNair to find & with talk of a McNair
book in the works its a good time to be buying some of his work to add
to your collection while it is avail. More pics avail. of this
beautiful decoy.
SOLD! |
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Superb
& scarce hollow High-Head Pintail pair by Bob White. Signed & dated 1999,
& stamped with Bob's trademark Quail in weight. Outstanding pair of
decoys in mint all original paint & condition, great color & paint detail.
Hollow carved bodies measure approx 17 3/4 inches long each. Nice style
slightly turned heads with glass eyes, and nice raised wing-tip & tail
carving. Has been weighted & has a leather line tie. Bob makes a great
looking bird in the classic Delaware River style. His work is highly sought
after by collectors of both old & contemporary collectors. Rare offering
here for the price, these are some of the finest examples you will find. (Consignment piece) SOLD! |
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Superb & scarce full size flying Mourning Dove by Eddie Wozny, Cambridge, Maryland. Circa 1991. Signed & dated in ink & carved "W" in bottom. Very nice piece that is life size & wall mount style, Eddie told me he thinks he only made about 4 of these that are flying & wall mount. Paint is all original & very rich in color. Glass eyes & measures approx 11 1/2 inches long & 15 1/2 tall wing tip measurement. Nice lifelike colors & very detailed carving. Eddie is one of the best carvers out there, & his minis will rival any ever made by anyone. He is quick to sell out at any of the shows he does & his carvings are rarely offered for resale. Good piece here, its sure to please. SOLD! |
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Superb
& rare "Nathan Cobb " style drake Redhead by Cameron McIntyre.
Circa 2001. Excellent all original aged paint & condition. The paint
style, aging, and patina on this bird is awesome. A outstanding &
very well done carving that would be worth 50K+ if it was really a 100
year old Cobb decoy. Its a big boy that measures approx 17 inches long.
Hollow body carving. Paint has been aged proper with an incredible soft
patina. Carved "CTM"
signature in bottom, and has a proper Cobb style serfied "N"
carved in bottom. Has carved eyes with proper old mustard color paint.
More pics avail. Here is a nice one of a kind rare decoy for the money,
as Cameron's work is nearly impossible to get. Excellent bird
here for the collector of Southern decoys or of Cameron's work. I am constantly
amazed at the talent that Cameron exibits in his work, and this bird is
outstanding. You will be more then happy with this one. SOLD!
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Excellent Oscar Peterson (1887-1951), Cadillac, Mich., 7 inch Pike, fish spearing decoy. Circa 1936, this fish is a late Period 3, early period 4 (1935-38) decoy. This fish has excellent all original paint & condition with only small wear to edges & some loss on fins & line tie area. Paint is very clean, & very strong with excellent color & brush work & nice thick original varnished finish. This fish is a pellet tack eye model. See Ron Fritz's excellent book "Michigan's Master Carver OSCAR W. PETERSON ", for like examples. Any Oscar Peterson in condition this clean, strong & honest is desirable & rare. This fish is guaranteed 100%, & would make a nice addition to any old fish decoy collection. More pics avail. This is a beauty! SOLD! |
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Outstanding
very
early & scarce never rigged Canada Goose decoy by Charlie Joiner (Born
1921), Betterton, MD. Signed & dated 1951. Excellent all original
paint, with outstanding paint style & color with a perfect patina.
Slight puddy lifting on back side of head, natural shrinkage of white
lead on this 56 year old Joiner. A very hard to find species by Joiner
when you are talking 1951 & never rigged, this is the second Goose
by Charlie I have seen from the early 50's that was never rigged or gunned
over in over 20+ years of collecting. Full size with painted eyes, measures
approx 23 1/4 inches long. Early model decoys by Charlie are getting very
scarce. Nice early Joiner piece here for the collector looking for the
"impossible to find decoys" by Joiner.
SOLD! |
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Superb
Mark McNair Golden Plover, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa 1980s. Excellent
all original aged paint & condition. New England style bird with slight
raised shoulder/wing carving with split tail. Hollow body with glass
eyes, measures approx 12 1/2 inches long. Has splined bill & a hardwood
insert at hole in bottom. Body is pegged together with small wood dowells
& has a very slight separation at left side seam that only adds
to the vintage look of this beauty. Carved signature. Rarely seen style
by McNair, even the neck & head are hollow. The paint on this bird
is incredible with Marks best detail & feathering I would say several
thousand paint strokes on this one. This is a fabulous piece by Mark
& good early 80's vintage the hard core McNair collectors are all
looking for. |
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Rare
& never rigged hen Mallard by Jim Currier (1886-1971), Have de Grace,
MD. Circa 1940-50's. Superb all original paint & condition, with very
nice paint patterns, including some great scratch painting & blending
of colors. This pretty girl measures approx 15 3/4 inches. Has never been
weighted or used. Condition is perfect. Hen Mallards by Currier are so
very scarce, this one is a bit larger then most of his hens I have seen.
Currier saw Mallards a bit different then most other carvers & almost
always made the hens smaller & the drake long, not sure why but hard
species to aquire by Currier. A outstanding decoy for any collection of
Chesapeake Bay decoys. SOLD!
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Early, rare & near mint "Running" style flattie Yellowlegs decoy from the collections of Dr. George Ross Starr & Dr. Jim McCleery. Circa 1890-1920. Retains McCleery Collection stamp. Paint is all original & superb. Bill is all original & its hard to believe this thing survived when you see how long & thin it is. Measures approx 10 1/2 inches tail to end of bill. Has glass eyes & inserted bill, with split tail style carving. These style birds have been sold in past as "Lumberyard flatties", but according to the Richard Bourne 1986 catalog of the Starr collection it is "Factory made & used by E.B. VanWinkle of the New Jersey marshes", this may have been the description that Starr provided before his passing. This is the exact bird sold in Starr sale (page 33, lot 90), and sold again at the famous McCleery sale (page 210, lot 555). Lots of good pics available. Very good buy on this one & a piece from two of the most famous & historic collections ever to come to auction. SOLD! |
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Very early & rare drake Widgeon decoy by Charlie Joiner (Born 1921), Chestertown, MD. Signed & dated 1954. Excellent all original paint, with very stylish, clean finish, the paint swirls on sides are a killer. A very hard to find species by Joiner. Full size with painted eyes, measures approx 14 inches long. Has thin neck crack but is secure. I was told that Charlie made one rig of 44 of these & are his earliest Widgeon & this is one of the survivors. You will never find another one of these as Widgeon by Charlie are scarce, but with a 50's vintage is impossible. Serious Joiner piece here & priced to sell. Sold |
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Scarce
and outstanding oversize Black Duck
by Mark McNair, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa 2006. Number 6 of rig of
only 10 or 12 made in this style. Outstanding all original paint that
has been aged & shows a nice patina. This big boy measures approx
22 inches. Has leather line tie & is weighted. Has a thin woodgrain
crack on lower butt area, body is solid carved. This is a neat style &
looks more then 100 years old. Its tuff getting any McNairs & this is
a very scarce model, so for you McNair decoy collectors looking for something
different here is your chance to add a neat one. Carved McNair signature.
More pics avail. Good buy here as McNairs continue to be some of the most
sought after contemporary birds made. SOLD!
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Very rare & early hollow Mallard decoy by Charlie Birch (1867-194?),
Willis Wharf, Northampton Co., VA. Circa 1900-30. This is the only known
Mallard by Birch in 100% all original paint & condition. Shows
some honest hunting & age wear as expected but is all original &
very clean, side with most wear shown in pic above. Big classic Charlie
Birch form, measures approx 17 inches long, has original tack eyes. Retains
original weight that is crossed lead strips, I have seen that on other
Birch decoys of the same style & vintage. This is Charlie's best body
style, hollow with shelf carving, flat back & flowing tail. Hard to
find any Birch decoys that still exist in original paint, especially a
Mallard, as Mallard decoys are one of the rarest species to be found from
the Eastern Shore of VA area. Extra pics avail, looks & feels great
in hand. You wont have a chance at one of these again.
SOLD! |
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Early, bold & very folky, oversize Willet shorebird decoy, Cape Cod, Mass. Circa 1880-1900. Very nice original paint & condition, including original nail bill. Paint is very clean, dry & strong, with nice feather strokes on front neck area. This bird has a great color with a perfect patina. Has a nice split wing style carving, and 2 holes in bottom for stick. Has a few small size shot scars. This is a big & bold bird measuring approx 15 inches long. Shown approx 1/2 actual size in photo. Very neat alert body style with outstreched neck. Very stylish old Massachusetts shorebird with great primitive, folk art form. Good looking old decoy for any collection of folk art or antique shorebirds. SOLD! |
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Early
Ward Brothers Bluebill drake decoy, Crisfield, MD. From the gunning rig
of the late Charles "Bus" Humphreys, Wilmington, NC. Purchased
by Bus in 1943 from the Ward Brothers. Nice cedar body model, glass
eyes with slightly turned head, with a cool wide bill carving. Bird was
repainted many years ago for gunning by Bus, and since the rig was sold
in Nov. 2000, this bird has had overpaint removed & remaining original
coat as been mixed with professional repaint in the exact Ward style &
aged proper. Body measures approx 15 1/2 inches long. Has been branded
2 times "CRH". A nice Ward for any collection and priced
at a fraction of what it would bring if all original. More pics avail.
Good bird here as the price of Ward decoys continue to soar. SOLD! |
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Rare small size Oscar Peterson (1887-1951), Cadillac, Mich., 4 3/4+ inch Brown Trout with original rare breeding spotted finish, fish spearing decoy. Circa 1936, this fish is a late Period 3, early period 4 (1935-38) decoy. This fish has very good all original paint & condition with only small wear to edges, wear to belly & some loss on fins & line tie area, has one flake to primer on top back as would be expected of a fish that was used of this vintage. Paint is very clean, & very strong with excellent color & brush work & nice thick original finish. This fish is a pellet tack eye model & is a very rare to find size. See Ron Fritz's excellent book "Michigan's Master Carver OSCAR W. PETERSON ", for like examples. Any Oscar Peterson in condition this clean, strong & honest is desirable & rare. This fish is guaranteed forever to be 100% Oscar Peterson, & would make a nice addition to any old fish decoy collection. More pics avail. This is a beauty and fresh to market from one of the top Oscar Peterson private collections in the world! SOLD! |
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Superb & scarce Goldeneye pair by Charlie Joiner (Born 1921), Chestertown, MD. Signed & dated 1995 on drake & 1996 on hen. Excellent all original paint, with very clean finish, the paint work on these birds are a killer. A species that has become very hard to find by Joiner. Full size with glass eyes, measures approx 14 3/4 inches long on hen and 15 3/4 on drake, which is proper for species as drake is slightly larger then hen in the wild. Both have slightly turned heads. Great examples here & sure to please any collector looking for top quality Joiners for their collection. SOLD! |
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Superb & scarce Nathan Cobb style reaching head Brant decoy by Mark
McNair, Eastern Shore of VA. Carved signature. Circa less then 10 years
old. Outstanding all original paint that has been aged & shows a stunning
patina. The paint on this Brant is clean, tight & thick. This beauty measures
approx 20 1/2 inches. Body is hollow carved proper with swimming &
twisted root head & is patterned after the finest Brant decoys ever made,
the Brant decoys of Nathan Cobb of Cobb Island Virginia & the example
sold at the McCleery sale in NY. Glass eyes & has leather line tie & is
weighted. This is a neat style & looks 125 years old, even has a thin
age line in top left side that adds to the outstanding aged look. Not
an easy model McNair to find & with talk of a McNair book in the works
its a good time to be buying some of his work to add to your collection
while it is avail. Its tuff getting any McNairs & this is a beauty. Carved
McNair signature & what was a neat touch was that Mark carved the
"N" in his name backwards as many of the Nathan Cobb birds are
done. For you McNair decoy collectors looking for a outstanding & scarce
addition for your collection here is a fine McNair & you probably
wont get too many chances at one of these again. Very nice example by
McNair & priced to sell. More pics avail. SOLD! |
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Early & rare old Dowitcher or Yellowlegs shorebird decoy from Hingham or Newberryport area of Mass. Circa 1860-1900. This bird is part of the pair that sat on the mantel of the "DEWS ISLAND HUNTING LODGE", in Jarvisburg, NC. Paint is clean & all original, with areas of flaking & wear to bare wood as would be expected on bird of this vintage. Very nice V-wing style of raised wing carving, bottom edge of both have wood wear. Has neat raised & crossed wing carving & dropped down carved tail, has small chip on right side tail. Bill is possible replacement, if so it shows good age with blacklight test. Has neat old tiny shoebutton glass bead eyes. Full body style carving with a nice style and form, and measures approx 9 1/2 inches long. Detailed pics avail. This is a great old example of a Massachusetts shorebird decoy with good historic background. SOLD! |
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Oliver Lawson Blackduck, Crisfield, MD. Circa 1960. Signed & dated by Lawson & still retains a original hand written label from "The DUCK HOUSE, RUMBLEY, MD". Full size balsa body with great feather detail. Some edge wear but paint is all original. A nice early & very hard to find decoy by Lawson, a lot of this vintage Lawson's have been sold as Wards. Sold, |
Art Kilmon Wood Duck pair, Pocomoke City MD. Circa 1980s. Mint & all original pair, both are carved signed "KILMON". Approx. 14 inches each. Hollow carved & painted in oils, this is a beautiful pair of decoys. Weighted & leather line ties. Art was taught by Mark McNair & Grayson , but he no longer carves. Sold,
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Superb and outstanding 1/4 size standing Hooded Merganser drake by William J. Koelpin (1938-1996), West Allis, Wisconsin. Excellent all original paint & condition. Signed but not dated by maker. Circa 1960-80's. Measures approx 9 inches tall on driftwood base. Raised wingtip carving & cast metal feet, with glass eyes. Koelpin was a world class wildfowl artist in every medium he did. His oil paintings, including a duck stamp win, his bronzes, and his wildfowl carvings in wood. He became one of the top decorative decoy carvers in the world in a span of just 4 years. In 1974 he won "Best In The World" at the Ward World Championship contest. He also did a set of 26 birds for the Franklin Mint, which they cast & sold sets of the copies in 1982. Koelpin's original carvings are very rare & seldom come to market. Good rare piece here for the money. SOLD! |
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Superb, early & rare hollow carved Challenge Grade hen Mallard by the MASON DECOY FACTORY (1896-1924), Detroit, Michigan. Circa 1905-1910. Fantastic snakey head style. Excellent all original paint that shows the best of Mason's great paint style. Great color & detail & retains excellent original colors & sponging. Bird has been protected by a thin coat of varnish over most areas of the decoy but doesn't distract & is probably what kept the paint so gem. Condition is excellent plus with no repairs. Has a few small areas of flaked neck puddy & an approx 1 inch hair thin neck ageline that is visable in right side head pic above, also a small gob of something stuck to right eye, will probably pick off but I am leaving all as found. Excellent tail with no chip as shown above and body seam is as tight as the day it was made. Has a small area of newspaper print stuck to bottom which is original as this is how Mason packed them to ship. Measure a tad over 17 inches & original weight is gone. This bird is fresh to market & is the snakey head early style that most Mason collectors are looking to aquire. More pics avail of this beauty, you will look a long time a pay a lot more for a snakey head Mason that is near this nice. Good buy here. |
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Superb & rare sleeper Black Duck by R. Madison Mitchell (1901-1993), Harve de Grace, MD. Signed & dated 1954. Perfect all original condition. Excellent all original paint thats very dry & clean, no faults of any kind. Scratch paint style is excellent. Measure approx 15 inches long. This bird has never been used & is as nice a Mitchell Black Duck hunting bird as you will ever find. Retains original single nail end weight & staple rig line tie. Also have the "brad nail in butt" that marks them as his best quality wood. More pics avail. You have seen the Mitchell market soar this year & this being a sleeper of this vintage puts it in a class all its own, a sleeper Black Duck from the 40s sold for over 6K at Guyette and Schmidt April 2004 sale. This is fresh to market from the shelf of the original purchaser, which he bought from Mitchell in 1954. A superb old decoy by the dean of Upper Chesapeake Bay makers. Priced to sell. Sold |
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Excellent, rare model "Minnow in throat" Yellowleg by Delbert "Cigar" Daisy (born 1924), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 2003. Mint, all original paint & condition. Very nicely done carving with slightly raised wing tips. Signed, dated & branded "Cigar" on bottom of bird & on wooden base. Has glass eyes. Measures approx 12 inches. Cigar's decoys have risen in price faster in last 2 years then any other living maker I know of. A nice addition for any collector of Cigar decoys. Sold | Mannie Haywood Canvas Goose. Kill Devil Hills, NC. Circa 1940s. Mint unused condition. A very stylish classic NC goose by one of its best makers. Only other one I've seen offered in this condition was the one out of Andy Griffith's collection sold in 89 for $1050. A classic bird in perfect condition. Sold |
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Outstanding
& extra fat Cobb Island style Red-Breasted Merganser by Reggie Birch,
Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa approx 5-10 years old.
Carved signature with carved Cobb serifed style "N".
Excellent all original aged paint & condition, it looks at least 100 years
old. Measures approx 17+ inches long & 22 3/4 around, this boy is
fat & stylish! Very well done hollow carved body with a nice deep
inletted head pegged into body & splined bill (like a shorebird) that
exits at the top of the head crest. Glass eyes with aged lead pad weight.
Reggie has a great eye & talent for old & great style decoys &
it shows in his outstanding work. I am amazed at Reggie's talent &
his Mergansers are hard to beat. Great bird here & a unique style
by Reggie.
SOLD! |
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Superb
& tiny Peep shorebird decoy from Nantucket, Mass. Circa pre-1900.
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Superb, early & very scarce hollow carved Monhegan style Eider with
mussel in mouth decoy by Mark McNair, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa 1980.
Outstanding all original paint that has been aged & shows a fantastic
patina. This big boy measures approx 19 1/2 inches long, almost 11 inches
wide & 10 inches tall. Very cool carved eyes and hollow body carving
with a great inletted head carving. Outstanding job by Mark as the body
and head are held together with wooden dowells, body has 8 the neck set
has 4. Has ring line tie & is weighted. Has a very thin hairline crack
on right side of neck inlet base, also a small ding/dent the size of a
match head, both are tight & hard to see & adds to the "antique
Eider decoy" look. This is a neat style & looks 100 years old. Its
tuff getting any McNairs & this is a pure beauty. Carved McNair signature.
Mark told me this was made for the 1st show he ever exhibited at in 1980
Virginia Beach, he made 2 of these & set them on tall coIumns in his
display. Not an easy model McNair to find & with talk of a McNair book
in the works its a good time to be buying some of his work to add to your
collection while it is avail. For you McNair decoy collectors looking
for something tuff & pretty unique here is your chance to add a super
nice bird by Mark. Hard to find these at any price & if you saw what the
McNair Eider brought at the G&S sale Nov 06 you will know what a steal
this one is.
SOLD! |
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