Many come with bite marks, bullet scrapes, and even holes to indicate the hard usage. Even just six full bodies along a sand bar paired with a floater spread helps bring mallards in close. The Avian-X body positions look much more natural and relaxed. Those will work!. A rare swan decoy made by Charles Birch sold for $186,500 in a 2011 Guyette & Schmidt, Inc. auction. They sit on the water like real ducks. Many of Gus pieces have had their beaks repaired or replaced. Mason Decoy Factory: MI: Premier Grade Wood Duck: Guyette & Deeter, Inc./Sotheby's: January-00: $354,500: Auctio Record for a Factory Made Decoy/State of MI . This isnt fine china. Its like having a piece of history, from your favorite thing, sitting right on a shelf somewhere. Bigger duck decoys are likely to cost more. So think: Are you going to hunt over a foot or more of water? Everything a decoy should be. Let me put it this way. Cant ask for more out of a decoy. 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. Lifes hard when youre a duck decoy, but the DBs appear to be handling it well. Six decoys CAN be enough, if youre on a little body of water where the ducks want to be. But, are those what you really need for your brand of fowling? 11 Most Expensive Duck Decoys Ever Sold 1 1. Theres a ton of mystery shrouding The Eider Drake because even to this day, I cant credit the original manufacturer. Some makers are more renowned and talented than others. So, first, the downside. 1 1. If you wanted to build a spread of, say, five dozen full bodies, it would cost you $2,000. And while its tough to find an exact weight, a common denominator says roughly eight (8) pounds; not light, but not ridiculously heavy either. Plus, I like the name. In 2007 Christie's sold the world's most expensive duck decoy, modelled on a red-breasted merganser hen, for $856,000. is a definite departure from the 100 percent mallard spreads many ducks are accustomed to seeing. Mason Vintage Hunting Duck Decoys Mason Vintage Hunting Duck Decoys All Auction Buy It Now 144 Results Brand: Mason Brand Duck Type Features Condition Price Buying Format All Filters Antique Mason Black duck decoy $25.00 0 bids $13.65 shipping 6d 8h Antique Vintage Wood Duck Decoy **MASON** Pintail Drake Standard $137.50 3 bids $16.75 shipping 7 7. I hate No, I abhor feeble means of anchoring a decoy to the bottom. Oh, it was therein the bottom of the shipping box. So now, head on to eBay, Etsy, 1stDibs, Amazon, or any antique store close to you to buy or list your original vintage duck decoys. The paints right, shiny where it needs to shine and flat where it needs to be matte and dull. And theyre tough. Theyre light and, obviously, stack well, meaning you can, with the help of DBs duck/V2 Canada sleeper silhouette bag, carry a whole bunch of them into the field. An inseparable pair, but more than just a single decoy. That means the decoys tend to run on the more expensive side. Body shapes and profiles. 6 6. An avid decoy collector's private collection went up for auction last week, and several rare Chesapeake Bay carvings sold for more than $100,000 each. While its nothing compared to Crowell, Madoffs decoy sold $4,750 at auction. Red-Breasted Merganser Hen Carving, by Lothrop Holmes, 3. Theyre inexpensive; in fact, they make quite an easy and even less expensive DIY project. The hens have no damage whatsoever. Today, Cory Foskett and the folks at Tanglefree still make that line, along with a lengthy list of other fowling products, including decoys. Why It Made the Cut: Fifty bucks at The Walmart, and you can kill ducks over them, Im guessing, throughout the season. $140 5 Bids. Most duck hunters should be more concerned about how their dekes hold up to regular hunting conditions. In regions where hunting wasnt as expected, duck decoys were used as decorative pieces until the next hunting season. Many of them snapped off and were replaced, but this one hit such a high price point because the original beak is still completely intact. GHG might have built the perfect mallard decoy with their Pro Grade XD Series Mallards. The hens have just as much detail as the drakes. 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. Will they hold up to the rigors of day-to-day ducking? The original carver of the work is unknown, and all indications point out that no one will ever find out. Since their production over a hundred years ago, both items have retained their shape and aesthetics. More realistic is a price tag per dozen mallards ofballpark $100. 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. This is often all it takes to convince wary ducks to commit. For practice, you can attend decoy auctions, and hunting shows to get on-hand experience. All of these conditions work to ruin flocking. Floater decoys are meant for use on the water. 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. 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. Which duck decoys are worth money? It requires NO batteries. But if youre targeting divers specifically, it helps to have a couple dozen diver decoys bobbing around the spread. I take care of my gear I really do but I dont baby it. 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. Created by Gus Wilson, this antique item broke one of the antique duck decoy sales record recently. Oh, and the square handle (box style) stake. Theyre light and durable. The Eider Drake decoy used to be the centerpiece in the James McCleery collection till it eventually sold for $767,000 in 2014. Some are built to float; these were used to attract large fowls like ducks and geeks who often frequent water areas. Rig em individual, or on 40 droppers for long-lines; either way, these are the cats meow. We have killed a lot of ducks over them through the years. Were giving Crowell his dues here, and while he isnt included further down the list since weve already mentioned him, its important to state that this 1.13 million dollar purchase for two decoys was actually part of a large sale of 31 Crowell decoys, which in total ended up costing about $7,500,000. The only problem is that theyre very expensive. Whats the Difference Between Vintage And Antique ? The paint scheme should also look realistic in a variety of light conditions. There are only two knocks on this decoy. 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. 11 Most Expensive Duck Decoys Ever Sold. 5. Vintage and antique duck decoys look and feel old. This is the most realistic looking full body duck decoy on the market. Other Crowell items should be on this list; however, lets assume all are included in this bundle. Given this scenario, two decoys may be plenty. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. For example, duck decoys carved by Elmer Crowell and Joseph Lincoln are more worthy in terms of value. However, as these terms are often interchangeable, its important to note that this decoy was actually a structure, not just a carving or decoy duck. Most vintage duck decoys do not have identifiable markings. The company also manufactured models which were much more affordable for the middle and lower classes. This antique drake decoy cost this much because it still possessed its original beak. However, Lothrop started as a Ship Carpenter and carved only as a hobby. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. You should also check the markings on the decoy. I picked decoys that Ive hunted over through the years and have seen perform well in the field. Whats nice is I can use the jerk cord rigged with these smaller decoys in four to five inches of sheet water with no problem. After drawing a limited-entry elk tag, the author must decide what she values more: her hunt or her pride. Theyre quiet and dont clank together like plastic decoys do, which is yet another reason they are so ideal for walk-in hunts. Or five. Good duck decoys will swim naturally with a breeze or in the current. Also, the body positions are very accurate and lifelike. Lothrop also has another notable duck decoy called the Ruddy Turnstone. GLOWYE Duck Decoy Realistic Plastic Floating Duck for Hunting Decoy Garden Decor Pond Decorations Holiday Decoration Mallard Decoy Goose Decoy Features : Extremely RealisticDuck decoy fine workmanship, the feather texture is carefully carved, and it floats on the water like real life. But if youre shooting into your decoys, something has gone wrong (with the exception of diver hunters). When the first colonists settled in North America, they observed that the natives of the land used bulrushes, fowl carcasses, and mud to create duck and fowl-like figures. This combined with the intricate painting that goes into each model makes the Hydrofoam decoys look incredibly realistic on the water. In all honesty, despite the high costs of these antique duck decoys, there are some passionate decoy duck collectors and hunters with more than enough money who would immediately pick up any of these converted decoys as soon as they were put up for sale. Vintage mason decoys are relatively more valuable than other commercially produced duck decoys. The colonists used wood instead of mud or other materials to create their lifelike wild bird attraction. Ah, now its time to dust off the silhouettes and the full-bodies. Decoys the physical decoys themselves are just the beginning. '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 . Water keel decoys that land on their sides stay on their sides. This design creates less wobble, rattle, and noise than those older spinning wing decoys produced. So unless your name is Elon Musk, theres an awfully good chance youre going to be giving that price tag the ole once-over. These decoys will allow you to build field spread without breaking the bank. This pulled in almost $500,000 in 2000. Were still in New England guys, but this time were in Maine. Next, they begin to carve the head with a jackknife till they get their desired shape. Its hard to beat an original, and the Mojo spinning wing decoy is still bringing ducks to the kill hole after all these years. At 44 ounces, the XS Pulsator is reasonably light, making it a possibility for the mobile fowler. Unattributed Slot Neck Canada Goose Decoy. That said, theres nothing wrong with starting off with a dozen mallards and building from there. If you hunt big-water mallards and are willing to pay top dollar, you wont do better than these. One must instead learn to differentiate an actual bait from a modern decoy. If thats a problem for you, go with Higdons Standard Bluebills, Standard Ringnecks, or Standard Redheads. Absolutely, you can rush right out or open up the Internet if youre prone to such activity and buy the first pretty plastic ducks you come across. It has a remote thats Bluetooth compatible, so you can turn it on and off as you see fit. Holmes spent his time as a ships carpenter for years, which allowed him to grow his proficiency in woodworking. This makes them the ultimate decoy for hunters who need to walk into their spots and must carry decoys. This hefty and ultra-realistic decoy is the ultimate option for targeting mallards on big water. Their makers are top carvers who practiced for years to attain their renowned reputation. It has 21 feet of travel, 100 feet of heavy-duty line, a grapple anchor for deeper water, and attachments for six decoys, though you can use fewer if you like. 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! Yeah, they look that good. Its believed that this is because Americas history continues to go on and on. What is the most valuable duck decoy? The Lincoln Hisser. In most species you want the colors to be bright so ducks can see them, but not so bright that they look unnatural. Still, the Pulsator does muddle up the surface, making it look like an avian free-for-all. In all cases, I leaned toward decoys that look realistic in the field. '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 landing on the water. This technique helped families during the civil war to catch prey for feeding. Carved by John Blair, this simple antique piece fetched about $214,000. Keep em cleancold clear water, NO SOAP, and a bristle brush worksand show em a little care afield, and you shouldnt have any problems. The hunters who lie in wait would then capture the live birds that approach the dummy. Learn more . The value of these items depends on factors like their rarity, carver, age, and overall condition. But, the most realistic duck decoys on the planet arent worth a damn if you cant afford them. Much like The Eider Drake, this remains unattributed but without potential leads as well, really leaving us all in the dark. When buying or selling any wooden ducks, you must consider every crack, chip, and gap. 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