Very nice, folky & classic fat Canada Goose decoy by Ira Hudson (1876-1949), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1930's. This was directly purchased from original family that purchased a rig of Geese from Hudson at his home right before the start of WWII. Has very good, dry, clean all original paint with very little wear for the age & useage. One small repair to the left side neck area with small wedge inserted. Very well done by Cameron. Also has a in the making split in bottom that was there when Hudson made the decoy, and the old lead filler has shrunk & fallen out but has been refilled & touched up in that area. This is from Hudson's the use of the heartwood. The man I purchased this from said "Hudson had a mountain of old telephone poles stacked in the yard the day he & his Father picked up the rig of geese from Hudson". The split was positioned on bottom & filled by Hudson when made, its very common with Hudson decoys. Having 12 kids to feed means you dont thow much away including a big hunk of wood. Measures approx 22 inches long & with a nice full fat body. This is classic & desirable Hudson style, with a great head style with nicely carved bill and a nice flowing full body style. Retains original tack eyes, line tie & weight. Nicely done paint style & as the condition is as good as you can expect to find on a bird of this vintage. This is a really nice Hudson Goose, great form & very clean. More pics avail. Hudson decoys are true classics & his work is eagerly sought by collectors of both classic decoys & folk art. Very scarce to find in such fine original condition.
$8500

Exceptional hollow carved Golden Plover shorebird decoy by Mark McNair, 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 very fat carved body with glass eyes, measures approx 12 1/2 inches long. Has splined bill & a hardwood insert at hole in bottom. Body is perfect, you cannot find the seam. 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. You will see some record prices for McNair's this year at auction with a collection that has started to come to market. This is as strong a McNair Golden as you will find, and McNair's continue to be very strong in todays market. More pics avail & I have a 2nd example that is the same also pictured on this page, check it out.
(consignment piece)
SALE PENDING!

Superb & early A.E. Crowell (1862-1952), miniature standing hen Red~Breasted Merganser carving. East Harwich, Mass. Circa 1900-30s. Excellent all original paint & condition, with no faults or rubs. Paint blending & colors on this bird are superb & shows the talent of Elmer Crowell's finest brush work, no doubt who painted this one! Bottom has blue paper label "A.E. Crowell & Son, Bird Carving, E. Harwich, Mass." and also has handwritten "Fe. Shelldrake". Approx 4 1/2 inches long & 2 3/4 inches high. This is a earlier carving & has full round circle eye painting. Very nice mini & somewhat tuff to find species. These have soared in value over the last couple of years & are a solid investment and a joy to own. More pics avail of this beauty.
$2950

Killer hollow carved Curlew shorebird decoy by David Ward, Essex, CONN. Circa less the 10 years old. Excellent all original mellowed paint with a great patina & color. Great stylish full body that measures approx 16 1/2 inches long with a slightly turned head. This beauty is hollow carved with great raised wing & tail carving detail. Glass eyes & stamped "DBW" in bottom. No faults with this stunner. Comes with nice metal stand. I believe David carved for years & then stopped for several years but has started back up & has developed quite a following, when you see this one in hand you will know why. More pics avail. of this beauty and it is sure to please.
$1050

Exceptional hollow carved Golden Plover shorebird decoy by Mark McNair, 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 very fat carved body with glass eyes, measures approx 12 1/2 inches long. Has splined bill & a hardwood insert at hole in bottom. Body is perfect but does have 1 natural knot that has lifted just a hair that is on left shoulder as pictured, but you cannot find the hollow out seam. 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. You will see some record prices for McNair's this year at auction with a collection that has started to come to market. This is as strong a McNair Golden as you will find, and McNair's continue to be very strong in todays market. More pics avail & I have a 2nd example that is the same also pictured on this page, check it out.
(consignment piece)
$2950

Superb pair of sleeper model BlueBill decoys by Charlie Joiner (Born 1921), Chestertown, MD. Signed but not dated. Excellent all original paint, with very clean & dry finish, great paint jobs on this pair, Charlie is the master at paint & it really shows on this pair. Also shows the strong influence of the Ward Brothers painting that Charlie learned & excelled in. Full size with painted eyes, measures approx 13 3/4 inches each with original weights & line ties. Great examples here & sure to please any collector looking for top quality Joiners for their collection. Great pair of hard to find sleeper models here by one of the Chesapeake Bays finest makers.
$850 pair

Nice hollow Red-Breasted drake gunning decoy by Reggie Birch, Chincoteague Island, VA. Signed & dated 1986. Very good all original paint, with dry & clean finish, the paint work is very nice. Slight areas of wear from gunning use. A bird made to gun with, which is a bit different then most pieces you see offered by Reggie as most of his work is done in the style of old & classic folk art decoys. Full size with glass eyes and a hollow carved body that measures approx 17 3/4 inches long & has a keel. This is a great collector species to find by Reggie & will make a nice gunning bird for your rig. More pics avail. Nice example here & priced to sell.
SALE PENDING!

Scarce matched pair of oversize "Up The River" model Bluebill decoys by R. Madison Mitchell (1901-1993), Harve de Grace, MD. Signed & dated 1976. Excellent all original paint that's strong, dry & clean, great brush work on these oversize beauties. Measures approx 16 3/4 inches long each with nicely done slightly turned heads on both. Retains original weight & staple rig line tie. Shows minimal wear & never hunted over. More pics avail. You have seen the Mitchell market soar this past 2 years & this pair is super clean the way you want them. A superb & scarce model 30+ year old decoy by the dean of Upper Chesapeake Bay makers & for the Mitchell collector looking for only choice examples. More pics avail, these are priced to sell.
A steal at $950 pair

Outstanding Cobb Island style Long-Billed Dowicher shorebird decoy by Mark McNair, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa 1980's. Excellent all original aged paint & condition with very little intentional wear. Lots of nice paint work & time on this one with lots of nice paint detail. Measures approx 12 inches, fat full body style. Glass eyes, splined bill & raised wing carving, all very accurate in detail. This is a neat style & looks over 100 years old. Its tuff getting any McNairs & this is a really nice style & very scarce. Carved McNair signature. Metal stand included. More pics avail. of this great looking McNair, hard not to want one of these Cobb Island style birds by Mark, he just does such a great job on them all.
(Consignment piece)
SALE PENDING!

Superb & early A.E. Crowell (1862-1952), miniature standing hen Canvasback carving. East Harwich, Mass. Circa 1900-30s. Excellent all original paint & condition, with no faults or rubs. Paint blending & colors on this bird are superb & shows the talent of Elmer Crowell's finest brush work, no doubt who painted this one! Bottom is stamped "A.E. Crowell Maker, East Harwichport, Mass." and also has old paper tag for species ID, & bears the #14 for its numerical order in the original set of 25 miniature ducks. Approx 4 1/2 inches long & 3 inches high. Very nice mini & somewhat tuff to find species. These have soared in value over the last couple of years & are a solid investment and a joy to own. More pics avail of this beauty.
$2650

Very scarce Ward Brother's style Canada Goose decoy by Charlie Joiner (Born 1921), Betterton, MD. Signed & dated 2004. Excellent all original paint, with very stylish, clean finish in a classic Ward style paint job. Full size with glass eyes, measures approx 25 inches long & about 10 inches wide. Has a slightly forward & slightly turned head & never weighted, made for the shelf. You will have a tuff time finding another one of these as Charlie only made a few of these. Serious Joiner piece here for the collector that thought they had it all.
(Consignment piece)
$2500

Superb lifesize Ruddy Turnstone shorebird decoy by Eddie Wozny, Cambridge, Maryland. Circa 1994. Signed & dated 1994 with carved "W" in bottom. Very nice piece that is life size. Paint is all original & very rich in color. Glass eyes & measures approx 9 inches long with slightly turned head. Nice deep & rich lifelike colors & good detailed carving with raised wing tips. Eddie is one of the best carvers out there, & his shorebirds are just superb. He is quick to sell out at any of the shows he does & his carvings are rarely offered for resale. Very good piece here, its sure to please. More pics avail.
$825

Scarce miniature hissing head Canada Goose by Miles Hancock (1888-1974), Chincoteague Island, VA. Signed by Mr Hancock. A scarce head position by Hancock, full size or mini a tuff find, super nice long carved face. Measures approx 7 1/4 inches. Excellent all original paint, thats very dry & clean, with very nicely done scratch paint patterns on back, a very sharp little bird. Has tack eyes, still has all paint on eyes. Good forward hissing head position & nice raised wing carving. This is a tuff mini to find by Hancock, especially without a broken neck, & will be very hard to ever find one nicer & this one is fresh to market with the other Hancock minis listed from the collection of the late Ralph Selby of Chincoteague Island, VA. This one has a great look, & more pics avail.
SOLD!

Very early, clean & matched Canvasback pair by R. Madison Mitchell (1901-1993), Harve de Grace, MD. Circa 1940's. Very good plus all original paint that's very strong, dry & clean. Great paint on this pair, lots of nice feathering with knock out color & patina. Measure approx 15 1/2 inches long each. Both retain original weights & staple/ring line ties. Condition is very good plus with slight gunning wear & "NO NECK CRACKS!", hen has a knot stain, some shot scars & thin bottom crack at the "in the making" puddy fill area, but is tight & secure. 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 their own, early Mitchell's started bringing 5 figures at Guyette and Schmidt April 2004 sale. A superb 60+ year old matched pair by the dean of Upper Chesapeake Bay makers. Priced to sell, you just don't find Mitchell's this early & in this condition anymore, very good buy on this fine pair & a solid investment. This is the earliest pair of Mitchell's I have seen avail for sale in several years & a fantastic matched pair for a collector looking for a great pair of early Madison Mitchell decoys.
(consignment pair)
$1900 pair

Killer pair of "Fox Island" model Greenwing Teal by Danny Marshall, Saxis and Chincoteague Island, VA. Superb, clean, & dry all original paint & condition. Signed by Danny. Both are all cedar solid bodies with turned heads & measure approx 10 3/4 inches long each. Condition is perfect. Glass eyes & slight wing/back carving. I have seen very few of Danny's birds come to market, Danny never carved a lot of birds, but his work is superb and rarely offered up for resale. He is a retired Game Warden on the Eastern Shore of VA, he learned to carve under the guidance of his good friends the Ward Brothers of Crisfield, and the lesson's of Lem & Steve Ward was well learned and applied as the results show in his fine decoy carving & paint style. Danny was born in Saxis and spent several years as a private guide on Fox Island. Good looking pair here and guaranteed to please, get these while you can, "for the money" no one is making a better looking decoy.
SOLD!

Superb Cobb Island style Robin Snipe shorebird decoy by Mark McNair, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa 1980's. Excellent all original aged paint & condition with very little intentional wear. Lots of nice paint work & time on this one with great color & paint detail. Measures approx 10 inches, fat full body style. Glass eyes, splined bill & raised wing carving, all very accurate in detail. This is a neat style & looks over 100 years old. Its tuff getting any McNairs & this is a really nice style & very scarce. Carved McNair signature. Metal stand included. More pics avail. of this very outstanding shorebird.
(Consignment piece)
$2400

Superb & scarce Goldeneye pair by Charlie Joiner (Born 1921), Chestertown, MD. Signed & dated 1993. 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 1/4 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. More pics avail.
(consignment piece)
SOLD!

Superb Yellowlegs shorebird decoy by Mark McNair, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa less then 20 years old. Excellent all original aged paint that gives the perfect look of a 100 year old shorebird decoy. Superb painting on this one with nice true Hudson style tight scratch painting & good brush swirling on lower breast. Great stylish full body that measures approx 9 3/4 inches long. Has great form with nice thin neck carving, no eyes & a splined thru head bill. McNair decoys are modern classics & 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. The prices continue to rise on his work as it gets harder to aquire, especially now that so much of his work is sold in a gallery & not just to the decoy collecting community. Classic & stylish McNair workmanship that looks a 100 years old. Comes with metal stand. More pics avail. of this beauty and it is sure to please.
SOLD!

Classic, crisp & very clean Black Duck decoy by Miles Hancock (1888-1974), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1940-50's. Excellent all original paint, thats very dry & clean, with very nicely done scratch paint patterns on back, a very sharp gunning Black Duck. Super nice, probably hasnt been hunted over 3 times, just enough to rust the nails. Measures approx 18 1/2 inches & is solid cottonwood. One smaller then a nickle knot hole in the side that was there when Hancock made it, it goes thru to bottom & is just a natural wood flaw with some cottonwood, Hancock didnt try to fill it so must have been ok by him. Has tack eyes with most paint still intact. Retains Hancock's typical sand cast weight. Good slightly forward head position & nice full body. Hancock was a neat guy with a great history, lots written on him is available in most all decoy books about historic Virginia carvers. He didnt make the prettiest decoy ever made but probably forgot more about killing ducks then 90% of other makers of the day. His ducks were made to last & are a interesting study, no apologies needed on his classic work. This is a excellent classic Black Duck & sure to please any collector of Chincoteague or Virginia Black Ducks. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Superb miniature flying Ruffed Grouse carving by Eddie Wozny, Cambridge, Maryland. Circa less then 20 years old. Carved "W" in bottom. Paint is all original & very rich & life like in color. Glass eyes & measures approx 4 1/4 inches long & 5 1/4 inches tall. Nice lifelike colors & very detailed carving with a very nicely done posture with lots of nice detail including the tucked feet. 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, I don't think he carves as much now with his current job. Great piece here, its sure to please. Comes with original metal stand.
$675

Scarce miniature hen & drake matched pair of Black Ducks by Miles Hancock (1888-1974), Chincoteague Island, VA. Hen signed by Mr Hancock. A scarce mated original matched pair by Hancock. Measures approx 6 1/4 inches. Excellent all original paint, thats very dry & clean, with very nicely done scratch paint patterns on back, a very sharp little pair. One small area of paint flake loss over knot. Have tack eyes, still has all paint on 3 eyes. Good slightly turned head positions & nice raised wing carvings. This is a tuff mini mated matched pair to find by Hancock, & will be very hard to ever find a nicer pair & this pair is fresh to market with the other Hancock minis listed from the collection of the late Ralph Selby of Chincoteague Island, VA. This pair has a great look, & more pics avail.
SOLD!

Very nice John Williams style Ruddy Duck by Michael Johnson, Inman, SC. Circa 2009. Carved "MGJ"signature. Paint is all original & aged to look very old. Lifesize and measures approx 13 inches long. Body is solid carved & old style hand cut nails were used to attach head & aged lead weight. Bill has great classic flare. Michael has been carving for 29 years and carves mostly in the styles of the old classic makers. He carves a few pieces to order for long time customers but mostly his work is only sold at The Audobon Gallery in Charleston, SC. A very nicely done classic southern Ruddy duck, more pics avail.
$425

Very nice earlier Yellowlegs shorebird decoy by Mark McNair, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa 1980's. Excellent all original aged paint that gives the perfect look of a 100 year old shorebird decoy. Great stylish full body that measures approx 9 3/4 inches long. Has great form with nice thin neck carving, no eyes & a splined thru head bill. Neck has a hair thin crack but is tight & very hard to see, not sure if made this way as I have seen other makers in the old style do that to give a old style bird more of a realistic look. McNair decoys are modern classics & 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. The prices continue to rise on his work as it gets harder to aquire, especially now that so much of his work is sold in a gallery & not just to the decoy collecting community. Classic & stylish McNair workmanship that looks a 100 years old. Comes with metal stand. More pics avail. of this beauty and it is sure to please.
SOLD!

Very nice solid carved Bluewing Teal pair by Ron "The RIVER RAT" Koch (b.-1939), Omro, Wisconsin. Branded "RON KOCH". Circa less then 25 years old. Very good all original paint with slight hunting wear. Paint is dry & clean with very nice scratch paint patterns. Weights removed. Measures approx 13 1/4 inches each. Glass eyes & solid carved bodies with nice sturdy carving style. Ron is a well known writer of several books and articles on decoys & duck hunting & his decoy carving style reflects his knowledge of lots of time spent hunting & what makes a good gunning decoy, especially in those cold Wisconsin winters. Ron used to take a few orders for complete gunning rigs but has cut back to just a few decoys per year. Great looking pair here to put on the shelf or to add to your gunning rig, they are ready to get back to some gunning!
great buy at $350 pair

Superb never rigged Hooded Merganser drake by Eugene Hendrickson (1899-1971), Northfield, NJ. Circa 1950s. Branded "JEH". Superb all original paint, very strong, dry & clean, with a great classic NJ painting style. Condition is excellent with slight edge wear from age/storage. Hollow body measures approx 14 1/2 inches long. Has tack eyes & very nice carving style on head & bill, never weighted. Eugene was a waterman all his life & made boats & decoys for sale as early as 1920. Rarely found species, especially this nice. Hoodies are always a collector favorite & hard to find. If you are looking for a excellent example of a NJ Hooded Merganser this is it. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Outstanding hollow carved pair of John Graham style Canvasback decoys by Cameron McIntyre. Excellent all original aged paint & condition. The paint style, aging, and patina on this pair is incredible. Stylish, sleek & very well done pair of carvings done in a style of the greatest classic upper Chesapeake Bay maker John Graham. Measure approx 14 inches long each. Super nice hollow body carving with carved eyes & both have nicely aged weights & line ties. Paint has been aged proper with an incredible soft patina. Carved "CTM" signature in bottoms. More pics avail. Cameron's work is nearly impossible to get & this pair is a killer. I am constantly amazed at the talent that Cameron exibits in his work, and this pair is sure to please. if you saw what his birds sold for at G&S April 2007 decoy auction you will appreciate the deal on these beauties. A rare offering here.
SOLD!

Stunning miniature lifted wing preening Yellowlegs by Eddie Wozny, Cambridge, Maryland. Circa less then 10 years old. Signed with a carved "W" in bottom. Very nice piece that is mini size with iron stand. Paint is all original & very rich in color. Glass eyes & measures approx 4 1/2 inches long & approx 5 inches tall wing tip measurement. Nice lifelike colors & very detailed carving. The curvature of the wing in this carving will amaze you. Eddie is one of the best carvers out there, & his work will rival anything being made. 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. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Outstanding "PREMIER" grade Black Duck decoy by the Mason Decoy Company (1896-1924), Detroit, Mich. Circa 1905-1920. Excellent all original paint with classic thick Mason swirls, the color & patina are superb. Paint is very crisp & clean with only a minimal amount of gunning wear & original "PREMIER" ink stamp still slightly visible on bottom. Hollow carved it measures approx 18 inches long & retains original weight & the glass eyes are perfect. Classic deep carved bill. Very slight age/gunning wear with a few small shot scars & tiny chip to front right tip of bill as shown & most all of the original neck filler is still in place, & NO TAIL CHIP!, more pics avail. Masons continue to be one of the strongest & most sought after decoys in today's fast rising decoy market. Good original and honest examples are eagerly collected & the price continues to soar on the better pieces. Great buy on this beauty & sure to please. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Super nice & earlier base mounted Mourning Dove by Eddie Wozny, Cambridge, Maryland. Circa 1980's. Has Eddie's carved "W" in bottom. Very nice piece that is life size. Paint is all original & very rich in color. Glass eyes & measures approx 12 1/4 inches long. Can be mounted on wood as sold by Eddie or can be put on metal shorebird stand, I will include one if wanted. Nice lifelike colors & good detailed carving with raised wing tips. Eddie is one of the best carvers out there, & his Doves are just superb & 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. More pics avail.
$550

Superb & pretty scarce pair of Red~Breasted Merganser decoys by Charlie Joiner (Born 1921), Chestertown, MD. Signed & dated 2003. Excellent all original paint, with very clean & dry finish, great paint jobs on this pair, Charlie is the master at paint & it really shows on this pair. Also shows the strong influence of the Ward Brothers painting that Charlie learned & excelled in. Full size with glass eyes, measures approx 16 3/4 inches each. Great examples here & sure to please any collector looking for top quality Joiners for their collection. Great pair of hard to find Merganser models here by one of the Chesapeake Bays finest makers.
$1350 for the pair

Very nice & fat Verity style Peep by Michael Johnson, Inman, SC. Circa 2009. Carved "MGJ" signature. Paint is all original & slightly aged, has carved eyes & is lifesize and measures approx 5 1/2 inches long. Body is solid carved, bill is splined proper thru head. Nice raised shoulder carving with split wing carving. Michael has been carving for 29 years and carves mostly in the styles of the old classic makers. He carves a few pieces to order for long time customers but mostly his work is only sold at The Audobon Gallery in Charleston, SC. Metal stand included. A very nicely done classic style Peep, more pics avail.
$225

Classic & very clean Goose decoy by Miles Hancock (1888-1974), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1940-50's. Excellent all original paint, thats very clean, with very nicely done paint patterns on sides. Very nice with light gunning wear but paint very strong & clean. Measures approx 25 1/2 inches & is solid cottonwood. One 2 1/2 X 3 knot covered wood patch done on the back by Hancock, I have seen this on quite a few Hancock Geese, must have been the wood size, if you were a decoy maker on Chincoteague you didnt throw a piece of wood this big away. Has tack eyes & retains original weight & line tie. Good long full body style. Hancock was a neat guy with a great history, lots written on him is available in most all decoy books about historic Virginia carvers. He didnt make the prettiest decoy ever made but probably forgot more about killing ducks then 90% of other makers of the day. His decoys were made to last & are a interesting study, no apologies needed on his classic work. This is a excellent classic Canada Goose & sure to please any collector of Chincoteague or Virginia Black Ducks. More pics avail of this all original beauty.
SOLD!

Superb Bluewing Teal pair by Frank Finney, Capeville, VA. Circa 1980-90s. Signed "Finney" in paint & has carved "F". Excellent all original paint & condition. Paint is thick & very detailed, its dry & clean with a great aged look.Nice head positions with raised wing carving. Have been weighted & have line ties. Each have glass eyes & measures approx 14+ inches long each. A lot of work in this pair. Very nicely done matched pair.
(Consignment piece)
$900 pair

Superb Black Duck pair by Oliver Lawson, Crisfield, MD. Signed & dated 2003. Superb all original paint & condition. Paint is mint, bone dry, very clean & detailed. Both are signed by Lawson on bottom with species & sex noted. Solid bodies measure approx 15 1/2 inches long each & both have slightly turned heads with glass eyes. Lawson learned to make decoys under the guidance of his neighbors, the Ward Brothers. He must not have missed a single lesson as his decoys are superb with the strong influence of the Ward's work. Very hard to get any of Lawson's work these days, and here is a perfect matched pair of a good collector species in outstanding condition & style.
$1650 pair

Outstanding, clean & early matched Redhead pair by R. Madison Mitchell (1901-1993), Harve de Grace, MD. Signed & dated 1954. Excellent all original paint thats very strong & clean. Great paint on this pair, lots of nice feathering. Measure approx 14 3/4 inches long each. Both retain original weights & staple/ring line ties. Conditon is just about perfect, with no gunning wear, I dont think these were ever used & should please even the most demanding of condition collectors. 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 54 year old matched pair by the dean of Upper Chesapeake Bay makers, wont find them nicer & cleaner then this at any price. Priced to sell, you just don't find Mitchells this early & in this condition anymore, very good buy on this fine pair & a solid investment.
SOLD!

Exceptional offering of a very early & rare classic Brant by Walter Brady, Oyster, VA. Circa 1860-1900. Ex-collection of William Purnell & branded with his desirable "WHP Jr" hot brand & also ex-collection of Grayson Chesser. Paint is a very early working repaint,I don't believe any of Brady Brant are known in original paint, Classic original splined thru head bill, squarely inserted in face that is classic Brady. No eyes & solid carved body measures approx 17 1/2 inches long & has nice raised wing tip carving as in the best style Cobb Island decoys of that era. Original weight long gone but does retain original nail & remnents of original leather line tie. Exceptional style & form that make this a true Eastern Shore of Virginia classic. Brady was a guide on Cobb Island before the turn of the century & his decoys show the strong influence of the great Cobb carvings. The Brady Brant were thought to be hunted over by President Grover Cleveland who was a frequent hunter on the Shore for several years. Some nice info on Walter Brady can be found in Henry Fleckenstein's excellent book "SOUTHERN DECOYS of Virginia and the Carolinas". Walter Brady made one of the finest style decoys made on Virginia's Eastern Shore & his decoys are very rare & a very strong addition to any collection of great classic Southern decoys. This one is pictured in a couple of the decoy collector books. They are a rare offering & this example is sure to please any collector. Great piece here and more pics avail of this Southern Beauty.
SOLD!

Very nice Black Duck decoy by Doug Jester (1876-1961), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1935-50. Strong, crisp & clean all original paint & condition, showing a nice patinia from age. Some old paint shrinkage & a old knot sap bleed as shown on shoulder. Lots of nice scratch paint work on this one. Shows a few paint flakes from age/storage otherwise it would look unused. Nice model with good head & throat carving. Nice size bird at approx 15 1/4 inches, nice cedar body & head model with 2 thin age lines, one on belly & short one across middle back. Weight & line tie removed. Branded "SARGENT" on bottom. Nicely done head & bill that are deeply carved. A classic & clean Jester for any Southern or Chincoteague Black Duck decoy collection. More pics avail.
$850

Scarce matched pair of oversize Mallard decoys from the Lee Bowman rig made by R. Madison Mitchell (1901-1993), Harve de Grace, MD. Circa late 1940's-50's. Very good all original paint that's strong, dry & clean, great brush work on these oversize beauties with the hen having some extra nice scratch painting. Measures approx 16 inches long each with nicely done heads on both. Retains original weights & staple rig line tie on hen & leather tie on drake. Shows minimal wear as they have been gunned over, slight age line in head of drake & hen has been made out of 2 pieces of wood & shows some separation, also has crack in neck with wedge missing. Wood was scarce when these were made & the wood from ammo crates from Aberdeen was used to make this rig. More pics avail. Mitchell decoys continue to be strong in collector following & rarer pieces like this get tuffer to find & buy. A superb & scarce model by the dean of Upper Chesapeake Bay makers & for the Mitchell collector looking for something rare. More pics avail.
(Consignment piece)
$1800 a pair

Early & scarce drake Black Duck decoy by Columbus Paxton "Lum" Fletcher (1867-1942), Harve de Grace, MD. Circa 1920-30s. Good strong original paint with only working touch up to 2nd coat on bill. A very hard to find species from the Harve de Grace area, especially a known maker like Fletcher. Solid body measures approx 15 3/4 inches long with a thin neck check, but is very tight & hard to see when displayed. Retains original line staple but weight is gone. This really is a tuff species to find by any early Upper Bay maker, especially in mostly all original paint. Upper Chesapeake Bay Black Ducks are a collector favorite & seldom are they offered, just not many made or survived, everyone was shooting boat loads of Canvasbacks. More pics avail. Nice classic example here & priced to sell.
SOLD!

Superb & scarce drake Pintail decoy by Charlie Joiner (Born 1921), Chestertown, MD. Signed &circa 1970-80's . Excellent all original paint, with dry & clean finish, the paint work is extra nice. A hard to find species by Joiner. Full size with glass eyes, measures approx 19 inches long & has a slightly turned head. Retains original keel. This really is a tuff species to find by Charlie especially a single of this vintage. Pintails by Joiner are a collector favorite & seldom get to resale market. More pics avail. Great example here & priced to sell.
$950

Very scarce Canvasback drake by James Baines (1915-1971), Morgantown, Maryland. Circa 1940. Excellent original condition with light wear and tight neck crack. All original paint with original weight and line tie. Branded “RT” twice on the bottom. Baines made two styles of canvasbacks, this is considered his finest style, with a slightly oversized body, great form and lines and a finely carved head. Measures approx 16 1/2 inches long & approx 7+ inches wide. Baines was a Potomac River guide and sportsman. He made decoys in the late 1930s and 1940s and gunned them on Piccowaxen Creek in Morgantown. Baines decoys are scarce, especially in original paint. See Decoy Magazine July/August 1993. This decoy was exhibited in the artifacts display at the 30th Anniversary Upper Shore Decoy Show in North East, MD. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Superb classic matched pair of Ward Brothers hollow carved "Shooting Stool Bluebills", Crisfield, MD. Circa 1973. Perfect clean, dry & thick all original paint & condition. Signed & dated 1973 by both Lem & Steve Ward, also signed a second time by Lem. Very scarce hollow carved bodies with turned heads & measure approx 14 3/4 inches long each. Condition is just about perfect, I have seen a few of these over the years but this is the only hollow carved pair I have ever seen. The nice thick dry paint & style make this as nice as you will ever find a pair of these. Very clean & nicely done style for that era. The price of good Wards are soaring fast. This is a sweet pair of decoys for any collector looking to add a matched pair of Wards & that demand near perfect examples & investment quality decoys. First time offering on these beauties, the man who owned these bought 3 pair of these directly from the Ward Brothers in 1973 & sold the other 2 pairs, this was the best pair & he has kept them for many years. Extra pics available, you will be very pleased with this pair.
(Consignment Pair)
$12,500 for the pair

Very rare goldeneye hen by August George Heinefield (1883-1952), Rock Hall, Maryland. Circa 1930's. In original paint with gunning wear that is heavy in places, but the wonderful, folky paint pattern is still bold, dry & clean. Filler is missing from top of head and nail is visible. Measures approx 12 inches long, is solid carved & has neck crack but is secure & displays very nice. Exhibits tremendous form and Heinefield’s trademark upsweep to the tail. All original weight and line tie. Heinefield was born in Germany and came to America when he was a boy, first to Baltimore and then to Rock Hall. He worked for John Glenn for many years but he made relatively few decoys. The few goldeneye drakes he made occasionally come up for sale, but the hens to match them up with are nearly impossible to find. This is a scarce and classic Rock Hall decoy with outstanding form and paint in its own right, but if you are lucky enough to own one of his drakes, don’t miss this chance to match it up.. More pics avail. of this rare early Rock Hall decoy.
SOLD!

Outstanding & very early fat Curlew shorebird decoy from the Eastern Shore of VA. Probably Chincoteague Island area. Circa 1890-1920. Paint is all original, very strong, crisp, clean & dry. Great classic Eastern Shore of VA paint style & color on this one, lots of nice brush work. Paint shows minimal wear but has some flaking in belly areas. Bill is original & is splined thru head. Great style on the bill, has cracked but has been secured & is hard to see where it separated, but is all original & not a replacement. Solid body bird with 2 slight wood grain age lines as seen in pics above, probably about the same size separation as when made by looks of paint in that area, so probably made like that with no filler used. Measures approx 12 3/4 inches long, bill is a bit over 3 1/2 inches. Nice round style head with a very nice fat body that has a great feel in hand. As good all original decoys continue to get harder to aquire, shorebirds get even harder to find & this is a great example for any collector that likes shorebirds that are early, clean, all original with great looking folk art appeal. This one is sure to please. More pics available.
(Consignment piece)
$5950

Incredibly rare pair of shovelers by Judson "Juddy" Budd (1894-1972) of Chincoteague Island, Virginia. Circa 1950s. Great condition overall with some minor wear. All original paint. Rigged with line-ties but never weighted. These birds were originally in the collection of Blink Ewell, an early collector and dealer in Eastern Shore decoys. They came out of Ewell’s estate and still bear his tags and the original 1950s prices of $15 and $18 respectively. Drake is signed by Budd. Hen has a turned head. Solid bodies they measure approx 17 1/4 on drake & 15 1/2 on hen with turned head. Eyes are painted. A thin check runs through the hen’s neck and the bill also has a barely visible crack that does not detract. I have been told that Mr Budd had Parkinsons disease in his later years so bad that he would put his arm in a table vice to try and hold his arm steady to carve & paint. These may be the only shovelers known by Budd. Working shoveler decoys from the Chesapeake Bay region are incredibly rare and impossible to find. For the collector seeking early, working examples of rare & different species from the Eastern Shore of VA or Chincoteague Island makers, this authentic pair of spoonbills of this vintage, by a known maker and with this provenance is a rare opportunity!
SALE PENDING!

Nice hollow Oldsquaw drake decoy by Reggie Birch, Chincoteague Island, VA. Signed & dated 2008. Excellent all original paint, with dry & clean finish, the paint work is very nice. A bird made to gun with, which is a bit different then most pieces you see offered by Reggie as most of his work is done in the style of old & classic folk art decoys. Full size with glass eyes and a hollow carved body that measures approx 15 3/4 inches long & has a keel. This is a tuff species to find by Reggie & will make a nice gunning bird for your rig. More pics avail. Nice example here & priced to sell.
$475

Super nice miniature Godwit by Eddie Wozny, Cambridge, Maryland. Circa less then 10 years old. Signed with a carved "W" in bottom. Very nice piece that is mini size with iron stand. Paint is all original & very rich in color. Glass eyes & measures approx 6 inches long with a nice turned head. Nice lifelike colors & very detailed carving. Eddie is one of the best carvers out there, & his work will rival anything being made. 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. More pics avail.
$550

Early & rare flat bottom drake Mallard decoy by Charlie Joiner (Born 1921), Betterton, MD. Signed & dated December 1964. Excellent all original paint, with very stylish, clean finish. A very hard to find species by Joiner in this vintage with a flat bottom. Full size with glass eyes, measures approx 14 1/4 inches long. Has a slightly turned head & the "classic 64" wide bill carving. Perfect condition except for slight puddy lift on back of head. You will have a tuff time finding another one of these as early flat bottom models by Charlie are scarce & this is the only the 2nd one I have seen, the other was from the Ward Brother's family collection sold last year, also a matching hen sold on ebay last year. Serious Joiner piece here for the collector that thought they had it all.
$3,600

Rare, very early and historic Canvasback wooden wing duck drake from Cecil County, Maryland. The body by Perryville’s Ben Dye (1821-1896) is circa 1850-1860; it was re-headed by Charlestown’s William Heverin (1863-1951) circa 1890. Very old working repaint with many thick coats of old paint to the body, just what you want to see in an ancient sinkbox relic like this with so much history. Measures approx 14 1/4 inches with a nice small paddle tail & a nice raised hump area on back that makes for great form & style. This bird may have been used as an “ice duck” for winter shooting as well as a wing duck. Authentic wooden wing duck decoys like this are very hard to find. Ex-collection of Bob Coleman; Bob owned this bird for many years and loved its historic association with early gunning on the Susquehanna Flats. More pics avail on this early & historic beauty. I bet this old boy has seen many a Canvasback killed over it thru out its service.
SOLD!

Good early model Brant decoy by Ira Hudson (1876-1949), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1910-25. Paint is original but heavily worn over most of the bird from age & hard gunning use. I bet a lot of Brant were killed over this old classic. Solid carved body measures approx 17 1/2 inches long, has large natural wood split in back that also goes thru tail & another on shoulder as shown in pic above. These were in the wood when Hudson made them & show the remnents of the old white lead fill. Has some chews to end of bill that are very tiny & probably the work of a very bad cat. Also a neck crack with filler inserted to repair. Classic old Ira Hudson Brant here that shows its experience from days in the bay. Has wear but its honest & a classic example for the collector that wants a early Hudson Brant example without breaking the bank. More pics avail & priced to sell.
SALE PENDING!

Super nice & very scarce Doug Jester (1876-1961) miniature Mallard decoy, Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1930-50s. Nice classic body style, measuring approx 5 1/2 inches long. Paint is all original & nicely done. Very clean, strong & dry. Jester was well known for his classic Chincoteague style hunting decoys, but his minis are quite hard to find, especially this nice & a Mallard.
$650

Rare & extra nice fat drake Mallard miniature decoy possibly carved by Ira Hudson (1876-1949), but most likely painted by his oldest son Norman Hudson (1901-1983), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1930-50. Superb all original paint & condition with 2 small rubs on tail & 1 on bottom. Paint is dry, very clean, with great patina. Solid balsa body measures approx 5 1/2 inches long. Great early Chincoteague Island miniature here from one of the finest maker & painters of decoys that lived, & priced to sell. Fresh to market from a very well known & very strong collection of Ira Hudson & classic Southern decoys. More pics avail of this rare mini.
(Consignment piece)
$350

Super nice & very scarce Doug Jester (1876-1961) miniature Canvasback decoy, Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1930-50s. Nice classic body style, measuring approx 6 3/4 inches long. Paint is all original & nicely done. Very clean, strong & dry & has a few very small flakes to wood on back. Jester was well known for his classic Chincoteague style hunting decoys, but his minis are quite hard to find, especially this nice & a Canvasback is one of the hardest species to find as a mini.
$450

Superb hen Pintail by Paul Gibson (1902-1990s), Harve de Grace, MD. Signed & dated 1978. Excellent all original paint & condition. Nice clean painting style & a very dry finish, with lots of nice feathering brush work, head is scratch painted. Measures approx 18 inches long. Bird has never been rigged to hunt. Paul was one of the upper Chesapeake Bays finest makers, totally self taught & only made his own decoys. His decoy output was small compared to Mitchell & examples this clean are a lucky find, especially a hen. A superb hunting decoy by one of the great old time Upper Chesapeake Bay makers.
$600

Very early & extra fat Dowicher from Jamaica Bay, Long Island, NY. Maker unknown but from the same hand as the birds made for the Theodore Rodgers rig, and may possibly be from that 1853 rig. Circa 1850-60. Very old, clean & strong paint, most of which appears to be original coat. Bill may be old replacement or possibly shortened as other Dowicher's I have seen from this rig have a long bill, it is proper splined thru head. Has shot scars & a area where wood was lost along grain on bottom right side (not shown but extra pics avail), may have had the "Rodgers" brand shaved off in that area and painted over. Overall a great looking & historic shorebird & as early as you will ever find any decoy. More pics avail.
$1450

Rare 1/2 size Redhead drake by Miles Hancock (1887-1974), Chincoteague Island, VA. Signed & dated 1971 by Hancock. A very scarce size & species by Hancock. Half size measures approx 9 1/4 inches. Excellent all original paint, with very nicely done paint patterns on back. Has tack eyes, with some paint still on eyes. Made from 2 pieces for the body & no raised wing carving on this one. This is a very tuff size decoy to find by Hancock & a very hard to find species, & will be impossible to find one nicer.
$700

~~~WANTED TO BUY~~~

~~~WANTED TO BUY~~~
MINIATURE DECOYS BY MARK McNAIR FOR MY COLLECTION
ALL SPECIES CONSIDERED, SEND DESCRIPTION OR PICS & PRICE