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.
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Exceptional and never rigged classic 1936 model drake Bluebill by the Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. Found sitting on top of a refrigerator by Henry Stansbury in Easton, MD a few years ago. Circa 1932-36. Never signed, dated or rigged to hunt with. Mint all original paint and condition. Paint is mint, clean and dry with a beautiful surface and patina with exceptional paint patterns on this one. Has a small chip to the front edge of the wide bill on right side but as found and was left that way to keep in a pure untouched state. Can arrange for repair if requested by the next caretaker. Head is turned to the left with nice wide bill carving and perfect glass eyes with no cracks. Displays perfect. See like examples pictured in Gard & McGrath's great book "The WARD BROTHERS' DECOYS, A Collectors Guide". Solid carved body measures approx 16 inches long. "NO NECK CRACKS!" Very clean perfectly done classic style for that era. The price of good early Wards continue to be strong, they are great American folk art and always stand on their own. This is a sweet decoy for any collector looking to add a early Ward Bluebill and demands great or classic examples and investment quality decoys. Very rare to find 80+ year old decoys by the Wards that were never rigged or in this condition. E-mail for more pics if interested.
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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

Very scarce never rigged and matched Canvasback pair of decoys by William Heverin (1860-1951) , Charlestown, Maryland. Circa 1910. Signed on bottom of both by the late decoy historian Henry A. Fleckenstein when he sold them 9/6/86. Strong, dry and clean all original paint and condition and both have never been rigged. Excellent surface with only a few areas of age flaking of paint but awesome considering they are thought to be over a 100 years old. Nice full size birds at approx 15-16 inches, no checks or cracks on hen and drake has a few agelines in body that look like they were already there when made. NO NECK CRACKS ON EITHER!! Painted eye model birds with good feather back angel wing painting on hen and classic Heverin form on both. Nicely done head and bill that are deeply carved. No faults on this scarce pair and the way you wish to find them. Heverin decoys are true Upper Chesapeake Bay classics and he was always true to his style because it worked. A classic and very clean Heverin matched pair for any Chesapeake Bay decoy collection. Rare find here and in nearly impossible to find condition. Great buy on these scarce beauties. The last pair sold at Copley 2019 summer auction for $5,400.00. More pics available. These wont last long.
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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.
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Superb & pristine Lesser Yellowlegs shorebird carving by A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952), East Harwich, Mass. Circa 1920-40. Outstanding all original paint & condition. Paint is very detailed, dry, and clean with a perfect patina of age. Only wear is tiny rub to very tip of bill & tail, both are very small rubs & do not distract in anyway. No repairs or touch ups of any kind, blacklights perfect. All gesso for thighs, knees & toes are original & in great shape. Has good strong square style brand. Lifesize it measures approx 8 1/2 inches long, and 9 1/4 tall. Solid body with glass eyes and is mounted on carved clam or quahog shell. Extra pics available. This is a excellent example for any collector looking for a strong Crowell Shorebird carving to add to a collection, this beauty is ex-collection of Steve Ting. Good buy here as Crowell decoys continue to be the strongest part of the decoy market, early untouched examples this nice are getting impossible to find at any price.
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Outstanding and very scarce oil painting on canvas of eight Mallards by Lem Ward (1896-1984), Crisfield, MD. Signed but not dated. Circa 1940s-50s. Ex-collection of John Hopkins Jr. Excellent oil painting in 100% original conditon with no problems or repairs. Beautiful colors with great detail of 8 Mallards and good large size. Nice cherry color frame that measures approx 23 1/2 X 19 1/2, painting size is approx 18 X 14 1/4. This is a superb painting and a early example of flat work by Lem. You dont find these very often and a good investment piece for any Ward decoy collector and priced below original cost. More detailed pics available.
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Very early and very rare drake Redhead by Capt. Ben Dye (1821-1896), Perryville, MD. Circa 1850-60. Formerly in the collection of noted author & decoy historian Henry Fleckenstein, and branded with his "F" on the bottom. Very good old working paint. Paint is strong & clean and has been waxed, probably by Henry. Retains a iron keel weight. Body measures approx 13 inches long and is in very good condition with the exception of area where neck was cracked & secured back together, appears to be a old working repair as it is not done to hide anything. Great classic form & style with a nicely done head & bill detail carving. This is the earliest example by one of the earliest documented makers on the Chesapeake Bay Flats area. It is known as a "boat body" model. This is a rare & important classic decoy from one of the most historic gunning areas that there ever was. A very fine overall decoy, especially when you consider it is approx 150 years old! You wont find another at any price. This is a rare opportunity to add one of the best Upper Bay decoys of this vintage to a collection.
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Rare and early hen Goldeneye by Ira Hudson (1876-1949), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1925-1940. Has excellent all original paint with very little wear for the age & useage, lots of great blending & scratch painting. No repairs or touch ups of any kind with a beautiful dry and clean surface. Solid carved body measures approx 15 inches. This is a classic & very desirable Hudson style, with a great head style with nicely carved bill, flowing style body with classic flutted tail carving. Has original tack eyes. Retains original pad weight & leather line tie. This is a really scarce species by Hudson & even rarier being a hen and really only known example at this time. Ex-Charlie Hunter collection and way below original price. Great bird and in the condition and style you always hope to find a Hudson. More pics available of this Chincoteague classic.
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Superb Mallard decoy pair by the late Leo McIntosh, Woodville, New York. Circa 1995-2000. These are 1 of 3 pairs made for the gunning rig of Preston Lowe. Excellent all original paint & condition with a nice soft patina finish. Very detailed painting and awesome carving style. Hollow carved bodies measure approx 16 1/4 inches long each with slightly turned heads with glass eyes. Nice carving on this beauty with very well done form and detail. Retains original keels. Leo started his decoy making career working for Ken Harris Decoys before going out on his own in the 1980's. I use to set up near him at the Easton Waterfowl Festival and he always sold out quickly. He was a very neat guy and was a shame he passed at a young age. This is a beautiful pair of Mallards and shows the strong use of form & movement detail that Leo incorporated in his fine work. Its tuff getting any McIntosh carvings as his decoys are highly sought by collectors of both old & contemporary decoys. Very nice piece here & sure to please, beautiful workmanship. More pics avaiilable.
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Very early and the rarest of the rare Ruddy Duck decoy by Ben Dye (1827-1896), Cecil County, MD. Circa 1850-1885. Has "WW" and "ST. PETERS CLUB" branded in bottom. Hard working old bird that has all original paint and is the only known example that is all original. Nice surface that is all original and dry, clean and strong, never waxed. Very good plus condition with neck crack that doesnt distract & is secure and may have been glued at one time. Diminutive little beauty that measures just 10 inches long tip to tip, with nice full stylish body carving. Nicely done shelf carving and mid body tail carving. Original weight and line tie are long gone. Has original metal tack eyes. There is a ongoing discussion whether Ben Dye or John Graham made this tiny rig of Ruddies, but it really doesn't matter as they are some of the finest decoys ever made on the Chesapeake Bay in that era. These probably predate the Civil War, take a moment and think about the history they were part of. Most of the others from this rig have no paint or have a different style head and are painted as Canvasbacks. They are Cecil County classics and a historic and important addition to any collection. These decoys are seldom found and examples in any condition seldom surface to market. This is a very fine and scarce example for any collector looking to add a historic example Upper Bay or classic maker Ruddy Duck to a collection. E-mail for more pics if interested. Very hard to find piece here and a excellent buy on this classic.
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Screamer and near perfect Canvasback drake by Robert McGaw (1879-1958), Havre de Grace, MD. Circa 1930-40. From his personal rig and branded "R.F. McGaw". Minty all original paint & condition, great patina & aging. Never waxed, paint is super strong, dry & crisp and almost as snow white as the day it was made. Has never been gunned over & is near perfect, only some small area of lifted puddy over nails in top of head with a couple of flakes of puddy loss. Has a smaller then a dime knot stain but is light in color as seen in top pic near wing tip painting. For the age it is just superb! More pics avail. Measures approx 16 inches long, has original weight & line tie but never gunned. Also has McGaw's brand, it is thought the birds with his brand were from his personal rig. Outstanding paint patterns in McGaws best style. As good as they come, and of the quality you just can't find at any price these days. I've had around 4 of these mint McGaw cans over the years but this one is by far the finest. 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, birds of this quality continue to be the strongest investment you can put in a collection. More pics available.
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Fantastic pair of Greenwing Teal decoys by Cameron McIntyre. Circa less then 20 years old. Excellent all original aged paint & condition. The paint style, aging, and patina on this pair has created a surface that is exceptional. Incredible painting with the earliest best Ward style scratch painting and paint blending. Stylish, sleek & very well done pair of carvings done in his style. Measure approx 11 1/4 inches long each and are hollow carved bodies with slightly raised wings and ice dip carving. Bills carved separate and splined thru heads like a shorebird. Carved "CTM" signature in bottom of each. Both have glass eyes with slightly turned and downward tilted heads. 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 follow what his birds have sold for at the major decoy auctions you will appreciate the deal on these beauties.
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Early & very scarce matched pair of Bluebill decoys by Capt. Ike Phillips (b-1850's~d-1940's), Wachapreague, VA. Circa is probably 1900-1930 considering Ike's age. Excellent all original paint & condition with no repairs or touch ups & both retain original leather line ties & weights. Both have a hair thin "spiral" neck crack, but doesnt go all the way thru either & is very tight & secure. Measures approx 13 1/4 inches each with a nice full body style. Retains original leather line ties and bottom lead pad weights. Capt Ike Phillips was a decoy maker, waterman & guide to the "sports" that visited the famous Island House of Wachapreague & Cedar Island at the turn of the century. Only a few decoys have surfaced by him & it is thought that he probably made less then 100 duck decoys, Black Ducks & Bluebills are the only species known by him. I think the famous "Parramore Island Flatties" were also made by him & used by the Island House guest that wanted to do some shooting on Cedar & Parramore Island. This pair at one time held the world record price for a pair by Phillips & now offered for less then the past record price. This is a super nice matched pair by one of the historic makers from the very old days on the Eastern Shore of VA. These are very hard to pair up this nice. More pics avail.
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Very rare species miniature Laughing Gull carving by A.E. Crowell (1862-1952), East Harwich, Mass. Circa 1900-30s. Excellent all original paint & condition, with only fault being very tiny pinhead size dent in breast but hard to see. Paint blending & colors on this bird are superb, no doubt whose hand carved & painted this one! Bottom is rectangular stamped "A.E. Crowell Maker, East Harwichport, Mass." Approx 3 3/4 inches long & 2 3/4 high. More pics avail. Very nice mini & a very rarely found species. These have soared in value over the last couple of years & are a strong solid investment and a joy to own, and Crowell mini rare species are at the top of the list. How many of these have you ever seen for sale or even in a large collection?
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Rare & early classic Canada Goose by the Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. Circa 1932. This goose is from the Ward Brother's personal gunning rig. Bird has been signed by Lem and Steve in 3 different spots, once as makers, second time to verify bird from thier personal hunting rig, & third time to friend Don Snyder, who had them repaint the bird in 1968. Bird was repainted in 1968 by the Wards & the above original photo shows this is exact bird that Steve is holding, except keel was later removed to display. This photo was attached to bottom of bird & will be included with the decoy. I would assume that is Mrs. Snyder & son with Steve Ward in photo. Glass eyes & great form, with classic Ward style head carving. Body is all cedar with turned head & measures approx 23 1/2 inches long. Bill was replaced by the Wards, probably as a gunning repair, as photo shows bill the same. Very clean & nicely done style for that era & the paint style is beautiful. The price of good Wards are staying strong and rare examples continue to bring very strong money. This is a nice decoy for any collector looking to add a early classic Ward Goose with some good history attached. Detailed pics available.
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Scarce and super nice drake Greenwing Teal by Leo McIntosh (1953-2007), Woodville, NY. Carved signature on belly. Superb all original paint and condition. Paint is mint, dry, very clean and detailed with a beautiful soft surface. Hollow carved body measures approx 11 3/4 inches long with slightly turned head with perfect glass eyes. Leo started with decoys when he was 18 working as a painter for Ken Harris Decoy Company. He became a competetion carver in 1976 winning many titles including 1981 "Best of Show" at the Ward World Championships in Ocean City, Maryland. He later got interested in doing birds more in the old style and developed a passon for flat art which he excelled at. Leo was a really nice guy who passed at just 54. He is still missed by those who were lucky enough to know him. Nice looking and great collector species here by a very well known NY maker. Outstanding piece here where the carving and painting came together for a exceptional piece of decoy folk art. More pics avail.
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Exceptional matched Goldeneye decoy pair by the Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. Circa 1969, signed & dated and made for the collection of Pete and Jane Williams. Excellent all original paint & condition. Paint is very strong, clean & dry. Beautiful patina & great paint patterns on this pair with no cracks even in the neck filler. Hollow carved bodies that measure approx 15 inches long on dake and 13 1/2 on hen which is proper in hen being slightly smaller in the wild. Heads are turned on each. Great looking classic Ward Brothers Goldeneye decoy pair here, very clean & nicely done style for that era & the condition is exceptional. This was one of the Ward's favorite species to make and the respect they had for the species shows in the fine form, paint and workmanship in this superb pair. The price of good matched Wards continue to be strong, they are great American folk art & stand on their own. This is a sweet decoy pair for any collector looking to add a classic Ward Goldeneye pair and demands exceptional original condition examples & investment quality decoys. E-mail for more pics.
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Superb near mint Black Duck decoy by Ira Hudson (1876-1949), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1930-1940. Has excellent all original paint with very little wear for the age but doubt it has ever been put in the water. lots of great blending and tiny scratch painting. No repairs or touch ups of any kind with a bone dry surface that is clean and strong. Has a area backside of head & area of face where some shrinkage or craquelure has occured but looks great and is not a distraction. Solid carved balsa body measures approx 17 inches. This is a classic & very desirable Hudson style, with a great head style with nicely carved bill, fat, full, flowing style body, with classic flutted tail carving with tack eyes. Retains original pad weight & leather line tie. This is a incredibly beautiful classic Hudson Black Duck, great form & very clean. This bird is rigmate to the group of three swimming in a circle in Henry Stansbury's Ira Hudson Decoy book. Great bird and in the condition and style you always hoped to find a Hudson. More pics available of this rare Chincoteague classic.
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Classic & best style drake Canvasback decoy by Charles Nelson Barnard (1876-1958), Havre de Grace, MD. From the Joel Pusey sinkbox rig and has a nice deep hot branded "J.P." on bottom. Circa 1910-30. Very good plus condition and appears to be all original paint but may have a few small areas of very old gunning touch up on bottom of white. Looks 100% original but see one small area of body paint on weight, dont know if he weighted before painting. Nice painting style & a very dry finish thats very clean with a beautiful patina. Measures approx 16 1/4 inches long and retains original weight and line tie staple. As found from the gunning rig condition. Condition is excellent considering the vintage and best part is absolute best style higher head. Does have a few shot scars and wear to wood in spots and small chip on top tip of bill. Hair thin neck crack but super tight and secure. Barnard was one of the upper Chesapeake Bays finest makers, his style and form were exceptional and examples of his decoys are some of the most sought after decoys by collectors. His high headed decoys are superb pieces of art. A super nice and very classic example of his best style decoy here for the price. A awesome piece of wildfowling history here as I'm sure many Canvasbacks were killed over this fine decoy in the many years it was used in Joel Pusey's sinkbox rig. More pics avail.
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Rare never hunted Mallard drake decoy by Robert McGaw (1879-1958), Havre de Grace, MD. Circa 1930-40. Excellent all original paint & in unused condition. Excellent paint detail & form, the detail, color & patina are superb. Beautiful surface that is very clean & pretty much mint with no cracks or checks. Measures approx 16 inches long, with great head style & full body carving. Full size McGaw decoys in never gunned conditon are seldom found on the resale market anymore & this is a superb example for any collector looking to add a very choice example Upper Bay or McGaw bird to a collection. E-mail
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Super rare and important hen Canvasback decoy by the Mason Decoy Company (1896-1924), Detroit, Mich. Circa 1921. Very rare special made group made for the "FALSE CAPE GUN CLUB" in VA. The finest known example of just 5 known to exist. 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 and a few shot scars. Is all original paint & condition with no touch ups or body repairs. The left side eye was missing and has been replaced with a original Mason Canvasback red eye. Has a age crack in bottom area of bird. Solid carved it measures approx 18 inches long and this design was never weighted or keeled. Line tie removed and holes filled. Classic deep carved bill as was used on premier grade Mason heads. Head can be wiggled but is secure to head. A few of the men from the Mason Decoy factory hunted at the False Cape Gun Club and that is where they tried special order and non standard decoys for trial use. This group this bird originated from was designed on theory that the diving ducks were best decoyed to the iron wing ducks used there. They didnt work as planned and up until this year just 4 examples were known and a documented rigmate can be seen in "GUN CLUBS & DECOYS of Back Bay and Currituck Sound" by Johnson & Coppedge, page 33. Masons continue to be one of the most sought after decoys by collectors all over the country. Good original and honest examples are eagerly collected & the price continues to be strong on the better pieces. Great buy on this rare beauty and sure to please. This is without a doubt one of the rarest Mason's offered to the market in many years. More pics available of this pretty girl.
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Superb miniature Osprey with fish carving by Billy Crockett, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa 2001. Carved "B. Crockett 2001" in bottom of base. Paint is all original and very rich and life like in color. Tiny glass eyes. The bird measures approx 5 inches long and approx 11 inches tall on driftwood and base. Nice lifelike colors and very detailed carving with a very nicely done posture with lots of nice detail including the the detail of the tiny speckled Sea Trout. Billy is one of the best carvers out there and his minis will rival those made by anyone ever, including the most famous historic masters. It is absolutely outstanding workmanship. His work isnt widely known but is eagerly collected here on the Eastern Shore and very rarely offered for resale. Great piece here, its sure to please. You wont see another like this. Good buy here and more pics available.
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Outstanding & very scarce Wood Duck decoy by J. Corb Reed (1897-1982), Chincoteague Island, VA. Double stamped "J.C. REED". Circa 1960-70. Excellent all original paint & condition.Great detail and the colors and blending on the feathers are the most accurate I have seen on any Wood Duck decoy that I have ever handled. Corb was a outstanding painter, he could paint vermiculation like no other carver, they say he had a small piece of something he wore on his finger that he used to achive his realistic vermiculation, he would never tell anyone what it was & they say he swallowed it before he died taking his painting secret to the grave. His paint is unmatched by very few. Nice slightly raised wings with great head, tail and feather carving, and is rarer style with double leg and feet carving on sides of body. Bird is carved with 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 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 rare beauty available.
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Super nice classic flowing body style Black Duck by Ira Hudson (1876-1949), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1920-1935. Ex-collections of Bill Purnell with double collection brands and Bobby Jester collection stamp. Has excellent all original paint with very little wear for the age & useage, lots of great blending & scratch painting. No repairs or touch ups of any kind. Measures approx 16 3/4 inches. This is a classic & very desirable Hudson style, with a great head style with nicely carved bill, fat flowing style body, with classic flutted tail carving, solid cedar body, & tack eyes. Retains original weights and u nail line tie. This is a really nice true classic Hudson Black Duck, great form & very clean. Great bird and in the condition and style you always hope to find. More pics available.
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Early model "BEST GRADE" Canvasback decoy pair by the Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. Circa 1948, signed and marked "BEST GRADE" on bottom of each. Drake pictured in Fleckenstein's classic book "DECOYS of the Mid. Excellent and minty all original paint & condition. Paint is very strong, clean & dry. Beautiful patina and great paint patterns on this pair with nearly perfect neck filler. Solid bodies that measure approx 17 inches long on each. Heads are turned on each which is typical of the Ward's. Great looking classic Ward Brothers Canvasback decoy pair here, very clean and nicely done style for that era and the condition is exceptional and perfect. This was one of the Ward's favorite species to make and the respect they had for the species shows in the fine form, paint and workmanship in this superb pair. The price of good matched Wards continue to be strong, they are great American folk art and stand on their own. This is a sweet pair and are investment quality decoys. Great find here, especially with the poems by Lem on the bottom of each. E-mail for more pics.
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Very nice mini flying Canada Goose by John "Never Worked and Never Will" Baldwin (1868-1938), Babylon, Long Island, NY. Circa 1900-1925. Paint is all original & very rich in color with a gorgeous deep patina and dry surface. Measures approx 9 1/2 inches long. Has small eye screw to hang with and some good info on Baldwin attached to backside. Baldwin was very dedicated to what he loved which was making flying duck carvings. He was proclaimed to be "The Greatest Whittler" of them all. A sign hung in his shop that proudly proclaimed "Never worked and never will". I've had carvings of his before with sticker on bottom with that slogan on it. His carvings were very popular and eagerly purchased by the public, but if Baldwin didn't like you or was in a cranky mood you couldn't buy one of his carvings at any price, but he would be quick to give away to a youngster as a present. A lot of good info can be found on John Baldwin in Bill Mackey's classic decoy collecting book "American Bird Decoys". A very nice piece for any collection of Folk Art, miniatures or Long Island classic decoys. More pics avail of this pretty little Goose.
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Superb Green~Winged Teal drake in "late fall plumage" by Harold Haertel (1904-1996), Dundee, Illinois. Signed & dated 1971 by Harold and made for Dr. Palenske. Fantastic all original paint & condition. Paint is about mint, dry, very clean & incredibly detailed. Signed on bottom with 1971 date as shown in pic above. Life size it measures approx 10 1/4 inches long with a slightly turned head with glass eyes. Harold Haertel was a master carver who was also known for his fine collection of classic North American decoys. His work is outstanding and highly sought by collectors of antique and contemporary decoys. Outstanding example here and easy to understand why his work is so highly sought by collectors. This one is a beauty & guaranteed to please. More pics avail.
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Fantastic and rare 1st Canvasback pair of decoys by William Gibian, Onancock, Eastern Shore of VA. Carved signature on bottom. Circa signed date 6/111/91. Card signed as 1st drake and hen Canvasback Gibian made. Superb all original paint & condition with a nice soft patina finish. Lots of great brushwork and comb scratch painting with a beautiful surface. Drake measures approx 15 1/2 inches long with full streched preening head and raised wing. Hen measures approx 17 inches with slightly turned head. Both are hollow carved bodies with perfect glass eyes and raised wing tip carving on each with lifted crossover on back. Retains original leather line ties, and the signed business cards that he mounts on bottom. Nice detailed carving on these beauties with very well done form and detail. This is a neat style & shows the strong use of form & movement that Gibian incorporates in his fine work. Carved "Gibian"signature on bottom of bird. Exceptional and rare pair here & sure to please someone looking for the best quality Gibian carvings. More pics avail.
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Superb early pair of Greenwing Teal by D.W. Nichols (1890-1977), Smith's Falls, Ont. Circa 1940-50s. Both have painted bottom signatures. Excellent all original paint & condition. No repairs or touch ups. Solid bodies measure approx 11 1/2 inches on each. Very nicely done comb painting on drake and scratch painting style on hen. Both have perfect glass eyes and have never been rigged to gun with. Nice detailed carving on head, wing tips and tails. Nichols made a very nice decoy and they are Canadian classics and a collector favorite. More pics avail. Good buy on this pretty pair..
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Super nice "PREMIER" grade hen Mallard 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 and a few shot scars. Is all original paint & condition with no touch ups or repair. Has a original in the factory wedge inserted on butt area of bird. Hollow carved it measures approx 18 inches long & the glass eyes are perfect. Classic deep carved bill. Has all of the original neck filler is still in place, & NO TAIL CHIP!, more pics avail. Masons continue to be one of the most sought after decoys by collectors all over the country.. 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.
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Extra nice & early Black Duck by Charles H. Hart (1862-1960), Gloucester, Mass. Circa 1890-1930, Excellent all original paint & condition. Paint is very strong and clean with a perfect patina of age. Has very minimal wear from hunting use with only a few small areas of paint flake. Measures approx 18 inches long with the hollow carved big full body style. Has glass eyes and extra nice wing, tail and head carving. Hart was a stone mason who occasionally hunted but most made decoys for his brother and friends. Only a few species known by him and even sold some thru a sporting goods store in Boston. Very good workmanship here and hard to find a Black Duck this nice by Hart as he is best known for his penguin carvings. Extra pics available. This is a nice example for any collector looking for a very strong and all original classic Charles Hart to add to a collection. Very good buy here as classic Massachusetts decoys continue to be strong in the decoy market. More pics available.
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Excellent and scarce matched pair of high-head Canvasback decoys by Milt Watson (1911-1985), Chesapeake City, MD. Circa 1940-50s. Excellent all original paint, with very strong surface with classic Cecil County "Angel Wing" paint jobs on this pair. Full size with very cool carved eyes, measures approx 17 1/2 inches each with each having nice high heads that measure approx 5 3/4 inches tall. They have been gunned over in the past but show very minimal wear with only fault being 2 areas of lifted grain on neck of drake and bb size hole in left side of hens neck but both very secure and display superbly. Both have had original weights & leather line tie removed. Great high head examples here & sure to please any collector looking for top quality vintage Canvasbacks for their collection. Milt Watson lived his entire life in Chesapeake City and worked for the C&D canal and its successor from 1925 to 1973. He made his first decoys in about 1930 and carved in the classic Cecil County tradition and was best known for his high head Canvasback decoys and his fine Bushwack boats. He received Honorable Mention at the American Decoy Show in 1951. Superb pair of classic decoys here by one of the Chesapeake Bays finest and seldom found makers. More pics available.
SOLD!

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.
SOLD!

Super rare drake Bluewing Teal by Robert Elliston (1849-1915), Bureau, Ill. Circa 1870-1890's. Branded "DENNIS" on belly. Very good plus all original paint & condition with a repair to both sides of the bill. The bill had edges filled to reshape and touched up in only that area on each side. I believe this was painted in "Eclipse Plummage" as is the example in "Masterworks of the Illinois River" by O'Brien/Carlson page 35. It would make sense as BW Teal are still in that coloration when starting migration in late August and Illinois would be a early area of travel. Hollow carved it measures approx 13 inches long with a straight head and perfect glass eyes. Retains original weight & line tie. Paint is excellent with a couple of rubs to wood and a small rough area on edge of tail. This bird is just one of 5 or 6 drakes in existence according to Joe Tonelli. Robert Elliston was considered the father of the Illinois River style decoys. His wife Catherine painted all the decoys along with decoys by the other top makers of the era. Elliston decoys are top notch classics, and not just in the mid-west, his work is highly sought by many collectors all over the country. Some great info can be found in any of the books that cover Illinois River decoys. This is a outstanding example of his work and a very rare male example of the species. You would have a hard time finding one in this condition at anywhere near this price, or really just finding one. Examples have sold in excess of $30k. Great piece here for even the pickiest collector and more pics avaiable. Don't miss this one!
SOLD!

Superb miniature Gobbler Turkey carving by Billy Crockett, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa 2017. Carved "B. Crockett 2017" in bottom of driftwood. Paint is all original and very rich and life like in color. Tiny glass eyes. The bird measures almost 7 1/2 inches long and approx 6 inches tall on stand. Overall measurement including driftwood is approx 12 1/2 inches long. Nice lifelike colors and very detailed carving with a very nicely done posture with lots of nice detail including the real hair beard. Billy is one of the best carvers out there and his minis will rival those made by anyone ever, including the most famous historic masters. It is absolutely outstanding workmanship. His work isnt widely known but is eagerly collected here on the Eastern Shore and very rarely offered for resale. Great piece here, its sure to please. Good buy here and more pics available.
SOLD!

Early and rare Black Duck decoy by William Heverin (1860-1951) , Charlestown, Maryland. Circa 1915-35. Strong, dry and clean all original paint and condition. Im pretty sure this is 100% original but only thing that throws me is small area of paint on outer edges and over nails on the belly weight. Excellent surface with only a few areas of slight hunting wear mostly to high spots and edges but overall very good plus condition considering it closing in on a 100 years old. Nice big full size bird at approx 17 1/2 inches, no checks or cracks. Painted eyes and upswept paddle tail with classic Heverin form. Nicely done head and bill that are deeply carved. No faults at all on this one. Heverin decoys are true Upper Chesapeake Bay classics and was he was always true to his style because it worked. A classic and very clean Heverin bird for any Chesapeake Bay decoy collection. Early upper bay Black Ducks are very scarce to find, especially to find in this nice of condition. Great buy on this scarce beauty.
SOLD!

Very stylish and scarce Mallard pair of bookends by the Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. Circa 1930's. Ex-collection of the late Mort Hanson. Excellent all original paint & condition. Paint is very strong and clean. Beautiful patina & great paint patterns on this pair and in the most famous style of the Wards, the 1932-36 models. Solid carved cedar lifesize pieces that measures approx 7 inches tall each. Heads are slightly turned to each and have beautiful long and never damaged bills. Both have perfect glass eyes. Only fault is cracking of neck puddy on each which is very common on these vintage models because of the high shelf style the Wards did on neck/head marrage when making these style birds. A couple of small age handling scuffs but really excellent consideringover 80 years old each. Great looking classic Ward pair here, very clean & nicely done style for that classic era & the condition overall is very good plus. The price of good Wards continue to be strong, they are great American folk art & stand on their own. This is a very nice addition for any collector looking to add a matched pair of these classic Ward Brothers bookends to their collection. E-mail for more pics if interested, you will like these for the price and are very rare to find this nice.
SOLD!

Fantastic and very early drake Eider decoy by Pennell "Phineas" Alexander (1811-1890), Harpswell, Maine. Circa 1850. Ex-Olson collection. Awesome form and style carved from 1 piece of wood. Paint is very good and appears to be all original with a beautiful surface that is very dry and clean with a nice mellow patina on this beauty. Has a double irregular neck crack as seen in pic above but doesn't distract and displays excellent. Measures approx. 18 1/4 inches long. Nice detailed "nose" bill carving. Solid flat unpainted bottom body with nice "PA" carved into bottom. Retains small piece of the original leather line tie but was never weighted. The Alexander family go back in the history of Maine decoy makers as some of the earliest and some of the finest decoys from Maine. Great form and very appealing for any decoy or folk art collection. Very clean and strong bird here with great Folk Art appeal for the price, more pics avail.
SOLD!

Superb & near mint drake Mallard by Charles Perdew (1874-1963), Henry, Ill. Circa 1930-40's. Ex- Roger Somers rig and purchased directly from him by Joe Tonelli. Branded "RES" and only overpaint is over brand. Superb all original paint & condition. Paint is by Charlie and just about perfect mint that is bright, clean & crisp with great detail & patina with only issue keeping from being perfect is a few flakes to head but wasnt used much if a all. Hollow carved it measures approx 16 inches long with a straight head and glass eyes. Retains original weight & line tie. This bird is exceptional you could get yourself "crushed" at auction trying to buy one this nice. Charles Perdew was one of the most famous makers from the Illinois River area. Perdews are classics, & not just in the mid-west, his work is highly sought by many collectors all over the country. Some great info can be found in any of the books that cover Illinois River decoys. 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!

Superb & rare "Nathan Cobb " style Bufflehead decoy by Cameron McIntyre. Circa less then 25 years old. 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 beautiful piece that measures approx 11 1/2 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 glass eyes that are perfect. 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 really just outstanding. You will be more then happy with this one.
SOLD!

Exceptional & very fat "High tail " model Black Duck by the Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. Circa 1948, signed & dated. Excellent all original paint & condition. Paint is very strong, clean & dry. Beautiful patina & great paint patterns on this one. Minimal wear with a few tiny dents & bottom edge wear, tiny chip to underside of bill at mandible. Has a slight but tight age line on right side that doesnt distract. Classic fat high tail model that collectors love in the 1948 vintage models. Balsa body with cedar head & tail insert that measures approx 17 inches long. Head is turned to left with no cracks in neck filler. Great looking classic Ward decoy here, very clean & nicely done style for that era & the condition is exceptional. The price of good earlier Wards continue to be strong, they are great American folk art & stand on their own. This is a sweet decoy for any collector looking to add a classic Ward Black Duck and demands exceptional original condition examples & investment quality decoys. E-mail for more pics if interested, you be hard pressed to ever find one better.
SOLD!

Superb & scarce "Tiger Stripe" model Canada Goose by Edward Phillips (1901-1964), Cambridge, MD. Circa 1930's. Excellent all original paint & condition with a bone dry suface that is very clean. Paint is very detailed "Tiger Stripe" model with a perfect soft patina. Has some wear from honest gunning & age but very strong considering its size & age. Body measures approx 26 1/4 inches, measurement to top of head is approx 15 inches tall. Has typical age check in bottom as all of his Geese do, but its tight & not getting any bigger, a few small age lines as expected with a solid body bird of this vintage & size, overall it rates excellent & displays beautifully. Ask for extra pics if interested. Retains original pad weight & a very cool original copper strip line tie. This scarce piece is outstanding & will be a great addition to any collection. Ed Phillips was the hands down premier maker of Dorchester County & Geese by him are rarely offered this nice at any price. Good buy here & sure to please.
(consignment piece)
SOLD!

Early, scarce and never rigged "Painted-Eye" drake Broadbill decoy by the Mason Decoy Company, Detroit, Michigan. Circa 1896-1924. Super nice wide bill "Broadbill" model. Excellent all original paint and condition and retains 99% of its original neck filler. All original paint, very clean and has a beautiful surface with a very nice patina from nice aging and better than my pics show. Very nice painting style. Measures approx 13 7/8 inches long. Never rigged with a line tie but does have a original bottom weight. More pics avail. This is a near perfect example and in unheard of never rigged condition. No excuses needed on this one and will be a nice addition to any collection, plus painted eye Broadbills in original paint aren't easy to find. Painted eye Mason's were the lowest grade and as a result not nearly as many sold or survived. All original examples of these 100+ year old beauties are very scarce to find, especially with all neck filler intact and not busted up. Good buy on this scarce one that you will never need to upgrade. More pics available.
$1500

Very cool and one of a kind lifesize Canada Goose decoy on display by Grayson Chesser, Jenkins Bridge, VA. Circa 1980-90. Ex-collectiion of John Maddox & was part of the Chincoteague Refuge Museum collection. Has Grayson's "C" carved in bottom. Very good all original paint & condition that shows intentional wear by Grayson. Great surface on this beauty. Large hollow carved body measures approx 22 1/2 inches with sharply turned head, also has a raised wing tip and a nice fat full body carving. Bill is oak & splined thru head with glass eyes. Base measures approx 24 X 11 1/2, very heavy with 1 1/2 hand carved corn cobbs with 3 kernels also by Grayson. Also includes the original card that was displayed on the carving while its home was the museum. Grayson told me he made it as a show piece to take to Easton one year but when Maddox saw it he purchased and put in museum where it sat until this year. Grayson was the "Carver of the Year" at the 2004 Havre de Grace Decoy Show, and just did an exhibit at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. This is a very nice carving with great folk art appeal. It is one of a kind and by one of the best classic decoy makers of this generation. Grayson's decoys continue to be some of the most sought after decoys in todays market, get this piece of Chincoteague Refuge Museum history and a true modern classic while you can. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Very rare 1st rig high head Coot by Capt. John Glen (1876-1954), Rock Hall, MD. Circa 1930-40s. Strong and clean all original paint & condition with no touch ups or repairs. Classic flowing body style that shows the boat builder influence that the Rock Hall carvers designed into their carvings. Measures approx 11 1/2 inches long with slightly forward swimming head. Retains original weight & line tie. This is one of 2 found at a auction a few years back. Well respected decoy historian Chad Tragakis told me that this was out of the first small Coot rig made by John Glen around WW2. The head was a bit too high & didn't float right when water got choppy. The next & final rig was a lower head with a keel type of set up. Great old Chesapeake Bay Coot hunting decoy for any collector looking to add a very rare species by a classic Rock Hall maker to a collection. E-mail for more pics. Nearly impossible to find another and a great buy as Rock Hall birds are undervalued sleepers when it comes to finding these rare all original birds this clean &original. Hard to find species here by Glen, and next to impossible to find this nice in all original paint & condition. Decoys by Glen are Chesapeake Bay classics, he provided decoys for some of the most famous hunting clubs & gunners that ever gunned there. More good pics avail, great buy on this beauty.
SOLD!

Beautiful and very early Golden Plover shorebird decoy by W. S. Morton (1809-1871), Quincy, Massachusetts. Circa 1840-1850's. Branded "W. S. MORTON". Excellent and strong all original paint & condition, including original bill. Paint is very clean, dry & strong, with hundreds of plummage feather painting. This bird has a perfect surface with good color with a nice deep patina. Areas of paint loss are mostly just age drying in areas and has a couple of small old rubs to edges and areas of the original bill, but over all I would rate condition as excellent plus. This is a solid body bird measuring approx 10 1/2 inches long and has a nice full body carving. Has raised wing tip carving and carved eyes. Has double stick up holes that were made for wire legs and was done when made and is original. Most examples found have a third hole for regular stick or stand. This one is like the McCleery sale bird that sold for approx 11k. Morton was born in 1809 in Milton, Mass. and moved to Quincy in 1850 and that is where it is thought he did most of his gunning. He died in 1871. A super nice old classic shorebird by one of the historic makers in outstanding condition and with great folk art form for any collection of folk art or antique shorebirds. Stand option included and more pics available. A very good buy here on a excellent and very old classic shorebird.
SOLD!

Exceptional Green-Winged Teal pair by Bob White. Signed & dated 1990, & stamped with Bob's trademark Quail in weights. Outstanding pair of decoys in mint all original paint & condition, great colors & superb paint detail. Hollow carved bodies measure approx 12 inches long each. Nice style with slightly turned head on hen with glass eyes, and nice raised wing-tip & tail carving on both. Have been weighted & have leather line ties. His work is highly sought after by collectors of both old & contemporary Delaware River decoys. Outstanding offering here for the price and quality, these continue to be very hard to find & buy, steady & very strong auction prices are proof of the desirabillty. Bob is truely a "Classic and Historic" maker in the Delaware River style and his decoys have been the standard for all that have followed in his style, yet they continue to stand out as great decoys. These are beauties and are guaranteed to please. More pics avail of this fine matched pair.
SOLD!

Exceptional hollow carved Dove decoy by Marty Hanson, Prior Lake, Minn. Circa less then 20 years old. Has Marty's black ink stamp on bottom side of tail. Perfect all original paint & condition with a great patina. Paint is very detailed with some outstanding brushwork by Marty. Body is hollow carved and measures approx 11 3/4 inches tall with a raised wing/shoulder carving. This is a very nice decoy, great paint, surface & form. Marty is a great talent & if you have ever tried to get any decoys at a show by Marty you know he sells out fast & keeps a backlog for his fine work. Scarce model here & sure to please. Good buy here. More pics available.
SOLD!

Superb and very rare, just one of 2 known Widgeon hens by Capt. John Glen (1876-1954), Rock Hall, MD. From the "SWEETWATER" hunting club rig from South Carolina. Has the metal tack in breast the ID's it. Circa 1920-40s. Excellent strong and clean all original paint & condition. Great brush work on this one & is "classic" Rock Hall paint style & form. Condition is excellent with no repairs or touch ups. Shows some very minimal areas of wear from hunting but very clean and strong. Has a hair thin neck crack that goes thru 80% of the lower neck but very tight and secure. Has very slight lift to back of where head goes on body and would probably push down. Classic flowing body style with hard up swept tail that shows the boat builder influence that the Rock Hall carvers designed into their carvings. Measures approx 16 inches long. Just one other known at this time and it was thought to be the only one when Decoy Magazine article was written on John Glen. A very rare hunting decoy for any collector looking to add a classic Rock Hall decoy by John Glen to a collection. E-mail for more pics. Hard to find one nicer then this one & a great buy as Rock Hall birds are undervalued sleepers when it comes to finding these rare all original birds this clean & original. Decoys by Glen are Chesapeake Bay classics, he provided decoys for some of the most famous hunting clubs & gunners that ever gunned along the coast. More good pics avail, great buy on this classic beauty.
SOLD!

Superb miniature full strut gobbler Turkey carving by Eddie Wozny, Cambridge, Maryland. Signed and dated 2014 on bottom. Paint is all original & very rich in color. Glass eyes & measures approx 6 1/4 inches long with slightly turned head. Measures approx 7 3/4 inches tall on the base. Has nice carved base. Nice deep & rich lifelike colors & good detailed carving with raised wing carving very detailed head carving. Eddie is one of the best carvers out there, & his minis are just superb. He is quick to sell out at any of the shows he does & his carvings are rarely offered for resale. Superb piece here, its sure to please and what a great collector or hunter species. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Awesome "Wachapreague style" Merganser decoy by "Dr Duck" Russ Allen, NJ and the Eastern Shore of VA. Hot branded "ra" signature. Excellent all original paint and condition with intentional wear to give the look of a 100 year old decoy. Nice paint work and carving style on this one. Measures approx 16 1/2 inches long and is solid body with 2 bottom checks that were intentional. Bird got bill hairline cracked in shipping and was glued back into place by Russ and nearly impossible to see unless you know its there. This is a copy of a very cool decoy that is pictured in Fleckensteins "Southern Decoys" that was from Wachapreague and brought a lot of money when sold at auction. Russ is known as "Dr Duck" and one of the most well known people in the decoy hobby as he is best known for his professional repairs on top tier decoys for the major decoy houses and private collectors. He does a bit of his own carvings including to order when time allows which isnt often. This is a really nice style and a fantastic piece to add to any collection. Hot branded "ra" signature on bottom. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Superb and scarce classic matched pair of "Shooting Stool" Red-Breasted Mergansers by Lem and Steve Ward, Crisfield, MD. Signed and dated 1966 and made for collection of Bill Purnell and noted. Perfect clean, dry and thick all original paint and condition. Very scarce hollow carved bodies with turned heads and measure approx 16 3/4 inches long on drake and hen about a 1/2 shorter on hen. Condition is just about perfect, with only fault being about a 1/4 inch tip gone on top of drakes crest. I can have this professionally repaired for buyer if requested by Russ Allen. I have seen many shooting stools over the years but this is the only pair of Mergansers I've seen and only 2nd hollow carved pair I have ever seen. The nice thick dry paint and style make this as nice as you will ever find a pair of these. Very clean and 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 and that demand near perfect examples and investment quality decoys. From a extra nice old collection from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Great collector species matched pair here! Extra pics available, you will be
SOLD!

Early & very rare Brown Thrush lifesize bird carving by Augustus Aaron "Gus" Wilson (1864-1950), South Portland, Maine. Circa 1900-1925. Very good plus all original paint & condition with an outstanding surface that is very strong, dry & clean with a great patinia. Wear is very minimal with slight paint shrinkage areas from age. Stylish and sleek solid carved body that measures approx 11 inches long. Very well done detail carving with metal wire legs and with nicely done carved eyes. Mounted by Wilson on rough sawn board that measures approx 10 3/4 long by 4 1/4 wide. Here is a superb example of Gus Wilson's fine work for the collector of classic maker decoys or American folk art carvings. Wilson was a lighthouse keeper & is well known in the decoy & folk art world for his sculptural presence seldom achieved by other decoy makers. Excellent bird here for the money, and a very rare to find species by Wilson. You will be very pleased with this beauty. More pics available.
SOLD!

Exceptional and very scarce drake Canvasback by Charles Perdew (1874-1963), Henry, Ill. Circa 1940's. Superb all original paint & condition. Paint is just about perfect mint that is very dry, very clean & crisp with great detail & patina, only a few slight rubs to edges. Paint blending & use of colors are exceptional. Very nice detailed scratch comb painting across back in Charlie's best style. Nice to find in never varnished condition. Hollow carved it measures approx 16 inches long with a very slightly turned head and glass eyes, with the best style raised wing carving. 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 very top shelf 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. Good buy here below cost when last purchased. Hard not to want to add this bold beauty to your collection, great form, style & paint and scarce specie. Don't miss out on this one.
SOLD!

Stunning full size dead hang Wood Duck drake by Eddie Wozny, Cambridge, Maryland. Signed and dated 2015 on bottom of bird. Very nice piece that is life size with dropped wing that is removeable that hangs by leather cord to wood plaque. Paint is all original and very rich in color that is very detailed and lifelike. Glass eyes and measures approx 16 1/2 inches long and 10 1/2 wide with dropped wing. Plaque measures approx 22x14. Very detailed carving thru out the whole piece. Eddie makes a few extra special one of a kind pieces a year, this is one of those pieces that exibit his best talent and artistic workmanship. Eddie is one of the best carvers out there and his work will rival anything being made. He is quick to sell out at any of the shows he does and his carvings are rarely offered for resale. Incredible piece here, its sure to please. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Very rare reaching root head Brant decoy by Ira Hudson (1876-1949), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1900-25. First time offered for sale since 1985 Oliver Auction. Exact bird pictured on page 53 of "SOUTHERN DECOYS" by Fleckenstein. It was always thought since sold at auction that it was all original Ira Hudson paint. As time has passed it is now thought that it was one of the early repaint in the Hudson style by possibly McNair as only a small group of folks were that good in that era and McNair was known for his superb skill at Hudson paint styles. Beautiful and very rare reaching head that was made from a twisted root by Hudson. X-ray available that shows a tip of bill restoration that can only be seen with the x-ray. Has hairline neck crack in bottom and on right side but both are secure and as found. Retains original tack eyes but weight and line tie removed. Great form and measures approx 18 7/8 inches and is a solid carved body. A desirable and early classic documented Hudson with a great style and form. Great form and patina give his Brant such a great look. Very cool old classic bird that will surely please. A very scarce early model classic Ira Hudson Brant example for any collection. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Awesome half size Songbird carvings by Frank Finney, Capeville, VA. Circa less than 5 years old. Has Frank's ink stamp and carved "FF" and ink signed species of each. Excellent original paint and condition. Nice paint style and brush work with a nice surface patina. Measures approx 6 inches long and about 4 inches tall on hand carved bases by Frank. I have detailed pics and measurements on each as needed. This is a neat piece and Frank's work is very collectable and sought after. Frank is a well known artist of folk art and decoys as his work attracts collectors world wide. Great addition to any collection, as his work is quickly bought up by collectors and dealers when available. More pics available of each.
SOLD!

Scarce "Collector Grade" model Black Duck by the Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. Circa 1957, signed & dated. Excellent all original paint & condition. Paint is very strong and clean. Beautiful patina & great paint patterns on this one. Minimal wear with a few small flakes, small dent near tip of right wing. Balsa body with cedar head & nice wide tail insert that measures approx 16 inches long. Head is turned to left slightly. Great looking classic Ward decoy here, very clean & nicely done style for that era & the condition is very good plus. The Ward's started to see a influx of collectors in the 1950's and started to focus on more "Collector Grade" examples instead of just gunning birds. The Collector Grade models are a bit fancier in carving and quite a bit more of the classic Ward Brothers detailing in paint work. The price of good Wards continue to be strong, they are great American folk art & stand on their own. This is a sweet decoy for any collector looking to add a classic Ward Black Duck and demands excellent original condition examples & investment quality decoys. E-mail for more pics if interested, you will like this one for the price.
SOLD!

Super scarce Yellow-shafted Flicker decoy by Mark McNair, Eastern Shore of VA. Less than 6 of these made per Mark. Signed and dated 2002 in ink by Mark on base. Carved McNair signature on bird. Superb all original aged paint and condition. The surface is excellent with great looking patina and subtle aging. Nice detailed solid carved full body style that measures approx 11 1/4 inches tip to tip with bone bill. Awesome carved eyes with a very nice head carving and detailed paint style and perfect surface. This bird has a copper ring in breast that hangs on piece of tree wood base. This is a very neat style & looks 100 years old. Its tuff getting any McNairs and this is a really rare style that is pure Mark and very sought after species by McNair collectors. If you like shorebirds or McNair carvings this is a piece that you will be super happy owning. Priced to sell and more pics of this rare beauty avail.
SOLD!

Truely exceptional "Postage Stamp" model Canvasback pair by Robert McGaw (1879-1958), Harve de Grace, MD. Circa 1925-40. Excellent all original paint & condition, great patina & aging. Paint is super strong, dry & crisp. Both birds were originaly mounted on McGaw's decorative bases & show base marks on bottom of each. Neither has never been gunned over are near perfect, including "no nail pops" which isn't uncommon on early McGaws. Drake has a very thin age line in bottom but very tight & secure. For the age they are just superb! More pics avail. Measure approx 15 inches long each. Outstanding paint patterns in McGaws best style. As good as they come, and of the quality you just can't find at any price these days. It is as fine a McGaw Canvasback matched pair as you will ever be able to find of this vintage, birds of this quality continue to be the strongest investment you can put in a collection. Both have a US Postal Service Stamp on bottom of the birds of the original McGaw Canvasback that was issued for the "Folk Art" series of postage stamps. More pics available. You will be thrilled with these beauties.
SOLD!

Superb & very scarce flying Pintail drake by Oliver Lawson, Crisfield, MD. Circa signed & dated 1963. Excellent all original paint & condition, paint is dry, clean and mint with great colors. Measures approx 20 inches long with slightly dropped head and painted eyes. Wing tip to wing tip measurement is approx 16 inches. Only fault is tail break & reapplied as can be seen in pics above, no touch up done to cover, not bad for a delicate 47+ year old carving. 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 outstanding & very scarce full body carving by him that is as nice as you will ever find at any price. This beauty is sure to please, priced to sell quickly, extra pics avail.
SOLD!

Super serious Dudley style Canvasback decoy by Frank Finney, Capeville, VA. Has proper "LD" perfectly carved into bottom. Excellent aged paint to make this classic beauty look like an original 100 year old decoy by Lem & Lee Dudley. Measures approx 13 inches long & has proper authentic weight & a remnent of a leather line tie which adds to its realistic look. This is a neat piece & Frank's work is very collectable & sought after. Great addition to any collection, if you love the classics but cant afford what the real one will cost then this one should fill the bill at a small fraction of price of the authentic one if ever sold. More pics avail.
(consignment piece)
SOLD!

Awesome hollow carved Surf Scoter by Keith Mueller, Conn. Ink signed on bottom along with note for special friend in hunting painting on bottom of bird. Excellent all original paint and condition. Glass eyes. Measure approx 13 3/4 inches long with slightly tucked head posture. Very well done hollow carved body with total feather carving detail. Keith is a World Champion carver and is also well known for his paintings and several duck stamp wins. If you have ever seen any of Keith's work in hand it is very impressive. Very pretty Surf Scoter here with great detailed workmanship and painting style. Very strong example for any collection of Surf Scoter or detailed decoys. More pics avail. Very good buy on this one!
SOLD!

Superb and pristine Lesser Tern shorebird carving by A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952), East Harwich, Mass. Circa 1920-30's. Outstanding all original paint & condition. Paint is very detailed, dry, and clean with a perfect patina of age. Only wear is very tiny rub to very tip of bill & tail, they are very small rubs & do not distract in anyway. Also one tiny spot of gesso loss on right leg toe. No repairs or touch ups of any kind, blacklights perfect. Has good strong rectangular style brand. Lifesize it measures approx 11 1/2 inches long, and 6 3/4 tall. Solid body with glass eyes and is mounted on carved base. Extra pics available. This is a excellent example for any collector looking for a strong Crowell Shorebird carving to add to a collection. Good buy here as Crowell decoys continue to be the strongest part of the decoy market, early untouched examples this nice are getting impossible to find at any price.
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Beautiful and scarce sleeper Whistling Swan by R. Madison Mitchell (1901-1993), Harve de Grace, MD. Signed and dated 1974. Ex-collection of the late Bragg Cox of Cary, NC. Mitchell made 2 Swans for his friend Bragg in mid 1970's, this and a sentinel that is also available. Excellent all original paint that's very strong, clean and dry. Great paint on this one with a couple tiny paint flakes to tip of tail and a few areas of natural wood knot bleed on body. Color difference above is lighting issue and is a nice subtle clean soft white. Measure approx 29 inches long with a nice fat body and great form. Beautiful near full turn neck with no cracks. Never rigged to gun with. Painted eyes with a nice detailed long bill carving. Condition is nearly perfect mint with exception of tiny flakes and bleed mentioned above. This classic beauty displays beautifully and a sleeper Swan is very hard to find at any price. More pics avail. A great example of a nearly 50 year old classic Chesapeake Bay Swan decoy by the dean of Upper Chesapeake Bay makers. Really a extra nice example and really one of the crown jewels of a Madison Mitchell collection. More good pics available.
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Early and very nice Pintail drake decoy attrib to the Reeve's family, Long Point Shooting Club legacy, Southwestern, Ontario. Circa 1880-1925. Very strong all original paint that is very clean and dry with a great patina. Has been gunned but wear is very minimal. Great looking form with nicely done comb painting in gray area. Body is solid carved & measures appox 16 inches long with a straight forward head. Has glass eyes, original keel has been removed. Nice looking bird here and in the condition collectors love to find, especially a early Pintail. This beauty is sure to please & priced to sell, I wish I knew more about who made it. Will make nice addition to any Pintail or Canadian decoy collection. More pics avail.
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Very folky and early oversize running Yellowlegs shorebird decoy, maker unknown but Massachusetts area. Circa 1880-1910. Very nice and very strong all original paint & condition, including original wooden bill. Paint is very clean, dry & strong, with nice basic feather plummage painting. This bird has a nice surface with good colors with a nice deep patina. This is a nice sized bird measuring approx 17 inches long and is a lamanated 3 piece body. Condition is very good plus with some honest old age & gunning wear as shown. Very neat running position body style with outstreched neck and raised wing tip carving. Has original metal leg in body. Very nice old Massachusetts shorebird with great primitive folk art form and with a very nice old all original surface. Good looking old decoy for any collection of folk art or antique shorebirds. Very nice buy here as you can look for a long time and spend a lot of money looking for a shorebird with great form & surface that might not touch this bird for the money. Custom stand included and shown above. More pics available.
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Exceptional & very rare "Open Water" model drake Canvasback by the Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. 1 of 18 made for a gunning rig on the Pocomoke River, only drakes were made for this rig. Circa 1920-30's. Excellent all original paint & condition. Paint is very strong, clean & dry. Beautiful patina & great paint patterns on this one. Minimal gunning & age wear with a few areas of loss to wood but very minimal considering age & enviroment. Has a slight age line in neck puddy that goes around the back bottom of neck where it meets body. Displays perfect. Has the Ward Brothers ink stamp under the tail. Great looking classic Ward decoy here, it is pictured in Gard & McGrath's great book "The WARD BROTHERS' DECOYS, A Collectors Guide", on top of page 17 in color plate 10. Solid carved body measures approx 16 1/4 inches long and has glass eyes. Retains original weights & line tie. Very clean & nicely done style for that era. The price of good early Wards continue to be strong, they are great American folk art & stand on their own. This is a sweet decoy for any collector looking to add a early Ward Canvasback and demands great or classic examples & investment quality decoys. E-mail for more pics if interested.
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Rare matched pair of Canvasback decoys by Francis "Frank" Dolsen (1900-1981), Lake St. Clair, Ontario, Canada. From the only rig carved by Frank which numbered 50 birds & were done in 1919. This exact hen is pictured in Paul Biscoe's book. Excellent all original paint, thats very dry & clean, with a perfect surface and color. Measure approx 15 1/4 inches long each and are solid bodies. Both have nice glass eyes. Keels have been removed but retain pieces of original leather line ties. This is only rig ever made by Dolsen. They were done in 1919 and put away in the 1930's and rediscovered again in the 1960's. Great matched pair here and they are sure to please any collector of Canadian classic decoys. More pics avail.
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Super nice hollow carved drake Canvasback decoy by August "Gus" Moak (1852-1942), Tustin, Wisconsin. Circa 1920-30. From the "SORGEL Rig" and hot branded with his brand. Very good plus mostly all original paint, thats very dry & clean, with very nicely done paint patterns with some working repaint to black areas, no doubt from icing. Has some wear to wood on back which is original paint, and a couple of shot scars. Very nice surface on this classic beauty. A very sharp and classic example of Moak's classic style Canvasback. Measures an impressive 17 1/2 inches with a slightly turned head and is hollow carved. Has perfect red glass eyes & retains original weight & line tie. William Sorgel was the CEO of Sorgel Electric Co in Milwaukee WI. Spending his later years living on Green Bay, Lake Michigan. Moak specialized in boat making which was a trade he learned from his father. His workmanship is exceptional and show the influence of his boat making skills. His decoys were high demand by the local hunters in the Lake Poygan area and he sold all he could make. His artistry and craftsmanship make them not only top of list for decoy collectors but also collectors of Folk Art. It is sure to please any collector of Folk Art or classic decoys. More pics avail.
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Super nice balsa model Pintail decoy by the Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. Circa 1948. Excellent plus all original paint & condition. Paint is very strong, clean & dry. Beautiful patina & great paint patterns on this one. Minimal wear with only a slight bit around bottom edges & very tip of tail. Balsa body with cedar head & tail insert that measures approx 17 1/2 inches long. Head is turned to left & retains original keel and line tie. This bird is part of a small rig of Pintails that were purchased from the Wards and were kept in same family until sold 60 years later. Only drakes were sold by family who still retains the hens, but this one was the best of the rig. Great looking classic Ward decoy here, very clean & nicely done style for that era & the condition is exceptional. The price of good earlier Wards continue to be strong, they are great American folk art & stand on their own. This is a sweet decoy for any collector looking to add a classic Ward Pintail and demands exceptional original condition examples & investment quality decoys. You be hard pressed to ever find one better, as the last good Ward balsa Pintail sold in the 14k range. Email for more pics if interested.
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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.
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Exceptional classic Yellowlegs shorebird decoy By George Boyd (1873-1941), Seabrook, New Hampshire. Circa 1895-1923. Superb all original paint, very clean and dry with a great surface. Paint is exceptional with an incredible amout of brush work. The only loss of paint is very small rub to the very tip of bill & very tip of tail, both are "flea bite" in size. This bird was probably never gunned over & nearly as mint as the day it was made. The bill is original, rare to find as such, they are thin & usually broke. Measures approx 11 inches long & has Boyd's typical metal tack eyes. Boyd's decoys are classics, he only made Yellowlegs & Black Bellied Plovers, mostly for sale to the higher end Sporting Goods stores of the Boston such as Iver Johnson. There is some great info out there on Boyd decoys, especially Jim Cullen's excellent book "Finely Carved & Nicely Painted, The Life, Art and Decoys of George Boyd". This is a really nice Boyd Yellowlegs, great form & very clean. More pics avail. George Boyd decoys are true classics & his work is eagerly sought by collectors of both classic historic decoys & folk art. Very scarce to find in such superb all original condition & paint. Very good buy on this exceptional shorebird.
SOLD!

Super fat & very folky hen Bufflehead by Delbert Hudson (1927-1979), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1940s. Ex-collection of the Maryland Historical Society. Excellent all original paint & condition, paint is superb with very minimal wear to edges, color blend is outstanding with a perfect patinia. Solid carved body measures approx 11 1/2 inches long & 15 1/2 inches around the body. No eyes & small banjo tail that is unflutted. Retains original leather line tie & pad weight. Years ago this would have been certainly been called a Ira but with todays additional knowledge it has been decided that Delbert made it, either way it is a killer, great southern decoy with classic folk art form style & beautiful paint. More pics available of this beauty. Great old Chincoteague Island decoy here for the money, you wont find another & great folky style birds of this caliber rarely are offered up at any price.
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Excellent & near mint drake Canvasback by Bert Graves (1887-1956), Peoria, Il . Circa 1920-30s. Pristine all original paint & condition, with very little rub to edge of bill & tail & string mark on neck that just adds to the great look of this beauty. Paint blending & colors on this bird are superb & shows the talent of Kathryn Elliston's finest brush work, no doubt who painted this one! Superb comb & swirl painting all over this beauty. As with most Illinois River decoys the paint was protected by a coat of varnish when made. Hollow carved with no cracks or age lines the body measures approx 16 3/4 inches long. Retains the original marked "B. GRAVES DECOY CO PEORIA IL" weight & swivel line tie. This classic beauty is from a well known collection of Illinois River decoys & was part of a small rig found many years ago. Graves made a great decoy & are true Illinois River classics & are nearly impossible to find in such outstanding condition. The added plus is the extra superb paint by Kathryn Elliston, who doesnt prefer her paint over the others who painted in the region? Good Illinois River decoys of this quality have been very strong values over the last several years & are a solid investment and a joy to own. More pics avail of this beauty.
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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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Very early and very rare Black Duck decoy by Alma Fitchett (died 1934), Smith Island, Virginia. Circa 1870-1900. Rare 1 of 3 known Black Ducks known by Fitchett & this is only known example with his carved initials in bottom. Paint is all original and very strong considering age & environment where used. Very neat wing patch painting. Excellent surface on this beauty, strong, dry and clean. Black glass eyes & retains original cloth line tie. Big solid carved body measures approx 17 inches long & has a very neat carved ice dip behind the neck. Has a couple of shot scars in body and a neck crack that goes thru 3/4 of neck but is secure & original with no repairs. Has wear that would be expected of a hundred plus year old decoy. Alma Fitchett was a member of the "SMITH ISLAND LIFESAVING SERVICE", some great & very historic decoys came from this group of surfman that manned this station. Info on Fitchett & the other decoy makers that worked the Smith Island Station can be found in Henry Fleckenstien's excellent book "Southern Decoys of Virginia & the Carolinas". Smith Island decoys are very rare and some of the most desired decoys for the Southern decoy collector, great classic form & function with a great history attached to each one that still survives. Great piece here for any collector looking to make that strong historic addition to their collection, its sure to please. Lots of good pics available of this beauty. I bet a lot of Black Ducks have been shot over this historic old decoy.
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Stunning drake Pintail decoy carving by the Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. Circa 1960's, signed and not dated by Lem and "made special for Betsy Lawrence" written on bottom. Perfect mint all original paint and condition. Paint is very strong, clean and dry. Beautiful patina and great paint patterns with incredible fine detail. Probably carved from 1 piece of wood as other species I've seen in this style. Solid body measures approx 17 1/2 inches long with preening head, both wings lifted from body with one outstretched. Fantastic detail to feather painting and carving that showcases the incredible talent of the Ward Brothers. Great looking Ward Brothers Pintail carving here, very clean and dry with the condition and detail more then exceptional. This was one of the Ward's favorite species to make and the respect they had for the species shows in the fine form, paint and workmanship in this superb piece of art. The price of good Wards continue to be strong, they are great American folk art and stand on their own. This is a sweet decoy for any collector looking to add a classic Ward decorative piece and demands exceptional original condition examples and investment quality decoys. E-mail for more pics.
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Superb, very early & very clean Brant decoy by Ira Hudson (1876-1949), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1910-35. Superb dry, clean all original paint with very little wear for the age. Very nice feathering on the sides of this beauty. No repairs or touch ups of any kind. Measures approx 16 3/4 inches & is solid body, probably cedar. Has a thin but tight age line on left side of neck that goes approx 1/2 way into neck, but is stable, tight & very secure. Great looking spoke shave marks that give it a great look. A desirable & early classic Hudson, with a great style and form. Has tack eyes. Retains the original line tie and weight. Outstanding & classic Ira 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 outstanding very early model classic Ira Hudson Brant example for any collection.
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Excellent drake Redhead by Edward Phillips (1901-1964), Cambridge, MD. Circa 1930's. Excellent all original paint & condition with a beautiful clean strong surface. Paint is very well done with a perfect soft patina. Has very minimal wear. Body measures approx 13 1/2 inches and is solid carved. Has very small half circle age line at right side base neck that is only a fraction more then a paint crack line, overall it rates excellent & displays beautifully. Ask for extra pics if interested. Retains original pad weight & a very cool original copper strip line tie. Has been pictured in Lewis/Lucky decoy collecting book in color page 285, third edition. This scarce piece is outstanding & will be a great addition to any collection. Ed Phillips was the hands down premier maker of Dorchester County & examples by him are rarely offered this nice at any price. Good buy here & sure to please even the pickiest collector.
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Super neat and only known Coot decoy by Donald "Doc" Gearhart (1900-1987), Tulsa, Oklahoma. Circa 1930-32. Very good plus all original paint with no repairs but may have some touch up to bill paint. This is the only known example at this time and exact decoy in pictured on page 26 in the July/Aug 2013 issue of Decoy Magazine. Measures approx 10 inches, solid carved body with keel and retains original tiny glass eyes. Has great form and a great head style with nicely carved bill and raised wing carving with straight line feather texture carving. Retains original keel, line and tapered weight. Very cool how weight is made like a wedge to be tucked into the keel so to hold in place. Looks like a crack in neck but it isn't, its where head is made separate on a high shelf. Doc was a oil man who ended up VP of Sinclair Oil and Gas North America. He lived in Oklahoma but loved to hunt in the shallow marshes of Louisiana. His decoys were slightly undersized so he could carry a small rig in his hunting coat and are often refered to as "pocket-sized rig". This is a really nice true classic Doc Gearhart Coot with great form, honest gunner wear and very clean. Great bird for any collection of Coot or Louisiana decoys by classic makers. More pics available, rare bird and a good buy here.
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Super nice and pretty scarce drake Canvasback by Henry Lockard (1868-1944) , Elk Neck, Maryland. Circa 1910-35. Strong, dry and clean old second coat by well known maker/painter Severn Hall. Excellent condition with some honest gunning wear. Not sure why Lockard had others paint his decoys maybe he didnt like to paint or couldnt. They have been found in original paint by Bob McGaw, Severn Hall and John Glen, not sure what Lockard paint looks like but I heard he did paint a few. Great form on this fat and full size bird at approx 15 1/8 inches, no checks or cracks but does have small puddy loss around old area when nail put thru top of head. Nicely done head and bill with the classic Lockard half moon nostril carving. Henry and his brother George gunned a sink box till outlawed in the Carra Cove area of the upper Chesapeake Bay. A historic classic and very clean Lockard bird for any Chesapeake Bay decoy collection. Super nice example here! Extra pics avail.
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Exceptional and very early hen Pintail decoy by Hector Whittington (1907-1981), Oglesby, Illinois. Circa 1930-40's. Excellent all original paint and condition. Awesome feather painting that is very strong, dry, very clean and very detailed with excellent detailed feather texture painting on head. Hollow carved body measures approx 16 7/8 inches long with a straight head with glass eyes and upturned tail. Retains original line tie and weight. Heck started making decoys in 1924 and first rig was 12 mallards and 6 Pintails. Great time in the workmanship of his decoys especially the painting. His work is outstanding and thought by many as some of the finest made on the Illinois River region because of his lifelike poses and detailed and lifelike painting details. They have always been sought by collectors of antique and contemporary decoys. Very early example here and I would think it has to be a very scarce to find this early in such strong original paint and never coated in varnish like so many Illinois River birds were. This one is a beauty and guaranteed to please. More pics avail.
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Early and rare Red Knot or "Robin Snipe" decoy by unknown maker, Eastern Shore of VA, Chincoteague Island area. Circa 1890-1920. Rigmate to lot #37 of the McCleery Collection sold in NY Jan. 2000. Paint is all original and very strong and dry. Bill is all original & its hard to believe this thing survived when you see how long & thin it is. Paint is more of a greenish hue then pic above shows, top pic more accurate. Not sure why but is even color and a digital photo or lighting thing. Measures approx 9 inches tail to end of bill. Has painted eyes and splined bill, with drop tail style carving. These style birds have been sold in past as "Chincoteague Island maker" and is reminiscent of the work of Charles Clark. This beauty is a rigmate to the one sold at the famous McCleery sale (page 33, lot 37). Lots of good pics available. Very good buy on this one and a rare bird as only a small few are known to exist.
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Early and super scarce 1948 Bluebill drake decoy by Charlie "Speed" Joiner (1921-2015), Chestertown, MD. Signed and addressed as "BETTERTON, MD" and the 1948 date is earliest I have ever seen on a Joiner decoy. Excellent and pretty much mint original paint, with very clean and dry finish, the paint work on this bird is superb as always with Joiner. This beauty appears to have never been gunned over and just about perfect condition. Retains original weight and staple/ring line tie. Charlie only early dates on birds that the ballast weight isnt flattened on ends, line gets caught up on edge, 1952 and on corrected that with flattened edge. They say he is called "Speed" because he could paint a pair of Canvasbacks in 14 minuites. Full size with painted eyes, measures approx 14 inches long with a nice classic body style. Charlie Joiner decoys are true classics and still some of the most sought after contemporary birds that were made, he reset the standards for a lot of todays Chesapeake Bay makers. Great example here and sure to please any collector looking for great quality early Joiners for their collection. You won't upgrade this one! More pics avail.
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Superb and one of a kind North Carolina influence Black Duck by Cameron McIntyre. Circa 2020. Excellent all original aged paint and condition. The paint style, aging, and patina on this bird is awesome. Never touched with a piece of sandpaper, made in the old style. A simple, bold and very regal carving that would be worth 50K+ if it was really a 100 year old NC decoy. Its a solid body carving that measures 17 inches long with a very proud head. Paint has been aged proper with an incredible soft patina. Carved "CTM" signature in bottom. Has no eyes that are perfect look for great art decoys. Its a style Cameron designed that encompasses all the greatest traits of NC fine decoys. Retains Cameron's "Hour Glass" style weight that he started using 6 or 7 years ago as a reminder of the most important thing in life.....time, and how it is constantly ticking away. Also has breast nail line tie and remnent of a leather line tie. 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 really just outstanding. You will be more then happy with this one.
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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.
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Very rare never rigged Greenwing Teal decoy by Miles Hancock (1888-1974), Chincoteague Island, VA. Best of small group found by the late John Maddox who had owned decoy museum on Chincoteague Island. Circa 1940-50's. Excellent all original paint, thats very dry and clean with very nicely done feather brush paint patterns on back with great colors. Measures approx 11 1/2 inches and is 2 piece solid cedar or pine body. Has tack eyes with all paint still intact and never rigged for gunning. This is the finest Teal I have ever seen by Hancock and they are very rare. I have seen other examples but never this nicely done. Grayson Chesser said when he was younger he showed Hancock how he painted a Teal as Hancock was never consistant on how he did Teal painting. 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 and are a interesting study, no apologies needed on his classic work. This is a superb addition to any collection of Teal and is sure to please any collector of Chincoteague or Virginia decoys. More pics avail.
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Nice long drake Pintail decoy by Doug Jester (1876-1961), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1915-40. Very good & clean all original paint & condition. Shows some nice even wear from honest age & gunning use but overall very strong. Shows second layer of brown on head but I think that is the way Jester painted the curl on side of head, same way Miles Hancock did it. Great folky size bird at approx 20 1/2 inches, earlier cedar body & head model with very nice shelf carving for the head. Painted eye model bird with great scratch feather back painting, and classic Jester form. Retains original weight & leather line tie. Nicely done head & bill that are deeply carved. A classic & very clean Jester for any Southern or Chincoteague decoy collection. This pretty boy includes the Blue Ribbon it won in 1993 for "BEST OF SHOW" at the MidAtlantic Wildfowl Festival in Virginia Beach. More pics avail of this very scarce classic.
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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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Super nice hollow Brant decoy by Ira Hudson (1876-1949), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1920-35. From the Bob-O-Del gunning rig & branded "O". Ex-Bill Purnell collection & hot branded with Bill's "W.H.P. jr" brand. Very strong, dry, and clean all original paint with some honest natural age & gunning wear. Very nice feathering on the sides of this beauty & some of the strongest white neck patterns I have seen on a Hudson Brant. No repairs or touch ups of any kind. Measures approx 16 1/8 inches & has a nice deep hollow carved body with nice v carving behind neck. Only fault is small 1 1/4 X 1/2 inch tail chip on right side tip of tail as seen in pic above. Great looking form, paint & finish on this desirable classic beauty. Has tack eyes. Retains the original line tie and weight. This was pictured in Richardson's "Chesapeake Bay Decoys and the Men Who Made Them", and also pictured in Cameron McIntyre's article on Ira Hudson in Decoy Magazine. More pics avail. A outstanding classic model Ira Hudson Brant example for any collection.
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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)
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Excellent & very scarce Pike fish decoy by Mark McNair, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa 1980-90s. Excellent all original aged paint & condition. McNair classic style fish decoy with 6 copper fins, carved tail, gill, mouth & eyes. Some paint loss on copper fins, mostly where they meet the body, also has 3 small dents on side of face & one on forehead area, slight loss to wood in one of the dents near mouth. Not perfect by very nice & very scarce. Solid carved body with inletted leaded belly, measures approx 11 1/2 inches long. Painted signature & very cool triangler stand. The paint on this fish is awesome, but with Mark it always is. This is a very nice fish decoy by Mark & a scarce type carving that the hard core McNair collectors are all looking for. You saw some record prices for McNair's this year at auction with a collection that has started to come to market. McNair's continue to be very strong in todays market & they also continue to be very hard to find for sale, especially something that is scarce. Priced to sell. More pics avail.
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Very early classic Redhead drake by Capt. Ben Dye (1821-1896), Perryville, MD. Circa 1870-80s. Very good plus condition with early repaint. Great classic stylish body that measures approx 14 1/4 inches long, retains original weight & has staple/ring line tie. This beauty is solid carved with nice shelf carving, paddle tail & good bill detail carving. Body is in very good shape with natural grain agelines, has thin but tight & secure crack in neck. Ben Dye was one of the earliest decoy makers from the head of the Chesapeake Bay, his decoys are true historic classics & highly sought after by collectors. Very hard to find an example this nice for the price. I have had very few pieces by Dye over the years, they are very scarce. More pics avail. of this beauty and it is sure to please.
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Superb turned head Canada Goose by Grayson Chesser, Jenkins Bridge, VA. Circa less then 20 years old. Has Grayson's "C" carved in bottom. Excellent all original paint & condition. Great patina on this beauty. Life size hollow carved cedar body measures approx 21 1/2 inches with sharply turned head that is lowered, also has raised wing tip and a nice full body carving. Retains original weight & leather line tie. Nice glass eyes with no cracks. This was rigged to gun with but have never been used. 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. This is a very rare model by Grayson & he told me this is one of the rig of 6 Geese he made & had pictured in his updated book "Making Decoys the Century Old Way". More pics available. This is a very beautiful decoy by one of the best classic decoy makers of this generation. Get this modern classic while you can, you will be very pleased with this one, it is an attention getter.
SOLD!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Superb Brook Trout fish plaque by Lawrence Irvine, Winthrop, Maine. Signed by Irvine but not dated. Excellent all original paint & condition with no repairs. Fish measures approx 17 inches, overall plaque size is 21 inches. Very cool carved eyes full body style with 6 wood carved fins. This is a neat piece & his work is very collectable & sought after. Great addition to any collection, if the duck decoys are wearing you down this will surely please. More pics avail.
$1250

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!

Stunning drake Widgeon decoy carving by the Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. Circa 1967, signed and dated by Lem and made for the collection of J.W. Lowe. Excellent all original paint and condition. Paint is very strong, clean and dry. Beautiful patina and great paint patterns with incredible fine detail. Carved from 1 piece of wood and noted on bottom. Solid body measures approx 14 inches long with preening head, both wings lifted from body with one dropped down. Fantastic detail to feather painting and carving that showcases the incredible talent of the Ward Brothers. Great looking Ward Brothers Widgeon carving here, very clean and dry with the condition and detail more then exceptional. This was one of the Ward's favorite species to make and the respect they had for the species shows in the fine form, paint and workmanship in this superb piece of art. The price of good Wards continue to be strong, they are great American folk art and stand on their own. This is a sweet decoy for any collector looking to add a classic Ward decorative piece and demands exceptional original condition examples and investment quality decoys. E-mail for more pics.
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!

Super nice and larger Oscar Peterson (1887-1951), Cadillac, Mich., 9 1/2 inch Pike fish spearing decoy. Circa 1930's. Ex-Alan Haid collection. Lipstick shiny all original paint and condition with no touch ups and exactly the way you dream of finding them. One small drip on top right side tail, tiny flake on rear back area and tiny swivel wear at front hole line tie. Probably only fished once or twice as its incredible condition for a big Pike. Superb color and surface on this beauty. Most of wear is more flaking type from age on the metal fins and on the belly weight but retains most all in those areas. This fish is a steel tack eye model and has 7 metal fins with some slight paint loss on fins, more pics avail. See Ron Fritz's excellent book "Michigan's Master Carver OSCAR W. PETERSON ", for like examples. Any Oscar Peterson in condition this clean and strong is desirable and getting scarce, especially when you get into the over 9 inch size fish. They are getting almost impossible to find for resale in original paint. This fish is guaranteed 100%, and would make a nice addition to any old fish decoy collection. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Superb & very scarce mini flying drake Pintail plaque by Marty Hanson, Prior Lake, Minn. Circa 1990's (?). Has Marty's white ink stamp on back. Excellent all original paint & condition with a great patina. Paint is very detailed with a perfect soft patina. Has great looking aged "burst" painting behind the bird that really makes it stand out. Body is 1/2 carving that measures approx 11 1/2 inches, overall length of plaque is approx 14 inches. Ask for extra pics if interested. This scarce piece is outstanding & will be a great addition to any collection. Marty is a great talent & 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. Good buy here.
SOLD!

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 miniature Blue Heron carving by Billy Crockett, Eastern Shore of VA. Circa 2013. Carved "B. Crockett 2013" in bottom of base. Paint is all original and very rich and life like in color. Tiny glass eyes. The bird measures approx 5 1/2 inches long and approx 5 1/4 inches tall on driftwood base. Nice lifelike colors and very detailed carving with a very nicely done posture with lots of nice detail painting. Billy is one of the best carvers out there and his minis will rival those made by anyone ever, including the most famous historic masters. It is absolutely outstanding workmanship. His work isnt widely known but is eagerly collected here on the Eastern Shore and very rarely offered for resale. Great piece here, its sure to please. You wont see another like this. Good buy here and more pics available.
SOLD!

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

Superb & tiny Peep shorebird decoy from Nantucket, Mass. Circa pre-1900.
Excellent all original paint & condition, including unbroken original bill. Measures just 6 inches long including bill. Very neat in that it has a dual position hole to mount bird in feeder or standing position. Has a couple of tiny shot marks. Somebody wrote "Wachapreague, VA" on bottom. It was found & probably used here, but others that have surfaced are attributed to Nantucket. Great little shorebird & rarely offered specie.
Sold

Super neat & early Parramore Island Curlew, Wachapreague, VA. Circa 1880-1900. Paint is all original with exception of area on top of head where a old repair was made, not detectable with blacklight. Bill is original metal wire or nail. Body is 2 halves joined by dowels. This is the classic Parramore Island style, made from 2 pieces of wood, nail bill & joined with 3 dowells, but this one is the smallest I have seen & has the best form, it has nice fat jowl carving. Measures approx 12 inches. See "SOUTHERN DECOYS" for examples & history. The "Parramore Island Flatties" are classic Eastern Shore decoys, it is thought they were the loaner decoys for the "sports" that visited the Wachapreague, VA. area for the outstanding Curlew & Red Knot shooting that occured on Cedar & Parramore Islands. Old brochures from the now gone old motel describes the availability of decoys for use of the guest. Probably made by a Wachapreague guide whos name we will probably never know. Great old bird here with great form and neat history & priced to sell.
SOLD!

Very nice, folky & classic fat drake Bluebill by Ira Hudson (1876-1949), Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1930-1940. Has good, dry, clean all original paint with very little wear for the age & useage. No repairs or touch ups of any kind. Has a in the making ageline down the back, but is stable & does not distract, also small amount of neck filler gone as shown above. Measures approx 14 1/2 inches. This is classic & desirable Hudson style, with a great head style with nicely carved bill, football style body, flowing flutted tail carving, solid cedar body, & tack eyes that still retain the original yellow paint. Nicely done paint style & as good as you can expect to find on a bird of this vintage. This is a really nice Hudson Blackhead, great form & very clean. From the gunning rig of the late Senator Williams of Delaware, these were donated to the Ward Museum by his family & a few were sold off back in the lates 80s by the museum. Great bird & as clean and honest as you will find a Hudson. SOLD!

Very rare Obediah Verity (1813-1901), Robin Snipe, Seaford, Long Island, NY. Circa 1860-70s. Paint is all original but worn, mostly on side area where handled by hunter during use. Paint color is good, strong & dry, especially the red on the breast. Bill is all original & missing a sliver at right side base where it meets the face. Has had a slight repair where added tack eyes were removed by Cameron McIntyre. Very stylish alert position form with a really good "S" wing carving & nice raised wingtips. Measures approx 10 1/4 inches long. Has some shot scars as all Verity birds seem to have, they were gunned hard. Has been branded "J..B", not sure who that was, but is on the bottom of several of the very finest Obediah Verity shorebirds, see Mackey book page 101. Also has "G.V" carved in bottom, for George Verity. Overall a very nice classic shorebird for any serious shorebird collector, & priced below what they have been bringing at the auctions, a Black Belly plover repainted as a Robin Snipe sold for 9K at the big auction house.
Sold

Outstanding running Curlew decoy by Cameron McIntyre. Excellent all original aged paint & condition. Circa less then 15 years old. The paint style, aging, and patina on this beauty is incredible. Stylish, sleek & very well done Curlew done in a style of the greatest classic Eastern Shore of Virginia Barrier Island shorebird makers. Measures approx 18 1/4 inches long. Super nice solid body carving with carved eyes. Slight raised wing carving that flows to end of body, oak bill is splined thru head & natural wood flaw incorporated on right wing, also nice shot scar mix for good looks. Paint has been aged proper with an incredible soft patina. Carved "CTM" signature in bottom. More pics avail. Cameron's work is nearly impossible to get & this Curlew is a killer. I am constantly amazed at the talent that Cameron exhibits in his work, and this beauty is sure to please. if you know what his work has been bringing privately and at the decoy auctions you will appreciate the deal on this classic beauty. A scarce offering here.
SOLD!

Rare & early matched pair of Canvasbacks by Samual Treadway Barnes (1847-1926), Harve de Grace, MD. Circa 1890-1910. Strong all original paint & condition on both birds, which is so very rare to find on Upper Chesapeake Bay birds of this vintage. Paint is very clean & dry. Solid bodies measure approx 15 1/2 inches each. Hen has thin ageline around neck, & one where nail was drove into body, but are secure & do not distract. Drake has knot stain on port side (left side). Drake has original leather line tie & both have original weights. Truly a very rare pair of classic Susquehanna Flats decoys. More pics available.
SOLD

Superb Ira Hudson style hen Merganser by Cameron McIntyre. Circa 1998. Excellent all original aged paint & condition. Stylish, sleek & very accurate in detail to original example by Hudson. Measures approx 14 inches long. Solid body carving. Paint has been aged proper with an incredible soft patina. Carved "CTM 98 " signature carved in bottom. Has tack eyes, nicely done fluted tail & crest with aged leather line tie & weighted. More pics avail. Cameron said this was the only one of these he ever made. Here is a nice rare decoy for the money, as Cameron's work is nearly impossible to get. Excellent bird here for the collector of Virginia decoys or of Cameron's work.
Sold!

Very rare & superb Oliver Lawson Greenwing Teal pair, Crisfield, MD. Circa 1950-60. Not signed but still retains the original labels from "The DUCK HOUSE, RUMBLEY, MD". Life size balsa body at approx 10+ inches each with great "peach basket stave" inserted wing tips & slightly turned heads, great crest carving on drake. Paint is all original, dry, clean, & never waxed, with lots of nice detail. A nice early & very hard to find decoy pair by Lawson, a lot of this vintage Lawson's have been sold as Wards, especially with the Duck House labels, they stand on their own as great decoys, they are as nice as Ward's, with good vintage, and priced at one tenth the price of a good pair of Ward brother's Teal. Fresh to market from original owner. Won't see another pair of these.
SOLD

Superb & rare preening Mallard by Charles Ralph Wells (1895-1979), Stratford, Conn. Circa 1940-50s. Branded on bottom "CRW". Nice style bird in mint all original paint & condition, great color & paint detail. Hollow body measures approx 15 inches long. Nice style turned head with glass eyes. Has never been weighted. Wells shows a strong Shang Wheeler influence, & makes a great looking bird in the classic Stratford style. This is the exact bird pictured in color on page 74 of "Connecticut Decoys" by Chitwood 1987, from private collection. Nice one here & priced to sell.
SOLD

Early & superb Black Duck by Eugene Hendrickson (1899-1971), Northfield, NJ. Circa 1920-30s. Superb all original paint, very strong & clean, with a great scratch painting style. Condition is excellent. Hollow body measures approx 16 1/2 inches long. Has tack eyes & very nice carving style on body & bill, weight is poured/inletted. Eugene was a waterman all his life & made boats & decoys for sale as early as 1920. Rarely found this nice, this is one of his best style earlier made birds. If you are looking for a excellent example of a solid clean NJ Black Duck this is it.
SOLD!

Superb & scarce life size Mourning Dove pair by Eddie Wozny, Cambridge, Maryland. Circa 1989. Signed & dated in ink & carved "W" in bottom. Very nice pieces that are life size & wall mount style or with a shorebird style stand. Paint is beautiful very rich in color, very dry & clean. Glass eyes & measures approx 11 3/4 inches long. Nice lifelike colors & very detailed carving. Lots of extra pics avail. 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 early pieces here, its sure to please. Superb pair.
SOLD!

Super rare hissing Canada Goose decoy by Charlie "Speed" Joiner (1921-2015), Chestertown, MD. Signed and dated 1975 and has 2 hot brands, "ELW" and "WW". I think "ELW" is Eben Waterfield who was a early collector and related to Capt Amos Waterfield. The "WW" was also one of his brand and have seen on many earlier Joiner decoys. Excellent all original paint, with very clean and bone dry finish, the paint work on this bird is superb as always with Joiner. This beauty appears to have never been gunned over, just about perfect mint condition. Retains original weight & staple line tie. Full size with painted eyes and measures approx 27 1/4 inches long with long streched out neck. This handsome honker is about a nice and as rare of a Joiner Goose as you will find, its exceptional for the vintage and his great rare style. I have had many Joiners and seen many collections of Joiners over the years and this is the only one I have seen with hissing head position. Charlie Joiner decoys are classics and still some of the most sought after contemporary Chesapeake Bay decoys made, he reset the standards for a lot of todays Chesapeake Bay makers. Great example here and sure to please any collector looking for great quality and rare model Joiners for their collection. Probably less than 5 of these known that arent the mid 80's ones that were painted by Joiner. Get em while you can if you like earlier and rare pieces as my good Joiner collection source is drying up. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Very early and rare drake Redhead by Capt. Ben Dye (1821-1896), Perryville, MD. Circa 1850-60. Formerly in the collection of noted author & decoy historian Henry Fleckenstein, and branded with his "F" on the bottom. Very good old working paint. Paint is strong & clean. Retains a iron keel weight. Body measures approx 13 inches long and is in very good condition with the exception of area where neck was cracked & secured back together, appears to be a old working repair as it is not done to hide anything. Great classic form & style with a nicely done head & bill detail carving. This is the earliest example by one of the earliest documented makers on the Chesapeake Bay Flats area. It is known as a "boat body" model. This is a rare & important classic decoy from one of the most historic gunning areas that there ever was. A very fine overall decoy, especially when you consider it is approx 150 years old! You wont find another at any price. This is a rare opportunity to add one of the best Upper Bay decoys of this vintage to a collection.
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!

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 cedar bodies measures approx 17 1/2 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, you won't find them any better then this.
SOLD

Superb set of 3 Oscar Peterson Pike fish decoys. Top two fish are period 3 (1925-1934) bottom fish is period 4 (1935-1944) all 100% original paint & condition. A superb & rare group in excellent to near mint condition. More pics available.
Sold

Rare unused Doug Jester (1876-1961) drake Canvasback, Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1925-40. Strong, dry & clean all original paint & condition, & has never been rigged to hunt. Shows light edge wear from age/storage. Nice size bird at approx 16 3/4 inches, rare cedar body & head model with no checks or cracks. Painted eye model bird with great feather back painting & swirls, and classic Jester form. Extra pics avail. Nicely done head & bill that are deeply carved. A classic & very clean Jester for any Southern or Chincoteague decoy collection. Rare one here, in impossible to find condition.
SOLD!

Very scarce miniature drake Hooded Merganser decoy by Miles Hancock (1888-1974), Chincoteague Island, VA. Signed & dated Dec 17, 1967 by Mr Hancock. A very scarce species by Hancock, full size or mini a tuff find. Measures approx 5 3/4 inches & has a very slightly turned head. Excellent all original paint, thats very dry & clean, with very nicely done paint patterns on back, a very sharp little bird. Has tack eyes, still has all paint on eyes. This is a very tuff species to find by Hancock, & will be very hard to ever find one nicer & this one is fresh to market with the other Hancock minis listed from a nice Eastern Shore of VA collection. This one has a great look, looks like a young bird with the smaller crest.
SOLD!

Extra nice & scarce matched Redhead pair by Capt. Jess Urie (1901-1978), Rock Hall, MD. Circa 1950's. Very nice, clean & dry all original paint & condition. Nice detailed paint style brush work. Drake is outstanding & perfect, hen has a few spots where paint flaked to wood. Great head carving style with wide bill. Retains original weights & line ties on both birds. Measures approx 13 1/2 inches long & are solid bodies. Overall condition is excellent unused on drake & very good plus on hen, very nice pair, especially considering how hard it is to find original paint birds from Rock Hall. More good pics available. Getting hard to find & a good buy on this pair.
SOLD!

Superb preening Pintail drake by Frank Finney, Capeville, VA. Circa less then 35 years old. Ex-collection of John Maddox and his Chincoteague Refuge Decoy Museum, Chincoteague Island, VA. Carved "FF" signature on bottom. Outstanding and very detailed all original paint & condition. Awesome colors and minuet painting detail that is very lifelike. Beautiful surface that is very dry, clean and strong. Hollow carved body measures approx 19 inches long with a tucked preening head position. This is just a outstanding mix of superb carving and paint skill by Finney. This is a very rare style by Frank as he does very little decorative detailed style work with most being done in old style or Folk Art carvings. Frank started carving back in the late 60's-early 70's and is well known in the decoy and folk art collecting community for his outstanding work. His work is currently some of the most sought after by collectors and dealers and his current work is only available from one gallery dealer. This is a outstanding piece for any collection and pretty cool that it was once part of the collection of the Chincoteague Refuge Decoy Museum that is no more. More pics avail.
SOLD!

Very clean Redhead drake by Callie O'Neal, Churches Island, NC. Circa 1930-40s. Paint is all original, very clean, strong & dry. Canvas is in very good condition for the age with only lite wear to high spots on wire frame, only hole is underside of tail that is about 3/8 inch across. Nice big size decoy that measures approx 19 inches long. Has a chip to bottom right side of bill as shown in pic and a couple of thin but secure neck cracks. Very nice early NC decoy for any collection with a nice bold form & attitude. You dont find early canvas decoys in this nice of original condition anymore, good one here for the money.
SOLD!

Scarce hollow carved drake Bufflehead decoy by the Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. Circa 1966, signed & dated. Excellent all original paint & condition. Paint is very strong and clean. Beautiful patina & great paint patterns on this one. Minimal wear with a few small flakes and small edge wear. Small area chip on bill has been professionally repaired by Russ Allen.Lots of nice detailed feather painting on this one. Hollow carved cedar body with cedar head that measures approx 12 inches long. Head is turned to left slightly. Great looking classic Ward decoy here, very clean & nicely done style for that era & the condition overall is excellent. The Ward's started to see a influx of collectors in the 1950's and started to focus on more "Collector Grade" type examples instead of just gunning birds. The Collector Grade models are a bit fancier in carving and quite a bit more of the classic Ward Brothers detailing in paint work. The price of good Wards continue to be strong, they are great American folk art & stand on their own. This is a sweet decoy for any collector looking to add a classic but tuff species Ward Brothers and demands excellent original condition examples & investment quality decoys. E-mail for more pics if interested, you will like this one for the price.
SOLD!

Mint Animal Trap Mallard, "VAC STA" model. Circa 1945. Very strong color. All original paint & condition. Never used, with a couple of slight rubs. Glass eyes & measures approx 16 inches long. Never rigged for use & looks like it never saw the light of day. A strong decoy for even the pickiest factory collector.
Sold

Rare full size Mallard pair by Robert McGaw (1879-1958), Harve de Grace, MD. Circa 1930's. Excellent all original paint & in unused condition, & mounted on original wooden bases. Incredible paint detail & form, with hen in full scratch paint style & is one of the best paint jobs I have ever seen on any Upper Bay bird, the detail, color & patina are superb. Both birds do have some wood grain paint flaking, mostly on head & bill areas. Measures approx 16 inches long each, with great head style & full body carving. Full size decorative McGaw pairs are seldom found on the resale market anymore & this is a superb pair for any collector looking to add a very choice pair of Upper Bay or McGaw birds to a collection. E-mail for more pics if interested.
SOLD!

Nice Brook Trout fish plaque by Ryan Dockiewicz, Townsend, VA. Circa 2004. Very stylish fish carving on wood carved plaque. Carved signiture & also signed in ink. Paint is all original & very rich in color, has glass eyes & measures approx 14inches long. Nice turned tail & open mouth carving. Ryan makes great fish & they are quickly snapped up when available. A very pretty fish.
SOLD

Superb & scarce Doug Jester (1876-1961) miniature Merganser decoy, Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1930-50s. Nice classic body style, measuring approx 5 1/2 inches long with a fantastic crest carving & the best bill I have ever seen on one of his minis. Paint is all original & nicely done with some very cool tiny wing patches & nice classis Jester scratch painting 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 Merganser hen. This mini is a "stone-cold-killer & has to be one of the finest Jester minis I have ever seen. More pics avail of this beauty.
SOLD!

Early & scarce Crow decoy, probably NJ. Ex-Bill Mackey collection & retains original white ink stamp. Circa 1900-30's. Excellent all original paint, very clean with little wear. Some loss of paint over nail heads where body is nailed together, retains most of the original white lead fill over nails. Body is a laminated construction, very full bodied with a raised wingtip, very much like shorebirds from the area. Full size with no eyes, measures approx 13 1/4 inches long. Crow decoys really are hard to find, especially by a non-factory maker of this vintage. Good strong Mackey collection white ink stamp on bottom. More pics avail. Great example here, good folk art & priced to sell.
(consignment piece)
SOLD!

Rare & very early Trout spearing fish decoy from the Chautauqua Lake region of New York. Circa pre-1905, that is when spearing was outlawed in NY. Paint is all original with minimal wear & structurally excellent, retaining original leather tail that still retains most of the original paint also. Measures approx 6 1/4 inches long. Has original brass braid eyes & 4 metal fins. Has classic carved gills & mouth that gives fish decoys from this area the best look. Also has the classic thru the body line tie. Chautauqua Lake fish decoys are classics & some of the hardest to aquire. Spearing was outlawed in 1905 or 06 & not many examples have survived, especially in this outstanding of original condition. You would never see these fish if it wasnt for the fine collection that was dispersed of the late Annie Hooper. So hard to find but very exciting to collect these. More pics avail on this classic beauty.
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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.
SOLD!

Early & rare Curlew decoy by Sven Limberg (died 1947), North Wildwood, NJ. Circa 1890-1920. Paint is all original, strong, very clean and dry, has light flaking in a few areas. Lots of nice scratch painting style on body, & lots of nice brush work on neck & head area. Bill is a killer & really nicely done, and is totally original, slightly down turned, & splined thru head. Measures approx 14 inches, tail to end of bill, & is shown approx 1/2 actual size in pic. Limberg only made decoys for his own market & sport gunning rig. He was a carpenter constructing wooden bridges for the state of NJ. Check out pic of Snipe page 161 of Fleckenstein's excellent book "New Jersey Decoys", and info on maker on page 23. This is a super nice old Curlew for any collector of New Jersey or shorebird decoys. Won't find another this nice.
SOLD

Rare Miles Hancock (1888-1974) Hooded Merganser drake, Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1940-60. A very rare species by Hancock. Full size measures 14 1/2 inches & has a slightly turned head. Excellent all original paint, with very nicely done paint patterns on back. This is rare cedar body bird with tack eyes, still has all paint on eyes. It has never been weighted or line tied. This is a very tuff species by any maker including Hancock, & will be impossible to find one nicer.
Sold

Mint Jim Currier (1886-1971) Canvasback pair, Have de Grace, MD. Circa 1940-50's. Very strong all original paint & condition, with very nice paint patterns. Paint is perfect dry & clean with a great patina. Both measure approx 16 inches. Both have never been used. Condition is near perfect, & very well matched with big fat, full body style. As nice a matched pair of classic upper bay Currier Canvasbacks as can be found. SOLD!

Very rare model Bluebill decoy from the WILDFOWLER DECOYS INC., QUOGUE, L.I., NY. Circa 1958-59. Excellent, strong, & very dry, all original paint & condition with no repairs. Measures approx 14 inches long & retains its original keel, weight & leather line tie. Has both the QUOGUE, LI, WILDFOWLER stamp & is branded "L.K.THORNE". Very unique style with sharp ridged back. This bird is part of one of a well known custom made rig that was made for Thorne to replace rig lost in ice shift. See article entitled "Wildfowler Decoys, The Company Moves to Quogue, L.I. published in "Decoy Magazine" March-April, 2001 for more info. A rare Wildfowler.
Sold

Rare Miles Hancock (1888-1974) Black Belly Plover, Chincoteague Island, VA. Circa 1940s. A rare species by Hancock. Full size measures 10 1/2 inches. Excellent all original paint, with very nicely done paint patterns on back, sides & neck, has some wear from age & some usage. This is cedar body bird with painted eyes. Has splined bill thru head. Has a couple of old shorebird blood stains. This is a tuff piece by Hancock, shorebirds are nearly impossible by him.
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Rare Bluebill by Joe Dye (1870-1931), Harve de Grace, MD. Circa 1900. Nice classic style by Dye who was the son of Ben. Measures approx 14 inches, & retains line tie & weight. Great form with great bill style & typical paddle tail, has thin crack in neck. Paint is old working paint, much has been taken off & shows much original coat. Joe Dye was a serious market gunner & fisherman who guided some of the most famous & wealthy sports that ever gunned the Flats. Good history in this one.
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Early Canvasback by Scott Jackson (1852-1929), Charlestown, MD. Circa 1910. Very nice attitude on this early historic Canvasback from Upper Chesapeake Bay. Paint is dry, old working repaint (probably done by Heverin), with much original coat showing. Measures approx 15 1/2 inches long. Very good overall condition, has secure neck crack & old chip to top sides of head. Retains line tie & weight. A tuff addition for any collection of old decoys.
Sold

Very rare hen Bluebill by James "Jim" Holly (1855-1935), Harve de Grace, MD. Circa 1890-1910. Strong all original paint & condition, which is so very rare to find on Upper Chesapeake Bay birds of this vintage. Paint it very clean & strong with a lot of nice brush work. Solid body measures approx 13 inches. Only fault is it has hair thin ageline around upper neck/cheek area, but is secure & only goes around 3/4 of the way, area is shown & more pics avail. Has original line tie & weight. Truly a exceptional example of a classic Susquehanna Flats decoy.
SOLD!

Very rare & early sloped breast, hollow Mason Challenge Grade Drake Bluebill decoy, Detroit, Mich. Circa pre-1900. Very rare to find the early sloped breasted birds, especially a hollow carved Bluebill. Most of the slope breast birds are Mallards. These are the earliest made Masons & were done by hand, not on a lathe. Paint is very strong, thick, dry, clean & all original. Neck filler has been replaced & painted over in that area. Measures approx 14 inches. Perfect glass eyes. Some minor wear to the bird from gunning use, but honest. Retains original weight & a leather line tie. Has "AT" carved in bottom which make it a rig mate to Bluewing Teal I sold late last year. Great color on this one & lots of nice thick paint swirls that Mason decoys are famous for. Check your old auction catalogs on this one, I doubt you will ever find one. Very clean & a very rare addition to any Mason decoy collection.
Sold

Superb & mint Pintail drake by Robert McGaw (1879-1958), Harve de Grace, MD. Circa 1920-30. Excellent all original paint & condition, great patina & aging. Measures approx 17 1/2 inches long, has original weight & line tie. Outstanding paint patterns in McGaws best style. Has a hairline paint crack around neck but wood is tight. This bird is from the group of unused McGaw's that were found in an attic in Harve de Grace several years ago, they were still wrapped in newspaper. 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 upper bay decoy as you will ever be able to find of this vintage.
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Excellent, very scarce Black Duck decoy by Lloyd Tyler (1898-1970), Crisfield, MD. Circa 1920-40. Paint is all original, very strong and very clean. Has some very slight honest loss of paint from age. Probably was only gunned over once or twice. No repairs or touch ups. Good age on this classic Tyler with a nice patina. Solid body measures approx 18 inches long with a slightly turned head & is Tyler's best style with long tail & narrow neck. For reasons unknown Tyler Black Ducks are very hard to find especially in original paint. He just didnt make many Black Ducks, I could count on one hand how many I know of in existance in collections today. Lloyd Tyler made a great looking decoy & has become well known as a great Folk artist thanks to Henry Stansbury's outstanding book on Lloyd Tyler's decoys & artwork. His decoys have brought the respect of collectors as evidenced by the sale of his Hooded Merganser in the 6 figure range at the Guyette and Schmidt decoy sale in November 07. This is a great example of Lloyd Tyler's fine work & sure to please any collector that appreciates the good folk art appeal of his work. This scarce classic is sure to please, email for more pics if interested.
SOLD!

Superb early pair of Bluebills attrib. to D.W. Nichols (1890-1977), Smith's Falls, Ont. Circa 1940s. Excellent all original paint & condition. Great matched rig mate pair. Solid body measure approx 12 inches on each. Very nicely done scratch painting style on both. I have had some collectors familiar with Nichols tell me they think that Davey painted these, as he did for several local carvers, but probably wasnt the carver, but they couldnt tell me who did carve them, so I dont know. But still one of the nicest rig mated pair for the money you will ever find.
Sold

Scarce "SAM-BO" fishing lure with original box. Circa 1930-40's. Has original purchase price marked on top of $1.19. Lure appears to have never been used & retains original rubber band that gives his "love muscle" a lift, when barrel is pulled up. Lure measures approx 3 inches long not including metal lip or hook. Has lots of good graphics & advertising on box. Great collection or display bait.
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Rare "HARRY'S EAR-TUNED Duck Call". Circa 1940-50's. Excellent all original condition with no wear. Looks as if never used. Has "HARRY'S EAR-TUNED Duck Call" decal on front, in excellent condition. Has great color & patina & is made from maple (I think). Measures approx 5 1/4". Has seen no use & grades mint. Also has an original business card from Harry. I was told that probably less then 400 of these calls were ever produced. Has a great sound, I prefer to use a call like this then one of the $100+ acrylic ones that are the rage these days. Nice addition to a decoy or call collection, or a excellent call to use on your next duck hunt.
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Rare & early C.H. DITTO Crow Call. Circa 1900-20's. Excellent all original condition with minimal wear. Has "C.H. DITTO, KEITHSBURG, ILL." stamped into metal. Has great color & patina. Measures approx 4". Has seen little use & grades excellent. Has a great sound. Nice addition to a decoy or call collection, or a excellent call to use on your next crow hunt.
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Very scarce , bail handled, 1 gallon size, "FULL PACKT DELICIOUSLY FLAVORED OYSTERS", Baltimore, Maryland. Exact packer not quite readable, but a very early & seldom seen oyster tin. Circa 1910-20s. Condition is very good with great colors & graphics, very little in way of scratches, rust or dents. Has lid. A nice colorful addition to any collection.
SOLD

Very rare size, tall quart, "SUN BRAND OYSTERS", The Leib Packing Co., Baltimore, MD. "BALTIMORE'S BIG OYSTER HOUSE". Circa 1920s. Condition is excellent, & has top cut out. I have seen less then 3 of these in the "SUN BRAND". Tall quarts are the hardest size to find when it comes to early oyster tin cans.
SOLD

Nice early Dupont SMOKELESS POWDER, Wilmington, Delaware. 1 lb size. Nice early litho of dogs in a hunting scene on front, & loading instructions on other end. Circa 1900s. Retains original cap. Very good condition & colors, shows some shrinkage from age to paint. A collector favorite.
Sold

Nice Black Sporting Powder SNAP SHOT, 1/2 pound tin, back is marked ''CIL Canadian Industries Limited, Explosives Division Montreal, Canada.'', original FFG cap, very nice full colored litho image of falling duck. Circa 1900-20s. Excellent condition. Nice addition to a decoy collection.
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Nice "E.C." SMOKELESS SHOTGUN POWDER tin, 1 lb size. American "E.C." Schultze Gunpowder Co. from Bergan Co., NJ & 318 Broadway, NY. Circa 1900's. Great Victorian litho graphics on this one. Excellent condition with great color. Retains original cap. Very nice one here for any collection. Sold

Nice large "COBB ISLAND DECOYS" limited edition print by Eastern Shore of Virginia artist Thelma Peterson. Circa 1985. Condition is excellent and all original. This is #165 out of limited edition of 450. Signed by Thelma & also by Bill Purnell Jr., who authenticated the decoys used for the painting. Beautifully done pair of Black Ducks, Greater Scaup, Brant, & Geese, also has singles of Bufflehead, Redhead & Red-Breasted Merganser. Impressive size for a print at approx 20 X 24. Is currently mounted in poster frame & shows some glare in pics, needs to be professionally mounted. A nice painting by one of the Eastern Shore's best known artist.
SOLD