Jack,

To this day it amazes me that every time I put a post up about an item or two, that you can come up with a complete pristine collection of that item, that you own...

Wow!

Is there anything that you don't have?

Thanks for posting this pictures....

You have some really neat decoys there...

Good luck at your shoot this week...

Stu

I've found that properly applied paint can turn nearly any old misc. working decoy into a contributing member of my bluebill spread.

Don, I don't understand how you think anyone screwed anyone from stories told in this thread.

You go to the flea market, go to the newby section because they don't know what they are doing, claim innocence of knowledge, offer the man half of what he is asking, which already is to low. Then come on here a brag about the value of the items you got for next to nothing.

To me that is taking advantage of your fellow man.

Don

I am a bit of a collector of old decoys. The famous Ward brothers are native to my home town. And I have some of their work. My wife's grandfather was a noted east coast waterfoul carver and worked with the Wards. He was Lloyd Tyler. Henry Stansbury wrote a book about him. I have about 50 carvings here from Tyler, Ward, Cigar Daisey, Pettit, Root and others. Collecting decoys is a faninating hobby and an extention of shotgunning. The hobby takes me back to my childhood when I spent much of my free time in the marsh with a rig of "store bought" 'coys and my shotgun bring home many ducks and geese for the dinner table. I still have my "gunning" skiff and every now and then I find time to again roam the marsh and relive part of my childhood.

"You go to the flea market, go to the newby section because they don't know what they are doing"

No, he said he goes there because the regulars are overpriced.

"claim innocence of knowledge"

I have no reason to think the OP is lying about his lack of expertise.

"offer the man half of what he is asking"

SOP at a flea market

"which already is to low."

A quick search of Bundy decoys on ebay indicates that they are selling for between $20 and $40. So the OP didn't exactly make a killing and the seller didn't lose the family fortune either.

MDMike. Yes those are what most collectors year for. post a pic or two and I'll do the same. It will be fun. My collection is eclectic. I have a couple of minor Wards but decoys across a varied spectrum. Canada, Illinios river, and other flyways. I have a half dozen Bob White birds... Bob from the Chesapeake. One of my fave carvers was a oil painter by vocation from southern WI. He carved dioramas and plaques of fish to educate his grand kids. Some of that is stunning. I'll get me camera warmed up.

Jack

This is a "W D Allen". He carved "Delaware River birds.

This is a Nichol pair of Woodies. From Canada

I have 7 or 8 Haertels. Are you familiar with him as a carver? He did working birds at first and then decoratives. I'll get some pics of that too.

"they where priced from $195.00 to $495.00 each"

That's a little more than $20.

Don

Bigdon, you trash peoples threads here. You attack anyone and everyone. You are neg about everything. What makes us think that you aren't screwing people out of things yourself?

I for one don't think he's bragging or screwing ayone. Besides if you made this deal you wouldn't think you screwed anyone. So quite knocking the guy.

I still want to hear about the hopper

MIA, I see that you have an eye for carvings as well. My wife collects old oyster cans. While I'm familar with some of the work of Allen, I don't have any of his work. Now Haertels is not one that I'm knowledgeable about. As an aside, one of my older brothers was Lem and Steve Wards paperboy (when papers were delivered). The Ward brothers used to come in my hardware store. There is a dealer in Easton that run an auction of decoys once a year. Guyette and some other name comes to mind. They contact me about every 3 years wanting to know if I want to sell or auction anything. They've been here to the house and according to their assessment, I have more in decoys than I have in guns. They valued one of my Ward carvings at an unbelievable figure (believe me, it was a load, I don't want to say in an open forum). It was hard for me to believe until they showed me previous auction results. I love collecting this kind of stuff.

Collector decoys are probably the hottest collectible market of all, prices are beyond belief!!!

Hi All,

Those of you that know me, know that I normally do not respond to negative remarks on my threads, it's basically a waste of my time and the time of the rest of the members of this great forum, but I felt the need to say somethimg about this one.

What is so interesting about this site, is there is allways one or two people that have to chime in on a thread, which they have absolutley no interest in, or have no knowledge of what is being disgussed and try to start a pissing match.

I guess they have to see thier name up in lights, be regonized, or what ever,..Or don't have anything better to do...

But as you can see, there is a lot of interest in the subject of Decoy's and from the comments and pictures that have posted, I am learning a lot about Decoy's...

I guess it's the freedom of speech, but I would prefer, if you are going to respond to this thread, please post more pictures and information about Decoy's....I find it a fasinating subject... I would like to learn as much as I can about them...

Just my humble opinion....

Stu Gabriel (MrGun)

OK, Let's see it I can figure out how to post pictures. Hmmmmm, no luck. I'll try again later....

Mike.Send them to me via email attachment. I'll post them for you.

Jack

And yes Guyette and Schmidt are after me as well. I'm waiting for the economy to trigger upwards and then the auction buyers follow the next year.

I'll get some Haertel pics and post those. But the MnplsGC big Handicap 3 day shoot begins Friday and I am kinda busy.

I'm not a QUACKER FAN or COLLECTOR, but EuroJo and Mike are/were...if there is any interest I'll post pictures and accept offers on belt buckles, calls, patches and some OLD collectable ammo boxes. None of this stuff is garage sale/flea market treasure...it's part of Mike's estate that I have been liquidating on behalf of his widow.

Jack, don't wait 'till next year. Market is hot now on decoys, lots of other collectibles not so much. Get a Guyette& Schmidt catalog and see.

Reminds me of the guy who goes to the widow's house and offers her $500 for a K80 her deceased husband owned and she not knowing takes the offer and then he tells the world.

Don

But Don...

It's his own fault...

$500.00 is what he told her he paid for it!

R.I.P.

Was that you Donny? I wouldn't put it past you.

Also are you ready to back up your mouth come the 18th of this month? You ran it now back it up or bow down and say your sorry for doing so.

C'mon Jack! The Hopper story! I can't wait......