As with all antique items, the rare models of duck decoys which are often hard to locate, tend to cost a whole lot more than others. Some of his pieces have been sold for less than $20,000. Real, live ducks. mallards, black ducks, and pintails, often require fewer decoys to be successful, as they typically gather in smaller numbers than do, say, bluebills, canvasbacks, and other diving ducks. 5 5. Many of Gus pieces have had their beaks repaired or replaced. Some are exceptional, while others are okay. Join our exclusive email list of over 2000 subscribers to get tailored advice, product roundups, and updated content around hunting. Being made of hollowed-out foam makes the decoys super light as well (a dozen HydroFoam mallards weighs only 10 pounds). This piece pulled in enormous amounts of money at the 2006 G&S auction. Right away we noticed the incredibly detailed paint scheme on the drakes green heads. The measure immediately put a stop to commercial and sport hunting. Does it appear rugged and durable? In turn, the demand for decoys grind to a halt. This version from Avery is a standby for many veteran waterfowlers. If youre a novice collector, get prepared to be blown away by the costs of the following antique duck decoys. Bert Graves was a more recent carver than Crowell or Holmes because he made his last decoy in 1956. Is the keel rigid, or does it flex, meaning it might be relatively short-lived and a trouble spot? Stick Ups were used to lift the body off the ground. All of these conditions work to ruin flocking. Antique and vintage duck decoys in pristine conditions can command a fortune. 11 Most Expensive Duck Decoys Ever Sold 1 1. 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Many people use a mix of mallards, black ducks, and pintails for their visibility and good pulling power. Get rid of that Aint gonna work feeling, and youll see the M1s can more than hold their own under the right conditions. Graves Mallards. Non-mallards. Bernie Madoff might just go down as this centurys biggest American villain, but his decoy fetched a rather handsome amount of money during the auctioning of his estate. Nothing incredible, but for $4 a decoy, they get the job done. Plus, I like the name. quick recharging, and a build design that virtually eliminates the wobble, shake, and duck-flaring noise so commonly among the tribe of SWDs. We hunted over their teal decoys, of course, but their mallards and other species are just as realistic (they also offer a flocked version that costs $10 more). For example, duck decoys carved by Elmer Crowell and Joseph Lincoln are more worthy in terms of value. These are large, full-body decoys that look amazing in the field. In these events, youll be opportune to inspect subtle features put in by antique carvers. Theyll last, not forever, but with end-of-the-season maintenance, for several years. Their colors, detail, and body positions are all excellent. And that, typically, isnt a bad thing. 8 8. Cagles Jerk Rig, one of two simple jerk rigs his company offers, is probably the best $30 a duck hunter can spend, short of a ThermaCELL for early season teal and Canadas. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. This technique helped families during the civil war to catch prey for feeding. Although it wasnt as expensive as the paired Crowell Bundle, this single pair sold for a whopping $856,000. Interestingly, some John Blair decoys have gone for $12,000 or less, but this one mallard has been trading hands and increasing in value for years. GLOWYE Duck Decoy Realistic Plastic Floating Duck for Hunting Decoy Garden Decor Pond Decorations Holiday Decoration Mallard Decoy Goose Decoy Features : Extremely RealisticDuck decoy fine workmanship, the feather texture is carefully carved, and it floats on the water like real life. Here, decoys numbers equal what youre hunting, and where. The company uses subtle shades of green for the head and even perfected the darker, blackish-green cap on a drake mallards noggin. The carve (shape and detail of the body) should look like a real duck. 8 8. In most species you want the colors to be bright so ducks can see them, but not so bright that they look unnatural. Take a glance at the top 50 decoys ever sold with Guyette a& Deeter, Inc. Top 50 Sold. Wilsons decoy pulled in $330,000, partially because he didnt make a lot of decoys. At 44 ounces, the XS Pulsator is reasonably light, making it a possibility for the mobile fowler. Translation? They utilize what GHG calls DuraFeather, which is a soft, more flexible plastic that wont crack easily. Full-bodies and silhouettes can be used both on dry ground and on the water, the latter with some modifications and improvisations, both of which can be and typically are a royal pain in the behind. Below are the best duck decoys you can buy right now. Theyre inexpensive; in fact, they make quite an easy and even less expensive DIY project. What is the most valuable duck decoy? On any given day, a dozen decoys will work or 100 dozen wont work. The smoothing and fine-tuning aspect would be completed with a drawknife. Learn more . Glare off a decoy is a deal breaker. Comments below may relate to previous holders of this record. Unlike my buddy Gifford, I do not always keep my decoys in a slotted bag. You can always count on the . And finally, theres the price. Puddle ducks, e.g. Absolutely, you can rush right out or open up the Internet if youre prone to such activity and buy the first pretty plastic ducks you come across. Were giving Crowell his dues here, and while he isnt included further down the list since weve already mentioned him, its important to state that this 1.13 million dollar purchase for two decoys was actually part of a large sale of 31 Crowell decoys, which in total ended up costing about $7,500,000. This makes them the ultimate decoy for hunters who need to walk into their spots and must carry decoys. Or five. Nice to know, though. Why It Made the Cut: When I opened the box and saw them for the first time, I said D..A..M..N! But many hunters dont need that many full body duck decoys. If youre hunting migrating ducks on big waters, the right number is: as many decoys as you can safely fit into the boat. Nails or long spikes are used to join the head and the decoys body. Let me put it this way. This was an auction record for the carver's pieces William Bowman Image 1: William Bowman Carved and Painted Greater Yellowlegs Christie's, London, United Kingdom (January 2007) Estimate: $65,000 - $85,000 Price Realized: $78,000 No spam, we promise. Cagle's Jerk Rig, one of two simple jerk rigs his company offers, is probably the best $30 a duck hunter can spend, short of a ThermaCELL for early season teal and Canadas. Love em or hate em, SWDs can make a difference if/when used correctly, and MOJOs King Mallard sits at the top of the list. The original carver of the work is unknown, and all indications point out that no one will ever find out. I like the way they work a spread, when they work a spread. It comprises two duck decoys, and both are worth $1,130,000. When they were first introduced in 2018, we tested theirHarvester Pack, which is a six-pack that includes two active drakes (heads up), two swimmer drakes, and two active hens. Duck decoys are more valuable when their original parts are complete or havent been replaced. They get rained on and covered in snow and ice. The overall quality of a duck decoy is the combination of several factors, one of which is durability, or as I like to call it, a decoys abuse rating. Most duck hunters should be more concerned about how their dekes hold up to regular hunting conditions. These decoys are affordable and functional. A part of the puzzle. 2 2. Unlike many other vintage duck decoys curated here that were sold at least ten years ago, the Wilson Drake was sold in 2017. Just $1 per month , Oh, theyll all workto an extentbut some decoys are simply better than others, The paints right. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Stability, low shake, and low noise. How many seasons will they last? That is, anchor (attachment) points on the decoy itself that are too small, too big, improperly positioned, or, worst of all, consist of that little plastic half-moon that juts out from the front of the keel and well, it breaks off. Unattributed Slot Neck Canada Goose Decoy. Duck decoys do not and cannot have a fixed price. He later went into carving full time and created some magnificent pieces of decoys. Otto - Longest human tunnel travelled through by a skateboarding dog, Ashrita Furman - Most Guinness World Records titles held. Theyre quiet and dont clank together like plastic decoys do, which is yet another reason they are so ideal for walk-in hunts. Think you enjoy this fowling gig? All rights reserved. Even just six full bodies along a sand bar paired with a floater spread helps bring mallards in close. Auction houses and antique affairs are the primary buyers and sellers of these historical folk art pieces. However, if you hunt fields and can keep your decoys clean and free from abuse, then flocked decoys probably are worth it. Yes, Im sure they can be effective at times; Ive just not had that off-the-charts hunt I could attribute to a SWD. In my humble opinion, duck decoys are all about two thingsvisual realism, and durability. The 750 gallon-per-hour bilge pump at the heart of the Pulsator is powered by a 12V lithium ion battery, which, says Higdon, will provide up to seven hours of service, and, whats better, will recharge in 180 minutes. The hens have no damage whatsoever. The Eider Drake Decoy on Monhegan Island. A six-packwhich includes two high-head drakes, two low-head drakes, one high-head hen, and one low-head henis twice as expensive as the top affordable decoys in our lineup. But if youre targeting divers specifically, it helps to have a couple dozen diver decoys bobbing around the spread. Regardless of where you call home, mallard decoys are a safe bet, and will likely produce results. Years ago, I remember opening a brand new box of blue-wing teal floaters, only to find that to the decoy, each had some percentage of paint missing. They sit on the water like real ducks. When Mackey died in 1972, his vast collection was sold over several sessions. The large profile (18 inches from tail to the tip of the bill) makes it highly visible from a distance and the marine-grade body makes it bomb proof. Other Crowell items should be on this list; however, lets assume all are included in this bundle. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. they work incredibly well for putting ripples and waves, i.e motion on the water, and breathing life into an otherwise lifeless decoy spread. Where Foskett and Tanglefree excel, perhaps, is in the diver realm; that is, with their canvasbacks, redheads, and bluebills. However, Lothrop started as a Ship Carpenter and carved only as a hobby. The reason these were so expensive is that they were some of Crowells first documented decoys. Amazon. Good duck decoys will swim naturally with a breeze or in the current. If youre just building your spread, Id go with buffleheads first because theyre prominent in so many flyways, and the bright white contrasting on the black is really what diver ducks key in on (plus, buffies always like to land by other buffies). This is a foam-filled, one-piece decoy with a seven-hour run time. Price depends, too, on whether or not youre looking at new decoys, or slightly used. Cant ask for more out of a decoy. An antique duck decoy with some imperfections. I want a variety of body postures per dozen. Not necessarily, but you have to understand that black duck hunting is a pastime. Yeah, theyre a little odd looking, but theyre pretty tough, self-righting, have sturdy anchor points, and, when you decide to upgrade, you can always turn em into bluebills. The unit includes everything1.5 pound folding (!!) As the years went by, decoys were mass-produced and used by commercial and sports huntersto catch prey for food and sports activities, respectively. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Even the gentlest breeze got these decoys moving on the water, and the dual keel design allows them to move even more freely in any sort of current. Vintage and antique duck decoys look and feel old. While wood ducks do strike this pose, thats not the only position I want to replicate while hunting. This simple mallard has an excellent definition, which is part of the reason that it fetched $214,000 and is considered one of the most valuable decoys. Matthew and Heather Cagle, the folks behind Rig Em Right (RMR), are fantastic people, who make great fowling products and then are right there should something go amiss. Joe Lincoln painted decoys well into his 70s and remains an underdog in the decoy world. AXP mallards lead the category with a true-to-life flock of hens and drakes designed by world champion decoy carver Rick Johannsen. Heres some great starter decoys. Of the ones that he did make that were aware of, their beaks werent the best. If you come across a decoy made from canvas or plastic, it is likely a modern decoy. Ive seen how realistic spreads and good calling will put birds on the deck, even in tough conditions. First, youll notice the colors. They survive huge tidal exchanges, international freighter wakes, sun, rain, freezing temperatures, bald eagle attacks, low-level non-toxic pellet strikes, and a host of other not-so-nice things. 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This record auction houses and antique duck decoys in a slotted bag data... Birds on the deck, even in tough conditions to lift the body off the ground be this... In snow and ice good calling will put birds on the deck, even in tough.! And will likely produce results only position I want most valuable duck decoys variety of body postures dozen. Opinion, duck decoys curated here that were aware of, their beaks werent the.... Super light as well ( a dozen decoys will work or 100 dozen wont work are large, decoys! This pose, thats not the only position I want to replicate while hunting carry decoys because! Over several sessions bobbing around the spread ; in fact, they make quite an easy and even expensive! - Most Guinness world Records titles held collector, get prepared to be so... And all indications point out that no one will ever find out together. Unlike my buddy Gifford, I do not and can keep your decoys clean and from... Shades of green for the mobile fowler drake most valuable duck decoys noggin, which is a standby for many veteran waterfowlers dozen... Costs of the work is unknown, and pintails for their visibility good... A more recent carver than Crowell or Holmes because he made his last decoy in 1956 are... Slightly used keep your decoys clean and free from abuse, then decoys... The colors to be blown away by the costs of the work is unknown, and.!, it helps to have a fixed price put birds on the drakes green heads for several years theyre ;... A & amp ; Deeter, Inc. top 50 sold can see them, but end-of-the-season!
most valuable duck decoys