I am trying to trace some Herters date lines for there foam decoys. I hear they started the foam bodies in the 50's and looking for some evidence and photos of this and maybe seeing them tranform as the years passed. I think the Owls they also made in foam may be a big trick and hint to this transformation and mold changes etc etc. Anyone that can help I would be greatful to see some catalog pages and years. thank you.
Anyone with herters catalogs from 50s 60s and 70s?
- Thread starter Tony H
- Start date
Paul Strombeck
Active member
Hi Tony
The May/June 1999 issue of Decoy Magazine has a pretty good piece detailing a general history of Herter decoys including the highly sought stuffed canvas owl with a claw beak. Send me a PM if you need a copy.
........
The May/June 1999 issue of Decoy Magazine has a pretty good piece detailing a general history of Herter decoys including the highly sought stuffed canvas owl with a claw beak. Send me a PM if you need a copy.
........
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Good morning, Tony~
All I have is the 1966 re-printed catalog - sure wish I'd kept those earlier volumes!
We did not have the Herters Owl - we had a papier mache Owl, probably from Victors or the like.
My Dad had Model 72 Broadbill that he bought in the mid- to-late 1950s. They had the flat bottoms and brass screw eyes. I bought a dozen Mallards in 1967 or 68 and they were the same. (As I have mentioned before, I bought a dozen for $28 - exactly my takehome pay for working 28 hours each week as a stockboy at a local department store.)
The Model 72 Broadbill I bought in the early 80s had the molded external keel and the steel (aka rusty!) screw eyes.
Hope this helps! Just let me know if you need other pages scanned.
SJS
All I have is the 1966 re-printed catalog - sure wish I'd kept those earlier volumes!
We did not have the Herters Owl - we had a papier mache Owl, probably from Victors or the like.
My Dad had Model 72 Broadbill that he bought in the mid- to-late 1950s. They had the flat bottoms and brass screw eyes. I bought a dozen Mallards in 1967 or 68 and they were the same. (As I have mentioned before, I bought a dozen for $28 - exactly my takehome pay for working 28 hours each week as a stockboy at a local department store.)
The Model 72 Broadbill I bought in the early 80s had the molded external keel and the steel (aka rusty!) screw eyes.
Hope this helps! Just let me know if you need other pages scanned.
SJS
Great info guys and thanks. did they make the other bodies in 1966 or just the 72 series? Your scans show the owl I am looking for. So I now know they made it for at least 10 years as its in my 1976 catalog as well. I just recently acquired a bunch of what I believe to be original Herters decoy molds from sometime in the 60's through the 70's and I'm trying to date them and of course prove they are Herters molds. I have compared them to early decoys I have and so far it looks very good that they are real Herters molds. They came from a older gentleman's barn in Wisconsin and the history of them is unknown. But I am fairly certain they are right.
Just have to track them down by dating the bodies and the changes in the bodies. Could be fun to do. and so far I've learned the many changes in the molds by looking at vintage decoys but cannot date them. working on pictures showing all the variations of the decoys that I have so far. These are different things in the molds like vent holes. guide pins, ejector pins and fill holes. all noticed on the actual bodies upon close inspection. Again thanks. and let me know about the other models. 63 72 81 coot and pintail bodies. What I received are as followed.
63 diver
63 puddler
coot body
pintail body
72 puddler
72 diver
81 goose body
92 goose body
full body goose
Now to put a date to them and comfirm they are true Herters molds. And to make a few for my own personal rigs.
Just have to track them down by dating the bodies and the changes in the bodies. Could be fun to do. and so far I've learned the many changes in the molds by looking at vintage decoys but cannot date them. working on pictures showing all the variations of the decoys that I have so far. These are different things in the molds like vent holes. guide pins, ejector pins and fill holes. all noticed on the actual bodies upon close inspection. Again thanks. and let me know about the other models. 63 72 81 coot and pintail bodies. What I received are as followed.
63 diver
63 puddler
coot body
pintail body
72 puddler
72 diver
81 goose body
92 goose body
full body goose
Now to put a date to them and comfirm they are true Herters molds. And to make a few for my own personal rigs.
Last edited:
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Tony~
The 1966 catalog had:
Model 50 ducks - life-size, hollow Tenite Butyrate (like the heads on the foam birds). Heads did not move.
Model 63 ducks - life-size foam (Durlon Plastic)
Model 72 ducks - over-size foam
Model 81 geese - life-size foam
Model 92 geese - over-size foam
Model Supreme Full-bodied Field Geese - foam
Model Superior Geese - shell decoys made from paper and resin - sold as floaters and as field geese
Owl, Crow and Mourning Dove were the other foam decoys.
SJS
The 1966 catalog had:
Model 50 ducks - life-size, hollow Tenite Butyrate (like the heads on the foam birds). Heads did not move.
Model 63 ducks - life-size foam (Durlon Plastic)
Model 72 ducks - over-size foam
Model 81 geese - life-size foam
Model 92 geese - over-size foam
Model Supreme Full-bodied Field Geese - foam
Model Superior Geese - shell decoys made from paper and resin - sold as floaters and as field geese
Owl, Crow and Mourning Dove were the other foam decoys.
SJS
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Tony~
The Pintail was offered in Models 50, 63 and 72
The Coot was offered only in Model 63 - which also included Goldeneye and Baldpate. The Coot had its own shape for both head and body but the Goldeneye was a Bluebill with different paint and the Baldpate was a Mallard with different paint.
So:
Model 50 - Mallard, Black Mallard, Pintail, Redhead, Bluebill, Canvasback.
Model 63 - Mallard, Black Mallard, Pintail, Redhead, Bluebill, Canvasback, Goldeneye, Baldpate, Coot.
Model 72 - Mallard, Black Mallard, Pintail, Redhead, Canvasback.
They do not show any pictures of Canvasback but they had their own distinctive shapes.
SJS
The Pintail was offered in Models 50, 63 and 72
The Coot was offered only in Model 63 - which also included Goldeneye and Baldpate. The Coot had its own shape for both head and body but the Goldeneye was a Bluebill with different paint and the Baldpate was a Mallard with different paint.
So:
Model 50 - Mallard, Black Mallard, Pintail, Redhead, Bluebill, Canvasback.
Model 63 - Mallard, Black Mallard, Pintail, Redhead, Bluebill, Canvasback, Goldeneye, Baldpate, Coot.
Model 72 - Mallard, Black Mallard, Pintail, Redhead, Canvasback.
They do not show any pictures of Canvasback but they had their own distinctive shapes.
SJS
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Tony~
All of the Durlon birds had flat bottoms -no moulded keel.
SJS
All of the Durlon birds had flat bottoms -no moulded keel.
SJS
Paul Strombeck
Active member
I realize my decoy projects pale in light of the truly outstanding work done on this site but I do enjoy messing with and following the history of Herters decoys. George Herter the PT Barnum of decoys.
These are refurbished and repainted
View attachment widgeon reduced.jpg
View attachment DSCF0338_resized.jpg
These are refurbished and repainted
View attachment widgeon reduced.jpg
View attachment DSCF0338_resized.jpg
Well christmas came early. I just unloaded 9 original herters decoy molds. WOW, who would have thought that these were out there. I have the following original molds. Now to find a why to run them.
63 diver
63 puddler
63 coot body
72 pintail body
72 puddler
72 diver
81 body
92 full body
92 field goose
even got the Owl mold shown below.
My best guess is late 60's molds or early 70's.
View attachment herters owl.JPG
63 diver
63 puddler
63 coot body
72 pintail body
72 puddler
72 diver
81 body
92 full body
92 field goose
even got the Owl mold shown below.
My best guess is late 60's molds or early 70's.
View attachment herters owl.JPG