Herter's Inc. 1958

[Eric Patterson]

Eric Patterson submitted a new resource:

Herter's Inc. - Herter's Inc. Boat Offerings from Various Catalogs

Boat offerings from Herter's Inc. Click the orange "Download" button to download the boat section from their catalogs. The below pictures are catalog covers.

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[Steve Sanford]

Eric Patterson submitted a new resource:

Herter's Inc. 1958 - Herter's Inc 1958 Catalog Duck Boats Section



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Good morning, Eric~

Great stuff! I have been collecting (amassing?) early Herter's catalogs in recent years - from the mid-40s to the mid-60s. Truly a wealth of information in each one. (Of course, one can only whimper wistfully at those prices....)

BTW: The next Long Island Decoy Collectors Ass'n Annual Show - in March 2025 - will feature Herter's (as well as Wildfowlers) decoys - with a focus on their use as gunning birds - not solely as collectibles. I will be relying heavily on these old catalogs for the relevant history. Also, a couple of other duckboats.net members will be joining me in demonstrations of the practical aspects - care and feeding - of working decoys.

All the best,

SJS

 

[Eric Patterson]

Steve

Thanks. I plan to add more. My only source for Herter's catalogs is ebay. They don't seem to be in the Internet Archive collections or any other public source. I bought this one but if members will lend me theirs I'd happy to scan and return. That goes for any catalogs with duck boats. If you know anyone with a collection of old catalogs I'd love to have the opportunity to scan them for their duck boat content. As you know this info is added to the Resources section for everyone's benefit. For example, I'm looking for the Mullins Pressed Steel Boats catalog of the early 1900s. It is VERY expensive so buying isn't in the cards. I might be able to get it through inter library loan but what a time dump that is. I've pulled together some pictures of Mullins boats off the internet, but the catalogs in which they originally appear is usually the best imagery and the definitive source of info.

The Mariners' Museum Online Catalog

At The Mariners' Museum, explore over 60,000 square feet of gallery space with rare figureheads, handcrafted ship models, Civil War ironclad USS Monitor artifacts, paintings, and much more.

catalogs.marinersmuseum.org

Speaking of decoys, I recently picked up two Old Saybrook Wildfowlers at auction, a balsa black and a wigeon. I've been perusing auctions quite a bit in the past few months looking for vintage duck hunting items and Stanley hand tools. This was a good week. A got a pair of cast iron sinkbox decoys (I suspect they are repros from 60 years ago), a pair of cast iron andiron decoys (bases missing but I'll replace them with something suitable), a pair of Jack Sweet Decoys Unlimited redheads (carved decoys not molded), a Stanley No. 112 scraper plane, a No. 12 1/2 veneer scraper, a Stanley 98 (right hand) and 99 (left hand) side rabbet planes. I'll post pictures when they arrive but below are few auction pictures.

 

[Steve Sanford]

Whew! For a minute I thought you and I were bidding against each other on a Wildfowler Black Duck. (I "lost" it because the auction ended whilst I was chatting with gunners at the Cedar Beach Duckboat Show last Saturday).

I have 8 or 10 old Herter's catalogs I would be happy to mail/lend to you. I could do without them for a month or so - but need them back because our March 2025 LIDCA show will feature WILDFOWLER & HERTER's - Factory Fowl of the 40s, 50s & 60s. I will be doing my research, writing and "production" of this main exhibit throughout the Winter.

I'll send you a note later today.

SJS

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

Jack Sweet was a Master at comb painting Decoys. The man had confidence and skill in his technique that few if any can come close to. His DECOYS UNLIMITED worked very well in the past and are still used by some and collected by many. His much oversize decoys are amazing to see in person. My favorites are the Scaup Decoys with the heads that move from side to side by use of the anchor line eye. Over the years I had many of his decoys pass through my hands. He is a North Western PA legend. When I see the stencil on the bottom of his decoys it makes me Smile big time.

The old Pymatuning Goose Management Area registration building had Jack Sweet half carved decoys on the walls for ID purposes. The first time I saw those works in the early 1960's I was enthralled with his work. I've been told that the original building has been torn down and a new one put in it's place. I certainly hope that Mr. Sweet's works still grace the walls and inform and educate hunters. The waterfowl & waterfowling history in that area is very rich.

my 2 cents

 

[Eric Patterson]

Vince

These landed on my porch yesterday evening. You are right, Jack Sweet could comb paint. The bodies are very close in shape to the Decoys Unlimited diver mold that have been around for decades. I'm sure there is a connection. These decoys are clearly marked Erie, Pennsylvania while the well known molds were from Clinton, Iowa. There has to be a relationship between Jack Sweet and Decoys Unlimited that produced molds. I've never read about it but somebody must know it and I'd like to hear how his birds went from single carvings to hunter produced foam copies. There's a story to be told. I have seen a few of his birds mentioned online and evidently he was well known in some circles.

I'm not a decoy collector, but I do purchase old decoys from time to time when something about them peeks my interest. Let's face it, the famous carver's decoys of yesteryear are too expensive for the average person and a lot of what gets carved today isn't intended for real hunting and/or cost exceeds what any typical hunter would sink into a rig. For that reason the decoys that truly were meant to be gunned, and were, and somehow escaped collector's eye and the elevated price that follows are the ones that grab my attention, and fortunately these can be found for a cost the average person can afford. This pair was under $100 and I think are undervalued making them a good investment in addition to the satisfaction they bring as decor in my workshop.