Herter's magnum foam decoys

[uncle mike pierce]

An aspiring young duck hunter (age 13, son of a friend) bought a bunch of decoys of various makes and vintages at garage sale/auction. Among them were 16 to 18 Herter's Magnum (approx. 15" body length) mallards and black ducks. Some are in excellent to almost unused shape, some have been used , but are in average, but original paint condition. He had no idea what the Herter's were or that they were more desirable than the other decoys in the bunch. He also had some paper mache decoys, some in almost unused condition.

First, I suggested he sell the paper mache decoys to second hand stores or antique shops, as there are some people actually collecting them. In my opinion, whatever he got for the paper maches was more than they were worth as hunting decoys.

Second, I suggested he sell the Herter's decoys and use the proceeds to buy some new, higher end, magnum plastic decoys instead. I believe that plastic decoys are better suited to his hunting situation as his decoys will be hauled to and from the marsh on a daily basis in a gunny sack/decoy bag, and that plastics are more likely to match the decoys his friends or family may be using when they make a joint "rig".

Third, I told him that I thought he could get $10 each for the herter's from the right duck hunters who wanted Herter's decoys for their rigs.

Did I steer him wrong on the value of the Herter's?

What do paper mache decoys go for in second hand stores?

Did I steer him wrong advising him to replace the Herter's with plastics for "carry in" decoys and to use in group "rigs"?

Thanks!

 

[Bob M]

The Herter's are worth more than $10 a piece for sure but it depends on condition as to how much more.

 

[uncle mike pierce]

thanks for the information.

 

[Steve Sanford]

Mike~

Hope you don't have the heat and humidity we've been "enjoying" for the last month or so - sure saps initiative...

Your advice is sound but....

I bought a dozen Model 72 Herters Mallards when I was 14 - circa 1967. They were $28 per dozen a I recall - my weekly takehome working 28 hours as a stockboy happened to be the very same amount. I still use them in certain situations - late season on our rivers and on saltwater.

I re-painted them when I got them - always disappointed in Herters' factory paint jobs. I re-painted them again about 10 years ago. On about a third, like this hen, I hit the neck with a torch to scrunch it down into a lowhead pose. And, as with all my Herters, I glue the heads (actually I use adhesive caulk) in place (mixing up the angles) to keep the eyebolt from working its way through the foam.

Rather than swapping the Herters out for straight store-bought, this might be an opportunity to instill the ethic/aesthetic shared by so many on this site: the more you put into this sport (in terms of effort and commitment, not dollars), the more you get out. I still get a kick out of using the same stool I worked for 46 years ago - and I like to look back on anything that I own and still use after what too quickly becomes decades. (I just replaced the seat for the second time on the LL Bean gunning stool I bought about the same time.)

I cannot help but wonder if there might be a certain mentor somewhere in Wisconsin who could advise/instruct this young gunner on how to get his birds ready to hunt.....

How's that for a guilt trip????

All the best,

SJS

 

[Ron Schuna]

He should keep the Herters decoys. A good project for him to repaint them. Herter's floaters are second to cork in realistic float appearance in my opinion. Birds will flock to them.

 

[Chuck J]

Did I steer him wrong advising him to replace the Herter's with plastics for "carry in" decoys and to use in group "rigs"?

In a word, yes.

Hope all is well on the other side of Lake Michigan.

Best
Chuck

 

[uncle mike pierce]

No guilt trip here, Steve. You are very correct in what you say. I agree that it may be a good idea for him to keep the Herter's, and if he doesn't, there will be a day when he will wish he had. They aren't that easy to come by. Most of them need no paint. They are in that good a shape. How many pristine Herter's decoys have you seen lately? If I had stumbled on them, I'd keep them, even though they don't really "fit" into my current rig.

I discussed with him and his dad options for keeping them and options for selling them. I already offered to help him/teach him to repaint those decoys (including the non-Herter's decoys) needing it. As I am currently constructing a program on painting hunting decoys to present at two different Wisconsin duck hunting organizations this winter, it would have served me well to have a dozen or more decoys needing paint, an eager teenager, pictures of him painting them, and pictures of the finished products (on the water) looking better than the originals did from the factory . Showing that a teenager can get great results on his first dozen repaints with a little direction and help is a powerful motivator to convince adults that they can succeed too.

I know that both he and his dad read posts on this site, so maybe your input and the input of others who have suggested he keep them will change their minds.

 

[Al Hansen]

Mike,
I still use the Herter's Model 72 in my rig. The reason I like them so much is that they have fantastic action in the Rio Grande. Much more so than some of the high end plastics. The other reason I like them is for the style that they are. They make a difference in my spread. I would opt for the young man to keep them.
Al

 

[R T Brinn]

Keep the Herter's foamers...and one day he will be able to tell his thirty-something hunting partner to take care of those decoys because they are all older than he is! I did that last season with my old college-era divers, purchased in 1974, and still going strong...part of the tribal lore and wisdom to keep things around and improve upon them.

 

[a civitarese]

depending on the specie and condition , some paper mache decoys are worth more than herters .

 

[uncle mike pierce]

Thanks on the info on the paper mache decoys. I personally thought he could get $5 to $10 apiece for mallards in good shape. $10 or more apiece for ones that are unused and/or odd ball rare species.

You are the only one who has addressed that part of the problem/rig. No one seems to have a nostalgic affinity for keeping and using them (for good reason), so I am hoping the young man sells the paper mache decoys through second hand stores, flea markets, garage sales, or "antique" stores.

 

[Neal Haarberg]

I agree on keeping the Herters. On a side note my hunting partner has been buying and selling Herters like crazy on ebay since last season and he has been getting $20 a piece if not more depending on how the auction goes and I can tell you that these are not in good shape. There is a pretty high demand for them. He has replaced all of his plastics with foam herters for this season.