ID ing two decoys

[Kyle Hauck]

Wondering if any of you could help with the id, aging, and valuations of a few decoys I just picked up.

The first is a wooden decoy (no keel) with a black stamp for the Animal Trap Company. I'm just trying to figure out an approximate age of it and what kind of value it might have. Those decoys online seem to be all over for valuation and me being a newcomer don't know what I'm dealing with.

The second decoy is cork with a wooden tail piece, keel, and head. The decoy is in nice condition with what I believe is a newer head. There is absolutely no marking on it from what I can see.
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[Steve Sanford]

Good morning, Kyle~


I will let others jump in re the age and value of the Animal Trap Co. bird.


The Scaup (Broadbill to those of us on salt water....) is sold by LL Bean as a Coastal decoy. It looks like original paint in very good condition. I recommend you look at Dale's Decoy Den ( http://dalesdecoyden.com/decoys.htm ) to get a better idea of the vintage and prices. He shows several Scaup now.



I would guess anywhere from 1960s on - but yours does not have the misshapen (my opinion) bill of the newer decoys. Not sure how their head fasteners have changed but that galvanized flathead wood screw and washer had been standard for a long time. Can you tell if the head is adjustable for position? The body on many Beans birds have a disc with several holes which receive a pin in the head. The screw is loosened and tightened for adjustment.



All the best,


SJS

 

[george w]

Animal trap is/was out of Lititz, pa. Became Victor You can probably dig up some info on line--They still make mouse traps!! I believe the company was originally in Pascagoula, Miss. Should be hollowed from bottom with a solid center, for weights, lines, etc. Kind of fun to have around. That one does not app-ear to have had much service, as with use, the stamping disappears.
Nice Bean.

 

[Joe Daly]

George is correct - Animal Trap decoy's were made in Pascagoula Miss. There were a number of decoy factories located there. It is close to the source of Tupelo wood. This area was active in decoy manufacture from the 1940-s thru early 1950-s.

Joe

 

[Ken Z]

Kyle, Some history:

From 1848, long before making decoys, Animal Trap Co. was a major producer of all kinds/sizes of animal traps. After WW1, they began producing wooden duck decoys. From 1937-1939, they acquired the Wm. Pratt rat/mouse trap business, and then the Pratt decoy business, which included the assets of the famous Mason Decoy Co. along with samples of all of Mason's decoy production.

Interesting side note is that Animal Trap President, CM Woolworth, was the son of the owner of the Woolworth's five and dime stores.

Around 1940, they acquired the assets/equipment of the Poitevin Decoy Co., the Cumbest Decoy Co., and Hudson Decoy Co., all from Pascagoula, Miss., resulting in the consolidation/relocation of all duplicating lathes to the Poitevin facility, along with the experienced employees of all 3 facilities. They employed about 20 workers at that time, in a somewhat automated factory. In the 1940's, there was difficulty and high costs involved in obtaining good quality white cedar and pine wood; so the Mississippi area offered an abundant supply of inexpensive tupelo and pop ash for decoys. From 1942-1946,decoy production slowed, due to the WW2 efforts to produce goods in support of the war, then decoy production accelerated post war.

After Woolworth purchased a molded paper pulp company, wooden decoy production was phased out, and they began manufacturing paper mache and plastic decoys. The company continued making decoys at both the Pascagoula, Miss. and Litiz, Pa. facilities through the early 1970's.

Your decoy is a Standard D-4 model, lathe marks(feather finish),simple paint, cold stamped, probably from 1946-1957. It's a step up from their #1 economy model. I believe the paint pattern used was the same for both Black ducks and Mallard hens including bill paint color. Animal Trap was prolific in production (many-many thousands) and marketing, offering reasonable cost, selling in sporting goods stores and advertising mail order in most of the national hunting/fishings mags. Consequently, they are not that rare on the collector market. The rarer species (Widgeon, Goldeneye, Teal) in mint condition bring the best prices. Excellent condition Mallard pairs sell for $150-225 pr.

My first collector decoy I purchased in 1990 was from an antique store, an Animal Trap Bluebill. Lots of gunning wear, I still have it, one of my favorites. There are 2 books (1) Pascagoula Decoys by Joe Bosco and (2) American Factory Decoys by Ken Trayer, that document the history of the Animal Trap Company.

Best regards,
Ken Zaborski

 

[Kyle Hauck]

Kyle, Some history:

From 1848, long before making decoys, Animal Trap Co. was a major producer of all kinds/sizes of animal traps. After WW1, they began producing wooden duck decoys. From 1937-1939, they acquired the Wm. Pratt rat/mouse trap business, and then the Pratt decoy business, which included the assets of the famous Mason Decoy Co. along with samples of all of Mason's decoy production.

Interesting side note is that Animal Trap President, CM Woolworth, was the son of the owner of the Woolworth's five and dime stores.

Around 1940, they acquired the assets/equipment of the Poitevin Decoy Co., the Cumbest Decoy Co., and Hudson Decoy Co., all from Pascagoula, Miss., resulting in the consolidation/relocation of all duplicating lathes to the Poitevin facility, along with the experienced employees of all 3 facilities. They employed about 20 workers at that time, in a somewhat automated factory. In the 1940's, there was difficulty and high costs involved in obtaining good quality white cedar and pine wood; so the Mississippi area offered an abundant supply of inexpensive tupelo and pop ash for decoys. From 1942-1946,decoy production slowed, due to the WW2 efforts to produce goods in support of the war, then decoy production accelerated post war.

After Woolworth purchased a molded paper pulp company, wooden decoy production was phased out, and they began manufacturing paper mache and plastic decoys. The company continued making decoys at both the Pascagoula, Miss. and Litiz, Pa. facilities through the early 1970's.

Your decoy is a Standard D-4 model, lathe marks(feather finish),simple paint, cold stamped, probably from 1946-1957. It's a step up from their #1 economy model. I believe the paint pattern used was the same for both Black ducks and Mallard hens including bill paint color. Animal Trap was prolific in production (many-many thousands) and marketing, offering reasonable cost, selling in sporting goods stores and advertising mail order in most of the national hunting/fishings mags. Consequently, they are not that rare on the collector market. The rarer species (Widgeon, Goldeneye, Teal) in mint condition bring the best prices. Excellent condition Mallard pairs sell for $150-225 pr.

My first collector decoy I purchased in 1990 was from an antique store, an Animal Trap Bluebill. Lots of gunning wear, I still have it, one of my favorites. There are 2 books (1) Pascagoula Decoys by Joe Bosco and (2) American Factory Decoys by Ken Trayer, that document the history of the Animal Trap Company.

Best regards,
Ken Zaborski

Ken,

That is some great info! I'll have to see if my library can get either of those books! This particular decoy I picked up from a very senior gentleman here in MN. He was very nice guy to deal with and I suspect might have purchased these decoys brand new given his age. He thought people wanted way too much for decoys online and sold me this decoy for $12 and the LL Bean for $25.

He had several other animal trap mallards but I only had so much cash on me. Perhaps I'll make a trip back sometime to see if he has the others. These are my first two antique decoys I've ever purchased.

Animal trap is/was out of Lititz, pa. Became Victor You can probably dig up some info on line--They still make mouse traps!! I believe the company was originally in Pascagoula, Miss. Should be hollowed from bottom with a solid center, for weights, lines, etc. Kind of fun to have around. That one does not app-ear to have had much service, as with use, the stamping disappears.
Nice Bean.

George, indeed the bottom is hollowed with a solid center. The stamp is very much intact, but with the wear on the paint and some rough edges I wasn't sure. Perhaps it got tossed around the tool shed too much.

George is correct - Animal Trap decoy's were made in Pascagoula Miss. There were a number of decoy factories located there. It is close to the source of Tupelo wood. This area was active in decoy manufacture from the 1940-s thru early 1950-s.

Joe

Joe, thats awesome to hear. That's a cool area and tupelo honey is to die for!

 

[Kyle Hauck]

Good morning, Kyle~


I will let others jump in re the age and value of the Animal Trap Co. bird.


The Scaup (Broadbill to those of us on salt water....) is sold by LL Bean as a Coastal decoy. It looks like original paint in very good condition. I recommend you look at Dale's Decoy Den ( http://dalesdecoyden.com/decoys.htm ) to get a better idea of the vintage and prices. He shows several Scaup now.



I would guess anywhere from 1960s on - but yours does not have the misshapen (my opinion) bill of the newer decoys. Not sure how their head fasteners have changed but that galvanized flathead wood screw and washer had been standard for a long time. Can you tell if the head is adjustable for position? The body on many Beans birds have a disc with several holes which receive a pin in the head. The screw is loosened and tightened for adjustment.



All the best,


SJS

Steve,

Thanks for the info! I really had no idea what I was looking at being as these were the first ever antique decoys I have owned. I purchased the Animal Trap decoy by responding to a facebook ad for $12. He mentioned he had several other decoys and the LL Bean decoy drew my interest the most. I paid $25 for it. Now I have no intention of ever selling really but it's neat to see the values of these works of art and Americana.