If you want to collect one decoy a year, which carver would you start with???

Farrukh,

I've often thought the same thing. I guess the one answer would be to ask the carvers themselves. Ask them who they are collecting. I was fortunate to meet Lenny Maiorano through a friend. He always does real well at the Tuckerton show. I purchased a black duck from him and he has these antique looking Cans that I hope that he holds for me, because I really want them. We are planning a hunt to two together at a place that he told me about. He has been a very good source of information for me and is honest with me on what I should and shouldn't buy. Most of all, I trust him. He says don't buy too much too soon. Pick your pieces. Spend more money on one quality piece and two or three mediocore ones.

It was through Lenny, that I met Jode. This is my newest piece. Jode Hillman just sent me the pics of my miniture Canvasbacks. Can't wait to get them. He will be doing a miniture greenwing teal for me sometime next year (yeah, he's that busy)

mbmincan.jpg

 
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Farrukh,

I've often thought the same thing. I guess the one answer would be to ask the carvers themselves. Ask them who they are collecting. I was fortunate to meet Lenny Maiorano through a friend. He always does real well at the Tuckerton show. I purchased a black duck from him and he has these antique looking Cans that I hope that he holds for me, because I really want them. We are planning a hunt to two together at a place that he told me about. He has been a very good source of information for me and is honest with me on what I should and shouldn't buy. Most of all, I trust him. He says don't buy too much too soon. Pick your pieces. Spend more money on one quality piece and two or three mediocore ones.

It was through Lenny, that I met Jode. This is my newest piece. Jode Hillman just sent me the pics of my miniture Canvasbacks. Can't wait to get them. He will be doing a miniture greenwing teal for me sometime next year (yeah, he's that busy)

mbmincan.jpg
These are gorgeous
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Like the title, if you want to make an outstanding ( working rig) collecting one decoy a year,where would you start?
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Guess that would depend upon my goals at the time. If it was for value/cost/money...I'd go with a Keith Mueller bird.

My goal has been different. I've been putting together a rig of dekes that mean something to me so I've been collecting friends & gunning over them. I have 8 birds from Mike Prawdzik, pair of GE from Bomber, couple birds (Chestnut Teal & Aussie Black Duck) from Brian Hiller "Oz" and several other carved birds along with a fiberglass swimmer & several E. Allens painted by friends. It's very cool (for me) to be hunting over a rig of nostalgia since I spend more time looking at my decoys than I do live birds while hunting. ;)
Lou
 
Like the title, if you want to make an outstanding ( working rig) collecting one decoy a year,where would you start?
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I'd start with ones I liked and from people I know.

Tim
 
My list would include (for me...) and not necessarily in this order

Gary Hanson
Bob Furia
Dave Larsen
Lou Tisch (you didnt know he carved, did ya?)
Lee Harker (because there are some out there)
Tom Matus
Any of the MLB guys including Furia
Steve Sutton
Yukon Mike
and one of Scott Farris' burlapped foam goose decoys

Oh yeah...Grayson Chesser and Bomber too


I could add to this list forever


But thats just me
 
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I'd be happy just to be able to keep a few of my own...

In addition There is a plethora of carvers I'd like to get decoys from including pretty much all the carvers here and many, many more, but to avoid omitting someone I'll not post my list.

I'm going a different direction in my "reality dream rig"


I've started collecting "low number production" decoys, mainly from michigan to include "early examples of the E Allen Decoy" (verified by Lou) They seem to be fun to collect as they are not super expensive and somewhat readily available if you do some looking and have a lot of days of gunfire behind them. It also provides some fun in tracking down their history (maker, date made, etc) They are not so rare as to be afraid to hunt them either, and they can still be found at garage sales. Certainly not my every day rig, and not super old, but sitting and watching them on the water congers up images of the prints they have at DU banquets (at least for me it does)

Antique wise, the list is real long too. A few that come to mind for my dream rig.

Michigan guys in no particular order. Diver, mallard or black is fine. Goose would be REAL SWEET!

Ben Schmidt
Walter Snow
Jim Kelson
Tom Schroder
Joe Kupper
Pirnie
Purdo
Larry Hayden
Nate Quillen boat to haul them all


Elsewhere (choice can be substituted by brant if available)

Lew Rathmel - black duck
Wards-goose or pintail
Ira Hudson- bluebill
Anything IL River
Anything Del River, 'specially a Blair
Hurley Conklin-wood duck
Shourds-goose
Rowley Horner-mallard
Dick Jansen-Can
Enoch Reindahl-not picky, anything is fine
Shang, Holmes, laing- black duck

I could go on for pages...
 
There are so many good carvers out there. Someone I would know something about. A decoy like that would have meaning. A number of names were mentioned but there are so many more. There is a difference between being a collector and collecting decoys for yourself. A decoy I have. I got to converse with the carver of that decoy. That is a meaningful decoy.
 
I'd start with ones I liked and from people I know.

Tim
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I'm with Tim on this one. It makes for a better story when people ask about your rig if you can talk about the carvers in a more personal way.
 
JODE HILLMAN.......................He is a friend and an outstanding carver. George Strunk is a close second though.......................Kevin
 
IMHO one of the best younger carvers out there is Jode Hillman.
http://www.hillmandecoys.com.
A few days ago he made a ruddy duck that is breath taking.


He belongs to the recently started decoy club(in the DE Valley:members form NJ,PA,DE,MD).
I also belong to it and there are a few other excellent & well-known carvers
and collectors and a few down and dirty hunters ---like me in it.
Most importantly _ super bunch of guys
 
I have a motley crew of decoys. Mostly Toledo because they are rugged but have been making up short strings of hand carved decoys from people I know. It's fun to sit in the blind and remember when I got each one and what they mean to me.

Basically I agree with Lou and Tim. Get decoys that mean something to you - you know the carver, have a friend who carves, etc. That said, if money was no object and I could say I knew him, I'd like to have a few Jim Schmiedlins in my rig.
 
Definitely start with friends...Lot more memories in a bird sitting on the water made from a buddy then that made from a legend...In fact how many birds have you had lately lock up on your mantel in your living room which is where a legends bird will most likely sit...

When I have the money I prefer to buy more cork and trade with buddies....

Regards,

Kristan
 
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