Wood Whacker Warning

bballard

bballard

Well-known member

Howdy all,
I just wanted to hoist a small warning flag for any and all carvers. There is a gentleman from Northern Indiana who attempted to solicit my services Friday to carve him a series of Masonesque decoy master carvings.
He wants to send them over to China to have them duplicated and shipped back to the US for retail sales to conservation groups.

I politely declined, primarily do to my first hand experiences with his business acumen, secondly, because the China Syndrome that we keep tying slip knots around our necks with while whistling "that's just the way it is", does not set well with me.

Forewarned is For Played... or something along those lines

Regards,
B
 
I wouldn't say I'm much of an opponent to things being made in China, to a point. There would likely be 100,000 of those decoys showing up on ebay in a year if you would do that. Once it's there it is going to be copied to death.

If you want to see something scary search oil painting on ebay. They have flooded the market like they do with everything else. Some of the paintings look good but the conditions they come out of are not the best. Many, maybe most, chinese artists are trained to copy. They then sell them by the boat load for $25 to $100 shipped to the USA... and they don't even put the name of the artist in most of the auctions because it doesn't matter to those selling them.

Tim
 
I am sure he will find somebody to make them. Not everyone has the same strong principals. Any way doesn't somebody already make them in China? If they don't, Why not just use originals for the master? They can be found fairly cheap nowadays. If the real McCoy has lost value in this economy how much is a repo worth? Sounds like a bad idea on all counts to me.
 
Good job Ballard. Its not always about making money. Sometimes its an ethical issue. Thank you for standing up for the workers here is the US. Good luck and good hunting.
 
I agree, unfortunately, that he will probably find someone to make the master carvings.

But, if you are finding original condition, original paint Mason decoys at "fairly cheap"...let me know where. Seems to me that if the Mason factory lathes even thought about touching that piece of cedar, people want a premium for it. I have thought for several years about buying an original, but beat up, Challenge or Premier Mason mallard to make a rig of Masons to gun over. Fill the dents/dings/cracks and the inevitable tail chip(s), and put it on the single-spindle duplicator I have that's just sitting in the shop right now. Just for me, and just to catch the odd looks at the ramp...Mason decoys, Model 12 Winchester (hopefully a Fox or L.C. Smith some day)...

The issue is that a Premier or Challenge bird is going to run several hundred dollars, minimum. As an example, there is one on this website for sale. Top part of the head is gone, tail is almost missing, and the tag is several hundred dollars. That isn't "fairly cheap". Though you have a point, in that if you can spend $500 for a master and send it overseas, have 1,000 copies or more made and sell them for $50 or $100 each, then the cost of the master carving is nothing...

And, that's why the guy wants to do it....same reason why there are people on Ebay who sell duck decoys that are their version of a Mason and imply that it is a Mason decoy, when it clearly isn't.

It would be interesting to know who currently owns the rights to Mason decoys...
 
Hi Rick:

I would bet if you showed up at a ramp around here, not many if any would recognize a Mason decoy. they would look at the guy with "them antiques" and shake their head. It seems its all about runnin' & gunnin' and who has the newest and bestest at the ramp. Trip.
 
You're right on most counts. If anyone noticed, it would most likely be someone from out of state.

I have to admit, I like being ignored because I don't have pro-staff stickers, a lanyard full of bands, decals on the boat, "Meat Stick" sticker on the barrel of the gun, and limits of ducks on the bow of the boat as I pull up.

Being "that crazy guy with wood decoys, old calls and a double barrel" isn't necessarily a bad thing...
 
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