New York Spaces - Vol 4 Number 4
For the Birds
By Keith Flamer
Bird decoys, by design, are meant to lure waterfowl. But if this January's joint auction by Christie's and Guyette & Schmidt is any indication, these hunter's tools have attracted a much larger quarry, with collectors clamoring for what is no deemed a decorative art. In fact, it was a watershed moment when a rare red-breasted merganser hen decoy went for a record $856,000, nearly doubt the presale estimate. Carved by the renowned 19th-century craftsman Lothrop Holmes, it cost just $6,000 when it was last sold in 1976.
"Decoys are about as hot as anything right now," says decoy expert and author Robert Shaw. "And the best ones really are beautiful works of sculptural art."
Shaw says decoys are the only folk art truly indigenous to North America. Initially used by Native Americans, they've been around for more than 1,000 years. But it wasn't until the 1920's that they began to be viewed as decorative art, thanks to New York City architect Joel Barber. He was the first person known to seriously collect pieces, and in 1934 he wrote a book, "Wild Fowl Decoys", calling the works, "floating sculptures." But the collecting trend didn't really take off until the 1960s, as mass-produced plastic decoys flooded the market and shone a spotlight on their painstakingly carved wooden predecessors.
Excluding weather vanes, antique decoys have shown a greater appreciation in value than other Americana folk art collectibles, according to Christie's. "Like other areas of decorative art, rarity, provenance, beauty, condition and maker are all factors in value for decoys," says Margot Rosenberg, senior vice president and head of sales for American furniture, folk art & decorative arts at Christie's.
In fact, prices have doubled in the past four years, notes Gary Guyette, co-owner of decoy auction firm Guyette & Schmidt, who says record breaking auction sales have only accelerated the increase. In addition to rarity, condition and prominent makers such as Holmes, Elmer Crowell and William Bowman, the type of bird is also important, and buyers often try to snatch up the best of a particular species.
Guyette recalls one collector who bought 14 decoys at two auctions in 1990 and 1991. When he sold them, he was able to garner a 425 percent return on the investment. "They weren't the best birds of those particular auctions," Guyette says, "but they were the best of their kinds, whether that was a curlew, plover or yellowlegs."
Beginning collectors needn't shell out six figures for a specimen -- fine decoys can be had for a few hundred. Before you buy, many experts recommend narrowing your focus, whether that be to a particular carver, species or region. Still, with interest and prices continuing to rise, it may be best not to put off that purchase too long.
"A decoy hasn't yet eclipsed the $1 million mark -- that's what we're waiting for," says Rosenberg. "And I think the time is coming."
