SYRACUSE, N.Y. — American Sporting Auctions conducted a 180-lot sale entirely dedicated to wildfowl calls that included works from more than 125 makers across 19 states and generations. Leading the auction was an E.S. Stofer / William Rensing duck call. Kansas City, Mo., sportsman Henry Ciro (1911-1995) purchased this 5¾-inch-long single reed suck call from local maker E.S. Stofer (1886-1958) and then commissioned his friend, German immigrant carver William (Wilhelm) Rensing (1906-1984). As the catalog noted, “Few of Rensing’s customized calls exist, and the ones that do are highly coveted for their craftsmanship.” As such, this example, which had never before been offered for public sale, was taken to $6,300, including buyer’s premium ($2/3,000). A future issue will feature additional highlights from the auction.
