“Humpback” style pintail drake by the Ward Brothers, $82,500.

Large trout plaque by Oscar Peterson, $23,650.

EASTON, MD. – Guyette and Schmidt, Inc. conducted their annual fall decoy auction in conjunction with the Easton Waterfowl Festival on November 6-7. The auction took place at the Talbot County Community Center and drew a crowd of more than 400. The action grossed $1.3 million, with 17 lots selling for more than $10,000.

As was the case in April and July 2002 auctions, prices were strong. Top lot in the sale was an early “humpback” style pintail drake by the Ward Brothers, which sold for $82,500. Two very rare sandpipers by Elmer Crowell sold for $41,800 and $26,400.

Fish plaques and fish decoys brought very high prices. Six plaques by Lawrence Irvine of Winthrop, Maine, sold for $2,600 to $4,800 each, and a cutthroat trout plaque by Oscar Peterson sold for $23,650. The Oscar Peterson fish decoys all sold above estimate.

Frank Schmidt and Gary Guyette assembled more than 800 decoys and related rdf_Descriptions from collections and directly out of houses all over the United States and Canada. The sale featured the collection of Ralph Selby, Jr (Chincoteague, Va.) and George Combs, Jr (Easton, Md.). Prices were high for many carving regions, particularly Virginia and Maine. Also decoys by contemporary carver Mark McNair brought very high prices. Shorebird decoys sold for extremely high prices.

Guyette and Schmidt, Inc provides free decoy appraisals to anyone sending a decoy photo and stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Guyette and Schmidt, Inc, PO Box 522, West Farmington, ME 04992.