Frank Schmidt, left, and Gary Guyette with the pair of Bert Graves oversized mallards that were the top lot of the auction at $218,500.

“The auction has fewer lots than usual,” commented Gary Guyette, in regard to Guyette and Schmidt’s North American Decoys auction last month, “but it grossed more than we usually bring in from a much larger auction,” he said.

“Last year we auctioned about 750 lots and grossed $2.5 million,” stated Guyette. “As a comparison, this year we sold 487 lots and grossed $2.65 million,” said the auctioneer with a smile spreading across his face. Another thing making the team of Gary Guyette and Frank Schmidt smile was yet another sale where the sales total exceeded the high estimate, in this case by more than $500,000.

One reason for the new fit and trim style, quality conscious auctions has been the opening of their company’s St Michaels, Md., storefront. Most of the decoys under $2,000, which in the past would have been auctioned, are now typically marketed either in the shop itself, and/or on the Internet. Their equation; fewer bids of better quality equal a higher grossing and more interesting sale.

The equation seemed to ring true in Boston as the auction was extremely well attended with a full house on hand for preview on Friday night and a standing-room-only crowd for the first session of the sale on Saturday. While many of the better birds would be offered on the second day of the auction, enthusiasm was apparent right from the start of the first day.

“We had the catalog done for the first session,” explained Guyette, “and all these good birds kept coming in, so they had to go into the second day. Sunday sort of has the appearance of being loaded with the heavier birds,” he said.

The rare Nathan Cobb, Cobb’s Island, Va., goose in a reaching head pose, ex collection of William Mackey, was bid to $79,025.

The first grouping of decoys to be offered during session one of the auction, a selection of Mason Factory decoys, would set the tone for the weekend. Lot 1, a rare hollow premier grade Mason pintail drake in “outstanding original paint,” was subjected to a frenzied biding session. Bidding on the rare bird, estimated at $18/22,000, opened at $5,000, and bounced around the room between several bidders and the telephones. Bids came fast and furious with the lot selling at $43,075.

The next lot to be offered was a premier grade pintail hen that also attracted serious interest. In the original swirl paint, the decoy, estimated at 12/16,000, sold at $36,800.

A Mason trumpeter swan, estimated at $40/50,000, was the next item to be offered and it sold within estimates to New Hampshire dealer Russ Goldberger, acting on behalf of a client, at $41,975.

The next group to be offered on the first day was a selection of Illinois River examples with a rare pair of Charles Schoenheider mallards, circa 1900, leading the regional selection. Considered to be the finest work by the carver, the decoys were in original paint with very little wear. The decoys had been found by a doorknocker in 1975 and were among a rig picked from a St Louis boathouse. Estimated at $45/55,000, the decoys were hammered down after an active bout of bidding between three telephones at $86,250. A Charles Walker mallard drake in pristine condition followed with it selling in the room for $17,825.

The first of the shorebirds to take off was a running sandpiper shorebird by Obediah Verity that retained the original paint. Bids came from two telephones and New Jersey dealer John Clayton, seated in the front row, with the buyer in the room claiming the lot above estimates at $24,725.

The pair of Michigan canvasbacks by Captain John Schweikart with unusual extended metal wing tips sold at $74,750.

A rare pair of Orlando “Oscar” Bibber old squaw decoys had been looked at by nearly everyone during preview. The birds, made in South Harpswell, Maine, had a folky appearance with the drake having a slightly turned head and a notched tail that retained remnants of live bird feathers. In their original paint, the decoys were offered separately with the drake selling first. Bids opened on the drake at $20,000 with it selling in the room for $31,625. The hen sold to a different buyer for $28,750.

The drake was nearly identical to a Bibber old squaw that sold at Guyette and Schmidt’s in July of 2005 for $162,300.

Three decoys by Gus Wilson attracted interest from the crowd with a red breasted merganser drake with a piece of leather “seaweed” hanging from its bill offered first. The decoy, in excellent original paint, was subjected to brisk bidding with it selling at $20,025. A preening eider hen in worn paint brought $19,550.

The star of the Wilson birds came as a preening scoter in the “Monhegan Island” style was offered. The lot opened at $35,000 and was bid by several in the room with it selling to a buyer seated in the rear of the gallery for $71,875.

Fireworks erupted as a pair of Willie Ross, Chebeague Island, Maine, red-breasted mergansers crossed the block. Opening at $8,000, the decoys were hit by Russ Goldberger and the bid was quickly countered by Boston dealer and auctioneer Stephen O’Brien. Bids bounced back and forth between the two with the rare pair of birds selling for $27,600.

The star of the Gus Wilson birds came as a preening scoter in the “Monhegan Island” style sold to a buyer seated in the rear of the gallery for $71,875.

A stick-up wood duck drake with exceptional folky qualities also elicited a strong round of bidding. The rare decoy had been discovered in Maine more than 30 years ago and had been sold by Guyette and Schmidt in 1991. Bids came between a telephone bidder and O’Brien with the dealer claiming the lot for a client at the low estimate of $50,025.

Other items that did well included a rare Oscar Peterson large-sized blue gill carved fish plaque that carried a presale estimate of $22/25,000. Bidding on the lot came initially from several in the gallery, but it was not long before the phones took over and a final bid of $46,000 was executed.

A Ferdinand Bach canvasback, carved in Detroit circa 1925-50, featured relief carved wing tips and was cataloged as being in “outstanding” condition with vibrant original paint. Steady bids came from the rear of the gallery after the lot had opened at $10,000 with it finally selling to a phone bidder for $43,025.

The top lot of the two-day sale came at the beginning of the second session as a rare pair of oversized Bert Graves mallards crossed the auction block. These birds had originally been owned by a federal judge and were part of a rig that had been discovered in a boathouse. The picker that found them considered this pair the best of the rig and he kept them for his collection while selling the rest of the rig. The rare Graves mallards were cataloged as retaining “outstanding dry original paint by Catherine Elliston” and showing “very little wear.”

The pair of birds, estimated at $65/75,000, attracted the attention of all of the collectors and everyone took time to look the birds over. Bidding on the lot came from several in the crowd and there were at least six players involved as the lot crossed the $100,000 mark. Four bidders were still pursuing the lot as it neared $150,000, including Illinois’ ex-Governor James Thompson. Bidding soon narrowed to a phone bidder and a collector in the gallery with the collector claiming the lot at a record price for the carver of $218,500.

The running yellowlegs in strong original paint by Elmer Crowell sold at $51,725.

Other decoys by Graves included a pair of pintails that brought $25,875, while a “white sides” mallard drake brought $15,425.

The top lot of the Elmer Crowell carving/decoys was a one-of-a-kind set of 12 miniature shorebirds, mounted in a row, six to a board. Each of the varied species of shorebirds appeared in a different pose and they were in overall excellent condition. The set had appeared in Brian Cullity’s Songless Aviary and also exhibited at the Peabody Essex Museum. Bidding on the lot was brisk with it selling at $57,500.

A life-sized Crowell quail, one of four birds ordered by Mark Hopkins in 1924, was in excellent original condition and it did well selling at $16,675.

From the folky selection of birds was a rare merganser drake by Edwin Backman that retained its original dry paint. The decoy had been illustrated in Dale and Gary Guyette’s book Decoys of Maritime Canada and it sold above estimates as it realized $34,525.

A good selection of shorebirds were offered with a running yellowlegs in strong original paint by Elmer Crowell selling at $51,725.

One of the shorebirds that attracted a great deal of attention was an uncataloged Lothrop Holmes yellowlegs feeder that had been picked recently from a Massachusetts home. “A doorknocker brought it to us,” stated Gary Guyette, “He seems to come up with something for each of our auctions and they always end up as uncataloged lots and they always sell for serious money.”

The rare shorebird brought $39,100.

Several Canada geese were offered, including a rare Nathan Cobb, Cobb’s Island, Va., bird in a reaching head pose. The decoy was ex collection of William Mackey and had been illustrated in Decoys as Folk Sculpture by Swanson and Hall. With some of the original paint showing under an old working paint, the decoy carried a presale estimate of $65/75,000 and was bid to $79,025.

Another Virginia Canada goose to do well was an attractive bird carved by Charles Birch that retained the original paint and was branded “Gooseville Gun Club.” Estimated at $22,5/27,500, the decoy was actively bid to a selling price of $43,700.

The rare Harvey Stevens Factory mallard drake with vermiculated paint more than doubled estimates as it brought $41,400.

Another of the Wisconsin decoys to attract the attention of the crowd was a wonderfully executed Reindahl Stoughton canvasback in original paint. This was one of only six canvasbacks carved by Stoughton and interest in the lot was keen. Bidding was brisk from start to finish with the decoy selling well above the $35/50,000 presale estimate as it realized $74,750.

Ward Brothers decoys included a bluebill hen from 1932 that sold for $36,800, while an early swimming black duck with outstretched neck and slightly turned head realized $23,300.

Factory birds included a rare and early green wing teal drake from the Peterson Decoy Factory, Detroit, circa 1875-99. The challenge model decoy had been recently discovered in a New Hampshire gunning shack and was in the original dry paint. The decoy opened for bidding at $5,000 with several in the room chasing the lot. A final bid of $18,400 came from the third row.

Another of the factory decoys to be offered was a rare Harvey Stevens mallard drake with vermiculated paint. “This represents the finest ‘tack-eye’ model made between 1880 and 1890, by Harvey,” according to the catalog. The decoy retained an original label from the Stevens factory on the bottom and had a pencil inscription that was believed to have been in Stevens handwriting. Serious attention was paid to this lot as the bids soared past the $15/20,000 estimate, hammering down at $41,400.

Connecticut decoys included a Shang Wheeler decorative carving of a wood duck resting on a branch that the carver had made as a presentation piece for one of his fishing buddies in the 1930s, Joseph Bates. With a nice mellow surface, the decoy was well received with it selling at $40,250. A tucked head brant by Albert Laing with wear was also sold, with it bringing $24,725.

A special preview of recently consigned decoys was held immediately after the auction which Guyette and Schmidt were tight lipped about until the future offerings were unveiled. “This is a big deal,” commented Gary Guyette. The special preview featured the “mystery Mackey birds,” decoys that were known, yet never surfaced when the rest of Mackey’s collection was sold. “A relative had them,” explained Guyette. “No one ever knew what happened to them. There are six birds in the collection that will bring over $200,000 each and a couple more that will bring over half a million each,” he said. The decoys will be offered in November and April.

All prices include the buyer’s premium. For information, contact Guyette and Schmidt, 410-745-0485, 207-625-8055 or www.guyetteandschmidt.com.