January 19, 2007 in conjunction with Christie's
The world auction record for a decoy was broken for the second time in two months when Guyette & Schmidt, Inc. together with Christie's sold a merganser hen by Lothrop Holmes for $856,000 on January 19th. The decoy was from the collections of Adele Earnest, and George & Hope Wick. It was also pictured in the book "The Art of the Decoy". The auction gross was well over estimate at $2,333,800 and featured decoys from the collection of Dr. Alvin E. Friedman-Kien
Brant by Charles Jester - $21,600
Eskimo curlew from Long Island - $33,600
Greater yellowlegs by William Bowman - $78,000
Swan from Taylor's Island, Maryland - $50,400
Rig of 9 dowitchers attributed to Charles Fulcher - $50,400
"Slot neck" goose from Massachusetts - $553,600
Swimming loon from Long Island - $120,000
Redbreasted merganser hen by Lothrop Holmes - $856,000
World Auction Record Price
Great gray heron by Elmer Crowell - $204,000
Two pintail hens from Minnesota - $90,000
Classic Canada goose by Joseph Lincoln - $13,200
Pair of flying widgeon by the Ward Brothers - $24,000