Decoys and Sporting Art Auction
at the Midwest Decoy Collector's Show
April 25 & 26, 2019 - St. Charles, Illinois
Annual Spring Decoy Auction Grosses Nearly $3 Million
St. Charles, Illinois - Guyette & Deeter, Inc. conducted their 34th annual spring decoy and sporting art auction on April 25 & 26 at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois. The sale featured the final grouping of decoys from the William J. Mackey, Jr. Family Holdings. The Mackey family had a total of 94 lots in this sale selling for a total of $1,319,265, which is an average lot price of an incredible $14,034 – the highest average lot price we have seen from a single collection. In total, the Mackey items sold 29 percent over the high estimate and 49 percent over their average estimate.
Also included were featured decoys and sporting art from the collections of Jim Cook, Jonathan & Virginia Chua, Paul Tudor Jones II, Jim Karsnitz, Don Kirson, Doug & Ellen Miller, David Meyer, Dick Stephenson, Bill Staplin, and Ron Swanson.
The sale grossed nearly $3 million, with five lots selling for over $100,000 and 48 lots selling for over $10,000. The top lot in the sale came from the Mackey collection, an important pair of mergansers by John Dawson that sold well over estimate at $230,100. A new world record was set for a painting by David Maass, titled “Canvasback Flight” at $25,370. Seven paintings by noted sporting artist Lynn Bogue Hunt sold right at estimate for $63,700.
New buyer participation in this sale was strong with 34 new buyers participating and representing nearly ten percent of the auction total.
Guyette & Deeter’s next sale will be held July 23 & 24 at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Quality consignments are being accepted until June 1 or until full.

Pair of mergansers, John Dawson

"Look down" swan, John Williams

Feeding red knot, Obediah Verity

Pair of mallards, Charles Perdew

Two yellowlegs from Massachusetts

Snowy egret from North Carolina

Partridge plaque, Oscar Peterson

Preening mallard hen, Bert Graves

Oil on masonite, David Maass. 23" x 35.5"
World auction record for artist

Redhead, Bob Jones

Preening greenwing teal, Mitchell LaFrance

Snow goose from Wisconsin

Pintail, Ira Hudson

Feeding yellowlegs, Elmer Crowell

Oil on canvas, Lynn Bogue Hunt. 21.5" x 30"

Oil on canvas, Lynn Bogue Hunt. 16" x 22"

Eider hen, Eben Weed Eaton

Mallard, Lee Dudley

Robin snipe, Harry V. Shourds

Pair of widgeon, Ward Brothers

Gouache on paper, Lynn Bogue Hunt. 29" x 21"

Salmon plaque, P.D. Malloch

Canada goose, George Warin

Oil on canvas, Harry Curieux Adamson. 23" x 29.5"

Working gulls, George Wallace
World auction record for carver

Redhead, Charles Reeves

Canvasback, Ward Brothers

Pair of canvasbacks, Ward Brothers

Curlew from New Jersey

English/Dawson canvasback hen

Yellowlegs, Gus Cranmer

Crow call, Charles Perdew

Pintail, Jim Schmiedlin

Gouache on paper, James Dwyer. 20" x 29.5"

Willet, Charles Thomas

Two sanderlings from Long Island, New York

Pair of redheads, Tom Chambers

Herring gull confidence decoy, Harry V. Shourds

Wood duck, Tom Chamber

Preening yellowlegs from Virginia

Eskimo curlew, Folgers Family

Sanderling, Elmer Crowell

Mallard hen, Ward Brothers

Ruddy turnstone, William Bowman

Sleeping cork black duck, Shang Wheeler

Brant, Charles Birch

Golden plover, Elmer Crowell

Preening eider hen, Gus Wilson

Bluebill, Nathan Cobb, Jr.

Pir of mergansers, Rhodes Truex

Decorative Canada goose, Ward Brothers

Pair of buffleheads, Charles Huff
World auction record for carver

Preening mallard hen, Charles Perdew

Canvasback, John Schweikart

Pair of bluewing teal, Mason Decoy Factory

Black bellied plover from Massachusetts

Yellowlegs, Ira Hudson

Preening brant, Albert Laing

Pair of bluebills, Charles Perdew

Brant, Nathan Cobb, Jr.

Merganser hen, Mason Decoy Factory

Root head swan

Canvasback hen, Ward Brothers

Pair of ringnecks, Jim Schmiedlin

Merganser, Harry V. Shourds

1/4 size mallard hen, Charles Perdew

Pair of mallards, Mason Decoy Factory

Bluebill, Ward Brothers

Duck call, Bill Clifford

Swimming Canada goose, Ike O'Neal

Canvasback, Elmer Crowell

Dovetailed dowitcher from Massachusetts

Oil on board, David Maass. 24" x 36"

Bluewing teal, Tom Schroeder

Yellowlegs, similar to William Bowman

Chickadee on branch, Elmer Crowell