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.