Author Topic: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...  (Read 3212 times)

Rauville

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" A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« on: October 26, 2019, 12:20:10 pm »
...I don't know if these were "Surfin' Birds" or not, but these 3 little Plover shorebird decoys came up for auction awhile back. Carved by Elmer Crowell about 1910, they did pretty well!

Bought by separate buyers, the three sold for a total of $1,140,000.00!! :o
« Last Edit: October 26, 2019, 06:23:43 pm by Rauville »

ghopper1924

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2019, 02:04:51 pm »
Amazing!

They look like Golden plovers, rare in their own right.
"I collect antiques because they're beautiful."

-Broderick Crawford

mart

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2019, 05:58:28 pm »
Wow !!  Nice but not that nice !!!

KC

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2019, 10:22:16 pm »
Totally agree Mart!
I'm from the South - but please don't mistake my Southern Manners/Accent/Charm as a weakness!

Pelady

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2019, 07:40:45 pm »
They sold at the Copley Sporting Sale in Plymouth MA in July. I saw them. Very nice examples that had been gunned over. 
Plymouth, America's Home Town.

mart

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2019, 08:00:07 pm »
"Gunned over " ??  Thats a new one for me !!  What did you mean Pelady ??

KC

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2019, 11:13:17 pm »
Yes...inquiring minds want to know!  :)
I'm from the South - but please don't mistake my Southern Manners/Accent/Charm as a weakness!

cogar

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2019, 04:31:19 am »
"Gunned over ", …. ?????

Well now, they are decoy waterfowl, …….. are they not? :-\ :-\

Pelady

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2019, 04:53:08 am »
Many decoys today are carved made and sold as show pieces. Originally, all decoys were made for hunting. Decoys that show signs of being gunned over, have pellet marks and wear. Many decoys get shot to piece therefore good quality survivors with signs of use are more valuable then a decoy that was never used outside.
Plymouth, America's Home Town.

cogar

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #9 on: October 28, 2019, 09:59:14 am »
If those plover decoys were "set-up" on the shoreline near a "blind" then migrating waterfowl (ducks, geese) would likely assume it was safe to land and feed.  ;D ;D

mart

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #10 on: October 28, 2019, 06:03:31 pm »
Well !!  Now I can buy a few and get in some target practice at the same time !! Seems a bit like cheating to shoot after landing !!
Getting them in the air is more sportsman like !! Are these birds edible ??  If not,,then whats the point of wasting shot !!

cogar

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2019, 04:26:06 am »
Quote
Getting them in the air is more sportsman like !!

True, …. but not every bird hunter can hit one with #4 shot when it is cruising along at 38 mph at 1,000 feet over their head.

Rauville

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #12 on: October 29, 2019, 08:00:30 am »
Quote from: mart
...Are these birds edible ??  If not,,then whats the point of wasting shot !!


The Golden Plover was close to being wiped out in the early 1900's by market hunters.

(BTW: The record for a single Crowell decoy still stands at $830,000.00, from back in 2006 for a Black Bellied Plover.)

cogar

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #13 on: October 29, 2019, 11:27:00 am »
Quote
(BTW: The record for a single Crowell decoy still stands at $830,000.00, from back in 2006 for a Black Bellied Plover.)

Not a bad price for a decoy ……….. but one needs a fitting/suitable shotgun to go along with it, such as this one, to wit:

 PETER HOFER SIDELOCK

Hofer, based in Ferlach, Austria, is a great showman and maker of some of the world’s most exclusive, innovative and most expensive guns. (pictured is side-by-side 12 gauge)

Price: He does not like to discuss price but Bloomberg Businessweek reports the range as $200,000 to $500,000. What Hofer calls his “Mega guns” may cost more than £1 million.

Read more @ The Field’s 10 most expensive guns
 https://www.thefield.co.uk/shooting/most-expensive-guns-26087

Another picture:



mart

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Re: " A well a everybody's heard about the bird"...
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2019, 02:55:33 pm »
My 20 gauge and # 7 bird shot does all we need in NE Texas,, If I were a bird hunter which  I am not !!