hand carved decoys???

[Diesel_wiesel]

for those that collect hand carved decoys
what is the holy grail of hand carved decoys??

[.257Weatherby]

Well, a couple of Percy Bicknell Brant Decoys along with a Green Head and Canvasback.
Just to name a few.
Check out the book 'Traditions in Wood'
I'm sure you would be drooling over the pages.
Rob

[Coulee]

Wish I could tell you, but most likely old decoys carved in the Chesapeake Bay area pre-1900. I do have a hand carved/painted pintail decoy I bought at an antique store in Cranbrook, BC of all places. Paid $25.00 for it. Don't know it's real value or age, but I like it just fine.

[Diesel_wiesel]

reason I'm asking is
sometimes I come across hand carved decoys some in pristine condition, some aged but was curious as to the artists that carved and sign them ,
if there was one name in particular that makes them more valuable over others

[wwbirds]

Crowell, Ward Brothers and many others both in Southern Ontario as well as Eastern seaboard around Chesapeake Bay and some very famous ones from Louisiana. think it was a Crowell turn of the century decoy a few years ago that went for $675000. Some of my favorite carvers originate in the Carolinas such as Lem Dudley (ruddy duck). Many others enjoy the river decoys used in the Pennsylvania areas. So many different styles and makers from 100 years ago to current production that are truly collectable it would be a list 200 or more names long. Louisiana put out a book a few years ago which named theri top 100 decoy makers of all time just to show how many big names there are.
Like anything else where there is money there is fraud. Many of the "old looking" decoys passed off at tourist shops are current production made and painted to look old. Many of the carved decoys you see at bargain prices are actually produced on a copying lathe and there is nothing hand carved about them.
It is an art form and as such you should really know your stuff before investing heavily but if it is cheap enough and you enjoy looking at it that is often enough.

[BPman]

"Most valuable" somewhat depends upon where you are and where the carver worked. A Canadian decoy might niot be of much interest to American collectors and vice-versa but there are certain names like Crowell, the Wards and others that are world famous - and copied for obvious reasons.
There are lots of good reference books available, including Canadian decoys coast to coast.

Of course overall condition is very important too: there is a lot of fire wood out there that folks call old decoys.

Why not post a few photos with some details....