THE POTOMAC FLYER a Publication of the Potomac Decoy Collectors Association
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THE POTOMAC FLYER A Publication of the Potomac Decoy Collectors Association ISSUE # 101 SEPTEMBER 2008 Hi All, and welcome back from what I hope was a developed some new systems to make our treasury relaxing and enjoyable summer! There were several even more efficient! memorable auctions and shows these past few months, and I hope everyone was able to catch up with old Another change, the kind that’s most difficult to friends and add something special to their collection. accept, was the passing of founding member Ralph With the warm weather soon to be a distant memory Campbell. He was a great man and a great friend to so and the crisp air of fall right around the corner, we’re many of us in the club, and our thoughts and hearts about to hit another string of decoy shows, festivals continue to be with Barbara. To keep Ralph’s memory and auctions. So if you didn’t find anything to put on alive and to celebrate the qualities that made him such the shelf this summer, you’ll have plenty of a wonderful part of the decoy collecting community, I opportunities to do so soon enough. am proud to announce that beginning next year, the PDCA will bestow an annual award in his name. The And so we begin another year for the Potomac Decoy Ralph Campbell Memorial Award for Goodwill and Collectors Association. 2008 has certainly been a year Ambassadorship in the Decoy Collecting Community of great change for our club. After 11 years at the will recognize people who share Ralph’s passion for helm, founding president Tom East decided the time our hobby, his willingness to share all he knew about was right to hand things over to someone else. Tom decoys and their history, and his humor and kindness. had a vision for the kind of club he knew we could be. He was the best kind of ambassador for our club and He brought us together, just a handful of folks at first, for decoy collecting in general. Our club will be proud and slowly but surely, he helped us grow into what we to honor those who share Ralph’s best traits with a are today – truly one of the largest and most active plaque and a financial contribution made in their name decoy collecting clubs in the country. Every member to the decoy museum or institution of their choice. can be proud of what we’ve done and what we PDCA members will be invited to nominate the person continue to do in terms of scholarship, promoting or persons that they feel deserve this unique honor. ethics, supporting museums, and so many other Look for more information on this in a future things, and we have Tom to thank for getting it all newsletter. started. I had the pleasure of presenting Tom with a plaque at our June meeting, recognizing his service, his As they say, the more things change, the more they leadership and his friendship on behalf of a grateful stay the same. And despite these changes, all the club. I now have the honor of following in his wonderful things that make PDCA such a great club— footsteps, and I’m delighted that he will remain an the fellowship and camaraderie at our monthly active leader as our club’s president emeritus. Thank meetings, the displays of wonderful birds, our passion you again Tom! And many, many thanks to Bonnie for for decoy scholarship, our support of decoy shows and all the support and behind the scenes help that she has museums, the annual red tag sales, the annual holiday given to you and to our club over the years! parties and auctions, just to name a few—all of that is going to stay exactly the same. What would be great is After an equally lengthy tenure as club treasurer, Tuck to add to and expand on those things. A club Web site Brant also decided it was the right time to hand his would be a great way to enhance our communication duties over to someone new. We always thought there and visibility, both between members and with the was a coincidence between Tuck’s dues notices and general public. And we’ve been talking for many those trips he took to Bermuda… but in all seriousness, years about hosting a decoy show in the Washington, he performed a task vital to our club ably and tirelessly DC/northern Virginia area. For years, the club and and for that we are all very grateful. We must also club members have set up at and supported area acknowledge the support and contributions of Tuck’s shows and tailgates, but even if it’s small at first, it wife, Barbara, who I know was often the one on the would great to have something all our own, and other end of those e-mails. I’m delighted that long- something a little closer to home. time member Chris Worch has stepped in as our new (Continued, next Page) treasurer, and I’m impressed that he’s already The Potomac Flyer Published monthly, except July, August and December. Editor/Publisher: Donald F. Lane, 7013 Quander Road, Alexandria, VA 22307, (703) 660-6334, Email: [email protected]. Comments welcome. (Welcome Back)…Our newsletter, which continues to volunteers are needed. We were excited about the inform, educate, enrich and amuse the membership, is contributions George Cole was beginning to make as another thing that’s going to remain as strong as ever. club secretary, but sadly for us all, circumstances Recently, quietly and without any fanfare, our club necessitated his return to Colorado. So, we are still passed what I consider to be another major milestone – seeking a club secretary. We would also benefit from a the 100th issue of The Potomac Flyer. I was reminded membership chairman, a publicity chairman, a holiday of how good I felt when we added our 100th member to party coordinator and chairman, an exhibit our club. Our newsletter has come so far from that coordinator and museum relations chairman, a website first, thin issue I put together after our inaugural developer and PDCA web master, and again, field meeting. It was vastly improved during the years that reporters and contributors to the newsletter. This is Jim Trimble served as editor, and it has reached still your club and it needs your leadership and greater heights under the publishing prowess of Don involvement. If you have even a little time to help, Lane. I don’t know how he does it, but each issue when combined with the work of others, it will go a seems to get better and better. If you feel similarly or very long way. Please let me know if you are able to if you would like to contribute a news item or short get more involved. article, I know Don would love to hear from you. Let me close this welcome back message with a simple I’m delighted that we continue to have the support of invitation. If you’ve never been to a club meeting long-time member Jim Trimble, who has been officially before or haven’t been to a meeting in a while, come. I named PDCA’s member-at-large, and Larry Myers, guarantee you’ll have a great time! who continues to serve as our display and competition chairman (AKA: The Duckmeister). But despite this All the best! support and the work of our club leaders, many more Chad By Barry Serafin To collectors of wooden birds, July was like Christmas more formal tone. His catalog alone is very classy. -- 3 major decoy auctions, all within one week, all Like his initial auction a year ago, day one was within relatively easy driving distance of each other. devoted to etchings, paintings and other sporting art by the likes of Benson, Hunt and Pleissner. Day two The first this summer was Ted and Judy Harmon's offered about 300 decoys. The highest price went for a Decoys Unlimited auction on scenic Cape Cod, Mass. gorgeous, like-size The Cape Codder Resort provided a casual, friendly standing black duck setting and the Harmons were genial hosts. In both (below) by Crowell sheer numbers (several hundred birds) and sales (just estimated at $80,000 to under 2.5 million dollars) theirs was the largest of the $120,000. The bird, summer auctions. The stellar offering was a feeding found by the consignor willet attributed to John Thomas Wilson. Despite a at an estate sale, sold to a few repairs, it was a spectacular shorebird estimated at Cape Cod collector for $75,000 to $125,000. It sold for $220,000 (buyer's $209,000! Some other premium included in all amounts cited here). But the major birds hit estimate, backbone of the auction was a strong group of Masons, but just barely. Among many of which came from the Howard Waddell them: a strong pair of Tax geese for $103,500 and a collection. For example, a fine Mason plover, estimated matched pair of Lincoln geese for $69,000. A Crowell at $14,000 to 18,000 went for $74,750! A handsome pair "dust jacket" plover also sold for $69,000. That was $11, of John English mallards failed to hit a high reserve, 000 below low estimate. Overall, decoy sales totaled but sold privately after the auction to a New Jersey about 1.6 million dollars, with the previous day's art collector. The most unusual lot -- 11 George Boyd sales bringing in another 1.6 million.