Herters Decoy value

[StuStiltman]

Does anyone know what the armored 72 (foam with a hard plastic shell molded over the body) decoys are going for? I don't have any intentions of selling my 18 cans, but its interesting to know what/if they are worth anything. 5 minutes of half assed googling didn't provide any answers.

[h2ofwlr]

^^^ Stu, did you check Ebay closed and "sold" listings?

Don't the H weights say Herters on them as I recalled [(maybe I am mistaken???) the ones I have don't] I know the oval iron weights say it. I have some that are at least 50 Yrs old with the Balsa Herters.


There is another related topic: What are Herter Balsa wood decoys worth? Well used gunning decoys, then original paint gunning decoys, and then prime OP? Hmmmmm....
The one I have are the 1st category, been repainted, etc.

[h2ofwlr]

I see on Ebay sold listings that the 72 non Burlap going at 12-30.

A pair of near mint Old Squaw went for $60

A Mint Cork Blk duck went for $65

What floors me is that heads are going for $7-10 each.

Oval iron weights are 10-12 each (they do say Herters and Waseca, Mn on them)

$325 for 95% Mallard pair I think they are Balsa (definitely are wood) from 70 years ago (photo is below) http://www.ebay.com/itm/HERTER-039-s-Ma ... 7675.l2557

A Balsa drake BB with a repainted head went for $75

Heck even the old hollow plastics that say Herters on the bottom are selling for $15

[lanyard]

^^^^^your balsas will sell for hell of a lot more than foamers.

There's multiple components that create value. Production wood decoys are more scarce than production foam decoys, but you're not going to get into the range of a decent hand carved block unless there is a specific market like Mason's. Herter's sold gitch in multiple lines, including decoys. But decoys float, not sink to the bottom like weights. Herter's boats will bring a premium, but not in comparison to a Ducker or classic Grumman Sportboat.

The value in Herter's is often more sentimental than collector. Your "rare" foam 63's will get turned into buffleheads and anyone I know with the original Woody's are converting them to baldpate or gadwalls.

The best is the EBay sellers, "Get them now! They don't make these anymore...."

They don't make 8 tracks anymore either, but somehow I'm not thinking of counting my Foreigner cartridge into my retirement savings.

[lanyard]

Here how you make a Herter's 72 foamer have some value (long read): https://stevenjaysanford.com/re-painting-broadbill-decoys/

That's more work than I go through. I have two coatings I use: 1) Burlap and mastic; 2) latex and a product called foam coat.

Then I rattle can them.

I have some 63 mallards, 72 mallards, and 63 "brown ducks" I painted from original blanks. These will get the same treatment as the divers after finishing some other projects as they were all in good to new condition.

I paid $10 each NIB for 6 mallard 63s

[hobbydog]

I have never been into the collecting thing...not for value or investments. If you want to make money investing there are a lot better ways to do it. I put a dozen burlapped mallards on CL last august. $200 rigged. They had been used for several years and needed a little touchup. I had about a dozen inquiries, a couple lowball offers. It took about a week to sell them. The guy who bought them did not try to barter. I haven't tried putting any on the FB waterfowl swap site. Might be interesting to if you could get a better price on there.

[Hansen]

I think those balsas are in a different bucket, like collector decoys.

I'm a decoy nut, if anyone has a dozen burlapped hurters cans or bills I'm willing to listen. Mag would be my first choice.

[lanyard]

I used the word "sentimental" earlier. Maybe a better term is nostalgia.

Hobbydog selling refurbished units rigged at $200 per doz doesn't surprise me. It's the guy that thinks his "original paint and heads" are worth that. Here's the scoop after working through about 6 dozen of these:

1) The bolts are likely stuck in the head-thread: Yes, new heads on eBay are $10 each, but 25-30% of the heads in your old rig are going to break the head stem off, or worse, break out the entire bottom. All are likely going to require use of tools. See, they're plastic. That chit gets more and more brittle over time, particularly if exposed to temp changes, moist/dry cycles and sun light.

2) Era and model matter: Cabela's era 63's have a lower density foam, dent more easily, and tend to be more like a styrofoam cooler grade. I don't care there were only "200 dozen sold".... there was a reason for that and it had nothing to do with supply limitations, it was demand limitations: no one wanting them then does not increase the price now.

3) "In good shape"- yes, a 72 will take a load of shot and keep floating, and get stepped on and not crush, etc. and the paint will stay on (except no those Cabela's era 63's, that paint flakes off). Here's the deal: First I'm going to caulk or fill holes with mastic, then I'm going to have skim coat the whole decoy. From there I will apply a structural layer and sealer. Then paint.

I can get brand new Homer unpainted foam bodies and heads for around $13.00 ea. I can get new painted Autumn Wings heads for $8, new AW bur lapped blanks for $20 ea or new AW bur lapped finished blocks for $29 each.

Yes, Herter's balsa will collect premium. Armored or Burlapped will have some value, but not as collector. Used 72s are subject to free market competition. Refurbished 72s will price better if workmanship is applied. Me, I buy old rigs and convert them to my personal rig, so value is determined on what it means to me, my cash, my time and my rig.

One last thing: don't think that the nostalgia investment/collection will have any value to your kids. Dear God, if I have to witness one more baby boomer die that is pissed his kids don't want his Terry Redlin print......

I'll never forget I had received a '72 Yamaha snowmobile for free, with a rotax engine. A bit later I gave it to another person that had time/interest in it with the caveat that I had first right to refusal if he decided to sell it. He found out that a '72 Yamaha rotax had sold at auction for $20,000.00 and he felt our original deal wasn't "legit". I said, whatever, no one is buying THAT '72 Yamaha for more than $500. He was pretty certain he was going to afford a new truck. So, I researched it for him.

The sled that sold for $20k was one of two original racing prototypes that had set some sort of course records and were then sent to display for 40 years. Essentially, it would be like calling your Ford Fusion a race car because someone raced a Fusion at Daytona. Dude tried to get coin for awhile on it, finally had it on a classic sled swap for $1k and got a call: "why isn't yours $500 like the rest of them?"

My whole point in this thread is: don't be mad at the market if it isn't buying at the price you're selling..... and hold a proper skeptical regard when using eBay as your transaction pricing resource.

[Nershi]

My grandpa has a sweet collection of old decoys on display and some date back to the 1800's. Many are hand carved. I'm sure some are worth a pretty penny to the right buyer. They'll be in my living room above my fireplace some day (hopefully not any time soon).

I like hunting over the old decoys I've got from my grandpa or found at a year sale for cheap but I shake my head at guys who pay big bucks for them. Yea they are tough and ride well but so do my GHG Prograde's that are a fraction of the price. And let's be honest, these are divers we're talking about.

[Take-a-Gander]

I still have a doz 62 blue bills with the Herters ring weights
They are some heavy sob's. I am thinking about selling them as they have not seen water for 5 yrs
Any one interested let me know.