Herters Decoy value

[hobbydog]

I have been selling off a few mallard 72s that I burlaped the last couple years. I price them at $200 a dozon with new Church heads fully rigged with tanglefree line. I have even added a couple cheap slotted bags I get lots of interest on CL but hard to get anyone to bite on a firm price at $200. All want to bargain down. I am in no hurry to sell them so have stayed firm on the price as they are in excellent shape. If they are not burlaped and the heads are in good shape then maybe $10 for the 62s ind $12-13 for the 72s with divers going for more. Some of the older ones don't have teh weighted keel. When I was buying and burlapping I wanted beat up ones and wouldn't pay more than 5-6 bucks apiece. You had to watch CL close and jump on any deal. Best deals were in the spring when people were cleaning out the garage or old shed.

[gimpfinger]

On big water, on windy days, plastic decoys suck. Herter's ride waves way better than any plastic decoy made. Plus when you're pounding divers in the spread, plastic is worthless. Putting Herter's in the kill hole, will save a lot of the plastic decoys over time, from early submerssion's.

The 62's we've got, have all been painted into buffle heads.

Golden eyes and buffies are so ultra decoy specific and they tend to try landing on top of decoys when they finish, it's easy to sink 2-3 decoys in one landing party. But for most Minnesota hunters, I'm not sure they've ever actually let birds finish low enough to even remotely get close to a decoy? So sinking decoys isn't much of a problem shooting at dots in the sky.

Every diver decoy I have has pellet dents. The first ghg divers are bullet proof. The newer ones...not so much.

Team Power Dump

[h2ofwlr]

I brought this topic back up from 2 years ago...

From what I am seeing, the prices are still going up.

But here the catch - like anything collectable - is it original factory paint and in pristine condition is what will only hold if not increase in value in the years to come. All one has to do for an example is look at Mason's in original paint and pristine condition and what they go for. Vs ones that were hunting/used, they will not be of near the value.

As for why hunters want them is that they move better in low winds than a plastic 1 does, also they can bump into each other without the sound that hollow plastic ones make.


I am seeing diver Burlapped 63 going for $25+ each now.
This guy wants $165 per 6, granted they are burlapped and new paint and are not collectables, but just gunning decoys.
Cans http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Herters-Model ... 2528554697
Bills http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Herters-Model ... 2560698530
Heads are over $10 each now
http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Herters-Model ... SwNNxWEyrH

Some of the crap on Ebay is laughable, stuff that was obviously repainted being sold as original paint. here is an example - both have had the bill repainted and yet adv as OP. http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-HERTERS ... 2539135836
A good forger could make stuff that you can easily be duped on Ebay. So buyer beware.


Lets face it, if Cabela's started making Herter foamers again, the current resale price would drop by at least a 1/3 if not 1/2. But as it is now, the prices have gone up in the last 2 years, I think the recovering economy is a factor in prices going up and perhaps less foamers are being sold too.

[Hansen]

I tell you what nothing better than a mag herter cans or bills that factory burlapped, I think they are called 72's. Those are sweet decoys for divers, super durable!

[h2ofwlr]

For shits and giggles I just searched CL, so for those looking:

Heck of a deal IMHO on a Herters boat. $700 with a 6 HP and trailer, I figure the motor is worth at least $300 and trailer at least $100.
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/ ... 96594.html

He has 20 - 63 foamers that I bet he'd part for $100-150 if he still has them. (I don't think he knows what the Herters are worth) He is asking $400 including a bunch (5+dz) of Canada floaters and field shells and FBs
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/ ... 44958.html
(photos are below for future reference are below)

For those that have not used them:
From what I remembered on the non burlapped is that they were light weight and moved very easily in the wind. Great for walk in type of hunts on a small pond/pothole.
Burlapped are definitely more durable, but do add weight and thus they are not quite as maneuverable in light winds. And thus are better suited for a boat. But they can NOT handle being abused by tossing them in your boat as the heads will break off. You need to careful with them and PLACE them into you boat and no dog's crawling over them either. And that is why many guys use the slotted padded carry bags - to protect them.
And that I why I use plastics - as I am tough on decoys and toss them 5-7' all the time into the boat.

.

[lanyard]

Herter's selling at those prices are wannabe dealers buying their own stock. Mint condition foamers should go for $25 each, tops, and that's in a pair. Anything over $100 half dozen NIB for unburlapped, $125-$150 burlapped NIB is either a level of full stupid or self dealing to keep transaction prices up.

If you have 72s and need heads, just go get Autumn Wings. If you need new foamers, go get Storm Decoys.

Herter's was legendary and will carry a premium, but I'm guessing Hobbydog has the most righteous deal in the internet.

Hobby- post some pics.

[h2ofwlr]

I did some digging today.

If any one wants to buy the mdl 63 Ringbills, they are $120 firm, they are in mint condition new in the box. They are very rare.

I also listed some 72 Cans in the classifieds too.

[h2ofwlr]

I wonder if the less popular species of decoys are priced more, just like for Masons, etc?
Meaning BWTeal, Woodies, Eider, etc..


For reference, Advs from back when.
I think the Adv link below was from 2002 they were $76 dz for mdl 63 (Sorry, but it would not let me save a copy directly to here).

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j185/ ... ters-1.jpg

[Mallard_maniac]

So has anyone actually verified that prices are going up on used herters decoys or is it just speculation? I have a whole shed full of burlap mallards and a couple dozen foam divers I stopped using due to the burlaps being excruciatingly heavy and the foams not having a good keel to wrap line around. They are nice and the nostalgia of a burlap decoy in an October pothole was something worth noting, but eventually practicality took over. They just got to be too dang cumbersome....

[lanyard]

Al, the "H" weights, if Herter's, might have more value individually than the decoys.

Most guys can picked up dinged and dented, burlap, and paint into divers.

I'd ross post in Great Lakes or Coastal Flyway boards. Working decoys.net also has a group that might offer a premium.