Herters Decoy value

[Take-a-Gander]

Ok great decoy minds
I have 3 1/2 doz mellinium mallard suck ducks in good shape. What are they worth?
Also 1 doz each model 62 mallards and blue bills again good shape, value?
Thanks

[Hansen]

Not sure on the suck ducks but are the 62's just the foam or burlaps or ultimates? If just foam probably 150 ish a dozen. Maybe more. The market for herters is HOT.

[get-n-birdy]

Where'd you get them?

Herter's are a big part of waterfowling history. If you don't need to sell them, I'd keep the 62's. The suck ducks aren't highly sought after. But those 62's will only increase in value.

[Fish Felon]

I didn't know they went for anything unless you went back to some of the old balsa decoys.

I have a dozen foam 72 mallards I painted into canvasbacks about 20 years ago that haven't hit the water in at least a decade. Could I get anything for them?

Why are Herter's so in vogue?

[Quack]

I highly doubt the market will stay high on Herters foam dekes. No market increases indefinitely. The dude from waterfowl works is taking orders for Herters-like dekes right now & plans to have orders filled by next season.

Herters foamers are in vogue because people believe they look good on the water & if you burlap em, they're extremely durable and unsinkable.

[Hansen]

Why? They look good with a natural looking shape. They are durable. They are no longer made. I have a dozen 62's in mallards and a bunch of random 72's, and 62 divers. I've sold off 6 or 12 here and there. I put 'em on craigs listing and my phone lit-up.

[Take-a-Gander]

Thanks for the info
The 62's are foam and have not seen water in probably 10 years. I usually use my G&H super mags and occasionally would through in the Herters but scaling back the spread big time as I am getting too old to put out that many decoys
I am always leary of Craigs list, too many stories of nut jobs on that site, although when I think about it probably no worse than some of the folks on here (LOL)

[get-n-birdy]

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.

[lanyard]

From observation:

The Milleniums are the ones with the "photographic finish" correct?

Selling in pairs or 1/2 dozens will get you more value than trying to sell the spread to one person.

The value of Herter's foam as working decoys are better on the East side of the country, particularly divers. You might try classifieds on Duckboats.net or workingdecoys.net

There are now a ton of molds and guys pressing decoys from either the old Herter's molds or similar molds. After market replacement heads are generally better and cheaper than what people are trying to get for herter's model heads.

You might find it HOT, but I question the longevity of Herter's foamers, particularly the Cabela era, as a solid "investment", but I'm not everyone and I'm always surprised by what other people will pay for things.

[Take-a-Gander]

[quote="lanyard"]From observation:

The Milleniums are the ones with the "photographic finish" correct?

They are the ones with the photo finish. I think you are correct about selling in smaller lots.
I would like to avoid having to ship as they are damned heavy and would be a pain to ship so trying more local for now. May check out the east coast sites if I have trouble moving them although I am not in a huge hurry.

Thanks again guys.
Bob