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Would like to remind everyone that Joe Tonelli offers a brokering service to decoy collectors. If you are looking for a certain piece to round off your collection or just getting started, Joe has been dealing in waterfowling decoys and gamecalls for 50 years and is always willing to pay cash for one decoy or an entire collection. He handles waterfowl and fish decoys, gamecalls, tackle, cover art, and related folk art. Also as Midwest representative of Guyette & Schmidt Decoy Inc, Joe is qualified to do insurance and estate appraisals. He can be reached at 605-481-2811 or 815-664-4580.
Now that our duck hunting season is coming to an end, it's time for me to get back to business. Have updated the show calendar for 2013. If anyone wants to have their show included just send me the info and I will post it. Since we had another good hunting season I have created a new page that will feature slideshows I put together on several of our hunts. And because Joe never gets enough waterfowl hunting here a slideshow from his snow goose hunt with Ricky Hamm in February and yesterday at Lake Andes, SD with Scott & Gus Demanos. I also added two more slideshow to my Edecoy photo gallery. Hope you all enjoy 'em! Click on Perdew mallards or Walker pair to start new slideshow. My first slide show features Charlie Perdew crow decoys simply because I had images on file. If you want to stop the show at any time simply scroll to the bottom of image. A control panel will appear allowing you to stop, go back or forward at any time. Click on crow to view.
Joe and I have already set up at the first Midwest decoy shows of the season; Minneapolis Decoy Collectors Show and the Henry decoy. As always the Minnesota folks put on a great show. Joe finally got his chance to auctioneer when Dr john was called out for an animal emergency. Joe stepped in for the first few lots until Dr John arrived and loved every minute of it!
For a small one day show the Henry decoy show is one of the best attended show in the Midwest. Henry is an old Illinois River town in the heart of duck hunting country. Many locals and duck hunters that don't make it to any other shows attend this one. Jon Deeter, the new partner at Guyette, Schmidt & Deeter was on hand to give appraisals and take consignments for their upcoming decoy auctions.
Be sure to check the show calendar for shows in your area.
It will be hard to outdo the excitement of the Midwest Decoy Collectors Decoy National Decoy show last spring when Peter Marsh came looking for Joe to do an appraisal for an older couple who had brought in a duck call for the free appraisal offer by the MDCA board. I was stunned when I arrived a few moments before Joe and saw Roger Ludwig holding a carved Beckhart. Wasn't sure of its value but knew this was something special. To learn the rest of the story as it appeared in the Chicago Sun Times(May 5,2012)in Dale Bowman's sports column click on Joe's picture with Joe Whitley's daughter and her husband. Click on hands for detail close ups of the call.
This call was the talk of the call collecting world ever since. But the real excitement came In Portsmouth! Whitley's Beckhart duck call set a new world record price for a duck call hammering down at $90,000 Price realized with the buyer premium was $103,500. Guess Joe Whitley's prediction to his daughter was right. :-)
Now is the time to make plan to attend the next Guyette & Deeter decoy auction held in conjunction with the MDCA show April 25 & 26, 2013. Aside from their usual large selection of quality decoys and related sporting collectibles, this sale will include an outstanding collection of sporting advertising poster, calendars and shot shell boxes. Joe and Dave Kneebone got a peek at the collection when they helped Jon repack his car for his trip home.
Got lots of good feedback on the virtual tour of our collection. Hope everyone has a chance to view it under our collections link above. I decided it was time to add something new to this site, so Invite you to check out E Decoy Photo Gallery This page will be devoted to images of great decoys. Believe this a good way to share our collection with new collectors. I invite other collectors to send me slide shows of their favorite decoys to share with us here. Many of the older, No let's say seasoned, collectors have wonderful birds in their collections that rarely leave their shelves. It is important to show new collectors good images so they can learn...and I'm sure all collectors enjoy looking at great decoys!
Just a quick reminder my collectibles books are available here and make great gifts. Each has a broad selection of sporting collectibles featured in high quality full color photography. Use my Books link for information on all of my books on hunting and fishing collectibles. There is a printable order form for all my books under BOOKS link. I always have books on hand and will personalize one for you. Remember books make great gifts. Surprise your sportsman with a copy. Even if he isn't a collector, he will still enjoy it! Sorry I'm not set up to accept credit cards; paypal, personal check or money order will do.
The History of the MDCA
This will be an ongoing series of articles beginning in the beginning with the first show held in Ottawa Illinois, May 7 1966. I have gathered together lots of photos and information from this show that I think you will find interesting
