Ducks and Decoys

We are often asked about our duck logo.  It has graced our business cards for almost 20 years and "the big red ducks" have been on the front of our building for 13 years.  The duck came about almost by accident.  When Dan and I decided to open a shop we needed a logo on our business cards.  Dan started doodling and the duck emerged.  It isn't a representation of any particular species of duck it is just a doodle!

Since Dan's doodle became our logo it only seemed natural that we would begin buying decoys to place in our shop and home.  This is one of the very first decoys we ever bought.  Dan found it at an estate sale in the Pacific City, Oregon area.  It is very special to us.

We branched out in selecting decoys.  This loon decoy is quite handsome.

Swan decoys are hard to find.  This one may very well have been for a store display or floral shop.  I love it.

This little hollow body decoy has had a rough life.  It looks good with the rest of our primitives though.

The snow goose decoy came from the Virginia Mitchell collection.  We called Virginia "The Queen!"  Virginia had a shop called "herselfs" and she had the very best in country and primitive antiques anywhere around.  She shopped on the east coast and this decoy came from one of those trips.  Virginia passed in 1998 and I miss her very much.

We handled an estate from Coos Bay, Oregon.  This little sandpiper decoy was there and no one bought it.  At the end of the sale I bought it and brought it home.  It is very sweet.

The nose of the sandpiper is made from a twig.  It is marked on the bottom but I have no idea who the carver was.

Many decoys were made to lure in the birds for hunters.  Some were made to be just folk art.  Certainly this one is falls into the folk art category.  A funky duck!!!

This next decoy is attributed to Charles Bergman.  Charles was a renowned decoy carver from Astoria, Oregon.  Charles Bergman lived from 1856-1946 and was well known along the Columbia River.  His decoys have been sold for thousands of dollars.  This one is currently available in our Mall and the Dealer is asking $1750.00 for it.  It is rare and spectacular!

I hope you enjoyed looking at some decoys today.  I love them!  This last photo isn't a decoy at all but a piece of garden art...it's a pelican!  I always know it's summer on the Oregon Coast when I see flocks of pelicans flying by headed north.

Enjoy summer!