Home >> Collecting >> Antiques

How to Buy Duck Decoys

Duck decoys have been used for hundreds of years to lure unsuspecting formations of ducks into streams, lakes and open fields. Many of these antique decoys can be worth quite a bit of money to collectors. Beginner collectors can buy duck decoys for reasonable prices from many outlets. Here are a few tips to get started.

Instructions

- 1
  Look through online auction houses for great examples of duck decoys. Check the dealer's credentials before making a purchase as reproductions are sometimes sold as antiques.
- 2
  Visit thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales. These locations can produce some of the nicest examples of duck decoys. Individuals donate items from their estate to charities, producing a wonderful outlet for duck decoys.
- 3
  Inspect the decoy for fine details. Early duck decoys from the 1880s to the 1940s have a higher level of detail to the animal than later models. Many of the early decoys have glass eyes and are weighted to perfect buoyancy with lead ingots.
- 4
  Collect modern duck decoys. Contemporary duck decoy carvers offer some of the best reproductions of the older models. Buying these ensures an artist will prosper, and new decoys will age to become classics.

Antiques