Decoys, collectibles and more
From New Jersey in an American Pickersstyle van; from Switzerland and the Netherlands; from states as distant as Hawaii and from Canadian provinces, they come. It began Friday.
More than 1,100 room nights will be associated with the 47th annual National Antique Decoy & Sporting Collectibles Show at Pheasant Run in St. Charles. The show is Friday and Saturday, but there is much room-to-room action the week before in a visual orgy of history, bargaining and collecting.
As usual, the show is unique each year. The focus this year is upstate New York.
‘‘It has never been done before,’’ said Rick Sandstrom, the president of the Midwest Decoy Collectors Association. ‘‘You could never have seen this before.’’
It’s especially unique because there aren’t only duck decoys, including some notable ones of canvasback and brant from Chauncey Wheeler, but fish decoys.
Some of the fish decoys being sold in the accompanying auction by Guyette and Schmidt Inc., the top decoy auction firm, I find utterly fascinating. The auction preview is Wednesday. For an online preview, go to
The auction begins Thursday and ends Friday.
As befits an upstate New York focus, one featured auction item is an extremely rare rigmate pair of redheads by Wheeler.
Also in the auction are noted items by famed Illinois River carver Charles Perdew, including a high-end sleeping mallard hen. Among the Perdew offerings are carvings made for Don Clark, the late collector from Henry, and his wife, Almira, as wedding gifts around 1950.
Collecting is a unique pursuit, from those who do it as an investment to those who do it for love. Sandstrom collects ‘‘old wooden decoys that have been hunted’’ and old tin shore birds.
Referring to the show, as well as collecting, he said, ‘‘For a whole range of people, this could be fun.’’
As usual, there’s lots going on during the show beside seminars and ogling. There will a layout display and carving during the show.
‘‘You don’t ever know what you will run into,’’ Sandstrom said. ‘‘That is the charm of it.’’ He’s right. For more information, go to
Elk in Chicago?
Well, at least a chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The Chicago chapter of RMEF will hold its second annual banquet and auction May 17 at Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse. Tickets are available at
Wild things
Retired Cook County naturalist Barry Laga noted some lingering oddities of this spring. On Monday, he emailed: ‘‘Notice that the American redbud and tulip blossoms are still around after five or six weeks! Also, there seems to be a larger-than-usual number of silver maple/ helicopter seeds this year. I’m knee-deep in them!’’ I’m glad he mentioned the helicopter seeds. There are so many in my yard, they look like waves of soldiers in a video game.
Stray cast
Ted Nugent or Jay Mariotti, for those who put their fingers in the air to test the wind?