Tomorrow's sale begins with more than a dozen ducks made by the Wildfowler Co. of Point Pleasant, N.J., as well as a decorated red-breasted merganser made by Herter's Inc. in 1893. These lots are expected to sell for $100 to $200, according to the auction's $20 illustrated catalog.
The top bird in the sale is a working model bluebill drake made by Keyes Chadwick about 1900 in Martha's Vineyard. It has a presale estimate of $3,000 to $5,000.
A Canada goose made by the L.T. Ward brothers of Crisfield, Md., should sell for $2,500 to $3,500, according to the catalog. The Ward brothers - who actually were barbers - sold their decoys to hunters and hunting clubs. This one was owned by Roy Bull, a Virginia oyster farmer whose world-famous collection was liquidated and dispersed at an auction in 1983.
A black duck made by Clark Madara of Pitman for his own use should sell for $400 to $600. A mallard drake made by Bob White of Tullytown, Pa., and in White's personal rig, according to the catalog entry, is expected to sell for $1,200 to $1,400. Another Bob White decoy, a broadbill drake with its bill nestled under its feathers in a sleeping pose, is expected to sell for $1,500 to $1,800.
So should a black duck made by Rhodes Truex of Brigantine. It is listed in Henry A. Fleckenstein's reference book New Jersey Decoys - a copy of which also will be auctioned.
Paintings, carvings, fishing reels and lures are also in the sale. Inspection will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and 8 a.m. to sale time tomorrow at the pavilion, Ocean and Fifth Avenues. For further information, call 732-938-2988.
