Odd Couple Pair of Highly Collectible Mason Bluebill Decoys. 1- Helmet Head and 1- Early Pre-Mason Factory Slope Breast Back Bay Model 

Description 

Certainly both worn with flaking paint and obvious wear, these two Mason decoys are among the most highly collectible. First we have a low head hen bluebill A.K.A a helmet head. It has glass eyes and nice bill carving in addition to the signature head style. The bottom of this decoy is flat with an old leather line loop present on the bottom. The second decoy is what I have been told is an early nearly Pre-Mason Factory Back Bay Model. It has the typical sloped breast, very nice glass eyes, and high humped back. On the bottom you can see what looks like a wooden dowel peg that must have been used to attach the head to the body. At first I though this decoy could possibly be a Dolson family bluebill from Ontario decoy given the style and high back but later found some information about early Mason decoys and showed it to a few collectors whom agreed with my thoughts. It measures roughly 12 3/4\" long, 5 1/2\" long, and 5 3/4\" tall. Both of these decoys are highly collectible given their rare nature and are fitting in a wide variety of collections especially those that consist of factory Mason decoys. 

Condition Report

Both in mixture of working and original paint that is flaking and worn. Structurally they are both very nice and have an excellent look to them that like that of a true working decoy that hasn\'t seen the water in some time. Check out the photos for the best description. The bottom of the Back Bay decoy shows some old varnish. 

I have done my best to document this decoy through both the text above and the photographs. Please look over all the photos and if you have any questions or request any additional images, please just ask before offerding. I will do my best to accommodate any and all requests. The decoy you are seeing is the exact one you will be getting, therefore, there should be no surprises if you have taken the time to scroll through all the photos and read the text. While I do not generally take returns, I will accept a return if there is something blatant that I missed or failed to disclose. This doesn\'t happen often, in fact it never has to date, as I am generally diligent with my assessment of the decoy and provide detailed photographs, but something could get missed. I am human after all. Unless the decoy is listed in 100% original paint, expect some old hunter touch-up. Almost every single decoy I have for sale was in fact a working decoy part of a larger rig and subject to typical gunning wear including rubs that were typically touched-up between hunting seasons as a way to pass the time during the off-season. Some of these decoys are more than 100 years old and over the course of many hunting seasons it is bound to happen. Overall, I am easy to work with and more than willing to be helpful in any way possible.

Carver\'s Name/History 

There is nothing I can include here that everyone doesn\'t already know about the finest factory to ever produce wooden decoys. Mason decoys are some of the most highly collectible factory decoys in the world and models like these are very uncommon despite there being many thousands of the standard models on the market. 

Shipping Information 

Each decoy will be carefully packed to ensure no damage occurs in transit, under normal handling practices of course. I strive to ship all items within two business days, but sometimes life gets in the way and it may take an additional day to get the package shipped out to you. I don\'t want the decoy to arrive damaged and neither do you, so if I am short on packaging please understand that the third day, which occurs less than 2% of the time, is most likely due to having to purchase additional peanuts, bubble wrap, or a more adequately sized box. I will also gladly combine shipping typically for less than half of normal postage on the lowest priced shipping charge when two purchases are made, and shipped, at the same time. My shipping charges are as close to actual as I can adequately gauge. I don\'t like to use the shipping calculator as it is often incorrect. Be assured that I am not making money on shipping as supplies like tape, boxes, peanuts, and etc. all quickly add up. In fact, in most cases I am losing $ on shipping, but that is just part of the sellers experience. For international shipments buyers can use \'s Global Shipping Program or contact me for a quote. The choice is yours. In most cases I always ship USPS, but in certain scenarios where a package is heavy or being shipped to the west-coast, UPS may be used. All shipping charges are for the lower 48 states only, shipping to Hawaii or Alaska will incur additional charges. 

Terms 

Most of my decoys are for sale as a high-buyer gets it in a straight-laced no-reserve sale. I say most because as you see some decoys will have a modest/fair-market reserve. For the most part I am simply cleaning out my current collection and whittling it down to what I want to keep. Call it down-sizing if you will. So to that, I am not interested in taking a major hit and I am OK with keeping them for my own collection. I will also from time to time have a few fixed-price listing for items that I feel are better suited for potentially a singular buyer. I am easy to get along with. If a decoy doesn\'t meet reserve, let\'s talk. I am also always looking for select Ontario-carved decoys, so keep in touch. 

*NOTE: As with most sporting collectibles, along with being a great addition to a game room or home decor, vintage decoys have shown to be a sound investment that seldom decrease in value. Each decoy is truly a One-Of-A-Kind item as no two hand-carved decoys are exactly alike and with so few available decoys from each carver, as time passes, they will surely only increase in value

*Be sure to add my to your favorite sellers/searches. I have many more decoys to add from all regions including the Chesapeake Bay, Ontario, Quebec, Michigan, New York, Illinois, the St. Lawrence River, region and the Maritimes in the coming days/weeks from various makers from Ben Schmidt to George Warin to Anger and will always hold shipments to combine shipping.