{"id":4018,"date":"2024-10-07T14:03:55","date_gmt":"2024-10-07T19:03:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/?p=4018"},"modified":"2024-10-07T14:12:14","modified_gmt":"2024-10-07T19:12:14","slug":"herters-decoys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/herters-decoys\/","title":{"rendered":"Herter\u2019s Decoys"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well before the big box sporting food stores of Cabela\u2019s, Sportsman\u2019s Warehouse, or Bass Pro Shops, the sporting goods business was dominated by Herter\u2019s Sporting Goods Co., of Waseca, Minnesota. George Herter started his sporting good business in 1936 from his parents\u2019 garage. Herter began to manufacture cork decoys for their customers from 1936-1939. A redesign in 1939 covered the cork bodies with a \u201cplastic ink\u201d printed cloth attached at the bottom with a metal ring and wood head. These were their earliest decoys.<\/p>\n

\"Herters<\/a>
Herter\u2019s Balsa Wood Duck Decoy, photo: liveauctioneers.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

George was called to military service in 1942 and returned to the business in 1946. Decoy production never ceased during this time but new models did not come out until after his return.<\/p>\n

The first wooden Herter\u2019s decoys were produced in 1946 and were hollow. They were advertised as the \u201cmodel perfect\u201d decoy. Plastic heads were added to the wood bodies from 1953-1956. Santa Malta balsa decoys began to be produced in the late 1940\u2019s through 1950 in an effort to reduce weight for hunters in the field. Hundreds of thousands of balsa decoys were produced and distributed nationwide. Herter\u2019s model 72 (oversized) balsa decoys are still popular for collectors and waterfowlers to this day.<\/p>\n

Herter\u2019s was the largest mail order sporting goods store for years. Many sportsmen looked forward to receiving their yearly advertising catalogs that were 1-2 inches thick!<\/p>\n

I<\/p>\n

\"Herters<\/a>
Herter\u2019s Foam Decoy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

n the 1950\u2019s-1960\u2019s, Herter\u2019s met customer\u2019s demands by producing a lighter decoy made from styrofoam under the trade name of \u201cdurlon\u201d.<\/p>\n

They also produced a line of field shells and fiberboard silhouette decoys during this time. Decoys were also made out of plastic, trade named \u201ctenite\u201d, during this period as well. Model 50\u2019s tenite decoys were considered as superb decoys at the time!<\/p>\n

Needless to say, numerous models and series of decoys were produced by Herter\u2019s for their ever demanding customers. George Herter was considered a marketing genius at the time and personally wrote most of the advertising in his catalogs. Currently, old Herter catalogs are highly sought after by collectors of sporting memorabilia.<\/p>\n

In 1977, Herter\u2019s was sold to Cabela\u2019s. While some decoy production was continued by Cabela\u2019s of the Herter\u2019s line of decoys, most decoy production was discontinued by 1990.<\/p>\n

Herter decoys were produced in a variety of species including crow, owls and even rabbit decoys. Herter owls are considered quite rare and very collectible and can exceed $2,000 \u2013 $3000 in value!<\/p>\n

Old Herter decoys are in high demand today by collectors. The most common today have balsa bodies and heads. The tenite (plastic) model 50\u2019s are slowly taking over sales numbers however. Herter\u2019s introduced a decorative decoy in the late 1960\u2019s and labeled them with a (Herter\u2019s Inc. 1893) stamp on the bottom which were produced until 1977.<\/p>\n

\"Herter\u2019s<\/a>
Herter\u2019s Great Horned Owl Decoy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many waterfowlers currently use older Herter\u2019s \u201cstyrofoam\u201d (durlon) decoys and modify them with a \u201crestle \u201d coating or a burlap to provide a very realistic and durable decoy today.<\/p>\n

According to Warman\u2019s Duck Decoys price guide by Russell Lewis, the following value range can be used as a general guide for Herters decoys:<\/p>\n