How To Categorize A Duck Decoy Collection

By Author: KennethEGallegos
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Collecting duck decoys is a fun and rewarding hobby that people of all ages can enjoy. Once you've been collecting decoys for a while, you can sit back and marvel at some of the valuable specimens in your collection. This sense of accomplishment is just one of the many reasons why people seek to own them.

Like any type of serious collectible, though, you should take the time to go through and categorize each individual duck or deer decoy you own. Depending on the size of your collection, this may or may not be an easy process, but it's something every collector should do.

There are a couple reasons why categorizing a duck decoy collection is important, one of which is to make identification easier for you and anyone else that wants to inspect your decoys. Instead of blindly going through all of your decoys in search of specific model, you'll know exactly what it looks like and where to find it. Another reason why you should categorize your collection is simply because it increases the value of your decoys. The bottom line is that collectors ...
... pay more for decoys with information and documentation attached to them. That alone should be reason enough for collectors to start categorizing their duck decoys. If you're wondering what the best way to approach this situation is, keep reading and we'll walk you through the process of categorizing a decoy collection.

What You'll Need...
There are a couple different ways to categorize a duck decoys collection, but I'm going to share with you the method that's helped me keep all my ducks in order so to speak for over a decade. While other collectors may have their own preferred method, this is arguably one of the easiest. As long as you don't have an enormous collection scattered throughout your house, it should only take you an hour or so to finish.

Before you start, though, you'll first need to pick up the following supplies:

Either a composition notebook or 3-ring binder with paper.
Black or blue ink pen of your choice.
Small paper price tags with holes punched out in them. Note: you can make your own if you're unable to find these for sale.
A bundle of string that's thin enough to fit through the price tags.
Pair of scissors.
Digital camera (optional)
Vintage Price Tag
Vintage Price Tag

Step #1 - Preparing The Labels
Once you've acquired the supplied previously listed, it's time to start labeling your decoys. Some collectors place actual stickers with numbers and/or letters directly on their duck decoys, but this isn't recommended. Even though it will allow you to keep track of your decoys, the adhesive substance on the back of a traditional sticker can wreck havoc on the integrity of your decoys. It may not happen overnight, but over the course of several years the sticker will eat away at the paint on your decoy, causing it to fade or even chip off. As you can expect, this naturally lowers the value of your decoy, as most collectors will pay less for a decoy with visible flaws and imperfections such as this.

Instead of using a sticker to label your decoys, you should use a price tag with a small amount of rope wrapped around the head of your decoys. Go ahead and spread out all of your price tags and write a number on each of them. If your collection is large, you may want to use a letter and number combination, such as A1, A2, A3, etc. However, smaller collections will work just fine with single number labeling, such as 1, 2, 3, etc. Continue writing the numbers on the price tags until you've done the enough to place one on each of your decoys.

Step #2 Labeling Your Decoys
By now you should have all of the price tags labeled and ready for use. Take a piece of the rope string and cut it so it's about an inch or two larger than the circumference of your decoy's neck. Next, take one end of the string and run it through the first price tag you made (it's best to start with the first and work your way up). Simply run it around the neck of your decoy and tie it in a secure knot so the price tag dangles like a necklace. This is a smarter and all-around better alternative to using stickers because it allows you to keep track of your decoys without causing any adverse side effects.

Once you've finished looping the price tag around the first decoy's neck, go ahead and move on to the next ones. This might take a while if you have an extensive collection with hundreds of decoys, but it's well worth the outcome in the end. Keep at it and take a break if you're feeling tired or just need some fresh air.

Checklist
Checklist

Step #3 - Documentation
Unless you take the time to document each and every decoy in your collection, there's no point in labeling them. This last step, documentation, basically connects the labels with any information you have about the corresponding decoy in a composition notebook or 3-ring binder. Personally, I prefer using a composition notebook, as they are easier to write in and carry, but you can really use any type of journal or notebook.

To make things easier, start by going through the notebook and writing the number or number/letter combination of each label you previously used at the top of the page. Some collectors may have a different approach, but I dedicate each page to a single decoy. For instance, I'll start by labeling the first page at the top with a large "1" and the second with a "2" and so on. Continue doing this until you've added all of your decoys.

The last step in documenting your duck decoys is to go through the pages in your notebook to write as much information you can about the corresponding decoy. Here's a short list of some of the things you can include on the page:

What year or time period the decoy was originally made.
Who carved it.
What species of duck it represents.
Whether or not it still has the original coat of paint.
Original purchasing price.
When and where you bought/acquired it from.
Try to include official historical documentation or any papers you have in the notebook as well.