MY RECORD OF STEVENS DECOYS
In The Essential Guide To Stevens Decoys I refer to the record of decoys that I’ve been compiling over the past 20 years. The record now contains more than 300 decoys with notes and photographs for each example. Very often I see one of these previously documented decoys in a catalog, book or article. In fact, when I buy a new batch of old auction catalogs or an early collection of decoy magazines, I seldom find a Stevens decoy that I haven’t already recorded. The sheer volume of production by many notable carvers would make it impractical to undertake a similar tracking record. Although this may be true for Stevens as well, for me it is worth the effort and time to continue logging every Stevens decoy I come across. It is always exciting to discover a new decoy to add to the record and equally satisfying to add new information about one that has already been recorded. Please keep in mind that the record is not in chronological order. The numbers assigned to the decoys are intended to help collectors reference them and to keep count of the total number of examples recorded.
In the Collector’s Edition you will find photographs and notes highlighting approximately 100 of the most helpful examples for the collector. The selection includes some of the highest quality decoys and also others known to be counterfeit. Using this selection for comparison can be helpful in exposing new repairs made to decoys. It can also help establish the ownership history of a particular decoy.
In some instances I include auction prices, however it is my opinion that the dollar amount is neither verification of a decoy being “as described” in the auction catalog nor of its authenticity. On occasion people ask me the value of their Stevens decoy. I think they really mean price because value can be something very different from one person to the next. Most often I first define price: the amount of money someone is willing to pay and someone is willing to accept, at a given time and place. Change the buyer, the seller, the circumstances or the time, and surely the price will be subject to change. It is my intention to provide helpful information about the authenticity and the condition of a decoy notwithstanding the many factors that could establish price.
I will continue to add new discoveries and update the notes as pertinent information becomes available. Looking forward, I envision creating an Internet database of the record that would offer decoy collectors access to the most recent and useful information. I hope this will establish a modern resource to help collectors recognize, authenticate, attribute and date decoys made by George and Harvey Stevens. If you have a Stevens decoy that you would like to add to the record, please contact me at www.stevensdecoys.com or email me at shane @ stevensdecoys.com.
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