Introducing The Atlantic Rancher Company Decoy Shop
I’ve had a fascination with waterfowl decoys nearly all my life,buying my first decoy when I was 14. I got lost on the way to the Viking Boat Factory in New Gretna, NJ, and ended up on a single-track sand road in the Pine Barrens when I came upon a small, cedar shingled shanty with a sign that read: “old stuff for sale.” I wandered in and made a $5 layaway payment on a $15 black duck decoy. It wasn’t till many years later that it was authenticated by a leading auction house as a Gene Hendrickson decoy and appraised at 100x what I had paid. I don’t care how much it’s worth now…it’s not for sale.
However, my collection now includes 100’s of magnificent decoys, mostly from the New Jersey area, carved by some of the most revered decoy carvers of the 20th century. Of course, these men are mostly gone as are many of their decoys. And just like real estate, they’re not making any more of ‘em.
I’ve decided to begin sharing my collection with Atlantic RancherCo. customers. To do this right, we’ve enlisted the help of famed (and still alive and carving) master waterfowl carver J. P. “Jamie” Hand, of Goshen, NJ. Jamie has been carving hollow-body white Jersey cedar decoys for over 50 years and was mentored by some of New Jersey’s most prominent decoy carvers…Harry Shourds III and Hurley Conklin.
Jamie has personally examined my collection to confirm its
provenance and the overall quality and desirability of each decoy featured in our Decoy Shop. Together, we are delighted to feature these one-of-a-kind specimens that represent the most unique and authentic form of American Folk Art.
