Collectors continue to feel comfortable bidding remotely given our guaranteed condition reports, which most other auction houses do not offer, said Gary Guyette, whose decoy speciality firm based in St. Michaels, Md., Guyette & Deeter, held a big two-day sale on Nov. 20 and 21. The top lot in the sale was an important feeding golden plover with carved wings by Elmer Crowell that sold for $108,000. Another highlight was an exceptional pintail by Lloyd Sterling that set an auction record for the carver, selling at $72,000. The 99 lots bringing over $10,000 is the most in a Guyette & Deeter auction since the sale of Dr. James McCleerys collection in January of 2000. There were a total of 15 new auction records set at the November sale for decoy makers. The sale featured the collection of the late Jim and Pat Doherty, with many exciting decoys being offered. Items from the Doherty collection rounded out the top lots in the sale, including a merganser and a black duck by Ira Hudson that sold for $66,000 and $54,000. Jim Doherty, of New Jersey, was a longtime major collector. Bidding was done via phone, absentee, and online through Invaluable, Bidsquare, and LiveAuctioneers. The sale was live streamed to bidders. The total for the sale hit mid-estimate, pushing Guyette & Deeters 2020 auction total to over $10.5 million. While this has been an excellent year for the company, the team is more confident than ever that the future market of decoy collecting is bright. New collectors and enthusiasm with current collectors is growing, even amid the pandemic. The firms next big sale will be held in either April or May 2021 from Lombard, Ill., in conjunction with the Midwest Decoy Collectors Association Show. To learn more, call 410-745-0485.