John Hess, of the Hess Auction Group, will hold an exciting on-site sale on behalf of the Harry D. Wilder estate on Saturday, Dec. 5. The sale location will be 2027 Ridge Road, Elverson, Pa. Harry D. Wilder (1932-2020) had a Ph.D. and was a chemical research engineer in the pulp/paper industry much of his life. He would joke with friends when asked about his work that his job was to make more toilet paper out of less wood, which, in fact, he did, and successfully. He discovered and patented a process that decreased the amount of wood pulp necessary in the manufacture of paper products. Wilders second career was that of an antiques dealer. In the 1980s, he restored the large stone Knauer Mill on his farm, and it served as his shop for H.D. Wilder Antiques. He was also a fixture at several co-ops, including Black Angus in nearby Adamstown. Wilder was beloved by many in the antiques community. His passions involved antique decoys, Pennsylvania contemporary folk art and country antiques. He believed you could decorate with and mix both contemporary folk art with both country and formal antiques. At the auction will be roughly 150 antique decoys, many of which are Mason decoys. The Mason Decoy Factory (Detroit, Mich.) operated at the end of the 19th century into the beginning of the 20th century. The specialized and collectible field of working birds is typically categorized into three groups: Standard Grade, Challenge Grade, and Premier Grade. There are many Challenge Grade birds in the Wilder collection. Decoys from many regions, such as Canada, Illinois River Valley, Susquehanna River Valley, Louisiana, Virginia, and Wisconsin (Harrys birth state), will be represented. Decoy enthusiasts will not want to miss this sale. Over 30 antique blanket chests will be sold, along with chests of drawers, wardrobes, tables, and many sets of plank bottom chairs. Wilder bought the work of the late Keith Collis (1929-2020). Collis, of Lancaster, Pa., was a talented folk artist who was mostly known for his wood carvings, but also made furniture, wall boxes, rifles, oil-on-canvas paintings, and other things. Around 30 pieces of his work will be sold. Other regional folk artists whose work will be sold include the late Garnett French, Terrance Graham, and David Ellinger. The sale will be conducted under a tent, and online bidding will be provided through the Live Auctioneers platform. It will start at 9 a.m. At noon, the real estate will be offered, which consists of a 31.6-acre historic farmstead along Route 23 bordering both sides of French Creek, a stocked trout section, and the Horseshoe Trail, which traverses from Valley Forge to Harrisburg. Another building on the property, the stone mill keepers house, is currently used as a rental. To learn more, call 717-664-5238 or visit www.hessauctiongroup.com.