ST. CHARLES, Ill. – Guyette and Schmidt Inc. conducted the 18th annual spring decoy auction on April 24 and 25. The auction was held in conjunction with the National Antique Decoy Show and drew a crowd of more than 500 with an additional 200 absentee and phone bidders. The action gross was $1.3 million with 25 items selling for more than $10,000 each.

The sale featured numerous fish plaques carved by Lawrence Irvine of Winthrop. A 24-inch jumping brook trout plaque dated 1976 sold for $3,355.

Irvine carved hundreds of fish plaques as replicas of fish caught by sportsman, mostly trout or landlocked salmon in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Irvine is featured in an article, “Fish Models, Plaques and Effigies,” by Ron Swanson in the July/August 1996 issue of Decoy Magazine.

Guyette and Schmidt Inc’s next decoy sale will be held on July 24 and 25 at the Cliff House Resort in Ogunquit. The company provides free decoy appraisals to anyone sending a decoy photo and stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Guyette and Schmidt, Inc., PO Box 522, West Farmington, ME 04992; phone 778-6256; fax 778-6501; e-mail, [email protected].