Fakes

• Fake (1): A fish decoy must have two key elements that qualify it to be called a decoy. One is a place to attach a weight to the belly of the fish so that it will sink. Most modern fish decoys have what is called a belly weight built in to the carving. The second is a line tie to attach a string or line. This allows the decoy to be jigged or to swim the decoy. Without these two elements a decoy would only be a carving of a fish or other animal.


• Fake (2): This kind of fake is a little harder to detect. This is where a carver carves a fish decoy like that of another carver. However the carver does not portray the work as his own, but as that of another carver, whose work is rare or commands larger resale value in shops and at auctions. There have been countless stories of fakes being sold for very high prices because the decoy was missrepresented or the so-called expert miss-identified the decoy. A true expert will be able to identify a decoy not only for the carving style or paint job but also for the placement of the line tie, the position of the belly weight, the size of the belly weight, the material used for the fins and the size, shape, and curve of the tail. A true, honest expert will also tag a fish decoy as unknown if available information or evidence does not support a 100% positive identification of the carver.


• Protect yourself from fakes: Make sure you know who you are buying from. Ask them questions as to where they got the fish and how they got the fish. Buy directly from the carver where possible, or the carver's family. Only the carver and the family will know the true story behind any decoy made by that particular carver. Check the decoy for any identifying mark or carver trade mark. Most modern carvers are now marking their decoys so they can be identified as theirs in the future. In this day in age, buying over the Internet is not a good idea. It is too easy for the seller to missrepresent the decoy and then disappears. If you do purchase over the Internet, make sure you know who you are purchasing from and when, how and why they got and are now selling the fish decoy.