Don’t fall for decoy psychology.
Are experiences more important than possessions? Many psychologists think so. People that spend their money on personal experiences such...
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5 myths about Stevens Decoys
Myth #1 Stevens Decoys were “factory” decoys. Books written by Joel Barber and William Mackey promoted the concept that Stevens made a...
Barber bluebills and the Earnest denial.
In 2005, at the Midwest Decoy Show, a rig pair of bluebill decoys sat nearly unnoticed. The dealer attributed the pair to Joel Barber...
Six predictions on the great migration ahead.
I generally resist change, especially when change is thought to be the only form of progress. We see plenty of that these days. Some...
10 reasons why decoy collecting will soar into the 21st century.
I enjoy a good decalogue, so here's my 10-point case why decoys will soar above all Americana arts in the future. 1. Most art historians...
Ships, Symbolism, and Stetsons
The idea of sailing the vast ocean scares the wind out of me. My early maternal ancestors were sea captains from Nantucket, but my...
Reading Gaines wisdom.
I read, almost exclusively, historical biographies. A few nights ago, my wife walks into the house with Chip Gaines’ new book titled “No...
Stevens Decoys website discounts
I'm offering your choice of 3 discounts to the first 50 collectors: 1. The Essential Guide to Stevens Decoys book (regularly $39.95) for...
From Heads to Tails
Guest essay by collector Mark Malys. Being a passionate decoy collector, I am constantly admiring, appreciating, and critiquing my...
The 4-hour bedtime routine
Circa 1997, the Newell household, Warrensburg, NY. I spend most of my evenings reading or working on my computer (my first PC). My wife,...
Hen Franklin speaks!
In the spirit of Benjamin Franklin's many pseudonyms, let's ask Hen Franklin* what she might have to say about our modern state. When any...
Stevens Decoy Database Subscription
In 2020, during COVID, I digitized all my records and photos of Stevens Decoys into a database. Some days I pushed myself 16 hours...
More Common Sense
A reflective essay about modern times and old foundations. Newell © Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages are not...
The Great Generational Succession
The fathers of collecting Stevens Decoys are Frank Ash and Hal Evans. They gave us “The Stevens Story”, published in the 1966-67 Decoy...
Removing the Peale layer by layer.
In June, 2015, the Clarke Auction Company, located in Larchmont, NY, listed a portrait of George Washington, Lot 12, after Rembrandt...
Mom's personal decalogue of happiness
My mother is an astonishing person. She grew up in a small town, never went to college and worked as an office clerk at a factory for 40...
My brief career as a teenage mobster
When I was 18 years old, I purchased my parent’s 1967 Cadillac sedan Deville for $500. It was a massive car. The front grille, bumpers,...
The van Gogh of Decoy Makers
I've said before that I think Harvey A. Stevens is the Vincent van Gogh of decoy makers. Yes, I wish upon a Starry Night that Harvey's...
Would Joel Barber be proud of us?
I begin with my regards and compliments to Zac Cote of Guyette & Deeter for his description of the "Stevens Brothers" decoys being...
The final portrait of Abraham Lincoln
In June 1861, a young artist named George Henry Story was invited to observe and make sketches of President Abraham Lincoln for a...
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