Ray Starns, & Grebe Decoy, Chincoteague, Virginia
Updated September 19, 2026
| Lot number | 343 |
| Estimate | 100.00 - 200.00 USD |
| Category | Sporting Goods & Outdoors |
| Auction | SEPTEMBER AUCTION |
| Date | September 26, 2026 at 12:00 PM EDT |
| Auction house | Big Shanty Auction |
| Location | Marietta, Georgia |
Hand-carved and painted wooden grebe decoy by Ray Starns of Chincoteague, Virginia, modeled with a rounded floating body, upright neck, sharply pointed bill, and inset red glass eyes. The carving features deeply incised feather detailing throughout the dark head and upper body, contrasting with the cream-colored lower plumage and cheek patches. The underside is hand-inscribed “Ray Starns, Chincoteague, Va.” and additionally marked “GREBE,” with an older handwritten identification tag reading “Grebe by Ray Starns, Chincoteague Virginia.” The carving shows age-related surface wear including rubbing, scratches, scattered paint loss, and wear to the underside, giving it an appealing folk-art and coastal decoy character. I was unable to locate reliable recent auction records specifically for Ray Starns, so the estimate is based on comparable signed regional decorative decoy carvings rather than a firmly established artist market. Measures 6"H x 9"W x 4.25"D.
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