Alan and Elaine Haid - The Collection: Session I

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In 1967, Elaine Haid gifted her husband Alan a pair of miniature mallards by William Pratt of Joliet, Illinois. A fairly simple set of carvings by today’s collecting standards, but those miniature mallards sparked in Alan a desire to learn about and assemble a collection of the rarest examples by the most celebrated carvers in North America. This passion would define much of their adult lives and help shape the world of decoy collecting as we know it. Alan often said that “knowledge is power” and as a long-time decoy dealer, appraiser, author, and adviser to many fine collections, there are few collectors today that haven’t been empowered by some of the knowledge Alan accrued and so generously shared over the years.
In his professional life, Alan travelled extensively throughout the country and during duck season, many of those trips ended up being along the Mississippi flyway. He would often trade or purchase an old wooden decoy from the clubs he hunted and was always intrigued by the differences in construction and design in the decoys from Canada to Louisiana. After years of research and study, Alan undertook the serious scholarly effort of publishing a decoy reference book. Released in 1981, ‘Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway’ became an invaluable source for collectors of decoys from this part of the country.
Alan’s longtime friend and partner Russ Goldberger explains that “Alan and I met when we both lived in metropolitan Cincinnati 40 plus years ago. About that time, I spied an ad that Alan had run in a decoy publication, looking for good original paint decoys. Having recently purchased a Mason Premier mallard, of which I was particularly proud, I responded to the ad, and Alan suggested I bring it by his house. He took one look and let me down easy - it was an old repaint! Although I felt disappointed, that chance meeting began a long friendship.” In 1993, the two would jointly author ‘Mason Decoys a Complete Pictorial Guide’, followed by the ‘Expanded Updated’ edition in 2014.
Donna Tonelli, respected author of decoy and collectables reference books, celebrated her and her husband’s half-century-long friendship with the Haids, which grew from their common love of hunting and decoys: “My husband Joe first met Alan Haid at the Midwest Decoy Collectors Show in Aurora, Illinois in 1971 and sold him a Bert Graves canvasback. Not long afterwards, Alan arranged a trip to our home in Spring Valley with two of his friends, Tom Winstel and Bob Dyer; they were known as The Cincinnati Kids.” This first visit led to regular excursions into the field, in pursuit of quality decoys and their live counterparts. Both avid waterfowl hunters, supporters of waterfowl habitat conservation, and tireless decoy lovers, Alan and Joe would help one another source choice examples from around the country.
For nearly half a century, Alan and Elaine were fixtures at decoy shows and auctions across the country. Though Elaine battled long-term health issues, her boundless generosity and kind heart enriched the collecting community with warmth and grace. A wide smile and genuine interest in the well being of one’s children and family could always be found at the Haid’s booth. Always the fierce competitor, Alan reveled in entering their decoys in vintage decoy competitions and brought home countless blue ribbon wins in various categories from the shows.
In the ongoing effort to not only grow their collection but to also improve the examples in their holdings, the Haids would often sell 4 or 5 more common or lesser condition decoys to acquire one, rarer and more desirable example. In 2006, the opportunity to acquire one of the finest carvings ever created by Elmer Crowell presented itself, and the Haid's sold 38 important decoys to purchase it. At that time Alan explained that "it was a collectors dream to have an opportunity to collect a premier piece by the most famous maker, that's what we live for.”
The Haids gladly opened their home in Darien, Connecticut to welcome new and seasoned collectors alike. These visits usually involved a pleasant lunch, study of the decoys, and stories or lessons given on one’s favorites. The pursuit of knowledge and passion for sharing that knowledge to further the art form was Alan’s greatest contribution to the collecting community and the Haids should rightfully be remembered as some of decoy collecting’s greatest champions.
Guyette and Deeter is honored to have been entrusted with the responsibility of disbursing the Haid collection to the next generation of passionate collectors. We have taken this important duty very seriously and have attempted to put as much thought, planning, and hard work into the divestment as Alan and Elaine put into the creation of this fabulous collection. We believe the Haids would get great enjoyment knowing that their cherished birds were going to be studied, pursued, enjoyed, and shared for generations to come.