Meet Miller & Miller’s new Decoy & Sporting Director
‘These early shorebirds hardly ever show up - they’re just that rare’
Meet Jason Halliday, the new Consignment Director for Decoys & Sporting at Miller & Miller Auctions
Two October auctions one day apart are bringing to market a 50-year, high-value collection of rare shorebird decoys, as well as offering an exceptional variety of other decoys and sporting goods spanning roughly a hundred years and the sales are being overseen by Miller & Miller’s new Director of Decoys & Sporting Jason Halliday.
“These are not run-of-the-mill decoys you might stumble upon in an antique shop on your travels, they’re works of art. They’re investments,” says Jason, who joined Miller & Miller Auctions earlier this year.
Jason is a Cookstown, Ontario-based licensed electrician who worked in high-end infrastructure and telecom services in the Toronto area for 32 years, a career which honed the transferable skills of problem solving and a professional approach to dealing with clients. He has also been an avid collector of decoys, fishing tackle and assorted outdoor paraphernalia for over 40 years, something he comes by through his lineage, as well as his own particular sporting interests.
Jason grew up around antiques, old cars and vintage fishing tackle and he had access to some influential role models. “We had a house full of antiques and my father collected cars, from 1932 to 1934 Fords and a multitude of Corvettes. My grandfather caught the bug from my dad and took it to the next level by collecting over 50 farm tractors, steam engines, 40 cars, implements and signs. As for me I have lined up deals for my father and collected some of the same early petroliana and beverage signs. My major focus for collecting has always been smaller high value objects easy to transport like decoys, fishing tackle and assorted outdoor items of interest.”
Over the years, Jason has been a member of multiple organizations, like the Canadian Antique Fishing Tackle Association and the Canadian Decoy and Outdoor Collectibles Association, where he was able to network with other like-minded enthusiasts along the way. He now brings this knowledge and experience to his new role at the New Hamburg-based auction house.
“Miller & Miller has earned a reputation for selling some of the best decoys coming to market and I’m really pleased to be able to help support that now,” he says.
The Oct. 28 auction, Decoys: The Laurin Garland Collection, features a superb offering of both Canadian and American shorebirds collected over half a century by the late Laurin Garland, of Alemonte, Ontario, Canada.
The above shorebirds are included in the October 28th auction of Decoys: The Laurin Garland Collection.
Shorebirds, such as yellow legs, plovers, curlews and others, are scarcer than duck or goose decoys due to protectionist environmental treaties which began in 1916 and evolved over time. By 1930, the hunting of most shorebirds in North America was completely banned so decoys were no longer needed. In earlier years, shorebirds were hunted for their feathers which were highly prized and used to decorate hats.
The Laurin Garland collection includes exceptional shorebird decoys from three distinct regions: the Toronto area, where decoys were often made with wire legs and a ‘sand-shelf’ wooden base; from Prince Edward Island, which has a rich history of shorebird carvers, including exceptional decoys made by John Ramsay and Adam Thomas; and from the Long Island, New York area. Some of the American shorebird decoys were made by such noted carvers as Charles Sumner Bunn and Bill Bowman - including Lot 10, a Brant Goose by Bowman estimated to fetch between CA$25,000 to $30,000. “Early shorebirds hardly ever show up,” says Jason. “They’re just that rare.”
The above Brant Goose by Bowman is estimated to fetch between CA$25,000 to $30,000.
The Oct. 29 Miller & Miller sale the following day, Decoys & Sporting, will feature a selection of decoys curated by Halliday that spans the late 19th century to the later 20th century. “This will be a great mix of more contemporary decorative decoys, as well as many classic and antique decoys from famed carvers,” says Jason. “There’s also a nice mix of hunting rifles, bear traps, snowshoes, fishing tackle, canoe cups, signs and other items related to the great outdoors.”
The above decoys are featured in the October 29th sale of Decoys & Sporting at Miller & Miller.
Two early and distinctly-painted mallards by Ontario’s Henry ‘Hank’ Catton (1854-1933) are expected to generate considerable interest in the Oct. 29th sale. Lot 97 and Lot 98 are estimated to fetch $4000 to $6000 each.
Lot 97 - Hank Catton Mallard Hen Decoy
Lot 98 - Hank Catton Mallard Drake Decoy
Lot 125 is a D. W. "Davey" Nichol wigeon drake decoy from the late Peter Burchill’s collection. It was part of his early collection and is estimated to command $2,000 to $3,000.
Lot 125 - D. W. "Davey" Nichol Wigeon Drake Decoy
There are also four modern decoys by Pat Godin, born in 1953 in Brantford, Ontario. Dubbed ‘a living legend’, he’s a 14-time World Champion Wildlife Artist and a master carver.
Four modern decoys by Pat Godin are also offered in the October 29th sale.
“I’m very excited about these sales and the way Miller & Miller has built this high-quality offering,” says Jason, acknowledging there’s a serendipitous feeling to it all.
Jason often discussed antiques with the late antiques and classic car dealer Jim Miller and now he’s working with Jim’s sons, Ethan and Justin, co-owners of Miller & Miller Auctions, putting his expertise and interest to work for them. It’s a nice feeling.
“It’s so interesting how we’re now building this new relationship”, he says. “It’s all come full circle.”
By Diane Sewell
Diane Sewell has been a writer for more than 25 years, producing feature stories for some of the country’s top newspapers and consumer magazines, as well as client newsletters and commissioned books.
Sale Information:
Decoys: The Laurin Garland Collection
October 28, 2026 | 10am EST
Live Webcast Auction
Decoys & Sporting
October 29, 2026 | 10am EST
Live Webcast Auction
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