Sam Dyke Memorial “Old Bird” Antique Decoy Competition
At the Ward World Championship in Ocean City, MD
April 24-26, 2026
Sponsored by the Delmarva Decoy Collectors Association
ENTRY FEES – $0; Donations welcome
Entries must be 50 years old or older and will be judged in the following categories:
- Folkiest Decoy
- Best New England Eider
- Best Canadian Carver Redhead Decoy
- East Coast Shorebirds
- Best Ward Brothers Decorative
- Best Working Ward Brother Decoy
- Best Southern Working Decoy
- Best Mid-West Working Decoy
- Best West Coast Decoy
To enter this competition, you must:
All decoys should be picked up at 3:00 pm on Sunday.
People’s Choice will be available all day Friday & Saturday, with ribbons placed before opening on Sunday.
Register your decoys on Thursday or Friday during registration hours in the registration line.
Pairs will be judged as a single entry.
Agree to display entries during the show in the Collectors’ Corner room, allowing for entries to be photographed for the Ward Foundation and those photos to be shared.
Sam Dyke Memorial “Old Bird” Antique Decoy Competition
At the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, MD
November 14-16, 2025
Sponsored by the Delmarva Decoy Collectors Association
Folk Art: the most unique and unusual wooden decoy in your collection, any species of wildfowl. Show us your folkiest decoy!
For information or for us to hold this contest at your show, email Kristie Clattenburg at kclattenburg@wardfdn.org
Sam Dyke Memorial “Old Bird” Antique Decoy Competition
At the Annapolis Decoy Show
Sunday, June 1, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sponsored by the Potomac Decoy Collectors Association
First 4 categories must be 50 years old or older and will be judged in the following six categories:
- Ward Brothers working decoy
- Susquehanna Flats working decoy
- Eastern Shore of Virginia working decoy
- Eastern Shore of Maryland working decoy
- Eastern Shore shorebird decoy
- Contemporary or Decorative decoy
The Ward Foundation proudly hosted the Sam Dyke Memorial “Old Bird” Antique Decoy Contest on June 1, 2025, thanks to the generous invitation from the Annapolis Decoy Show and the Potomac Decoy Collectors Association (PDCA).
Held at the Elks Lodge in Edgewater, Maryland, the ninth annual show brought together decoy collectors from near and far. Familiar faces returned, joined by enthusiastic newcomers, many of whom entered a favorite decoy—or several—into one of the six contest categories.
As a nod to the sponsoring club, the ribbon colors change each year: for the Delmarva Decoy Collectors Association (DDCA), the ribbons are light blue, rose, and cream, while for the PDCA, they are gold, lilac, and light green.
This year, 21 collectors—including two youth participants—submitted 61 entries across the six categories. Guests also cast their votes for the ever-popular People’s Choice Award. Among them was Maryland State Folklorist Dr. Ryan Koons, who joined us to enjoy the show and experience the spirit of the “Old Bird” Contest firsthand.
A heartfelt thank you to the PDCA and the organizers of the Annapolis Decoy Show for such a welcoming and enjoyable day. And thank you to our judges: Ronnie Newcomb, Tom Reed, and Mike Daley. We’re already looking forward to next year!
