In November 2006, a Ward Brothers goldeneye drake decoy sold for US$109,250 at an Easton, Maryland waterfowl festival auction.
[1] They adopted the moniker 'Wildfowl Counterfeiters in Wood' as the motto for their carving operation.
[2] Another rare Ward Brothers bird, a Broadbill Drake made in 1936, was sold for $51,750 at a January 2013 auction on Park Avenue in New York City.
[3] Originally barbers by trade, they began carving small decoys from cedar blocks in their barber shop during slow times and to help make extra money during the winter months.
The museum houses the largest collection of wildfowl art in the world.