Why Copley
KNOWLEDGE | RESEARCH | RESULTS
“Copley is the World’s leading American Sporting Art Company.”
— Western Art Collector, 2010
Over the last three decades, Copley owner Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. has assisted nearly all of the top decoy and sporting art collectors in building their collections. Copley specialists’ comprehensive understanding of these intricate niche markets generates results. Knowing the top buyers in any market is important, and our commitment to maintaining the highest standards in the field helps our clients to make confident purchasing decisions.
Copley specialists invest their time and effort upfront to catalog items accurately. We are the industry leaders in the use of radiographs (x-rays) and ultraviolet light analysis. These steps give our buyers a tremendous amount of bidding confidence and our record-setting results reflect the success of this modern approach.
Copley has the expertise and publishing experience necessary to document top-tier collections in a proper and fitting manner. Thoroughly researched and beautifully presented, Copley’s catalogs are lasting tributes to the artists, their works, and the collectors. Many single-owner collections have been prominently featured within the main auction catalogs. Other collections have been presented in their own stand-alone auction books. These dedicated catalogs continue to distinguish Copley as one of the art field’s leading stewards of legacy. Dedicated catalogs with extensive supplementary content were produced for The Harry V. Long Collection, The Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection, The Harmon “Dust-Jacket” Plover Trio, The Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, and the Johnson Collection of American Bird Decoys, all with unprecedented sales successes.
Copley does not sell the most decoys and sporting art; we focus on quality over quantity. With only two auctions per year, we target pinnacle works by the top artists and makers for our collectors. The decoys we sell are known for having strong provenance and being in excellent condition.
Copley has set world record prices at auction for the following wildlife and sporting artists:
Ogden M. Pleissner
Edmund H. Osthaus
Arthur B. Frost
Lynn Bogue Hunt
Aiden Lassell Ripley
Gerard R. Hardenbergh
Gustav Muss-Arnolt
Louis Agassiz Fuertes
Francis Lee Jaques
William M. Snyder
William Broderick
C. Ford Riley
William Goadby Lawrence
Louis J. Rhead
Milton C. Weiler
William J. Koelpin Sr.
Chet Reneson
Mike Stidham
Thomas Aquinas Daly
Ewoud de Groot
David Hagerbaumer
Albert Hochbaum
Maynard Reece
Copley’s Industry-Leading and Award-Winning Catalogs
Copley’s industry-leading and award-winning catalogs show a dedication to research, accuracy, and design that is unmatched. The quality of Copley’s cataloging, photography, and printing are major components in our marketing strategy. The professional manner in which the information is presented is a consideration for buyers. Additionally, the industry has recognized our publications as important references for future generations.
“O’Brien’s catalogs continue to be sumptuously illustrated. They are also well written, almost lovingly. O’Brien seems to delight in composing chronicles that evoke the period when the artworks and decoys were created.”
— Jeanne Schinto, Maine Antique Digest, 2008
Illuminating the Legacies of Collectors
Copley is honored to have been selected to sell properties from the collections of:
Kroghie Andresen
Descendants of Frank W. Benson
William S. Brewster
William J. Butler Jr.
Len Carnaghi
Jim and Dianne Cook
William K. du Pont
Bradford M. Endicott
Dr. Lloyd T. Griffith
Alan and Elaine Haid
Ted and Judy Harmon
Davison B. Hawthorne
Lew Horton
Rusty and Dianna Johnson
Linda Johnson
The Estate of Alfred F. King III
Donald Kirson
Dr. Morton D. Kramer
The Estate of Harry V. Long
Dr. Samuel “Jack” Marsh
Descendent of Henry Sturgis Morgan
Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr.
Grant Nelson
Dr. S. Lloyd Newberry
Donal C. O’Brien Jr.
William H. Purnell Jr.
Henry H. Stansbury
Ronald S. Swanson
Christopher M. Weld
Herb Wetanson