Dick Idol Collection Sale

A few studio views…

……….More than fifty years ago, when I was about twenty, I bought my first set of Whitetail antlers.  Little did I know it would lead to me owning the greatest Whitetail antler collection in the world, the majority of which now resides in the Bass Pro Museum in Springfield, MO.  It became apparent that I was a “collector” at heart.  My passion in life was also clear.  The rest of my adult life would revolve around an Outdoor Lifestyle and its many related activities.  I wanted to see, smell and feel for myself the wildest and greatest big game frontiers in the world.  I lived and hunted in Alaska for more than a decade, visited Africa more than a dozen times, hunted the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, the Yukon, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba for more than two decades.  I’ve lived in Montana for over 45 years. 

During the early 1970’s, I became fascinated with the saga and history of the Fur Trade Era, Hudson Bay Company and thousands of Native Americans, pioneers, explorers, trappers, merchants, craftsmen, traders, hunters and hundreds of others who played various roles in the discovery and settlement of the West.  

The Hudson Bay Company began searching for a northwest passage to the Orient in early 1600, which they did not find, but they did find another treasure – the Beaver!  As it happened “beaver hats” were the rage in England and Europe at the time.  In 1670, a charter from England was granted to the H.B.C.  (Hudson Bay Company) and so it began.  As many have said, HBC created a colossal empire that was “fur built” over a span of more than three centuries.  Today, they are still in business and celebrating more than 320 years of successful operations and remain the world’s oldest continuous commercial enterprise.  In the years that followed, the trading post of the HBC would encompass three million square miles, making it the largest private landowner in history.

A novel kind of commerce ruled this land from 1600 to 1850.  Europeans traded their manufactured goods for furs and other items of the American Indians.  People from two different worlds met, and their goods and ideas mingled.  Neither culture was ever the same again.  Since prehistoric times, travel between East and West were carried on by canoe.  Without this Indian invention, large-scale fur trade would have been impossible.  Rivers, lakes and other waterways were the highways of the West and this would remain the case for centuries to come.

The fur trade years from 1600 to 1900 are to me one of the most profound, romantic and historically important events in the history of North America.  Unique cultures were evolving.  A very rich and colorful array of tools, weapons, attire, traps, canoes, snowshoes, garments and thousands of other items were being created for survival and for trade.  As a result, collecting memorabilia and trappings of the West became very popular.

Like many others, I began acquiring and collecting “Fur Trade” items in the early 1970’s.  As you can see from the content of my collection, there were certain areas that captured my strongest interest.  But at the same time, I wanted to have a cross section of items that represented the fur trade in general.  

As a sculptor and fine art painter, I have always had a large art studio, which has historically been a showcase for my collection. The studio itself was recently featured in Western Art and Architecture magazine.  As a collector, I have always tried to purchase the finest and rarest items possible.  Many pieces in this collection are museum quality and have been given the best of care.   It has been a wonderful experience to work among a cross section of actual items that were created and used during this golden age in our history. I’ve reached an age and time in my life to pass the torch to the next caretakers.  Most items in this collection are no longer being made, many are in the collections of various museums and other private collectors and while the demand is high, the supply is shrinking at a rapid pace.  

The entire collection has been divided into five separate subcategories: 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 & 5000.  Any buyer may purchase items and/or multiples of items from any and all of the categories. There are no restrictions as to quantities any buyer may purchase.  Orders will be taken on a first come first served basis.  As a convenience to potential buyers, we are furnishing pre-sale valuation estimates for all items.   These estimated values are approximate valuations and should be taken as educated projections based upon the current market, comparable items and the scarcity for most items in these collections, not as actual “prices”.  

Contact Information:
Dick and Toni Rae Idol
PO Box 547
Whitefish, MT  59937
Studio: 406-862-5554
Cell: 406-871-0227
Email: toni@dickidol.com

Collections