TimberRattler
New Member
I've occasionally looked at the various forums over the years where people talk about their Neil Cost Turkey Calls and their respective value. I have always know they were something special, but I'm beginning to think we have something really special. My Dad began buying Cost Calls and like turkey hunting itself, he did it with an obsession. He bought call after call. Finally He and Neil became friends. Neil started coming down to our property and hunting with us and having dinner at the house. From then on Neil would just send call after call to my Dad. This went on for years. When the dust settled he, my wife and I had over 30 calls. Box Calls, Boat Paddle Calls, and his later version called Paddle Calls after he sold the rights to the Boat Paddle. In addition he sent my Dad dozens upon dozens of blanks and partially finished calls for him to tinker with. He also gave my dad a Video Tape of Making Box Calls, signed, dated, and marked #2 in the limited edition. We have calls out of just about every type of wood. Various versions of the calls as well. Some made for my Dad, some for me, and a couple for my wife.
Now most of these calls are now tucked away in safe deposit boxes, but many I just hunt with. Too many! They get sat on, dropped, used in the rain, forgot and left in the woods for days by my son. I guess for me they have just always been what you go in the woods with and not something you collect. Is a collection of this size common among the people who were friends with Neil and not just a customer? Any idea on what to do with a collection like this? Any particular ones I need to really protect other than the actual Boat Paddles? Thoughts or suggestions?
Now most of these calls are now tucked away in safe deposit boxes, but many I just hunt with. Too many! They get sat on, dropped, used in the rain, forgot and left in the woods for days by my son. I guess for me they have just always been what you go in the woods with and not something you collect. Is a collection of this size common among the people who were friends with Neil and not just a customer? Any idea on what to do with a collection like this? Any particular ones I need to really protect other than the actual Boat Paddles? Thoughts or suggestions?