mikey88
Junior Member
CARDS ROCK
Posts: 63
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Post by mikey88 on Jul 26, 2006 21:49:34 GMT -5
Im starting a taxidermy shop just for part time and I was wondering just how many whitetail and whitetail only for the first year I would probably take in. I no it could be none since im new but just on average how many deer do you other taxidermist take in. Thanks for your help
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Post by ruggedpirate on Jul 26, 2006 22:13:59 GMT -5
hey i am just staring to and i am only 22 i got 49 deers last year and i got 225.00 each for them i made alot of money so can you just get started and take in all the work you can maybe if i was not so high priced i mite take even more in
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Post by cathunt on Jul 27, 2006 12:17:25 GMT -5
225.00 is high??
I get 375.00 for a deer and i am in the mid. of the others in my town do you DP or tan your capes?
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Post by deer4ager on Jul 27, 2006 13:08:27 GMT -5
It all depends. Location, Advertising, Word of mouth. You have to let people know your there.
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Post by deer4ager on Jul 27, 2006 13:11:35 GMT -5
hey i am just staring to and i am only 22 i got 49 deers last year and i got 225.00 each for them i made alot of money so can you just get started and take in all the work you can maybe if i was not so high priced i mite take even more in Wow. You need to charge more. They will pay for quality work. I know a guy that gets 425.00 for a small game pedestal. I get 300.00 for a deer and that is cheap. I will probably up my price next deer season. |
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Post by buckeyebullet on Jul 27, 2006 13:24:28 GMT -5
my first year I got about 30 deer and some other strange things. I get 280 for deer, i know it's cheap, but i want to pull some clientele before I move up to the other guys prices. No complaints yet.  |
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gina
Junior Member
Posts: 93
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Post by gina on Jul 29, 2006 21:14:48 GMT -5
So, how do you get people to bring you deer when they are REALLY loyal to thier previous taxidermist, even if he is really bad? LOL
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Post by deer4ager on Jul 30, 2006 3:09:51 GMT -5
Patience, Word of mouth will get around if you do really good work they will come.
Mike Gillis gave a seminar at '05 NCTA he said " He is not worried about the hunter. They WILL find you" He wants to hit the people with advertising that don't look for taxidermy work. Like the little old lady at church that see's tour sign every Sunday on the way to Church. One day she may be talking with a hunters wife that wants to get his trophy mounted for a special occasion, Boom there is YOUR name.
He also said about pricing, " Next time you wonder if you charge too much look out the window when a customer pulls up in a $25,000 truck pulling a $2,000 trailer with a $4,000 4 wheeler, He gets out with $300.00 scent lock on reaches in the truck bed and gets the deer that he killed with $3,000 worth of riffle and optics"
It all makes sense to me
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Post by fishslayer13 on Jul 30, 2006 8:16:51 GMT -5
For comparison I charged $230.00 for a deer head in 1983. Then the cost with shipping a cape out and having it tanned and all the supplies to mount it and ship them to my shop was around $35.00.
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Post by hesstaxidermy on Jul 30, 2006 20:18:14 GMT -5
This will be my third year doing taxidermy. The first year I took in 8 deer, 1 bear, a coyote, 2 turkeys, 2 pheasants, and 2 fish. This past year, I took in 9 deer, 10 bear, 3 coyote, 2 bobcats, 4 pheasants, 5 turkeys, and 3 fish. Hopefully my luck will continue with this hunting season coming up. I charge $375 for a deer head, and this year it will be $400. And Im low for my area.
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gina
Junior Member
Posts: 93
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Post by gina on Aug 4, 2006 21:01:06 GMT -5
I get 550 for deer and 995 for elk. Life size I charge 900 for a deer and 1800 for an elk. remember, you are buying supplies with the deposits, what is left is yours.
Its only about 200 for a deer form and 600 for an elk. I pick them up at research so there is no shipping and I get a 10% discount.
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mrdux
New Member
Posts: 9
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Post by mrdux on Aug 4, 2006 21:56:34 GMT -5
gina, you are charging $800 for a lifesized whitetail? Either you have a lot less overhead than most of us or you are getting your supplies for free!
I see that many here have fallen into the same old trap that most new taxidermists do--I don't want to charge enough to make any money because I'm afraid I'll run off customers. BS!! DO NOT worry what the clown down the street is charging!! Put out a quality product in a short turn-around time and the customers will find you.
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gina
Junior Member
Posts: 93
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Post by gina on Aug 5, 2006 9:22:03 GMT -5
we dont get whitetail, we get blacktails and lifesize stuff is rare...not many people have room for them! LOL
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Post by kerby on Aug 5, 2006 11:10:52 GMT -5
Don't get offended here, BUT most taxidermists charge cheap prices and then complain they can't make a living. I have no pity for them. We have choices; if you choose to charge so little then so be it. You would actually be better off flipping big macs at Mickey D's. ruggedpirate, I will use your numbers as examples. You charge $225 for a shoulder mount x 49 = $11,025 Materials: shoulder form - $30 eyes - $15 earliners - $5 tanning - $30 misc materials - $5 shipping$15 Total = $100 $225-100=115 for your time x 49=$5,635 *taking in the deer from customer; listening to his hunt stories, taking his deposit, writing his receipt, taking down the info on how he wants the mount done, etc.. - 30 minutes *taking measurements and time to order materials - 15 minutes *skinning - 60 minutes *fleshing, lips, ears, eyes, etc... - 90 minutes *salting - 15 minutes *manikin prep, sanding, lip line, eyes, etc.. - 60 minutes *cape and antler prep, eyes, lips, ears, sewing holes etc - 60 minutes *actual mounting and sewing - 120 minutes *finish work, sculpall, paint, etc.. - 60 minutes *calling customer repeatedly, taking in the rest of his money, listening to his hunt story again - 30 minutes *Plus, time to run to Wal-mart and buying thread, bondo, glue, etc.. when you run out during the process of mounting - 30 minutes Roughly 10 man hours to mount a deer (conservative), so now we are down to $11.50 an hour. Plus the cost of doing your business (licenses, electricity, advertising, subscribing to Breakthrough, misc equipment (airbrush/compresser, mounting stand, etc...) Easily down to about $9/hour. An 18 year shift manager at McDonalds gets $9/hr WITH health benefits. Plus claiming income as self-emplyed is legal rape. Your clients make: auto mechanics - $20-30 /hr clerk at grocery store $15 /hr deputy $19 /hr oh and doctors and lawyers....... Here in Arizona taxidermists charge as low as $450 to $1,000 for deer shoulder mounts. $18/inch on fish....what are you worth?  ?? Kerby... |
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Post by circleh on Aug 5, 2006 17:39:57 GMT -5
I just got started and get about $295 for a shoulder mount whitetail deer. This year I got about 7 deer, 3 bobcats, 2 coyote, 2 otter, 1 mink, 1 boar, 8 pheasants, 1 fox, 3 turkeys, 1 largemouth bass(my first one), 1 black bear (He wants a life size mount. Its in the freezer at the moment can't wait to get started on it), and repair work on 4 mounts at restaurant. I don't advertise or anything I just let my work bring people in. I just do it on the side. I don't know why it took me so long to do get started its great. I think once you get going you will know what you can handle as far as your work load is concerned. good luck
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