McKenzie catalog

[catskillmtn]

I opened my new catalog today,and boy was i glad i raised my prices this year.The one thing i dont understand is the price on the quick-n-eze tanning oil ,in catalog 30 its 53.40,in catalog 31 its 52.10,now catalog32 its 64.80,per gal. It must be they only want to sell there stuff. In all three catalogs, McKenzie oil stayed the same price.Im not complaining about all the price increases,but if you cant get sombody elses product at a fair price in there catalog ,dont they realize that some of us will go get it some place else. Bruce your oil is the best, i'll be calling you .  Ronnie L.

[EJ]

I got my new bible yesterday. I haven't had a chance to look at it yet.

[George Roof]

Ronnie, don't be surprised then.  I don't pretend to know Bruce's pricing policy but most sub-suppliers sell to major suppliers at wholesale rates while charging retail to their customers.  That means that for most things you pay the same at the source as you do at the supplier.  Now if you wanted 1000 gallons of it, most sources would be happy to give you wholesale prices as well.

[catakillmtn]

George,its 49.95 in WASCO, 18.00 difference. maybee its a type o.

[catskillmtn]

Sorry i meant to say $14.

[Mark V.]

I got my McKenzie catalog (catalogs) today Man that thing gets bigger every year. Its unreal how much bigger it has gotten over the years. Their printing bill must be staggering and they give ya the dang thing. I remember when McKenzie catalog was just a mm thick or so progress I guess, Mark V.

[bill@hogheaven]

I havent got mine yet, whats the average increase? Research  vandykes had almost NO price increases. This is why Ithought McKenzies buying out everyone was a horrible idea. No competition equals monopoly. I for one will be buying everything I possibly can from other suppliers, to help to keep them in the business and provide some price competition. Looks like Kens boar forms are in for a sales increase.

[Evelyn Billington (Superpig)]

McKenzie is becoming the Microsoft of the taxidermy industry. Buy everyone out so they can set the price with not competition to keep it lower. I will be ordering more out of the Van Dyke catalog and Research catalog this year, as those two companies DID NOT increase their prices. I am in no hurry when I order, as I always order about four weeks ahead of when I actually need the supplies and forms. Convenience is nice to a point. I am not willing to pay over $10 more per deerhead (which is just about identical) just so I can have it the next day. And there ya have my take on this.

[George Roof]

This discussion takes place over and over again, Guys (and gals).  It's patently unfair to blame McKenzie for "buying out" other suppliers.  I've spoken to Tom Powell on numerous occasions and I've never felt that he's ever pulled any punches with me on hard and pointed questions I've asked him.  He told me that many of the companies McKenzie had "bought out" had come to THEM begging to have their businesses bought out.  I know of several of them personally that were having a difficult time carrying a  limited number of products and making a living at it.  Why don't you blame those companies instead of McKenzie?

This is a supply and demand market and YOU are each an integral part of it.  As Jim B and I spoke at the nationals a few months back, which one of you wouldn't love to have Mike Gillis, or Dennis Behn, or Joe Meder come into your shop and mount their specialty animal?  Well, if you want a flehming mouth mount, do you expect to pay for Joe being there?  Damned right you do.  So he saved you 10-12 hours worth of mouth work detail for an extra $30.  Doesn't sound like a bad deal to me.  

When you find a form that amplifies the quality of your work to a higher plane, why don't you buy that product?  If that product costs you more each year, why don't you raise your prices accordingly?  It seems like this industry would spend a dime to save a nickle.  There is no way on God's green earth that I will buy an inferior product when a better one is available just to save $10 on my end.  I'm gonna raise my prices to match that increase and if the customer doesn't want to pay it, then that's his or her option.  You get what you pay for.

[Bill Yox]

I gotta laugh at the logic here. You folks p*ss and moan all year about how the customer knows nothing, he just price shops, and how you are going to be the most expensive around, cheap customers and low priced shops be damned! Now listen to yourselves. Its the same thing, just a bit further up stream. I could (but I wont) name quite a few companies that approached McKenzie to buy them, and thats coming from them, not McK. I also know which companies they wanted, and for what reason. Give this thread another day, and, like all the previous ones like it, someone will start telling us how McK is here to put us outta business. I especially enjoy THAT post! Makes even more sense! Hahahaha.

Folks, like any other catolog we use, not every product or form meets our specs or personal opinion. But to offer service like they do, and consistency, the bigger companies are all going to raise prices now and then. They might offset them, so as to look stable in a rising year, etc, but they still raise them. Do the same.

[AndyO]

Geez, I haven't even gotten to the prices yet-- I'm still gazing at all the outstanding mounts. It's funny how one can identify another taxidermists style. I bet I can tell every Zimmerman mount in the catalog (I mean that in a good way). McKenzie is #1 for me!

This is my 100th post. I dont know whether to  or 

[James Parrish]

I heard Mike Gillis say once that when he started working at McKenzie, he made an objection to raising prices.  He said the CFO told him that they would not raise prices, but it would be his (Mike's) responsibility to inform all the other employees that they were not getting a raise.  That pretty much put an end to that.

What I'm saying is, raising prices is a part of a healthy business.  Every year you don't raise your prices, you are not only not getting a raise, you are taking a cut because everything else is going up.  As bad as I hate to pay more for supplies, I realize that it is a must.  But, then I realize it really doesn't cost me anything.  I went up consideraly on my prices this year, so my customers will pay for McKenzie's increase in supply costs.

[B KENNEDY]

I got my catalogs yesterday and when I say catalogs I mean I got three different packages in the mail all the same thing. LOL I called them to let them know that they could cut down on printing and mailing cost if they only sent me one. 

Maybe my mailing address is the reason for the cost increase.  LOL

[Bill Richards]

I've gotten my new McKensie, Van Dyke, and Eppley catalogs all in the last week. I did notice that Van Dykes no longer offer free eyes and ear liners anymore.., Sign of the times? Everything goes up in price, no matter what it is. If you have to raise your prices because of the increase in supplies, just explain it to your customers. they will understand. JMO
Bill

[KevinH]

I agree with George.  The price of the forms go up my mounting price goes up.  Now this year my tanning cost went up $2 per cape.  I raised my price for a deer head by $25 , one beacuse the price of the tanning, two the price of shipping, and three the price of forms goes up a little every year it seem, and lastly my mounting ability had gottne better this year from last year.  I buy most everything I can from McKenzie, why? I dont know I just like them, they have a nice catalog, nice people to talk to on the phone, and their shipping is super fast.  I do order from Research, Van Dykes, and WASCO.  But McKenzie is my favorite for most things.  Every deer Ive mounted in the past three years had not needed any alteration on the form to get them to fight just right.  I also like the stickers that they started last year to put on the pages for a quick reference.  I got my catalog last week and I have got a chance to look through the whole thing yet, the only time I really opened it was the day it came to show a customer the coyote pedestals.  Ill stick with McKenzie for most os my supply ordering.