bad wholesale experience

[James Marsico]

I  needed four bears rugged asap so I sent the four bears to made into rugs to Northern Pines Taxidermy and wholesale rug service in Howard City Mi. I heard good things about their product and esp. their great service here on this site. I talked to the foreman on the phone before sending them and he assured me I was making a great decision trying them. I asked for rush on two of the bears and paid hundreds of dollars  with a credit card and received great service, best ever,  just weeks instead of months.  HOWEVER when I opened the box I was in tears very soon. Very poor work in my opinion,  all twisted feet and all the claws sideways, the heads stretched off the center from the tails by over 6", hot glue exposed on the felt in the feet area, straight line trimming, you can place a ruler from the arm pits to the back feet, the  legs all stretched and trimmed like narrow tubes, uneven flank dying, the felt bunched up unevenly around feet. I called Steve and left a message and he promptly returned my call and said to send the rugs back to be fixed, well..... I didn't have the time for that, these were rush jobs I had promised on his promise. I sent Steve photos (I took many photos) of his companies work I was unhappy with via email, he didn't respond to those. I redid them both the best I could myself at once by cutting away the backing and  felt, etc. re soaking them, resewing, etc. etc. all the time upset and loosing money. I have sent them out now to clients and they are happy but I was never happy with them.  I asked him to  not touch the other bears and the bobcat he still had and send them back as is; he did at another $45.00 shipping on my card. Got them today. Anyway thats my experience with their rug service; take it for whatever you think  its worth. I was going to just let it go but this has really upset me.  Maybe I am just to picky? I charge 200. a lin. foot for black  bear rugs and have many repeat clients but in my mind I have to deliver what I charge for.

[bill@hogheaven]

What a horror story...we use jordans bear den in Pa. They do a top shelf job.

[Todd B]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.  I have used Fortman's in I Believe St Mary's Ohio.  He does good work at a reasonable turnaround. 

Todd B

[Old Fart]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with Northern Pines, Jim.  I've used both Northern Pines and Jordan's with great results from both. But I send all my bears prestretched, trimmed my way and flanks dyed. I've always wanted my bears shaped a certain way and always installed head forms and stretched the rugs in one session. By doing it that way Northern Pines has always given me a finished product in under three weeks. It's not that I doubt that you were not satisfied, I just felt it necessary to speak up for them because of the excellent work and service that I have received from them.

[RDA]

How about this one,  we have a "wholesaler" in my area that has blown it with just about every shop around.   He steals customers coming into the shop when the owner isnt there, having them come by his "shop' later.  He has promised mounts to taxidermists that have local shows coming up,then blows them off so he can put his own display in it..  He does poor quality on his wholesale ON PURPOSE, so he doesnt have to "compete with himself"..??   Yes indeed,  whole salers can be bad or good.  And he posts on this net.

[Richard C]

I personally saw the photos of these rugs and they  were as BAD as Jim said. The feet looked like they were hit with a pile driver. The off center ,nose tip to tail tip was at LEAST 6 inches off center or more. How can one stretch a rug on a GRIDED stretching  table  and do this ?  You could probably train Chimpanzees to follow the center line on a gridded rug stretching table.  It all goes back to the  late 70's or early 80's when the Joe Kish editorial in the old Taxidermy Review magazine said , "The Industry has NO Standards" , and it seems the  more taxidermy changes the more it stays the same.

[James Marsico]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with Northern Pines, Jim.  I've used both Northern Pines and Jordan's with great results from both. But I send all my bears prestretched, trimmed my way and flanks dyed. I've always wanted my bears shaped a certain way and always installed head forms and stretched the rugs in one session. By doing it that way Northern Pines has always given me a finished product in under three weeks. It's not that I doubt that you were not satisfied, I just felt it necessary to speak up for them because of the excellent work and service that I have received from them.

I only had the heads mounted already, Tanning was Wildlife Gallery. Maybe it because of the rush order or a new guy at his studio doing the work or something? because I had only heard good things before sending them, these rugs were  "VERY BAD" and I paid anyway and then had to redo them entirely. 

 

[Turkey Creek]

I have used Northern Pines a number of times and really felt they did great work. I had them do a rush on a bobcat once as well, and it turned out great. Hopefully you just had a bad experience with a new employee. I tan all my own skins, mount the heads and ship them off for the rugging.

Chris

[earnhardtgw3]

Reguardless of who does the wholesale work (new employee) there still should be some type of supervision to make sure the work is done on a quality level. I personally use Jordans but I have heard nothing but good things about Northern Pines.

James, I feel for ya and I know what the wholesale disaster feels like. I hope you never have to deal with it ever again. Give Jordan's a try, in all the years using them there has never been even the smallest problem.

[grumpa]

I saw the photos and the rugs were JUNK!!!  If they deliver this poor quality product to all of there customers,  Then the guys singing there praises wouldn't know a good rug if it bit them in the crotch.  Jim, Richard C. and I know what a good rug should look like and these wouldn't get a D-.   JUNK-JUNK-JUNK

[Scrubby]

The last step in any business is supervision if it was a new person it should have been checked. I have seen their work and all I seen was good. But I feel for ya Jim. One ah crap can ruin a lot of previous good.

[frehtaxi]

   I have not posted anything since it changed to the new form, but I had to reply to this. I have used Steve for around 8 years and have had nothing but excellent work returned. I received 3 Javelina and a Black Bear just a few weeks ago and they where the same high quality as always. I do know he was going to have surgery on his shoulder but that should make know difference, not sure how much hands on work he really dose. Sure hope things don't change because I have been very happy with there quality.   Gary

[walker]

You guys are making me nervous now. I sent 2 to them. There ad said 12 week return, when I called i was told 16 weeks. Well 16 weeks were up and no rugs. Guess I better call tomorrow.

[blndwinger]

Give Rhonda's Ruggery a try. She is working with Betty Jackson, the original owner of BJ's Rugmaking. Over 20 years experience in one shop. They are located in Woodson, IL. $38.00 a foot, includes soaking, stretching, trimming, double felt border, padding and backing. Turn around time 6 weeks. For more information call 217-673-5801

[Jim Kimball]

Hey Jim,

   Sorry to hear about your bad dealings.... Seems like anyone can say they do it, but very very few do it well..

   Give us a call  715-785-7828   I work with Brenda DuVall and she has been doing rugs for taxidermist for years... ALL return customers..

    Hand sewn..... NO GLUE !!

Jim Kimball