Gentlemen (and Ladies), I found this forum just last week as I was poking around the Internet to learn more about the industry. I've been interested in the discussions around the economics of the industry. I am very much into Hunting, Fishing and the Great Outdoors. Have a good level of artistic ability, although not currently in practice. And like most everybody, would love to have a profession that ties directly into my passions and hobbies. To start, as I explore the industry, I need to first look at it from a business perspective. If I am going to invest my time and efforts into this profession, assuming I can accomplish an above average practice, is there a solid ROI to be gained? What are the investments involved (i.e. equipment, supplies, showroom/workshop space etc.). What would be considered the more elementary mounts vs. the more lucrative? If entering the trade with the elementary mounts to establish the practice and experience, what are the volumes you need to reach in a year to be profitable? Has the consumer demand been increasing? Has the # of Taxidermy Professionals been increasing?
Again, from a high-level, I'm looking to learn more about the business end of the trade. Once I have accomplished this, I will then dig into the more interesting stuff (learning the art/tricks of trade, tools and styles, developing the talent and personality for the work, attending competitions, marketing and promotional efforts).
Open for discussion?
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I see several flaws in your expectations. The taxidermy profession is not one that you do a quick study on and enter it with expectations of making a good living. I agree that it certainly needs to be run as a business with the profit margin being the bottom line. However, it takes years to build a clientele that will support this. Also, you stated that after you learn the business end then you will move onto the "art" part.
Have you stopped to consider that you don't learn the "art". Either you have it or you don't. Agreed that training and practice help, but to excel at the upper end of this food chain, you have to have the natural artist ability. Don't take this wrong but you may do all the business setting up properly and then find out that no matter how much you practice, your mounts don't measure up.
I would highly suggest that you start slow, maybe as a paying hobby, and then work up from there.
This will probably start some polarized discussion but hey, that's life!
Good luck! Jerry
In my opinion you just can't build this business overnight. You can do a few things to help you along, but it still is a slow process. A pro is that initial cash expense is low, but profits are slow in coming also. You just have to build a client base. To do this you have to put out decent work. Most taxidermists I know started part time as a hobby and eventually grew into success.
If your hobbies are hunting and fishing do not plan on getting to do much of them. Your busiest times are during hunting seasons and you need to be in the shop then. You can get time for out of state hunting though.
I`d have to disagree with your statement either ya have it or ya don`t".
I`ve always been a fairly artistic person and yes that help towards my taxidermy
skills but I`d have to say if person really wants to learn the business(art)they
can do it, and be quite successful at it...I personally don`t find much art in doing
mammals/deer....painting a nose/ears and eyes is pretty stink`n simple...yes there
is alot more too it than that...but It comes down to motivation more than
ability....with fish I truly believe there is some natural talent involved
but as far as mammals go...ANYBODY can do it with a little training and
patients....Now I didn`t mean to step on any egos with this ---it`s
just my personal opinion on the "art" of taxidermy. The higher
quality you are talking about comes with experience and time(and effort)....But
I seriously see no hidden talent in winning a ribbon or having more
work than joe blow down the street...if any thing it`s lack of knowledge.
Brad if this is something you truly want to do just do it...start as
a hobby--then part time--then full time if it`s what ya desire to do...Nobody
was born a taxidermist....motivation and desire will carry you if it`s
truly what ya want...
Order books,videos,read the archives here at the site...get your hands
on some specimens...check into your state laws on what you can purchase as far as
fur bearing animals goes. I personally handle alot of bobcats and decided
to base my first few years of taxidermy work on cats so I got a fur
dealers license so I could purchase about whatever I want when I want.
Get your hands dirty before ya consider taking any classes...keep practicing
and don`t get discouraged...join your state org and go to competitions
and ask alot of questions...from the videos you`ll start to get an idea of the tools
you`ll need....start out slow and work from there. Personally I`d say
start with mammals....I started with fish about 7 years ago and I`m
certain I would have been alot longer along now if I had started with fur.
READ___READ___READ everything you can get your hands on...do a few
mammals first then start concerning yourself with the business end...Main thing
is to enjoy it...don`t get discouraged---your first few mounts may look pretty bad---
throw them in the closet and drive on...a year later pull them out of the closet
and laugh at them. Always strive to do better work....READ---READ---READ...learn all
you can about the tricks(actually not tricks---just lack of knowledge)...Subscribe
to Breakthrough or Taxidermy Today and read--read--read...sooner or later
it will just come to you and your mounts will start turning out great! It just takes
alot of hard work and desire...Best of luck to ya
Thanks Guys, those are very good points. I knew I would get a little kick back on the Business vs. Art senario. It's the nature of creative/artistic personalities, which I like. Continuing my quest, I feel the need to prove to myself that the end result, a "Successful Taxidermy Practice" however far down the road it may be, will provide me with rewords that are satisfactory to me. For example, if I started (reading books/magazines, tapes, attending conferences/competitions, investing in tools, get started by way of hobby or partnering with established professional, learned the various areas of the trade, developed my skill, determined my niche for high quality work, and finally reach the desired End- a "Successful Taxidermy Practice". Will that put me in a situation that I am proud of, offer security by way of salary, and put me in a position where I am able to enjoy life?
For example, the "Not having time for your Hobbies" suggestion. In all honesty, if that is truly the case, that would be a showstopper. My values chain goes Family first, enjoying life (Hobbies) second, Work Third. If work ever gets to the point where it prevents the first two, I will change my profession. That being said, I work very hard at my profession, take pride in perfection and am always searching for ways to improve my profession and myself. Seeing that my last name is not Gates and I haven't won the lotto yet, this is imperative in order to support my family and hobbies. To my knowledge, a 9-12 month turnaround is a common place in this industry and has become accepted by customers, wouldn't that allow enough flexibility to enjoy the fall season (as short as it is) and put the hours in during Winter, Spring and Summer.
Realizing that this information will best be retrieved through speaking to nearby professions on a personal basis, as some will consider this sensitive information. Is the desired end, a "Successful Practice" able to pull in $60K profit in a year? Or is it $100K in a year? Or is a $100 a year attainable, but only if you do elephants and have 4 helpers. Again, my desire is to level-set (have a mental picture) of the desired end, before I begin to invest in the journey.
I will be very interested in the responses this will spark. Be honest, I have thick skin, yet keep it positive. What I am looking for is a case study. "If you are in a medium market (examples) and focus primarily on Waterfowl and Fish, it is my experience that the economies of scale would not allow you to get much bigger then yourself and one helper. In this example, assuming you are in the middle of the pack by way of price and reputation. You're probably looking at # Mounts a year at, 150 to 120 per mount, 60% of that being cost. An attainable profit in this casesinario is $50-75K profit in a year."
A tough question, considering all the variables, I know.
Again, this is likely not the best way to try and attain this information, but I am interested in learning from the response, non-the less.
It is all about interpretation,Bradford.You may find it helpful,and perhaps educational to go back and sift thru many posts, the homework is there,it's just at your finger tips.Good-Luck
Go to the Taxidermy Industry,then click.Scroll down to "When Asking Advice", then got to item (7).
Travis has some good points ( and does nice bobcat mounts too), but There is an artistic thing I would like to add, and this is the time it takes to learn. Some may get to a point of excellence, but it may take them 20 years, others may pick it up in 5 years time, some never seem to be able to no matter how long, others just don't give a flying patootie about excellence.I have the artist background, and have advanced rather quickly, and most importantly I really take pride in my work. At this point I am specializing in mammals, and am currently studying red foxes ( I have 2 I trapped that I want to do the competition thing with). So far I have managed to tan them without ear slippage WOW what a feat! LOL! I am using reference materials and really trying to get a feel for proper anatomy. Well, its something I care about!
There are commercial taxidermists who have either no desire to nitpick like this or just don't have the time. I find it harder to have the time myself, BUT I always want to improve, and do so amazingly fast. I only started trapping this year, but did much better than most beginners because I really put time into it and really looked around and learned things.Maybe I am a natural? Same with taxidermy? I don't know for sure. I do know there are these shmoes around my area doing taxidermy, doing it for many years in some cases and never getting more than one step above beginner in the quality. They must be doing it for hobby, because they certainly could not maintain a big customer base with the work they put out. Why is it that they cannot progress beyond a certain point and others can excell in just a few years?Is artistic ability a factor in this?
Believe it or not times change. If you set up your business model you will do fine. Market analysis is of primary importance. How much work is within your grasp. How much competition in your area. Start with deer mounts. The market is larger than most other areas. Next budget your advertising campaign. Since you are new to the business there won't be any word of mouth. The best program is based on volume and pricing. determine the going rate in your area and cut it by 35% or so. This won't make your competitors happy but Sam Walton didn't have many friends either. Besides once you get going some of the taxidermists in your area will end up working for you anyhow. Its just a matter of time and money. You also need to set up your shop to look sucessful. Have some of your game mounted and display it in your showroom. The average Joe Smo will assume the work is yours, since the only reason he is there is your advertised price. Lots can be said for the dress for success model. Once you have the deer mounting operation down pat you can stuff a few fish on the side during the off season. You may also wish to set up a network of local taxidermists who do other types of mounts or animals. Most will gladly pay you a finders fee for sending the work their way. Remember advertising will get your name out in the publics mind. You will be the expert in the area because your name will be so well known. When you are asked advice on who to have mount a specific animal send it only to your prearanged business associates who pay you a set finders fee
Good luck in your new endeavor!
Not for me. I`ve been getting into Taxidermy because I love the outdoors,
and everything that goes with it. Money is a motivator but I guarrantee
ya that most of the truly successful people in the field didn`t start
in this business planning to make BIG money. Like most have said they
started out as a hobby...Hobbies are pretty much classified as doing something
you enjoy doing. I don`t try to plan or analize every move I`m going to
make in this business. I do have a plan and goals tho. I`ve personally
have made almost 10,000 dollars on Ebay since Jan selling bobcats and
a few coyotes..Whats great about my business is I don`t have customers
knocking on my doors. They become my customers after I finish my mount. Now
if you would have told me 2 years ago that I could make 10,000 bucks
in 5 months off bobcats I would have called you a liar....so see it`s what you
make of it. I still have a full time job at Boeing aircraft and plan
to keep it for several more years---BUT---I`m investing in IRA account,college
funds, and my house with my Taxidermy money. I`ve still got 25 cats in the
freezer so it`s possible I may make another 10,000 in the next 6 months---If
I have the desire to do so...so is 60,000 in a persons grasp early in
their career? I`d have to say yes it is--probably even more depending
on the individual..That`s enough junk about me. I just wanted to give you
an example of my 1st 2 years in the biz---without any upfront customers. This is
a new world we live in today compared to what Taxidermist lived in back
in the good old days...today we have the internet/ear liners/accurate forms/
tanneries/training and tons of other great products and which make
life so much easier than the old days...My advice is to get your hands dirty and
see if you truly enjoy doing this kind of work...
trapper steph---Thanks for your compliments on my bobcat work--Good luck to
you and your endevors...
Guess I aint there yet. As for ribbons they damn well let you know that you are doing something correct or NOT.
The critique sheet is the best learning tool out there. Yes I love this and do make a dollar or two from time to time. No longer am I learning so I think that quality qork is worth a little more.
Who is going to paint your Lamborgini? EARL SHIEB or Norm the car show guy? thats hopw this truly relates.
It cost no more to go first class.