ive had an interest in taxidermy for a few years now and i graduated high school last year. would going into the field of taxidermy be a good idea or should i forget about it and do something else. any information would be greatly appreciated. also if anyone would have any opinions on schools that would be great.
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businesses fail.
I figure if a guy can 1) have a job that he really enjoys and 2) make an acceptable income from it, he's got a lot going for himself...eh? Some guys make loads of money at a job they hate, while others love what they do but have a hard time paying bills. YOU need to think about both issues. As a taxidermist, you would have many options....specializing in one or a few kinds of animals, running a full service shop, working for a big studio, being self-employed, etc.
This profession requires education and experience like most others. I never went to a taxidermy school so I can't speak to that. Good luck Brad.
see first if you even like it. Play with a few kits, companies like Van Dykes and WASCO have great beginner kits that include everything you need to do the basics. Give it a whirl, get a few mounts under your belt then do a little more soul searching. I too at one time wanted to leap head first into the biz full time, I love taxidermy but also like to have cash in my pocket. I know lots of guys that make fair money as a full timer in the biz but it is their life almost around the clock and on EVERY opening day! Good luck
like to hunt/fish then just do it as a hobby/parttime job. If you are going to make a decent amount of money out of it, like Chuck said, you will be tied up 24/7 including EVERY opening day.
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B is probably correct in his statement. That number might even be higher if it included the number of businesses that didn't fail, per se, but the proprietors decided to close shop for other more lucrative reasons. I suppose one would have to decide what actual failure is.
It's a dog eat dog world in this business although it's not as bad as it was 30 years ago. There is a lot of info in the archives on this with many suggestions on how to go about it, if it is a dream of yours. It might actually be more lucrative in some cases to go get a job flipping burgers, at least you know that paycheck will be there every week.
My suggestion is find a job in an actual working taxidermy shop for a few years and learn the ropes. Problem is, you will probably have to relocate for the time you do this. Of course, if you opted to go to college away from home you would be doing the same thing. The only downfall of working vs. college is you don't get a piece of paper when you are done, although there are ways to work up credentials through private courses, competitions, and the like. When you learn the ropes, you should know by then if you still have the desire to own your own shop and pursue taxidermy as a career.
Running any business is "hard work"........... and in order to make a go of it you need to "work real hard at it", as George Bush would say, but that goes for anything in life.
Gutless wonder. who thinks that stating pure simple facts is shooting someone down.
Just why should or would someone want to encourage someone who has their entire life ahead of them to begin an endeavor in which three quarters of the people who venture, Fold. now add to that the fact that for every full time taxidermist trying to support his family. There are 12 fly by night part time, and want to be beginners around him making it impossible for him to adequately earn a living. Like this or not, these are facts. Does anyone think they would be doing this young fellow a favor by painting a rosy picture so he can spend a valuable amount of his work foundation time investing in learning a trade that he will more than likely never be able to earn a living? where is your thinking. encouragement is nice. and bolstering someone's confidence can be as destructive as it can productive. you people need to STOP looking for hearts and flowers around every corner. And accept the real world as it is. Not how you wish it were.
Work a full time job, and do taxidermy on the side. Great money as a side job. Dont take in the work you dont want. Do it at your own pace, and set the price where ever you want it. If it is too high they can go somewhere else. And never take in too much work, as it will probly never get done
you've thought about it for years your a grad now. Ok stop there think you have option's.Ok try this if you want to try it give it a real go. This is what i did i got a few video's learned the basic's kept my day job.3yrs now i do taxidermy part time 10,20 hr's per week full time i don't know but i found a great way to suppliment my full time income.I still commit my time but don't count on the income to survive.The number of taxidermist's that fail is high but i really think they didn't think it through or realize just how much the job really intail's.One thing's for sure in the beginning we're all in control of what we want to do.Just be careful in doesn't get to big to fast or doesn't take off fast enough to survive.Good luck becareful and i hope if you chose to do this do it smart