had a customer bring over a deerhead 1 of 3 that was infested with either moth or beetle larvae, saw the larvae think its moth because it wasn't fuzzy looking. unbelieveable the hair coming off of it the thing was half bald. now this guy claims that the 3 deerheads that are infested out of 5 on his wall were from this one taxidermist that did them because the other 2 were fine and done by someone else. and they are all in the same room together. the mount job wasn't too bad for being 6 or so years old. so i told him to stick all his head in garbage bags and raid them. so i tell him these bug can get into any ones mounts, he claims no its just that guys doing. then wants to know if i have a guarantee on my mounts, i tell him it depends on the customers care before and after he bring it to me and goes back with him. any ideas folks? could it be this one taxidermists job on his 3 deer? im sure there on his other 2. now im freaked out.
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I don't care what a person does before they bring a project to me. Or how they care for it after I mount it. I NEVER guarantee the mount! Why? Because no matter what type of guarantee you put on it, Your faithfull customer will find a way to get around it!
I had a customer two years ago have a shoulder mount done. The day after he picked the mount up, He called and said the hanger on the back board broke and one antler broke off the deer. Now I gave him a 3inch grabber screw and told him to screw it into a stud and hang the mount and would have no trouble with it not holding. The hanger I used was a 1 1/2inch angle bracket with a 3/4inch hole in the back board held in place by 4 one inch drywall screws. I know it didn't "break". I told him not to touch the mount, I would be over in a few min. to pick the mount up for repairs. When I got there the mount was laying on the floor with the hanger and screws riped out of the back board and "tooling" marks on the back board. And a hole in his wall he was in the process of fixing. I ended up telling him I would fix the mount but I would charge him $25.00/hr and it would take at least 4hrs to fix. He said "this isn't very good customer service". I told him to try to screw some one else. He never did bring the mount in for repairs.
Point being, Even if you give proper care instructions. That mount could end up in the garage or barn where it will get damaged. Take my advice and DON'T give a guarantee! Joe
I give my customers a "how to take care of your mount" sheet when they pick up their mount and explain to them the danger of insect infestation and how to prevent it. I DO NOT however guarantee any mounts though. Once the mount leaves my studio I have absolutely no control of what happens to it. From there on it is the owners responsibility. If you guarantee your mounts you are asking for trouble in the future and are really opening a can of worms.
Joseph and Evelyn. I had a customer ask about guarantees the other day. I am happy that I handled it the way you guys do. I like Joseph's post about the idiot that hung it in the drywall, what a dimwit! LOL! We are surrounded by these people and need to look out for our own best interests.
'Clothing moth' larvie will eat any type of hair. Alot of natural products were replaced with FAKE materials for years. Including carpet, sweaters, coats, etc. You didn't have 'Clothing moths'. Now a mount hair can and WILL get eaten if given the chance. Take a specimen to an exterminator and get the proper diagnoses. They will recommend the treatment. RAID malathion or others will do it. HAPP
Maybe make up or print out some educational material on carpet beetles and other bugs that infest mounts (I always verbally warned my customers about them as I had an infestation a long time ago)? Mounts that I still have I rubbed sevin dust into the fur and brushed out the excess....of course bug-bombing is another option. But I suppose all you can really do is warn them to keep an eye out for such things and take precautions.....I wonder if such customers would demand that a store take back a bag of flour that had been sitting in their pantry a while and got infested with weevils? The store manager I'm sure would just tell them to call an exterminator - or buy some tupperware!
A guarantee on taxidermy ends up as perpetual care. The only thing I know of that comes with perpetual care is a cemetery lot.