How much do you have in a deer head? (materials and time)

In reality everyones cost's are different, When you figure insurance and utilities and evrery thing else, It realy doe's cost more than 150$

 

$150, same as European which they ussually choose after seeing the price comparison. Had 1 guy decide to get 2 antler mounts last week which brings me tp 7 antler mounts for this season & around 70 euro's.

 

too much everything

 

I have to ask again...how many of you would walk right past $150 laying on the ground and not pick it up, because you already have money, or you already have a good job, or all the other excuses? If I were part time at this, Id CHARGE EVEN MORE!!! Why not? Lol, if you cant get a decent wage, do something else? One of these deer head price posts had a guy debating price. He said I couldnt get it in his area. Yet Im mounting three shoulder mounts and a life size right now for a guy that lives right near him.

 

i have the same but charge 700.00 n like eceryone ese dont fill like give'N my work away

 

I will say one thing. I just basically set my prices to what everyone else here gets. I do think I have been convinced that I should do something, guess I never really thought about raising it before. I'm thinking small steps though. I'll start with $375 and see if I still get the business. Kinda scary to me though. I did turn down an offer from a local taxidermist today to do his tanning. I guess if I lose business, I can do his tanning and keep busy that way.

 

I hate to say it, but I havent been that low since 1990, thats 19 years ago, when I went to $400. Im willing to bet your work is alot better, and worth more than that. Im not telling you what to charge, Im just saying.

 

Mr.Yox, Dave Hyer as well as myself are already $100 or more than the other taxi's in our area. We have both adjusted our prices this year and are about the same price. Until the others in this area raise their prices....we will be limited on what we charge. To me, this is a money making hobby that lets me and my family "live" a little better. I have a full-time job as does my wife. At $375 a deerhead, I dont feel that I am giving my talent as a taxidermist/artist away. I feel that my customers are getting a high quality product at a fair price. (Not a bargain price as some suggest)
Although I have never won a world or national title,(or have ever been to one of those shows) I am a blue ribbon winner in the professional division at the state level. I dont go to competition every year either. Just enough to stay up on the latest techniques and methods and to see if I'm still up to par and worthy of being the highest priced in my area. I enjoy this work, and approach each and every head with the same fire that I felt when I was first learning. I will always try to get that extra $100 for my work and will be very happy doing so. Maybe a world or national title would change my way of thinking....but for now I'm happy with a fair days pay for a fair days work.

 

I have watched this thread with interest and humor, watching some justify prices by where they live (which in some cases is true and others not so). I live in NC, one of the hardest hit with job loss due to oversea movement. The textile industry was the backbone of our economy here, and now that it's gone, many people are struggling. That being said, I went to $450 last year, with great trepidation. I figured that, going that high would really limit my work load, (un)fortunately the exact opposite happened, I had my best year ever. The average price in my area is $275 - $350, with the lowest I have seen is $165 and the highest I know of is $550, and that is by some World Champion guys and National Champions. You will never know how much you can get away with until you push the envelope. But it all boils down to what you are comfortable with, if you like leaving money on the table, good for you. On the other hand if you want to see exactly what your area will carry, push and push hard. Two years ago, if you would have said that I could get $450, I would have laughed but I got tired of guys pulling into the driveway in new truck talking about their leases (in the thousands of dollars) and all such stuff and I decided that these guys have disposable income that they need to dispose of with me. Go up and see what they are are really willing to pay. Good luck guys

 

How did this post get away from a discussion on what it really costs to mount a deerhead into what should you be charging?? Charge whatever you want (what do so many of you have against makeing money??), but the simple fact is. ALL THINGS INCLUDED, you cannot mount a decent deerhead for less than $200. It's a fact and don't argue with me or anybody else, or justify with your excuses. Now charge on top of that watever you'd like. enough said, rwl

 

You see that is the problem, BECAUSE you DON'T need it for a living (a) you neglect to figure in some of the costs that you would surely need to as a full-timer, (b) if you did figure in everything you'd see it does cost more than $150, I do agree that everyone will be somewhat different but not a whole lot, and (c) when the part-timers, ehem, "can" do it cheaper and do do it cheaper, it takes work away from the full timer in that area because some will go to the cheaper guy to save a buck THEN that sometimes forces the full timer to keep or lower prices and work more hours to pay his bills. You say it about cost not price but they go hand in hand.
I'm not picking on you by any means, there are MANY out there that think the same way as you, I KNOW, because I DID until I decided to go fulltime and was very rudely awakened.

 

So here is what is happening.
1. you are afraid to make more money.

2. if you have another job, you are working overtime for half time wages.

3. you have no plans to really improve your work, just dream about it.

4. you dont need to win the WTC deerheads to do good very good Commercial work.

5. you would rather stay where you are at in life and don't want to improve it. Confort zone.

6. you really hate your family or you would not spend every extra minute in the shop.

7. You don't know no what wages are.

8. you dont know PROFIT is.

Part timers should b be higher than the full time taxidermist, time equals cost and you are working over time!!!

 

Exactly my point, we are the highest priced and we are the part-timers! I cant imagine how the full timers at $100 cheaper than me can survive!

 

Ok....here's an idea
Lets all ban together, and charge $1000 a head

 

last year when I did my my prices, My total for a deer head with everything included yada yada etc, it was $ 802.09 !!! now I do not charge that but it,s close, and I do not care what the next closest one maybe a mile as crow flies is charging! Now because I do not charge that I have no health insurance, my storage unit payment is sometime 2 months late, I have to friggin pb&j AGAIN,and the list goes on, I get 1/2 down when customer walks thru the door or they leave and come back, now I,m waiting for weeks for them to come up with ballance BEFORE I start thier mount, with a signed contract,because it was Christmas now they can,t pay me to complete the mount and now I have to tap into the deposit money they put down to pay part of my bills! I,m not going to get into it but if i charged what the guy down the steet charges I,d be walking, litterally because I wouldn,t be able to buy gas, I just psent last couple mornings reading the Breakthrough business manual, for $ 15.00 some of you might want to get it!!!!! it has some great ideas, just , my 2 cents

 

How much do you guys/girls get up front for deposit?

 

$250 1/2 down down before I will send a cape off to have it tanned. I will cape it off the skull and put it in my freezer there are some cape that i have had 2 and 3 years still waiting on a deposit and when they call asking if it ready i tell them I wont put forth any kind of money into the animal until i get my deposit.

 

Reply # 121 of this thread illustrates perfectly a recipe for failure in business. It starts out right with the advantage of bulk purchasing & with discounts getting your direct costs down as low as possible. THEN & I cant believe I actually saw this, it says to pass the savings on to the customer. NO NO NO!!!! you dont pass on savings to the customer. You use these savings to INCREASE PROFIT. If you cant understand this simple concept you have NO FRIGGEN BUSINESS BEING IN BUSINESS. You have a recipe for failure & YOU WILL FAIL.

 

Todd, I certainly understand your logic and reason. Its not wrong either, by the way. Some of us are just trying to take what you all see, and help you turn it around so you all can say "Oh, ok, NOW I see what you see". We arent a bunch of world champs insulated from the "real world". Its funny, striving to be better, and not having won a particular award might make the perspective seem different. having won some decent awards, I still am striving just the same as any of you, as I havent won "it all" nor will anyone. So, I dont believe the wins have quite the impact some might assume. Go through your customer list and randomly call guys and ask who won a world title, 1st 2nd or 3rd, and most will respond with "What?".

To me, if a guy is just bringing in extra income by doing taxidermy, why not just ask more, because its time away from family, no question about it. You are worth it, and now youve said its not critical you get it. All the more reason to try. I MUST say though, congrats that guys like you and Dave dont price yourselves under the full time competition, as thats another tough one to justify.

I know I keep saying the same thing, but Im not trying to tell any of you what to charge. Make the difference closer though, as youll still get it. 1990, guys, thats a LONG time ago!