lowballers and hacks hurting the industry?

Re: part timers hurting the industry?

Things will NEVER change, It's not full time or part time.

New guy starts out the only way he can get work is PRICE, " The Inexperienced" .

Bad Taxidermists, the only way he can get work is PRICE " The Hackidermist" .

The Backed up,overworked Taxidermist feels he's only secure if he has a year of backlogged work in his 18 freezers so he goes cheap to be guaranteed that work.
" Living in Fear of his job Taxidermist". So he sets a low Price.

And then the Taxidermist that thinks everyone should be able to get their deer mounted. He's just never going to make a living.



Lots of things have changed in this business, This will never change.....

George, you seen my brochure, I don't get many calls from price shoppers, they know if they can afford me or not by my advertising... MY phone rings it's a Client not as shopper.
Makes my day go a smoother.

 

Re: part timers hurting the industry?

I would LOVE to have been a teenager in the 60's George!!!

I suppose with deer it's different because one almost needs a mentor to learn and gain access to land to hunt. Whereas with fish, many kids learn on their own. In your example, I'd bet that for every ONE that comes your way there's probably 10 kids that have gone elsewhere. MOST kids don't listen to their parents. I know MOST kids kids would say that they're paying so therefore it's THEIR choice. Unless of course this guy is forking the bill for this kid??? You need to hang with teenagers nowadays to see how much things have changed. Most I know are respectful towards their parents, but there's a different overall mindset with kids these days.

Clearly, educating the customer is key. But it's tough sometimes when they only want to listen for 30 seconds on the phone. I get a lot of folks just wanting an acceptable job and they attempt to get me to lower my prices. "Well, it's just my son's first fish, I don't want to spend a lot and he won't know the difference".

I DO disagree with your website comment though. You wouldn't believe how many "shoppers" I point to my website call back and bring me work (and it would have been a lost cause trying to explain over the phone). I agree that flaws can be hidden in 2D photos, but the customer's don't know that. Most (customers) have an acceptable level of quality in their heads that is typically lower than what (I think) I put forth. SEEING photos of my work typically closes the deal. The website can be an extremely important tool in marketing these days...

 

Re: part timers hurting the industry?

Yes mk there are a pile of them.
The masons,electicians,carpenters,ETC. I know about because I am around them all the time. I can imagine all the trades have cut throats though. We see a lot of it and wonder how they do it so cheap and after seeing their work, wonder how they get other jobs after that!!!

 

Re: part timers hurting the industry?

I know several Pat Time taxidermist that do awesome work and the only reason they are part time is because they are Firfighters with a 24hr on 48 hr off routine.

 

Re: part timers hurting the industry?

Yes, some good points MK.

Fish ARE unique to the industry because of the possibility of letting them go. We could go off on a whole new tangent here on that discussion! Don't have time though.

I would say the bulk of my work is from referrals and newcomers. In fact, I just called DEX yesterday and discontinued 2/3rds of my Yellow Pages ads. I needed them when first starting out, but the Y.P.'s have been losing money ever since for me. I have several repeat customers and even one or two that seem to get everything they catch mounted. But you're right, in the fish business you need plenty of new faces coming in every year to make it.

30-40 years ago you had to fish through a comic book to find an ad for Taxidermy Training. Now, do a search on the internet and see how many hits you get! Accessibility and ease of access to information (I believe) has many more beginners trying something they never would have tried if it weren't readily accessible. I DO think there's a plus to that though. I believe MANY fail. AND, in the meantime they help keep the costs of supplies down for us full-timers!

 

Re: part timers hurting the industry?

Seems to me this a Midwest and Northeast problem form the guys posting? Lowballers? what defines one? Is it because he's cheaper than you? I agree, the majority of hunters really don't know or care what the finished deer looks like, only price! Here in my area of Alabama you have a lot of hunters, anywhere from trailer trash to mansion on the hill types. I mount deer for $325 and that is on the high end in my market area. I know its hard for you guys in IL, NY or PA to understand that. My phone rings several times a day and first thing most of them ask is price, then how long? There are many part time taxidermist within a couple miles of me that charge $200-$250 for deer mounts. It don't bother me, I'm getting my share. I haven't had one customer complain or comment about the price being high once they see my mounts. Again, my price is on the high end of the scale in my area. Next, you have to ask yourself "Am I an arrogant a$$hole" to my customers? Stand back and evaluate yourself. If you are one of those kind of people YOU won't get the business your looking for because word of mouth is a two way street. "He does good work, but he's an a$$hole, so I'm gonna let YOU mount my deer". I have heard that same line about a half dozen times this year. There is a taxidermist about 15 miles North of me that is notorious for bad mouthing everyone. Well, his business ain't doing to well this year because some "new" guy near Cullman is getting all his deer. New guy? I was doing taxidermy when this guy was still $hitting green! Did I mention I'm the "new" guy in my area, but not to the taxidermy business? I'm pulling deer off guys that are $100 cheaper than me from the far end of the county mainly because of a display I put up at a popular hardware/feed store out that way and I have meet alot of the hunters their while picking up quail feed. I give them my speech without downing any of their taxidermist and tell them my price and why I'm more expensive and tell them I would like to have their business. Yeah, I would love to charge more and will as I get more of them roped in over the next few seasons. Another factor, I don't just mount deer, but do all phases of taxidermy. A lot of the part timers only do deer because thats all they know how to do. I can set my own prices of birds, fish and snakes because hardly no one else does them in my area. I learned years ago that you will get more customers if you front a good attitude and don't bad mouth other taxidermist in the area. So my conclusion is that your problem of lack of business my be more your attitude and how you present yourself than what price you are charging. ???

 

Re: part timers hurting the industry?

MK, I didn't think you were. That issue was just never mentioned in the thread so I thought I'd toss it out there. You know the kind I'm referring too, every area has them. Glad to here your as "nice guy"!

 

Re: part timers hurting the industry?

See mk there you go again with that part time whining. You still don't get it. If your work is no different than the part timers, you aren't going to get more than the part timers. I am not saying that your work isn't any better but mine is better and I have better clients. I had a guy recently bring in 4 deer, pay cash in full and told me to let him know when they are done, no hurry. You wanna know where 2/3rds of my work come from... A local bowshop. I mounted a doe that I wanted to hang in there, I asked and they said sure bring it by. I showed up 2 days later with it and took 3 jobs out with me. One deer I mounted for the manager, at full cost, no discounts. When someone comes in looking or asking for a taxi, they tell them "Look at these 2 deer, then look at the rest. If you can tell the difference and wanna pay for that difference, I'll give you his card. If you can't tell the difference, I'll give you that guys card." I told them that I didn't want them pushing me, just showing my work was enough. The manager asked me why mine looked so much better and I explained the details. I have been in there when someone came in and watched him explain the details. Walked out with that job too.

Give it a rest. There is a reason people will pay for higher prices and you complaining isn't changing it. Part timers aren't hurting the industry. I have told customers that I can't afford your truck and if you can't afford my work I understand. I understand that you are worried about your business but what have you done to get it where you want it? Do you have an area that you want to specialize in??? Have you looked into marketing yourself to higher end clients? Yellow pages? Website? (I don't have either) Displays in local bow and gun shops? How bout marketing in the next county or city? The work is out there but it don't come banging on your door. Quit looking for someone to blame and look in the mirror.

 

Re: part timers hurting the industry?

Sure but that isn't who you want as clients anyhow. Yea, it's hard to show someone the details over the phone but you have a website. Go after the Chicago guys, market there. I am sure there are bow and gun shops there and if your work turns there interest, you could have more than you want. I have work coming from Canada, Texas and I have a deer from Georgia (4hrs away). If people are interested, they will come, ask Dennis. I am going full bore on a different marketing idea next year and it may take me full time. The work is out there! If you have the disposable income, energy and quality, I can get you all the work you want.

 

matt, i got a call today that you would have loved, the guys first words, "how much are your deer mounts", i answered with 400, he then says well i will bring it in for you to do, let me know when you get a cape, i replied with if it needs a cape its gonna cost a minimum of 150 more and possibly even higher, he then tried to get in a pissing match with me over this issue, then nerve of some people, well when we hung up he was going to go to a local guy down in arkansas, about 45 minutes later a guy walks in the shop carrying a set of antlers, and introduces himself as the guy who called earlier, looks at a few items in the showroom, and lays out 600 dollars in cash and says if you need more let me know, just get a nice cape for it, LOL the same price shopper turned out to be a guy who just wanted to get it right the first time, i had him pegged as a price shopper from the time he started argueing with me, when he payed me i thought he was a rich boy, but when i looked out at what he was driving i saw it was an old beat up 70's model pickup, it just proved to me, that they cant tell what i am talking about over the phone no more than i can tell what type of person they are when they call, LOL i would have bet my last dollar that guy was going somewhere cheaper, funny world we live in my freind, for sure, Russ

 

You can't fix stupid. Live with it, I can't complain about what the other guys are doing. I only have control over me. George once said it "I can't complain about what the other guy charges. He is better at judging his work than I am" or something like that. Thank you for changing the header of this post. I hate people blaiming part timers.

 

I just got in from the shop With a new customer That is a perfect example of what is going on in this industry. He left his old taxidermist of years because he got too expensive and took too long. 3 years ago this other taxidermist was $325 I started out at 275. I now charge $300 he charges $500. He's a year out. I'm 5 months out. I've increased my business 50% each year since Ive been open. Next year I'll go up a little more. Cut down on the processing. And not work as hard.
Hopefully He'll go up a little more. And drive some more customers my way. When I have the luxury of a larger customer base. Then I'll start to raise my prices to weed some of them out. Just like he is. But in an area like Southern Indiana. Where a $10 an hour job is a good job. For me to start out at $400 a deer. I'd still be waiting for my first customer to come in.

 

Its not the prices, its the quality!!!!

We do pretty fair fish, they very well hold their own with most of the upper class fish heads. Today a man who was here yesterday with his cousin drove past 6 other taxidermist to bring in a 13 pound rainbow trout. There are other taxidermist closer to him just 40 miles away many others in the other direction.

Then why did he drive 120 miles one way to bring us a trout???? Prices?? Nope we sure are not cheaper not at $14.00 per inch on this fat monster. Could it be quailty???? He has used a couple other taxis that do very good work. So why did he bring this fish in to us???

Maybe its the quailty!! I think thats the only reason., it will take a few months. But we already have a trout on the wall that is exactly the color he wants his to be and no one else he claims "paints them as good."

In two days we have taken in over $6000.00 in work and tomorrow seems to be shaping up to be really nice too.

I have mentioned it before its not the lowballers, there is work for them too. Brian Harness is higher on small mammals than we are but he is way to heck better too. We cannot compete with his quality and we will get our share at our price.

Maybe if you look at how the economy is running, the retal stores are still waiting for black friday. credit is bad, homes are being repoed.

But some of us are having a super great year.

This year we did zero newpaper ads, last year we had several, last year sucked in many ways. So whats the difference??? I think I know but I aint telling.

Our shop is 20 X 20, we have the concrete down for a 24 X 30, the metal for the sides in now on order and we paid for it, did not use CUSTOMERS DEPOSITS EITHER!!! Those are not ours that the CUSTOMERS until we buy mounting supplies.

We did make a trip to the tannery today with a bunch of hides.

The secret is doing good work and price is not the thing thats going to make the difference.

 

LOL John. I too have had several people drive 100+ miles up from Central Illinois to bring me their fish. I was feeling pretty good about it and asked them why the big trip? Come to find out everybody down there was 16+ months turnaround time and I was only 6-7 months - lol!

You DO reach a point with pricing where you will start to lose some customers. I also get a kick out of the marketing strategies posted. EVERY area/market is unique. Something that works for somebody may not work for others. There's SO many variables when it comes to economics and marketing our stuff. It's impossible to tell somebody what they're doing wrong (or right) IF ANYTHING! The market might just not be there [remember Randy Desmerous (sp?] His AREA just fell into the toilet as far as game and fish goes...