Are the animal skins and horns worth selling in Africa??

[Stretch]

So I am talking to a friend about my upcoming Africa Hunt and he ask me what I am going to do with all the animals I plan on shooting? I explained to him that the meat stays in Africa, but it would be my choice as what to do with the capes, hides and horns. He then ask me "if you don't plan on mounting some of them, why don't you sell them in Africa?" He claims he has heard of other hunters doing this. Is this true? I never heard of this. Can someone sell the hides, capes or horns of animals that one doesn't plan on shipping back home? If so, what are they worth and who buys them?

 

[BRICKBURN]

Sure, book a hotel and a car and get your buddy to pay for it and start the sales trip.

Tell him you'll split the profits.

Certainly you can sell a nice Springbok dried hide #1 grade for 8 or 10 Rand.

 

[enysse]

They are not worth all that much, you have to remember a lot of animals are culled, so skins and horns are widely available.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

The dried salted skins and backskins (cape offcut) are priced by species and sold either by weight or piece, they are not worth much. The horns of most game is not worth anything, there is perhaps a small demand for Kudu and Gemsbok horns but prices are next to nothing.

 

[Jacques.strauss]

Hi Stretch,

I am from Namibia and here, the skins are almost worth nothing. If you take the time to cape an animal and keep the horns and try to sell it, you would probably end up with approximately USD20, depending on what plains-game animal we are looking at. Trust me, I tried to make some extra money by selling capes. As for normal skins, I think after buying the salt in order to dry the skins and with the maintenance, you will not even make USD5. Its really not worth it at all. However, I think that if you mount the trophies you shot and then tried to sell them to interior decorators or whatever, since its getting really popular.... then you would make a buck or two, but still not enough.

That's only my opinion, kind regards
Jacques

 

[TOM]

That is what I was going to say. If you were going to sell them I would have them mounted over here and sell them to sporting good stores, bars, interior designers, etc..

 

[Diamondhitch]

That is what I was going to say. If you were going to sell them I would have them mounted over here and sell them to sporting good stores, bars, interior designers, etc..

Once mounted they are worth less than the taxidermy bill. Even mounting them myself I would not make my cost back let alone a profit.

 

[Stretch]

Y'all confirmed my suspicions. After my friend told me about this money making idea, I informed him that I knew where I could get the correct information. Of course the AH community is who I thought of first. Thanks for all the feedback.

 

[TOM]

I dunno man, that is probably right but I have been to a number of auctions that brought crazy numbers for game heads. For instance, a sable from the 60's or 70's sold for $1,500, an old crappy eland for $1,200, impala for $500. Granted, there were a few people really interested so the prices got inflated. In addition, I do agree that it would cost more to shoot, ship and mount the animals than the prices attained at sale but it would be better than nothing. I see mounts selling all the time on ebay. The "going rate" for a zebra flatskin seems to be from $1,100-2,500.

 

[Stretch]

I dunno man, that is probably right but I have been to a number of auctions that brought crazy numbers for game heads. For instance, a sable from the 60's or 70's sold for $1,500, an old crappy eland for $1,200, impala for $500. Granted, there were a few people really interested so the prices got inflated. In addition, I do agree that it would cost more to shoot, ship and mount the animals than the prices attained at sale but it would be better than nothing. I see mounts selling all the time on ebay. The "going rate" for a zebra flatskin seems to be from $1,100-2,500.

Thanks for the info TOM. Like always you are very helpful.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Certainly you can sell a nice Springbok dried hide #1 grade for 8 or 10 Rand.

Oops, I underestimated.

An old valuation quote I got from a tanner in RSA.

Springbok Skins
"Depending on the grade and size prices can vary from R6 - R15 - Decoration
skins can get up to R20 - R30 per pce."

These are some retail prices in RSA for horns.
Antelope horns- individual (price per piece) cleaned and core removed
Springbok $2.00
Blesbok $4.00
Bushbuck $6.00
Impala $5.00
Eland $15.00
KuduSmall/medium $12.50
Large $17.50
x-large $20.00
Oryx $9.00
Blue Wildebeest $8.50
Black Wildebeest $8.50

 

[enysse]

I dunno man, that is probably right but I have been to a number of auctions that brought crazy numbers for game heads. For instance, a sable from the 60's or 70's sold for $1,500, an old crappy eland for $1,200, impala for $500. Granted, there were a few people really interested so the prices got inflated. In addition, I do agree that it would cost more to shoot, ship and mount the animals than the prices attained at sale but it would be better than nothing. I see mounts selling all the time on ebay. The "going rate" for a zebra flatskin seems to be from $1,100-2,500.

Tom, I would sell all my mounts if I could anywhere close to 80% of my costs back, not including shipping because you have to write ocean delivery as a total loss...right this second. I have seen terrible prices for taxidermy in Wisconsin, stuff selling for next to nothing. i have a beautiful flat skin zebra that I would sell for $1200...in a heartbeat.