Should you EVER pay a taxidermist anything in advance?

[Muskox]

The taxidermist in Las Cruces who is really good Majors Taxidermy. Requires a 50% to receive an animal within a week, and 100% paid for before they start work.

Their work is excellent, and they are professionals.

 

[RR 314]

I have a great taxidermist I have known for decades. He does not require a deposit; however, I always guesstimate what forms, tanning etc. will be and write him a check. I think he appreciates the gesture—especially with how expensive forms (and shipping the forms) has become.

 

[Hunt anything]

Here in the States I normally don’t pay a deposit, I’ve been using one taxidermist solely for waterfowl for 30years and my old hometown taxidermist for around 40 years. Both have become friends and there is a mutual trust. The one time in the States I paid a deposit was my first African shipment to Michigan, I think it was 50%.
African taxidermist get a 50% deposit in my experience except one that did in house taxidermy, no deposit and quality work was completed in 8 months. So that’s 2 out of 3 in Africa

I did have one taxidermist here in the States that was a talented bird taxidermist and he wanted a 25% deposit. He did great work on 4 birds for me but the last group I sent him ( blue winged teal, red breasted merganser and a cackling goose) he mounted them sent me pictures of the mounts so I sent the balance and I never heard from him again. That was in the early 90’s.

I should clarify a bit, I haven’t had anything mounted here in the States since 2015, so my experience here is a little dated. I have had a fair amount done in Africa so that is current.
I did have a beautiful Western Canada goose in the freezer to mount but it was ruined when I put some shrimp on top of it in the freezer, the shrimp bag had some moisture on it and pulled a handful of feathers out when I pulled the shrimp out so I just ate the goose.

 

[buck wild]

@Bonk bc some people aren't going to walk away from getting their car back after getting it repaired. You might be surprised how many people will walk away from finished taxidermy. It's a luxury item, not a necessity. Laid off, sick, divorced, not divorced , new baby- all reasons I have been given by customers for why they no longer want their animal. At best, finished taxidermy sold on the retail market might be worth 25% of the mount costs. I'm going to lose money even if I can sell it.
Oh, and birds, at least in the US, are mostly illegal to resell. If I do birds for anyone I don't have a long-standing relationship with, it's 100% upfront.

 

[Hunt27]

I mainly use two taxidermists in the states, one for birds and one for mammals. My mammal taxidermist and I have a friendship that formed, and I get some good customer perks from time to time, I still pay him a deposit. His work is that good i don't mind paying the deposit.
The taxidermist use for my world slam of turkeys is one of the best bird guys in the United States. Nice guy but very straight forward guy no bullsh!t guy. He requires a 50% deposit and has a 18-24month wait. If he required a 100% of payment before work starts, I gladly pay it, his work and reputation is that good.
This year I'm cheating on my mammal taxidermist (he knows i told him, and he has enough deer he doesn't care about one more) and I'm having a young woman taxidermist who just finished a apprenticeship do my buck. She required a 40% deposit, i get it she has expenses and first year in her own space she can't afford to be out the form and tanning cost.
sometimes you have to take the gamble i guess, although i don't feel it's much of a gamble. It's easy to research almost anyone these days

 

[Tanks]

Prove me wrong!

I don't know of any taxidermist that will proceed work without a deposit. Heck, in a lot of projects we will not proceed unless we are paid 100% material costs and 10-15% labor costs up front. Sometimes that can be millions, enough to run and retire at Belize.

 

[SETH RINGER]

TEND TO USE THE BIGGER GUYS, BE IT IN AFRICA OR TEXAS, 50% SEEMS TO BE THE NORM.

 

[analog_peninsula]

Brush Country Studios did my buffalo promptly and the outcome was exceptional. They aren't cheap, but ... you do get what you pay for.

 

[gram2117]

Grew up the kid of a part time taxidermist. I wouldn't think of not paying a deposit. Those guys aren't getting rich.

 

[coyote wacker]

I was lucky my brother and a life long friend were taxidermist. Then my brother took on a new career took a project to his friend 45 years ago and have never got it. A Boone and Crocket non-topical whitetail deer and a elk. Well around 20 years ago my wife met a woman her husband was a basement taxidermist we became friends and he did quite a few mounts for me over the years, great prices and very good work he was a artist. Then he decided he would retire, I haven't had a animal mounts in a couple years since he retired.

 

[Flbt]

I’ve used a couple of local taxidermists for whitetails and neither one asked for a deposit. Both completed the work before the promised date.

I don’t see why taxidermy should be different from any other business. Every business has to incur some cost upfront in order to do what they do. Take auto body work for example. No shop ever requires an upfront deposit for parts, paint, etc. They get paid when the work is finished.

I generally agree with the OP regarding deposits in general. Do the work and then you get paid. I, too, have seen way too many examples of people paying a deposit and then the work may or may not get done as agreed upon. The best incentive for anyone is to correctly complete the job so they can get paid. I have paid deposits for major gun smithing but only to well known established gunsmiths that have stellar reputations.

I’ve already decided I won’t be having any taxidermy done when I hunt Africa. I don’t care about trophies and I don’t need the actual animal hanging on my wall. I also don’t want to deal with the whole import/export/shipping nonsense. It’s just not worth the cost and hassle IMO. Besides, I don’t like the idea of leaving a substantial deposit in a country where I have little or no recourse if things go sideways. A nice framed photo will suffice for me.

The difference between the auto body and taxidermy.
Ins. Is paying for a lot of body work.
And they have the car that’s worth something.

Some one else squirrel not really worth selling.

 

[Rubberhead]

I hate to say it but I agree and have had the same experience but it's usually the small shops with one guy doing everything. Taxidermy experiences are usually a "1" or a "5" on the 1-5 scale with little in the middle.

 

[Houston Bill]

I have had taxidermy done both in South Africa and Houton area. I believe I have always paid a 50% deposit and I have never had an issue but I use taxidermists that are long established and have great reputations. For example, I have mounts that are about 25 years old that were done in South Africa and they still look great and do not show signs of wear. In general the only thing I due to the mounts is dust them once a year or so. I have always received high quality work but the wait time is an issue with both African and US taxidermists.

 

[mdwest]

I dont know of any quality taxidermist in the US or abroad that will start on your work without a deposit…

Granted I’ve only used 3 different taxidermists in the US in my life… and about a half dozen different ones abroad… but that’s been my experience…

 

[Sabre]

At the end of the day, taxidermy is basically commissioned custom work. Almost all custom commissioned work requires a deposit because the person doing it is going to be out time, money, and supplies while working on the project. And, at the end of the project, if the person who commissioned decides not to show up to pick it up, it won't be worth much because it is "personalized"/custom.

 

[Ryan]

Good taxidermists understand it may be an art, but it's also a business and they have those two balanced.

I've used three different taxidermists for my four trips to southern Africa along with two tanneries. Had to a deposit down on all of them. I believe they were all around 50%. Only issue I had was one tannery in Namibia botched the giraffe back skin he raved that he could do so well. He dropped it off with the taxidermist who were doing my heads to be packed together, they took one look at it and made him refund my money to them they were so ashamed of his work. He's gone now. At the time he was the only tannery I could find to do it, well he thought he could do it, lesson learned. Thankfully the giraffe head and neck they did came out fine. Everything else, no major issues and everything was on time, if a tad early.

Back in Alaska I have a taxidermist I've used for 15+ years now. Requires a down payment, but usually maybe 20%. He knows I'm good for the rest and I know he's going to do great work as fast as possible. Used to be maybe a year, but lately it's longer. He's a two man shop with his son and has more business than he can deal with, I understand. Oh, and my first and probably only fish is getting worked up in Florida
It required 50%. Supposedly all is on time for about a year. Guess we'll see there. They are pretty reputable.

That said, I've heard nightmares. I had a friend lose his muskox to a new guy in the biz that couldn't keep things straight with his business and life, closed up without notice, and I'm sure sold off his and some other peoples amazing trophies. And one of the bigger places in town gave a coworker back the wrong chamois. He compared the mount to photos, definitely different horns and hide coloring. Not sure if that got sorted out.

 

[Muskox]

I mainly use two taxidermists in the states, one for birds and one for mammals. My mammal taxidermist and I have a friendship that formed, and I get some good customer perks from time to time, I still pay him a deposit. His work is that good i don't mind paying the deposit.
The taxidermist use for my world slam of turkeys is one of the best bird guys in the United States. Nice guy but very straight forward guy no bullsh!t guy. He requires a 50% deposit and has a 18-24month wait. If he required a 100% of payment before work starts, I gladly pay it, his work and reputation is that good.
This year I'm cheating on my mammal taxidermist (he knows i told him, and he has enough deer he doesn't care about one more) and I'm having a young woman taxidermist who just finished a apprenticeship do my buck. She required a 40% deposit, i get it she has expenses and first year in her own space she can't afford to be out the form and tanning cost.
sometimes you have to take the gamble i guess, although i don't feel it's much of a gamble. It's easy to research almost anyone these days

Who do you use for birds, I need to find a good one.

 

[DieJager]

Depends. The professional foreign company I used it was 50% up front and 50% when completed. Totally understand it from a business perspective.

In my own country on small animals I have never had to make a deposit but the difference is the hunting community is small over here and the relationships are based on trust. I understand when dealing with larger animals and more expenses to ask for a deposit. Wouldn't bother me a bit.

 

[Hunt27]

Who do you use for birds, I need to find a good one.

fallen feathers studio. North west Ohio

 

[Philip Glass]

It may appeal to a dark side of human nature, and I may be enabling the worst to come out in some people, but my experience is that down payments to many types of contractors end badly. I see folks take the money and run. Take half down and then consider the last half to be too little compensation to even proceed further. At the best of times, the completion date is doubled or even quadrupled. Some things never get finished. Many get buried in some dusty corner, to be gotten to "someday." Few seem to consider the contract from the side of the consumer.
Meanwhile, hides get old and dry, or too long in the freezer, maybe unskined so long they mummify in the freezer, or the hair eaten by mites or whatever the cooties are that attack fur. I don't know anyone who has had their completion date even approached, much less honored who has paid in advance! What good does it really do? I only make it financially possible for them to skip out to the next project. I wish I would ever learn, but like a dummy I hand it over in my enthusiasm.

Prove me wrong!

It is true 50% down is the standard. It is really a must as a competent taxidermist will be sending off your skins to a tannery right away and incur that cost. I agree that wait times are too long. 1 year was the standard and that has advanced. If they can't get the work done in one year they need to take in less business. Everyone needs to compare and get references in this business.
Here is the scary part, most taxidermists especially smaller ones operate as a legal Ponzi scheme. Now hold on before my taxidermist friends torch me! Listen to this line of reasoning. If XYZ taxidermy shop stopped taking in animals to mount would they be financially able to complete all the work in the shop? No, I doubt it. Let that sink in...