Around home I Would keep the antlers until the taxidermist needs them.Out of state it is not practical to do that.There is always this fear that you may never see them again through theft or shipping issues.It is always a sense of relief to have them back in your posession intact.
Instead of sounding like a 12 year old (not there is anything wrong with that) tell your taxidermist that a close relative is very ill and you would like for them to see them before they pass,or you were entered in a buck contest and they have to be measured by their measurer.These examples sound a lot better than just going to visit them!
Of course there is always the ego inflating reason to leave them at the taxidermist so all the other hunters come in and ask "who shot that beast" and you have a legend in the making!