RE: what to do with a hide.
You can get tanned hides on ebay all day long for 50 dollars. Anybody that would pay 300 dollars is an idiot and you ought to try to sell him a bridge or two.
This year, I am going to soak mine in borax for a few days with water. And get it to the point I can pressure wash off the fur so I can use the rawhide for backing longbows.