I have never done any taxidermy work but I have seen a lot of bad stuff out there, and that is from so called pro's who do it all the time. If the deer you plan on doing is special to you or a monster buck I would save the money. If you just have a doe or small buck you want to practice on I would do it yourself to learn. Several hundred dollars puts a dent in my budget but I know as I get older I will be glad I spent the money when my mount is still in good shape and not falling apart.