cameronmclain

SORRYA LONG STORY, BUT.....

I am interested in learning taxidermy (thanks to everyone for their advice on my last post). Yesterday I went to a local taxidermist a few miles from my house to see if maybe I could hang out at his shop to learn a few basics. I told him I would do fleshing/scraping, sweep the floors, mow the grass, etc, whatever he needed...all for free. I said I'd do anything he needed done FOR FREE, just because I want to learn and he has a superb reputation. So he really wouldn't be hiring me, just letting me hang out, and at the same time be getting free labor. He was a really nice guy, we talked for about an hour, looked around his shop. He has seven guys working for him. I told him I was moving in a few weeks, and I've already quit my job, so I could help all day for two weeks and learn all I could before I move. He said he didn't think that'd be a good idea. I explained to him that I wouldn't be taking any of his business because I'm moving, but he still wouldn't crack! Anyway, I'll learn by myself I guess, it was worth a shot.

Anyway, long story short: We went in the "storage" room, and it was FULL of stuff! I asked him how much work he has to do, and he said he is THREE YEARS BEHIND!!!!!!!!!!!!

THREE YEARS!!!! I just started laughing! I couldn't believe it. Even with seven guys (eight including him) and a secretary, three years! He has a great reputation, and does beautiful work, but there's no way I would bring anything to him. That is a looooong, looooong time.

Here's an example of a phone conversation:
RING, RING, RING.
hunter: "Hello"
tax: "This is _______ Taxidermy. We have your deer done. You can come pick it up."
hunter: "Who?"
tax: "________Taxidermy. You brought us a mount three and a half years ago."
hunter: "A mount? Who is this?"
tax: "IT'S THE TAXIDERMIST!"
hunter: "I shot a deer?"
tax: "YES! And I mounted it, and you need to come get it!"
hunter: "You MOUNTED it? Why?"
tax: "Sir, just come get your deer"
hunter: "Who is this?"
tax: "COME GET YOUR D#MN DEER!"
hunter: "Do I know you from somewhere?"
tax: "@^(*^$#%^*(($%%#$$%%^%**)*%$#!!!!!!!!!!"

ETC, ETC, ETC, ETC, ETC!!!!!! LOL!

Since I am trying to get into the business, I have a few questions about this. First of all, at whatpoint does someone say "Maybe I need more help" or "my system isn't really working", or "Well we're really behind. We're not accepting any more work. You'll have to wait three years, and I don't want my customers dissatisfied with waiting too long."

Wouldn't somebody make more money by getting stuff out the door? I know quality work takes time, but three years? C'mon, that is rediculous. With that much work, it looks like he could afford to pay more people to help him. I would be really disappointed if I had to tell a customer: "Well, call me back in April of 2009". I would be even more disappointed if I was a customer!

To me, taking less work, while still doing an outstanding job would be more imortant than having tons of work that I'll never get done. That makes for bad business, and I would think would run some customers off. (So would turning some away I guess, but I would respect someone who told me: "Honestly, I can't get to it. Bring us your next one".).

From the customer standpoint, I would never, never take anything back there no matter how good it looked if I waited on something for three years.

Anyway, sorry again for the long post, but what would yall say is a fair time to get a finished product back to a customer?

rgswildlife

At my old shop I had three guys working full time for me and the turnaround time was 12-13 months. Now at my new shop I work alone and put the work out in 5-6 months but when it gets close to a year turnaround it is time to hire help. I think one year is long enough to wait for your mount. I feel that items sitting in the freezer are not making any money for me so lets get them mounted and make the money.Just my idea.

Rich

http://www.rgswildlifetaxidermy.com

Alex The Hawk

Don't go into taxidermy with that imagination you should be writting books <LOL

nctaxi

This pot just never gets stirred enough. About like the chicken and the egg. This is what I do... I take in what I want and what I can realistically get done in a certain timeframe. I try not to have anyones deer more than 4 months, average turnaround right now is 2.5 months. BUT, I REPEAT< BUT, I only do this part time. I just took a doe (previous post) to an archery shop, and the next night the owner called and wants me to mount 3 freezers full of stuff. He said he'd never had anything mounted because he never saw " a taxidermist work that he was impressed with". Really a big compliment, but I won't take in more than I want, he can take it or not. I really would like to do the work, but I really enjoy the time with my family. Quality is more important to me than quantity.
Cameron - if you are serious about taxidermy - when you get to wherever, subscribe to Taxidermy Today and Breakthrough magazines and join that states taxidermy association. The mags are great learning tools and the association will get you in doors that were closed before. Best of luck and if I can help you in any way, let me know.

Bill Yox

Cameron, its very obvious you are young. First, with that attitude, you see why the guy didnt "crack" now, dont you! Second, yes, ok, we know, you wouldnt wait that long, no matter what, etc etc. But, three years worth of guys ARE willing to wait.

Do you guys think us studios with "too long" return times like this? Dont you think we HAVE exhausted all other options, help, price, expansion, limits, etc? ENOUGH already, we GET it. Some dont like to wait. And some like to take the opportunity to call this bad business. Uhhh, next topic, please?

livbucks

Young folks have that attitude that they can change the world, do it better...quicker...cheaper..yada yada.
Go easy on him guys...he will learn how the real world operates soon enough.
If the guy had the feeling you were sizing him up, he won't be obliging your request any time soon. Had you a different attitude, maybe a little less of telling him how to run his shop better, he might have taken you on.

If he has three years backlog, he must be doing something right. My Dad waited over two years from a family friend that does it part time in his basement...He paid the guy a bonus by the way. Great mount.

cameronmclain

Long post....

Bill - I'm not as young as you think
First of all, don't get offended by my post. I was merely asking what a fair time would be. I don't think three years is fair. If you do- that's your business and you can run your business how you want. Please don'ttake it personal and get defensive just because I was saying "That's not how I would run my business". If your business works for you- great. If mine works for me- great.

Second- I don't have an "attitude" like you said. I told the guy upfront what my intentions were and he understood them. I knew why he didn't want me to hang out at his shop, and that's fine. No big deal- it's HIS shop, andI will learn from somewhere. My saying "he still didn't crack" was a figure of speech, not literal. I wasn't trying to underhand him in any way. He was very friendly and explained everything, and I am totally fine with his stance.

Third:
Bill, again- you're taking it personally. I wasn't talking about your business- I don't even know your business. I was asking a question "Is it fair". Again- If you think it's fair, it's your business. IN MY OPINION (that would be MY OPINION), No, I don'tthink all options are exhausted. But that's my opinion. I'm not arguing with you about how you run your business. If you want work for three years- that's you, not me. I'm saying I wouldn't.
You're obviously self consciece about it because you get defensive when a question is posed.

livbucks-
LOL. Again, just because I want to get into taxidermy doesn't mean I'm 17 years old and think I can rule the world.
First, I don't think I can do it better, quicker, cheaper. Again- I was asking a question of fairness.
NCTAXI's turnaround is 2.5 months, and obviously he does great work. If your turnaround is 3 years or 5 years- it's up to you. It's YOUR BUSINESS. I wouldn't want to be that far out, but that's me.

"He must be doing something right". Maybe so. But maybe not. Who knows? It is ulimately up to the customer where he takes his mount. If he wants to wait that long, so be it. If he doens't, great also.



Please don't get offended or defensive about newbie questions. How am I supposed to learn if I don't ask questions? If you think it's fair, a simple "Yes, that's how I run my business" would've sufficed and I would have the same respect for you as anyone else (instead of saying I'm immature and "not in the real world"). I thought arguments and belittlement was only for the political forum!? Is NCTAXI in the real world with a turnaround of 2.5 months?

I may be younger than you, but I'm old enough to know that quality work takes time. And I'll try my best to do quality work. But I also want to be fair to my customers. It is, after all, a business. I wasn't questioning you personally, or even as a businessman. It's your business. My question (as a newbie) is what is the limit?



p.s. Thanks to NCTAXI and RGSWILDLIFE for their helpful input. I'm trying to learn all I can, so I greatly appreciate it.

rgswildlife

cameronmclain

I answer the way I see the question asked.

I feel that one year is plenty of time to complete a mount, BUT when you take in more work then you yourself can complete I think something should be done and again this is only my opinion.The mounting process is usually cut and dry in regard to the completion time, but in this business all of the other thing, that go on in my shop, add lots of time to any and all projects. For almost 3-4 months I can't start a mount because of all the work that needs to be skinned, salted, labeled, talk to the customer about forms and extra work they might want ,and itemssent to the tannery etc.The first deer I would start at 7AM might not be finished for three days and by then it isn't worth crap. That is the nature of the business.I have had 3-4 full time taxidermist working for me and it was a mad house in my shop.I moved and started over about 4 years ago and I also raised my prices so I could support my family and the amount of work has doubled since last year, as I said before when it takes me over one year to mount something I will hire somebody to do the everyday chores. Again this is the way I run my business. Everybody does it different, but three years is way too long to wait for a mount and again this is my feeling only.

Rich

http://www.rgswildlifetaxidermy.com

Alex The Hawk

The problem I believe is a social problem of this days we live in, Folks are use to fast things, fast foods, fast car washes, fast marriages, fast banking, fast divorces.
So why not fast taxidermy,? Unfortunatley it doesn't exist in taxidermy, if it were so we would be making a heck of a lot more money.
Taxidermy has improved over the past say 100 years, but then again so have the teckniques to preserve the animal for longer periods of time, so that requires time.
Also another social problem I see with these youths of today is "egocentrism".

I hear them talking and it rubs me the wrong way when they say such things as.
"I" tokkMY deer to MY taxidermist and He is working On My deer right now"
Follow by I don't know what is taking him so long to do "MY deer". they only see THEIR deer, never mind the other 350 deers ,MY deer is what you need to do". That attitude of MY MY MY MY drives me insane.

To which usually I reply ,"o thank you sir for bringing me your deer woth $150 in profit without it I would starve." I will beg for the other $300,000 I make a year from other people"

If you don't want to wait 3 years take it to somebody else.![:@][:@][:@][:@]

cameronmclain

Alex- I agree with your thoughts on today's fast-paced world. As I said before- I agree that quality work takes time.

Example: I had a wood duck and a pintail mounted.
I took the wood duck to a reputable taxidermist about an hour away. He told me it would be about 90 days. I said no problem, paid him upfront, and left. After 90 days, I called him, and he said it wasn't ready, but he would call me when it was. So like a good customer I waited patiently, and it was seven months before he called. I went to pick it up, and it looked AWESOME!!! The seven months didn't bother me at all. After all- it's a stuffed duck that is hanging on my wall. NO RUSH for it!! LOL. It's not life or death! He did an outstanding job- and I would take something else to him.
My pintail I took to a guy that I met thru work. He had my duck back in three weeks. It looks decent, but some mistakes are obvious.

I'm not saying the time had anything to do with it. The first guy may have just been more talented.

An even trade I guess.




LOL! You should have told him that!

This brings up another question!
I know there are a lot of variables involved. It all depends on demand/customers/quality/prices/etc...
But I was wondering what does the average tax. make?

I know starting off you make beans, but say a guy that's been doing it for about 5 years and has a decent reputation?

This is what I want to do, good salary or not, so money doesn't really matter that much. I'm going to do it anyway. My wife can support me!!!! LOL !

But would you say a reputable tax. w/ decent amount of work makes $20k a year? $50k? $75k? I have no idea. (I'm not asking anyone to share something they're uncomfortable with! just wondering what to expect in the future!)