Tip or no Tip?

[bushytail]

Do any of you give the taxidermist a tip for the animal they do for you?If you do,do you go by % or by how well they did the job?  :confused:  I got a mount done with a squirrel head and one paw poking out a hole with another squirrel stretched out above it on a small log."Got the squirrels with my recurve".It looked real nice,so i gave a tip.I told some people about it and they said they said you don`t tip them.Just wondering why or why not.Thanks for your thoughts-Harold

[The Vanilla Gorilla]

If he did a good job, then don't have any regrets about tipping him.

He'll remember that you tipped him. And next time you bring a critter in to get stuffed, he may bump you up to the top of the list, just to ensure that you keep coming back. Taxidermists LOVE repeat business.

You could bring him 5 squirrels a year, and he'll like your business more than the guy who brings him 1 deer every 5 years.

For a while, I was bringing my stuffer an average of 1 critter a month. Hogs, coons, ducks, deer, coyotes...whatever me and my buddies shot. The more I brought in, the more of a discount I got and the faster I got em back. I tipped him $20-$50 each time, depending on the job.

I think you did good tipping him, and I'm sure he appreciates it! Everybody loves a gratuity.

[Mo. Huntin]

you said do do.  Sorry seriously.  It certainly can't hurt if you tip maybe he will take a little extra time on your next one.

[bushytail]

Next month i`ll be taking an exotic ram to him to do for me.He also expanded his shop.I think that says something about his work.Has alot of happy customers coming back.  

[Jedimaster]

One of my good friends is a taxidermist.  He's very, very busy because he's very, very good.  He works hard to keep his prices reasonable and stays perpetually back-logged with business.  He makes a nice living but not extravagant.  He does the job for the love of it.  

Having been in his shadow I can tell you that his day begins with making phone calls to see if anyone will come pony-up and take their mount home.  Just like any business they have overhead not to mention a wife and home and bills to pay.  Very few people put paying the taxidermist on the top of their list when payday arrives.  He gets stuck with mounts all the time.  Often it takes writing a letter to get any response.  Even then there are excuses and sob stories galore and he listens to them all with patience because he wants to do what he does.  

If the guy that waits your table or the man that cuts your hair is worthy of a gratuity, so is the taxidermist.  It doesn't have to be much, let your conscious be your guide.  It will be appreciated.  Who'd of known years ago that the man mounting my deer would be taking me hog hunting and trapping on property only he has access too ...  might be you someday.  But he deserves it either way.

[Ybuck]

NO

[Bmac]

Yup!  With 5 packages of elk burger!  I doubt he would have been any happier with $$$.

[Swamp Pygmy]

I wouldn't say should or shouldn't. It couldn't hurt and if he doesn't like the idea of it all he has to say is "Thanks, but that is not necessary."

If he doesn't turn it down I suspect it couldn't hurt relations.

[LKH]

Jedimaster has it right.  Friend has a bunch of unretrieved mounts.  He has a lot of bucks and time in them and nothing to show for it.  

Too nice a guy to sell them like he legally can, but he has started to insist upon a serious deposit.

I've never tipped one, but I have given Dall sheep, deer, elk, and antelope capes to them for their use.

[bushytail]

Two of the taxidermist i know also offer payment plans.You pay your deposit,then make payments once or two times a month.then you don`t owe so much when the mount is done.You might have it paid off by then to.I`m sure that helps some people out the way the econemy is now.Thanks for your comments guys.

[Harmless]

If he does a good job I see nothing wrong tipping him. I'v had good taxidermist and bad. Had one supposidly outstanding award wining "artist" who who had my cape and rack for 18 months. Same story every time I spoke with him, oh I was sick over the summer and couldnt work. I found out he was being sued by several other people. I got my cape and rack back after 18 months and the cape had never been fleshed out and tanned  :(

[Bonebuster]

Jedimaster...well said.

[wapitimike1]

I have a good friend that does it and LKH is spot on. You wouldn't believe some of the animals that bring in stuff. He gets a deposit that covers his labor and material up front. He to has a pile from the old days of "I'll be back to pick it up". If they take a good deposit up front generally they do good work. That means they are going to send it to the tannery and buy the mannequin to do the job. Lastly you don't want to loose your investment so you return to pick it up.