When deciding on pricing if you are a taxidermist depends on a few concerns.they are the following, one is where you live. Here in Montana , I have to be priced for the local economy so you can get work in from the local sportsmen with local game , but for the international game, I ‘m priced on a national level. Next is the overhead, if you have major expenses like workers, their insurance,rent or payments,etc. then that taxidermy shop will be priced very high and are good but not for their rates, when a life mount on a middle size game animal cost more than a new car, then something is wrong.Next is their talent,professionalism . This is the most important part. You want the taxidermist to experience the animals and that I will use me as example, I have ran mt. lions for decades and have seen very many alive and in lots of moods and that goes along way in detail and that is what makes a great taxidermist artist and just a taxidermist. The great ones can see the mount in their minds before they work on it,a great imagination. If they just started, then they know next to nothing about certain game, like one knows deer but nothing on moose. One can be good on hoofed game but are bad on predators. You want one with lots of years under their belt and have done just about all the game in that country and world, but some that just came out of one of those taxidermy schools think they know it all and surely they don’t and it will show in their work. Some taxidermist subcontract work out,so they are priced higher for the overhead and if I was a client, I would not bring it to a shop that subcontracts,why pay for the middle man. Check out their work online, in person and ask questions for not every taxidermist is the same,you are buying the talent and professionalism . One can check out a nice,professional studio on line at www.african-montana-taxidermist.com and see for yourself on reasonable rates plus experience ….