Thought you might be interested in seeing this - someone was quite the hunter, eh?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.estatesales.net/estate-sales/100539.aspx

I just hope it opens!

Boy that's kinda sad seeing that lot.... a whole bunch of memories under the hammer...

Whoever this guy was, he had a good time. His trophy room is spectacular, and he seemed to have a nice place in the country to enjoy.

Just had one like that in Johnstown Pa 132 trophies, including a Zebraback Duiker full body mt.

The ultimate destination of my guns and mounts - at least it was not a garage sale.

quote:

Originally posted by JCHB:
Boy that's kinda sad seeing that lot.... a whole bunch of memories under the hammer...

It sure is!

The really, really sad part is what those trophies sell for.

I once heard a story about a rocky mountain bighorn sheep selling for $25.

I like the bronzes.

It is very sad to see. It makes me question the wisdom of the money I have spent on taxidermy over the years.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
I like the bronzes.

Ann, many of the original bronze castings were on display here in Atlanta at the High Museum several years ago, along with many original paintings of the Old West era. I enjoyed them immensely but it pained me to know they were owned by Ted Turner!

Just out of curiousity, it says the mountain lion mount cannot be sold to residents of GA? Anyone know the reason for this?

I didn't see any of his rifles listed!
Bob Nisbet

quote:

It is very sad to see. It makes me question the wisdom of the money I have spent on taxidermy over the years.

I agree. European mounts for me....

quote:

Posted 14 April 2010 22:12 Hide Post
It is very sad to see. It makes me question the wisdom of the money I have spent on taxidermy over the years.

quote:

Posted 14 April 2010 22:12 Hide Post
It is very sad to see. It makes me question the wisdom of the money I have spent on taxidermy over the years.

From the looks of the quality of these specific mounts I doubt he spent too much! and one thing for sure he didn''t take any of it with him!

Mike O

Looks like he had a good run. I've told my kids to sell the stuff and split the money. It's the only way to keep things civil. I look at my trophies and I can remember every detail of the hunt. I never expect anyone else to "ooh" and "ahh" over them and I try to keep in perspective that no matter how much they mean to me, they're still just "stuff", and "stuff" don't matter in the big picture.

Ann is right though, very nice bronzes (except "The End of the Trail", 'just never cared for a copy of the original, amazing piece.)

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Just out of curiousity, it says the mountain lion mount cannot be sold to residents of GA? Anyone know the reason for this?

Maybe there's some goofy statute like the California one about mountain lions. As I understand it, it's illegal to have a cougar mount in California, even if it was taken legally somewhere else.

Not a thing wrong with this, of course, but I must say I find it odd that one person would have the slightest interest in owning another person's trophies. To what end?

Nothing at all sad about this.

The man's life was his, and his trophies were his as well.

He lived as he wanted to live, and surrounded himself with what was important to him.

Trophies of hunting, and of life, are a man's own.

What happens to them after his death - well, now, that is not his concern, as he is beyond the reach of such things.

Life is to be lived and is for the living.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Nothing at all sad about this.

The man's life was his, and his trophies were his as well.

He lived as he wanted to live, and surrounded himself with what was important to him.

Trophies of hunting, and of life, are a man's own.

What happens to them after his death - well, now, that is not his concern, as he is beyond the reach of such things.

Life is to be lived and is for the living.

Another . I have people ask me if I would buy others mounts and I usually reply only non-hunters ever buy others trophies.

quote:

I look at my trophies and I can remember every detail of the hunt. I never expect anyone else to "ooh" and "ahh" over them and I try to keep in perspective that no matter how much they mean to me, they're still just "stuff", and "stuff" don't matter in the big picture.

Amen brother, aaaaaa-men!

Sad to say that arranging this sort of sale is in the future of most of our kids and grandkids. Of course I would rather have my kids MAYBE keep my taxidermy or sell it all for pennies than look around after I am dead and see only a collection of model trains (no offense to railroad buffs).

What is sad to me is that stark, empty rocking chair. That is where he sat for so many, many hours remembering those hunts and trophies.

I would die myself to think that my father's and grandfather's guns and/or trophies would EVER be sold. The legacy of the hunt and the memories of the man lives on in those objects.

Would you burn a photo album after the passing of someone you love and with whom you had very fond memories spending time with?

Our family heirlooms will NEVER be sold. Never.

I agree with Ann, those bronzes are very nice - especially the rhino and elephant.

I agree with Kenati. I will request that my brothers, kids and grandkids keep my guns in the family and not sell them after I'm gone, and I hope they will honor my wishes. I know of a guy who is old and has stopped hunting, and he has already given his guns to a younger hunter friend who appreciates them, rather than have his non-hunting drifter son inheret them, and then pawn them for pennies on the dollar. I commend him for taking control and doing that.

This raises an interesting question.

What do you all plan to do with your trophies when you are dead and gone? Is there a place where one can take them and get at least some return on the investment?

I have a lot of stuff. I am 54 and starting to think of how I would like to have my taxidermy fees back as an addition to my retirement funds.

I would love to have my dads or grand dads trophies or any nice piece of ivory. But, I am at a total loss to understand why anyone (other than a restraunt or business) would want to own someone else trophies (game mounts)?

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

...return on the investment?

...I would like to have my taxidermy fees back...

First, let me start off by saying that I do NOT intend to be disparaging or to flame you in any way. Your statements above are baffling to me. I can't imagine that anyone mounted their trophy intending it to be an "investment" and expecting any kind of appreciation, let alone even a modest retention of value.

As stated above and below, what stranger wants your dead animals? Well, there are a few out there that do I guess. However, I wouldn't expect you'd be able to recoup a significant amount of your $$ unless you have some very nice sized trophies, which you may very well have.

Ebay may be an optional venue for you to sell your mounts. Here is a general search for "deer mount" that turned up 600+ hits:

Ebay Search for "Deer Mount" here

At only 54, I'm curious as to why your trophies are starting to lose their luster. It's really none of my business, I know. Just curious. At 54 my dad was thinking about doing MORE hunting, not less. Health issues notwithstanding, I hope to be doing the same. 54 is still young!

Perhaps I misunderstood your point of view. And if I did, I apologize. Again, not trying to rustle any feathers.

I know around the DSC offices there are trophies that were donated. Do any of the museums still take donated taxidermy work? I would rather my wife or daughter donate mine than sell them. A few of them may be of sentimental value to friends because they shared in the hunt, but most aren't exceptional.

I have a three point mule deer buck that my great uncle shot in 1935. (license still attached to the back of the mount) This mount was in my grandfather's hunting lodge for many years and as a kid I always looked at it with great envy and amazement. I had it restored a couple years ago and today I would have to say it is one of my most treasured trophies. Maybe when i am gone some of my trophies will be regarded with the same reverence.
Jim

Kenati:

My investment was referring to the money I spent. I didn't intend it to be the same as, for example, my investments in real estate. I certainly never had anything mounted with the thought of it being even a remote possibility that a profit could be made. I was questioning places/ways to get some money back for my kids when I am dead. Even 5-10% of what I spent in my case is a lot of money. I would rather them have that than nothing.

I agree about no other hunter wanting the trophies taken by someone else. I was wondering about other uses of them. For example restaurants, museums and movie sets.

My trophies are not starting to lose their luster to me. Recently, I have been working on estate/will matters. This came to mind. I have in excess of 200 mounted animals. Needless to say, I have spent considerable amounts on the mounts.

As to hunting itself, I remain very active. More than ever actually. This year I am going for doves/ducks in Argentina, desert big horn in Utah, elephant/buffalo in Zimbabwe in addition to my local deer leases.

My feathers aren't ruffles. My post was not interpreted as intended.

Glad to hear you're more active than ever. Thanks for clarifying everything. I apologize for prying... just trying to get an understanding. That sounds like an amazing collection you have. 200+ mounts! That must be an amazing trophy room warehouse.

Best of luck to you in all of your travels and planned hunts. Sound like a very enjoyable year full of adventure.

I imagine that is how my trophies will go; auctions are probably about the best way to get any money back out of them. There was a big trophy auction in Fort Worth this weekend. I read in one of the "Trophy Room" books that the average life of a trophy room is 25 years. Except for a few trophies that friends have expressed interest in, which I will someday give them, I hope my wife auctions them and gets whatever money she can. For now, I will just look at them, have a drink, and remember the fun I had hunting them. (I am still adding to them).

This is part of the whole hunting ethos that we all have to deal with at some time in our lives.

My hunts mean something to me, and even though Lora was in the near vicinity when the hunts took place, even she does not know what it meant to me to pull the trigger on any animal.

It is part of life folks, unless a sibling or a child was involved in the actual taking of the animal, it will never have the same importance to those we leave behind as it does to us.

Same with our guns.

In some instances, a son/daughter or grandchild/nephew-niece, may share our love and passion for the sport and the ownership of guns, but from my experience, that is the exception, not the rule.

quote:

Not a thing wrong with this, of course, but I must say I find it odd that one person would have the slightest interest in owning another person's trophies. To what end?

Cabela's buys trophies from private individuals for their stores.

Ordinary people will buy trophy mounts for various reasons and they do not care one second about the history of that trophy.

I could be and probably am wrong here, but for those of us in the over 50 crowd, facing our own mortality, and the fact that basically the only person that cares about those trophies and guns is ourselves, does make folks look at things differently. JMO.

When anyone passes away, someone has to do something with their stuff - sell it in a house sale, auction it, give it away, or if it's considered an heirloom, keep it in the family. Taxidermy isn't much different than furniture or kitchen utinsels - the family needs to decide what to do with it. I think it's better to have accumulated some "stuff" throughout my life doing something that I really loved, than to have lived a rather "generic" life with few interests. I have known people who did not cultivate a single interest or hobby throughout their entire lives, and when they retired they basically just sat and watched TV or read the paper. That's sad in my opinion, and that won't be me. My dad left two African mounts when he died 3 years ago, and me or my brothers will keep them until we're dead. They were shot in 2005, and the taxidermy work is very high quality. I also have my own collection of African mounts. My kids and very young grandkids think this stuff is cool, so maybe some of it will find a home with them. Whatever happens, I'm not worried about it, and I'm not stopping my hunting either. Life is an adventure, and the adventure doesn't stop when you turn 50. It's my life, and hunting and fishing keeps me in shape and keeps me young, both physically and mentally. No regrets here.

I posted this up to show the mounts and etc in this estate sale and never once thought that we would have all the philosophical discussion and comments. What a site, this ARPF!
Now, I'll relate a personal experience. My older brother passed away in Jan '09. He had been shooting, hunting and reloading for nearly 70 years and had enjoyed a good, full life. It fell my lot, by his choice, to handle the disposal of all his reloading and casting equipment.
Now, for the interesting part. For his firearms, he had stated in his will just whom he wished to have what and at what price it was to be offered to the specified person. If anyone passed, then back to me to sell for “the best price you can obtain.” It broke my heart to see a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 go for $200 to a dear friend of his, a mint 1911 - not a 1911A1 - Colt sold to a fellow retiree for $100 - but that was his wish, just to know where they were going and who would have them. Of course we did what he had requested and need I say, no one refused the offers at the price he submitted.
Maybe this would not work for everyone, perhaps some families would not have been willing to comply. We were and did, and I would do it again. And BTW, I'm still sorting out things and finding 'treasures' he had accumulated over the years. Anyone need a cigar box full of butt plates?