Taxidermy pricing doesn’t follow a simple per-species price list the way some other collectibles do — two mounts of the same animal can be priced quite differently depending on condition, size and how they were prepared. Here’s what actually moves the number.
Species and rarity
The single biggest factor. Common feral and introduced species (foxes, rabbits) sit at the more accessible end of the market simply because supply is steady. Exotic and African game species, and anything with genuine rarity or a notable provenance, command a premium — partly for the animal itself, partly for the sourcing and compliance work involved in getting it to market legally.
Size and format
A full mount uses more material and preparation labour than a shoulder mount of the same animal, which in turn costs more than a European mount or skull-only piece. Within a species, format is usually the second-biggest lever on price after rarity — see our guide to mount types if you’re weighing format against budget.
Grade and condition
We assess every specimen against a seven-tier grading system — Museum Class through to Heritage — and condition within that scale affects price independently of species or size. A Museum Class piece of a common species can cost more than a Standard-grade piece of a rarer one, because exceptional preparation and condition are themselves scarce.
Horn, antler or tusk size
For species where these are part of the display (deer, African game), size and symmetry of horns or antlers is graded and priced separately from general condition — a larger, well-matched rack on an otherwise similar mount will typically carry a premium.
Compliance and paperwork overhead
Species requiring CITES import permits or state wildlife licensing carry the cost of that compliance work into the final price — this is part of why exotic and native species mounts tend to sit above feral species at a comparable size and grade. See Compliance & Permits for what applies by category.
So what should you expect to pay?
Rather than quote a single figure that won’t hold up across species, format and grade, the most useful thing we can point you to is the catalogue itself — browse current listings by category to get a real sense of where things sit for the species and format you’re after. Every listing shows its grade and catalogue number, so you can compare like-for-like rather than guess.
If you’re weighing up a few options, tell us your budget and what you’re after — we’ll point you to pieces worth considering rather than leave you to filter the whole catalogue yourself.