Selling 2 White Rhino Mounts (shoulder and wall)

[harden]

Swank you have 2 things to think about . S A has opened up sale of rhino horn but not commercially YET . If the US does and they lift the cites your price will plumate big time as the market will flood with horn, lots of horn in storage in S A . The mounts are worth about 3-4K used one is really cracked around the horns. One I'm still on the fence about being real I can see the cracked one around the horn IS . The other is real should have cracked by now being 25+ years old. Seriously if you can get 15-20K take it. I know of some people here been offered 25 and they are holding, But those are their personal trophy rhino's . you don't have any emotion on the game or attachment. Your market is limited and anyone that buys is gambling an investment, IF they were mine and had buyer here in Mich. and had them in my possession I'd let them go in a minute for 15K and head to the bank.... hold for 20K but I think that will be your top end.

 

[ActionBob]

Good feedback so far. I would add a few things, first off to be legal, I would think a buyer needs to buy assuming no resale value in the future. I say this because future regulations are unknown, especially for critters such as rhino, elephant, lion and a few others.

A friend of mine was offering a white rhino hunt this year in South Africa with a decent horn for $36,000 with horns, or $30,000 without.... realizing horn can be bought and sold within RSA. That is apparently the speculative market. That hunt price would be everything except travel, shipping, and taxidermy. And I don't think he got that hunt sold.

Having said that, no way does the hunt cost figure into a random mount...

In my opinion these should be valued off the cost of a replica or a real shoulder mount. I would think that given the market is limited to Texas, (granted, if you have to be limited to one state, TX is the one you would choose the value is going to fall between $5-10,000 depending upon someone's desire to have real horns... And the condition of the skins, I saw up close several skin mounts that were coming apart and cracking just because rhino skin is possibly the stiffest and toughest to work with.

Personally before I bought someone else's mounts, I would get a full on replica. Avoid all the PIA around the horn and get something customized and that will last and can be transported and transferred.

But that will be a personal decision for each participant.

 

[ActionBob]

Another random thought, is there a market to a museum, school, or such? Or do they expect such items to be donated? Maybe a sporting goods store? Or a bar and grill type establishment?

 

[JPbowhunter]

Generally the greatest value of a trophy is in the eye of the person who hunted it.

Personally I would part with $100 for an animal someone else hunted, in all honesty that's including a rhino

When it comes to selling though I really don't think there's value above the cost to have it done. If there was, everyone would hunt animals and taxi them for profit!

I just sold a deer shoulder mount that had little personal value to me for $150 less than cost and I was thankful for that.

Best of luck anyway.

 

[postoak]

I think where I'd be willing to put someone else's mount in my home would be in the case of animals such as elephant, rhino, lion, and leopard where it was too much of a hassle (or illegal, or of doubtful legal status) to bring home my own. BTW, my local taxidermist charges $7800 for a white rhino shoulder mount.

 

[ActionBob]

I think where I'd be willing to put someone else's mount in my home would be in the case of animals such as elephant, rhino, lion, and leopard where it was too much of a hassle (or illegal, or of doubtful legal status) to bring home my own. BTW, my local taxidermist charges $7800 for a white rhino shoulder mount.

As long as you are working with reputable and competent people and get all your paperwork in order from the beginning.... White rhino should be no problem importing to the USA. And legally hunted leopard should still be doable.

Lion and elephant are the tough ones as last I've heard, USFWS is simply doing nothing to process those permits.

 

[swank]

Good feedback so far. I would add a few things, first off to be legal, I would think a buyer needs to buy assuming no resale value in the future. I say this because future regulations are unknown, especially for critters such as rhino, elephant, lion and a few others.

A friend of mine was offering a white rhino hunt this year in South Africa with a decent horn for $36,000 with horns, or $30,000 without.... realizing horn can be bought and sold within RSA. That is apparently the speculative market. That hunt price would be everything except travel, shipping, and taxidermy. And I don't think he got that hunt sold.

Having said that, no way does the hunt cost figure into a random mount...

In my opinion these should be valued off the cost of a replica or a real shoulder mount. I would think that given the market is limited to Texas, (granted, if you have to be limited to one state, TX is the one you would choose the value is going to fall between $5-10,000 depending upon someone's desire to have real horns... And the condition of the skins, I saw up close several skin mounts that were coming apart and cracking just because rhino skin is possibly the stiffest and toughest to work with.

Personally before I bought someone else's mounts, I would get a full on replica. Avoid all the PIA around the horn and get something customized and that will last and can be transported and transferred.

But that will be a personal decision for each participant.

Interesting.... So, I can remove the real horn, keep it for future use, and be able to sell the mount anywhere in the world, or I think that was just for a hunt over in africa. How much would you say that would cost (to remove and remount a copy). And is it only the horn that is the problem, not the skin?

 

[swank]

Another random thought, is there a market to a museum, school, or such? Or do they expect such items to be donated? Maybe a sporting goods store? Or a bar and grill type establishment?

I tried the museum route in Houston... they would gladly accept a donation, but would not purchase.

 

[ActionBob]

Interesting.... So, I can remove the real horn, keep it for future use, and be able to sell the mount anywhere in the world, or I think that was just for a hunt over in africa. How much would you say that would cost (to remove and remount a copy). And is it only the horn that is the problem, not the skin?

I don't know. Check with a taxidermist on the cost of making replica horns.

And didn't you mention you had contact with a government person? Check with them on marketability of the skin mo8nt without real horns. I will add, I've seen some incredibly good replicas, and some not so good.

I think going this route is steering you even farther away from marketing to hunters. However, if a hunter did a dart hunt, they may wish to have a replica horn made themselves, modeled after the animal they darted. Then if for some personal reason they wanted to have a skin mount rather than a fiberglass one... your concept might fit that scenario.

Best of luck with this all

 

[Chris Yent]

Still have your rhino mounts, and want to sell?

 

[hunterz]

I am interested in buying the rhino mount...if it is still available.

 

[Philip Glass]

I would expect them to be worth 10K if they are real. Taxidermy does not have as much value as you might expect. Yes you can get permits for both white and black rhino to hunt. I hunted one in August.
There are taxidermy auctions that you might consider.
Philip

 

[Chris Yent]

I would expect them to be worth 10K if they are real. Taxidermy does not have as much value as you might expect. Yes you can get permits for both white and black rhino to hunt. I hunted one in August.
There are taxidermy auctions that you might consider.
Philip

I am interested in buying the rhino mount...if it is still available.

I heard recently that their might be an old mount available, but if I understand correctly now, these kind of pieces have to stay in their respective states, and in the US unless permitted.

Some states forbid any kind of transaction to barter for one other than an inheritance / gift, etc.
What state are you in?
That will determine alot!
Perhaps wheter you could legally acquire or not.