Taxidermy value in divorce
General Topic
There is a good chance I will be getting divorced in the near future and I am interested in general value of taxidermy in a divorce ? I have 2 nice life size brown bears as well as a life size mountain goat. and shoulder mounts of dall sheep, a few caribou,elk,kudu,antelope, mule deer and white tails. They are all nice mounts and of trophy animals ? Just looking for general feedback if anyone has been down that road ?
She will likely pay you to take them.
I can't answer your question relative to a divorce, since I've never been thru one, thankfully. But, unless your mounts are world class, they generally aren't worth much to anyone except you. I've been to a few estate sales with large collections of mounts. They couldn't give them away.
Good luck, and sorry to hear about your likely divorce.
Sorry to hear of your troubles. As Bou said, she likely doesn't care about them, unless she knows you love them, then she might want to overvalue their worth as a way of screwing you moreso.......... Either way, this sounds expensive!
Unfortunately, they aren't worth much to anyone other than you. It will be argued that they are worth a great deal. Tell your ex that if she pays you that then she can have them. The argument will go away quickly.
“She will likely pay you to take them.”
Or assert a grossly inflated value to make it more painful to keep them. I would think a taxidermy website would be a good place to establish value, but I wouldn’t think it should be any more than you paid the taxidermist. In all likelihood it will be a fraction of that.
Garage sale prices. Have a friend that owns a restaurant that bought a very nice trophy caribou mount for $50 at a garage sale. Very few shoulder mounts go for more than 2-3 hundred dollars.
Sorry to hear that news, hope things turn around and you repair the brokeness.
I agree with others. If it was bankruptcy court, which is what divorce leads to, a bankruptcy attorney would value them next to nothing. $100 a piece, maybe.
Go to Steve Chupp Auctions under past auctions. He just had one a couple weeks ago. They are huge two day events. Go into Proxibid and it will let you see the results. You will find anything from groundhog skulls to life size lion and tiger mounts.
Don't believe these guys that say she will pay you to take them. If it was my ex she will make you pay to keep them. Remember too that if she is not that way, her lawyer might be. Once lawyers get involved all bets are off. I am a taxidermist and I see mounts on auctions all the time and it goes for a fraction of the actual cost. I would start looking at auctions in your area and document the going rates vs cost of a mount. That way you can determine a value. Documentation will weigh heavily with the courts.
That’s why your getting divorced, you spent to much time and money hunting.
I sold some mounts at a Taxidermy auction a couple years ago. All shoulder mounts-A huge wild hog, a very nice large Fallow Buck, A small 3x3 velvet Mule Deer (old but good shape) a Mouflon Sheep, large full curl horns. I got $800 total, 4 mounts, all great shape. Also a Mouflon euro & 4x3 Euro Elk, neither finished. $45. None were real special or gigantic & all were older mounts but in great shape. Just needed room. Still have my Whitetails & Bears + others. Divorce is a bitch-been there twice & my MaMa said, you have given away twice more than most have had once. Good luck is all I can say..
If proceedings haven't started, sell them to a trusted friend for a token price with the agreement you buy them back after the divorce is completed. If she has no interest in them, she may not care you sold them anyway. Once sold, the value is only what the "friend" paid for them. Never been through a divorce, but my mom got nasty with my dad. She never even wanted to get in his small fishing boat, hated the pop up camper, but during the divorce, she wouldn't part with them for anything. Same with a lot of his other personal items. Nasty is as nasty does.
Recurve Man, you replied what I was thinking.
Georgemcg, none of my business but if there's children involved I would be as civil and cordial as possible regardless of the reason. I do wish you the best of luck Sir.
Damn stickbow boy - that's not what he asked...
We were all probably thinking it didn't mean it needed to be said. If she tries to inflate the value call her bluff and tell her she can have them but it comes outta her end. Goodluck!
P.S. samman's idea sounds good too.
Recurve Man, you replied what I was thinking.
Georgemcg, none of my business but if there's children involved I would be as civil and cordial as possible regardless of the reason. I do wish you the best of luck Sir.
Have a taxidermist that has been divorced come evaluate them…and tell you they aren’t worth much- grin
FWIW, in many areas, its illegal to sell them.
I know a guy out of Salt Lake that would help you out
I never heard of an area that you could not sell your mounts.
I've betting the cost you paid and the hunt cost will come up in the proceedings. Good luck, hope no kids are involved.
I never heard of an area that you could not sell your mounts.
George, as someone who's been through three divorces, my best advice is to try and find a way to work it out as amicably as possible.
Your best advice after three bouts could be to not get married again
It all depends on how nasty the divorce is. I got mine C. O. D. and she kept everything, which wasn’t much at that time. I got my guns back but that was about all. It was worth it. Sorry to hear about your situation, best of luck going forward.
Seen a life size 8' Brown bear sold $7500 in cody wy
The reason divorce is so expensive is because its worth it
Getting divorced for some people works out well, for others it is a nightmare. I got lucky and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I have more money now than I ever dreamed possible, but the greatest thing I have is peace of mind.
The best advice is to be as civil as possible. If the issue gets pushed by her, offering to equally split up the mounts or telling her she can have them for the dollar amount she places on them should shut her down quick.
I'm sure there's also items on her side you have a valid claim to. Negotiate as calmly as possible.
Finally, control your emotions and watch yourself.
Interior designers like to buy them Cheap and sell them high. I hope she won’t take them just to piss you off , sorry about the big D .
It depends on her lawyer. Good luck. "We" did ours amicably and after 10 yrs the loan I took out to pay everything off including the house is now free and clear. I feel like a free man. I'm quite leery of getting too involved anymore.
Mike B, maybe you should consider “renting.”
I have been lucky. However why would you do it multiple times, makes no sense
There are people who appraise taxidermy. I had to use one in a prior divorce case here in Colorado. In general, the taxidermy is not worth that much, compared to home equity and retirement accounts. Again, generally, appreciating assets are worth keeping versus depreciating assets.
90% of your happiness (or unhappiness) is a function of who you live with.
Make sure the hutch, women's clothing, jewelry, etc. is all appropriately appraised before you sign anything.
Good Luck
Red neck hunter stated it well.
The mounts and other personal property “stuff” is quite nominal in general and the value that goes on it is the value of what it would sell at, not what you paid for it nor what it’s “worth” to you. Good luck.
Called an accredited taxidermists and have him value them. Accredited means one that is known for good work. Pay him well and use it like njbuck suggested. I imagine it’ll not be a problem to take them.
Fish and Game Code, section 3039 generally prohibits selling or purchasing any part of a bird or mammal found in the wild in California. Complete antlers, whole heads with antlers, antlers mounted for display or antlers in the velvet may not be sold or purchased at any time.
Taxidermists can...but regular folks here in CA cannot.
My take is, I wouldn't buy someones 180 whitetail for 500, But I wouldn't sell my 180 whitetail for 4000.
I'm twice divorced. I apologize for going sidebar on this topic since I don't have any insight into taxidermy values. #1 I had a feral hog mount at the taxidermist for her when SHTF. I paid the bill and gave her the mount. The rest I kept. #2 I didn't have any new mounts. We were only together for 3 years. My advice is to stand up for yourself but don't fight over "stuff", take the high road, and never speak ill, even to friends. If there are children put them first. Keep moving forward and if you were at fault, try to become a better person. If she erred, pray for her and forgive. Talk to a pastor or lay counselor about the nature of forgiveness and the value to you. I will be praying for you and feel free to PM me if you need an "ear".
I needed to sell off my trophy room of about 85 animals I tried ti find a buy but it ended up going to auction . I had some high dollar mounts and it all sold at auction. Mounts hold very little value anymore .
"Mike B, maybe you should consider “renting.”
sounds like he has been.
(sorry mike b...i couldnt resist)
there was a time about 20 years ago...when everyone (homes...businesses...restaurants...etc) was decorating in "cabin style." pretty much any taxidermy mount...as well as vintage hunting and fishing equipment was going for quite a premium. i dont think thats they case any more.
Would be interesting what her attorney thinks they are worth..
I seen things going south so I called taxidermist and came to agreement to display them like advertising at a big sports store. Out of sight out of mind , never came up in the proceedings. Out of sight out of mind. Few years latter picked them all up.
It all depends on how slimy her lawyer is. My ex took care of the judge and the lawyer very well. She didn't want any of the mounts except my biggest whitetail that I shot prior to knowing her. It was a 198" and I sold a copyright to the mold of the antlers. A replica at the time was $800. The judge let them go through my entire property and put a dollar value on everything I had in my possession. He awarded her $1600 for that one deer. After the valuation she changed her mind on wanting any of the mounts, only cash value.
Long story short most of the taxidermy items cost me more than the original bill to get the animal mounted.
Hopefully you have a better lawyer than I did.
Also I have some slightly used boxers (only a few holes and stains) for sale. $200 OBO per pair. Don't low ball me an offer. I have proof of what they are worth!
Sorry to hear of your troubles. It's easy for me to say this but try not to let emotions take over. Like stated above get everything valued beforehand. Be cognizant of the legal fees if you fight everything since you might pay more in legal fees than settling.
Her attorney will likely try to value them at what it cost you to have them mounted just to inflate your net worth. No one should marry without a ironclad prenup.
if your wife alleges are worth a lot of money as marital property give them to her and take half the money she says they are worth
I had about 30 various mounts when I got divorced in 2006. As blood thirsty as her & her attorney were, not a word was ever mentioned about these. Most were displayed at a Gander Mountain store then, but a few in my house. Their main focus was on stripping me of every last bit of my real estate, including two minor subdivisions on 45 acres. None of which she was interested in while we were married. She sheet-canned her career despite a bachelor's degree, and never contributed so much as a nickel to any bills in 20 years. After ten years of meticulous shopping, I finally remarried in 2016. Cost me my $2 mil life savings and had to start over, but super happy these days, and have all my mounts. Wife does not mind them.
Of bigger value in my opinion, was my accumulated ~200 hunting points in 8 states. My own divorce attorney wanted me to disclose these in court! I said no way in hell. Had to inform him they in fact had zero dollar value by law, and could not be transferred anyway. Still reaping the rewards from these small tokens they could not steal.
Is there any argument to be made that these animals are legally yours and yours alone since your personal tag was required to have them in the first place? It doesn’t seem like a shared possession. Obviously I’m not an attorney but maybe someone could chime in about that angle.
The only mount they wouldn't put a value on was a wood duck my dad shot and stuffed himself. The auctioneer had got in some trouble for selling migratory birds at one of his auctions.
Buskill
You paycheck is not yours and yours alone even though it requires you and only you to show up and do the job.
actually points do have value for the hunter in some states, I swap / shared points in Wy a couple of times for sharing hunts with some guys with access to good areas. Thinking about doing it again in Wy and Az.
AND in Wisconsin points are part of the estate, upon death, they can be transferred to a close relative. Let that catch on out west, some of these point collectors points totals will go triple digits after a few generations.
In WI the points can only be transferred to a minor. See link below.
https://apps.dnr.wi.gov/doclink/forms/9400-592.pdf
Simple really. " Sell " them to you trusted hunting buddy for 100$. Report is on discovery. After everything is done, buy them back for $110. C'mon Man !!!! Lets use our heads, don't leave this to the lawyers...
It hasn't always been blissful, but I'm glad my wife and I have honored our vows for 34 years. I can't imagine being worried about the value of every material thing we've accumulated over that time. That said, I wouldn't discuss financial details of a divorce on a public forum. Lawyers have computers and search engines too.
Too late GG.... his wife already put Bad Karma on retainer. He's her lawyer.
Now THAT'S funny, bluedog. LOL!!
I don’t think fraud is ever a good idea. It has been illegal to sell taxidermy in Alaska. I think a permit to sell is obtainable as of this date.
Yes, I've been divorced three times, and there's little doubt I made some galactically bad choices. But, when a situation becomes so toxic that you just want out out of the nightmare, "stuff" becomes much less important, and either ya didn't need it in the first place, or it can be replaced.
And yeah, I did finally find the right one, and very happily married now for over 22 years.
Friend of mine divorced his wife because she WAS mounted... too many times.
Nose up, lip curled rutting pose.
For those of you saying that he's getting divorced for hunting too much or spending too much, how high on your horses do you guys have to be to pretend to know a thing about him or why he's getting divorced?
Or perhaps you're so pussy-whipped that you have to ask your wives permission to hunt or spend your own money and would get divorced if you didn't?
Either way, what a horrible and ignorant thing to say.
Another tip from someone who has been there. Dont The best thing about divorce is finding something new to mount.
Cant add to the taxidermy costs, but hope all works out for you. For us, mediation saved thousands of dollars rather than getting lawyers on both sides fighting about stuff. I hope you can go that route, but not all divorces will go that way if personalities don't allow it. Seen it happen to friends where the attorneys had a field day and needed to be contacted for every bit of communication and its not pretty. Good Luck.
"Cost me my $2 mil life savings"...
"You know why divorce is so expensive...because they are worth it." - Willie Nelson
Fortunately I have never been divorced, but always thought that was a great quote from all the guys I know that have been divorced.
After ten years of marriage, I went through a divorce 7 years ago. Didn't spend a dime on an attorney. We sat down and decided who got what properties, nearly a million dollars worth by today's prices. I didn't even show up for the proceedings. I left a lot of my stuff at our new home we had just built, including my taxidermy. A year and a half later, she started to act squirrely and stopped answering the phone, Found out she had a new serious boyfriend and she wanted to keep my taxidermy to decorate the high walls in the living room. At that point, I did hire an attorney and spent about $1,500 to get it back. Her new boyfriend delivered them (he lasted 2 years before filing for divorce). Spent a lot of time talking to that guy comparing notes lol. Funny thing is, some of those mounts are still laying on the floor in the basement of my new country house. Not sure I'll ever waste money again on a shoulder mount unless it's a species I don't get to hunt regularly, or it's a 'booner'.
You never truly know who you are married to until you get a divorce. Then the true person comes out.
I’m not sure the argument I stated earlier would hold up but comparing it to paycheck seems like a stretch. Money is something we all know you are sharing with your spouse or at least the court is absolutely gonna see it that way. Just cause the money you and your wife have saved together is used to purchase a thing doesn’t mean it’s gonna be “split” during the proceedings. Some items are definitely personal in nature and no way in heck would the court even think of dividing them up somehow.
Speaking from experience...................be prepared to part with any "stuff". The important aspects of a divorce proceeding are children and money. You can replace the mounts and nobody can take away the memories from you. There's really no value in taxidermy beyond what you'd value family pictures. Taxidermy and family photos are both nice to look at and provide memories. Nothing more. Be cordial and respectful no matter the circumstance. You'll look back someday and feel better on how you conducted yourself.
As an aside, my ex didn't want any of the mounts. A couple years after she moved out and post-divorce - I sold the house I gave her a couple fish mounts that she caught when we were married. I could have legally kept them but it wasn't "right" because she landed them. Even a year after she left she asked if she could have a rod, life jacket etc. Of course I gave them to her, it's just "stuff" that we didn't fight about dividing up.
If she tried giving them a great value I’d say ok you can have them for that, I’ll go get more.
have your lawyer draft a separation of assets - get as much as you can - hope she signs
have your lawyer draft a separation of assets - get as much as you can - hope she signs
I will give you some VERY sound advice!!
Stay off all social media! No porn sites, dating sites, and don't post anything here! A good divorce attorney can and will find anything you post or visit on a regular basis!
Just be very cautious, divorce is horrible for all involved!!
Best of luck and God Bless!!
CPA, very true what you posted.
Have a good friend that just close his taxidermy shop up after 38 yrs, he always told his customers that mounts are a luxury and what they were paying was his talent/skill. The last couple of years he was telling his old customers to just take a good photo and will age a bunch of money.
I was just visiting his place and his recent customers left him with 2 completed Ia. whitetail mounts, one is a 168 5/8 and the other is 165.
He is going to e-bay them just to get his material cost back, he has several fish mounts also that were never pick up. He does have a B&C moose antlers from the North Slope he killed that will go also, cost depends either for the antlers or a mount, not cheap.
He is divorce also but it was cut and dry, although her attorney tried to pull some shady claims that got knocked down.
Thankfully, when I got divorced 10 years ago, she wanted nothing to do with anything hunting related... She wanted no part of value of mounts, guns, bows, etc... thankfully... I guess if she wants to squeeze ya they would go by going rate of getting a new mount.
Good luck... one thing I always say about my divorce: "It was the best money I ever spent". That is the truth,
Taxidermy and Value is an oxymoron
Taxidermy is very similar to the value of diamonds. very expensive when you buy them and almost worthless when you try to sell them
Sorry for your troubles. I don’t have much to contribute other than there were some very nice WT shoulder mounts in the spare garage of the place we live now. Didn’t mean anything to me so I sold them at a yard sale for whatever I could get someone to pay, about $35 a piece. I can’t imagine that my wife would want anything to do with my taxidermy stuff if we got divorced, but her attorney could be interested. However, my wife wears a diamond ring that cost more than all of my mounts combined, so that can work both ways if necessary.
At a sale in Wis last weekend, nice shoulder deer mounts were going for about 110.00 a mount.
She will get half the value so they will be worth a lot to her. The more the are valued the more she makes and the more you pay her to keep em. Ask me how I know.
She will get half the value so they will be worth a lot to her. The more the are valued the more she makes and the more you pay her to keep em. Ask me how I know.
Sorry to hear about the divorce. Taxidermy is only worth what someone is willing to pay. most of the time not much.
Are people so petty about punishing the other party and so greedy that the "value" of mounted dead animals is really an issue?
I never hated anyone that much.
The value of your mounts or who gets them may never come up. Don’t bring up the subject and put ideas in her head. Try to agree that you keep your personal items and she keeps hers. If she wants to go for your mounts tell her fair is fair and you will go for half the value of her jewelry.
Last time I got divorced, my attorney told me that if I met another woman I wanted to marry, I should date her for a few months, then buy her a house and car, spend one night there having wild sex, and the next morning pack up my stuff and leave her for good.
Said it would be cheaper in the long run.
An excellent analogy about the practice of law and valuing property in a divorce case. Client asks: what is two plus two? Lawyer answers: what do you want it to be. Not really, well sort of……. I am long retired and delighted. Get the mounts appraised by two taxidermists. The appraisal should say that they are being appraised as to the value for resale. Resale value has nothing to do with the cost of the hunt, license, tag, travel, or original taxidermy. The mounts should be described in writing. Appraisal in writing on business letterhead and signed by the appraising taxidermist. Make sure that you pay him for the appraisal. And no more posting about your situation on the internet. I frequently hired a forensic computer expert and won cases at the first hearing.
A friend said when he got divorced There was only one thing he had mounted that he did not want any more. You can guess what that that was.
Mike B is correct. So is Ollie.
Been married for 55 years and my wife is still my best friend. She goes with me on just about all of my hunting and fishing trips.
