Taxidermy and cast figure collecting

[stargatedalek]

I've always had a fondness for cast figures and I've been meaning to get into taxidermy given the chance (and space ) and I'd love to hear about/see others collections.

This thread is for discussion, sharing, etc. of taxidermy and cast pieces.

[Gwangi]

Good thread idea. I'll have to get pictures up of my taxidermy but it might be awhile.

[Gwangi]

Finally!

[Gwangi]

Come on people! No love for this kind of stuff? I'm surprised more members here don't have "curiosity cabinets". Am I the only one who wants a home that looks like a museum?

[tyrantqueen]

Come on people! No love for this kind of stuff? I'm surprised more members here don't have "curiosity cabinets". Am I the only one who wants a home that looks like a museum?

I like it. I just can't contribute much since I don't collect taxidermy. I don't have the space for it. I do appreciate the artistry that goes into it, however.

My dad used to have a badger skull that he found in the woods. He also had pelts from the foxes he shot.

[stargatedalek]

How did I miss this!? I love it! I think the hawk (red tailed?) is my favorite. The preserved shark and the duck (black duck?) come close though.
I would own taxidermy if my mother would let me, she's squeamish enough of the AAA cast figures so taxidermy is definitely off the table.
I also like how you integrated the WS sharks, and is that a safari hidden kingdom scorpion without it's usual paint-app?

[Arul]

Wow very stunning gwangi i love your stuff so much. When im in elementary school i like to collect animal bone. That time i have catfish bone, arwana fish bone, hamster bone, rabbit bone, kutilang bird bone. Actually they are my pet, i burry them when they dead and few weeks or monts later i dig it back to get the bone. But then my mother feeling sick about it and throw my all collection into the garbage  aaand i stop collecting after that

[Gwangi]

How did I miss this!? I love it! I think the hawk (red tailed?) is my favorite. The preserved shark and the duck (black duck?) come close though.
I would own taxidermy if my mother would let me, she's squeamish enough of the AAA cast figures so taxidermy is definitely off the table.
I also like how you integrated the WS sharks, and is that a safari hidden kingdom scorpion without it's usual paint-app?

Firstly...that is indeed a red-tailed hawk. A very old and beat up hawk at that but he's probably the most unusual of the taxidermy I have so far, hawks just aren't something you can get anymore (for good reason!). And that's a good eye you have there, that duck is black duck. Most people just assume it's a mallard.

The scorpion is made of metal, so probably not the one you're thinking of. It was a souvenir from Arizona.

Taxidermy IS an expensive hobby, which is why I only have smaller animals at the moment. The places I frequent (antique shops) have sooo much cool stuff. A flying squirrel, entire Florida key deer, coyote, wild boar head and brown bear skin rug are all among the really expensive highlights. Maybe someday. But don't feel discouraged Stargate, I didn't get my first piece until I was 25. But I've been collecting skulls and such for a lot longer, ever since my dog brought home a raccoon skull when I was 14 and I guarantee, every skull I own has an interesting story to go with it!

Thanks Arul, I would love to see what I could find in your part of the world!

And TQ, I totally understand regarding space. Another reason why I mostly have smaller animals.

[Tyto_Theropod]

Great thread idea! Will post some pictures of my taxidermy and fossils later. (Could be much later, given that I prefer to upload my pictures in batches...)

[Doug Watson]

Come on people! No love for this kind of stuff? I'm surprised more members here don't have "curiosity cabinets". Am I the only one who wants a home that looks like a museum?

Great collection Gwangi! Have you posted a thread on your books? I was straining my eyes and I saw a few that I have including some I have on fish. I don't have the collection you have and it isn't displayed as well but I pick up natural history items like skulls etc whenever I can if they are free (as in found). As well as what I will post I also have a collection of reptile and amphibian life-casts but they are packed away.
Well here goes.

A beaver pelt and a cypress knee.


A deer and bear skull, shark jaw, megalodon teeth, beaver stump and a few fossil casts. I also have a taxidermy Black Bear rug made from the same bear that gave up that skull.


Vagaceratops & Styracosaurus cast bits.


A found deer antler.


My feather & porcupine quill collection.


An Oldsquaw.


My collection of old bird taxidermy parts, some of these were prepared with arsenic.


My collection of old mammal taxidermy parts.


Drawer 1 of my fossil collection also some porcupine skulls and seal bones. I know it may not fit the thread but what the hey.


Drawer 2 of my fossils, I need to dust.


Drawer 3.


Drawer 4, some of my minerals.


Any guesses?


And finally the prize of my collection

[Gwangi]

Very nice collection Doug, I figured you would also collect these sorts of things. Apparently we have a lot of overlapping interests. I'm particularly envious of your bear skull (and pelt) and oldsquaw. Most of my skulls and things were found out in nature as well but the pelts and taxidermy mostly come from antique shops. The black squirrel is something my wife actually found dead on the road side and was our first piece of taxidermy. I have a good deal of other skulls and bones packed away, most are too aged to display well.

I also have the "Billy Big Mouth", as well as his singing "Jaws" great white shark counterpart.

I do actually have a thread for my books, but only the dinosaur/paleontology books. I guess I should make a general book thread. I actually just got rid of an entire shelf worth of books in anticipation of the baby human that will soon be living in our home. There is a giant book sale that occurs near here twice a year and as you can tell, I never miss it! I'm told it is one of the largest in the country.

[stargatedalek]

Very nice. Its a shame those birds couldn't be finished up (unless you were planning to?). I can see there are some real beauties in that box! I think the old squaw is probably my favorite.

I used to have one of those talking bass (and I believe also a trout), but I seem to recall they stopped working at some point. Haven't seen them in a long time, I'll probably find them in with some decorating/craft supplies at some point. Odds are the inner workings were gutted after mechanical failure.

I don't have a lot of reference books, I do have a few nice ones on marine life but sadly that's it.

[Doug Watson]

Very nice. Its a shame those birds couldn't be finished up (unless you were planning to?). I can see there are some real beauties in that box! I think the old squaw is probably my favorite.

When I was at the museum I sometimes had to repair old mounts and those two boxes are filled with bits and pieces of old mounts that we would scavenge for repairs. Some of them are fairly complete put nothing really worth restoring. I got them when I left the museum since there was no one left that knew how to repair the mounts. Now I mostly use them for reference. I have eagle feet, owl faces and beaks, wings, legs etc so they come in handy that way. Some of the neat stuff in the mammal boxes (I have two) are black bear claws, musk ox and polar bear fur.
One thing to keep in mind when collecting vintage taxidermy, if the leather has a deep yellow colour it was treated with arsenic and there is still residual arsenic in there that can be transferred to your skin so always wear gloves and a mask when you handle them and keep them out of reach of kids and pets.

[Tyto_Theropod]

One thing to keep in mind when collecting vintage taxidermy, if the leather has a deep yellow colour it was treated with arsenic and there is still residual arsenic in there that can be transferred to your skin so always wear gloves and a mask when you handle them and keep them out of reach of kids and pets.

*Has just been scared out of collecting any more antique taxidermy...* 

...Until I see something I MUST HAVE, that is lol!

Thanks for the warning, Doug. You're also very lucky to have anything from a polar bear. (Not that I would go out and shoot one just so that I could have its pelt. Not the way I roll!)

It's been very interesting seeing everyone's collections, I'm going to have to go and take some of my own now!

[Doug Watson]

One thing to keep in mind when collecting vintage taxidermy, if the leather has a deep yellow colour it was treated with arsenic and there is still residual arsenic in there that can be transferred to your skin so always wear gloves and a mask when you handle them and keep them out of reach of kids and pets.

*Has just been scared out of collecting any more antique taxidermy...* 

...Until I see something I MUST HAVE, that is lol!

Thanks for the warning, Doug. You're also very lucky to have anything from a polar bear. (Not that I would go out and shoot one just so that I could have its pelt. Not the way I roll!)

It's been very interesting seeing everyone's collections, I'm going to have to go and take some of my own now!

The yellow colour tip was told to me by a couple of the museum taxidermists but apparently the only sure way to tell is with chemical testing. The use of arsenic was phased out in the 60s and the 70s so anything older than that should be treated as though it does contain arsenic. From most accounts that I have read as long as they aren't handled they are fairly safe but if you see any powder leaking from a tear be careful it could be just plaster but you can't be sure without testing it. Borax became the preferred treatment after arsenic.

[Tyto_Theropod]

Okay, so here's my current taxidermy collection. Probably going to change a lot when I finally decide how I'm going to split up my pocket money spending...

NB: In no way do I endorse the killing of animals, with the exception of very common species taken, for example, as pest control. All the animal parts I have or will ever collect are either vintage items or are ethically and responsibly sourced.



My childhood seashell collection, which is kept in a bucket in my parents' bathroom. It's very dusty and icky, but I really should sort through it one day and clean it up, as there's some good stuff there. Most of these were picked up from beaches, and I recommend that over buying shells in shops. Marine biodiversity is in enough trouble without us supporting the killing of huge amounts of shellfish just so people can have a pretty little ornament. Also, some shells you see for sale in gift shops, etc., have been died to make them prettier, so they aren't of much value if you want to know the colour of the actual animal's shell.




The infamous red squirrel. And just to make things even more fun, I think it's cured with arsenic. I really want to get rid of it, but I don't think there's any way I legally can, only destroying it, which would annoy me as it would be throwing away £85!







American Mink Mustela vison stole, 1950s or older. The lining is warm and the clasp is broken, but it's still got plenty of character.








Probably my favourite out of my current stuffed animal collection: Fox fur stole, 1950s or older. I won this and the mink at a junk auction for just £19.00. Gotta love that cheeky face! I'm not sure what species this is (could be red fox, Vulpes vulpes), but it's probably a specially-bred colour morph.




Male Muntjac deer Muntiacus reevesi skull with one antler and both tusks.



Horns I inherited from a relative. Vintage, but no data with them. As I'm not an expert in herbivores I have no idea what they are, perhaps ibex or bush buck of some kind.

Not pictured: An insane amount of shells; Domestic cat (Felis catus skull & mandible. I have yet to establish a safe place to keep it, and until then I'm not going to risk unpacking it.

[Tyto_Theropod]

New pieces in my skull collection:

The cat skull that I didn't photograph last time - image spam because I love it.







Roe deer buck:

[Gwangi]

Beautiful skulls, museum quality stuff! I recently acquired a beaver and opossum skull I'll have to share.

[Halichoeres]

Just noticed this thread, awesome stuff! Tyto, I think you're right that those horns are from a bushbuck. The only other thing they might be is a sitatunga, but I think bushbuck are hunted a lot more, so that's probably your guy.

[Tyto_Theropod]

Good to know someone backs me up on that. I'm not very good at ungulates.