Gittin' some tail!

D.A. Guertin · Jul 9, 2002

Right,

Well, I picked up a 12+ x 52+ inch alligator skin, and the guy is offering me some tails tomorrow morning. So, two questions: 1) I paid $75 for the gator, did I get screwed, and 2)what should I be looking to pay for these tails? He's forwarding photos, sizes, and prices tomorrow morning...

Thanks all,

Mike Hull · Jul 9, 2002

I couldn't tell you, but these folks might know.
http://www.allamericangator.com/

http://www.amtan.com/shopping.htm

R.W.Clark · Jul 10, 2002

That would be a very good price. That is of course if the hide is of good quality. Gator and croc normally sells for between $6.50 and $9 per cm depending on the quality. Unlife leather which is measured by the square croc is measured across its widest part (normally the center of its back.

Be sure that he is able to get you all the proper fish and game certs. If you do not get them you will not be able to use the hides. You have to prove that they are not poached. Proper tagging consists of a colored plastic band inserted through the hide at some point. This tag will list when and where the gator was taken. It will also have the id# that can be matched to the F+G paperwork.

If he balks at providing this for you, walk away! No matter how good a deal it is, it just ain't worth the trouble that it will bring you. Also you do not want to support poaching. Poaching hurts all of us how use exotic materials.

I am attaching a photo of a proper F+G tag.

R.W.Clark · Jul 10, 2002

Also if the guy is on the up and up, and the hides are of good quality be sure and pass on his name and contact info. That is an awful good deal

.

D.A. Guertin · Jul 10, 2002

How about $18 for "a good-sized Teju?"

D.A. Guertin · Jul 12, 2002

Right, well they should be here tomorrow. It turns out that he normally sells gators at $65 per, with tails at $30 (I wound up getting a body minus the tail for the same price). He also said he's got "a f*ck load of really big Tegu lizards" at $18 apiece. Black, brown, peanut, cognac..... I said, "sure, go ahead and send me one" thinking to myself, "OK, well, I know they make boots out of these things, and the vamp is one piece, so I should have a workable area about this big (making a small, dinner-plate sized circle with my hands)." Then, I looked it up. What exactly am I going to do with a four or five foot lizard?

R.W.Clark · Jul 12, 2002

What about the tags for the gator?

D.A. Guertin · Jul 12, 2002

Still haven't gotten it in yet; you're the first person that comes to mind to authenticate the tag. OK to email you when I get it?

peter nap · Jul 12, 2002

That 4 to 5 foot lizard isn't as big as you would think!

J A Whalen · Jul 12, 2002

I have three tegus, and you won't get as much skin as you would think, but they do have a neat texture and patern. By the way, the live tegus eat alot and make a big mess!

Joe

R.W.Clark · Jul 12, 2002

No problem, you can also call Fish and Game and have them match the tag numbers.

D.A. Guertin · Jul 16, 2002

Skins are in, tags and all. Both Gators have CITES tags, and the Tegu is missing a tail. I guess that's why I paid $18 instead of the $50 I see on most sites... BTW, both gator's bellies have been used for wallets. I still have the #, if anybody wants it. I will put up the photos of all three skins tomorrow.

Crayola · Jul 16, 2002

'bout tiem you got some tail D.A.

So, what projects do you have in store with the skins? And when are you going to finish your web site? I've been checking it every week!

Take Care,

Karl

R.W.Clark · Jul 16, 2002

VERY very cool! You made out like a bandit on the Croc. It is pretty normal for the bellies to be removed. They are normally sold as a seperate item. I for one would love to get this guys info.

D.A. Guertin · Jul 16, 2002

Right, well, here are the skins. This is going to be brief; I just spent two hours typing up a big spiel with all the photos, bells, and whistles, only to be told that I had posted too many photos, and I lost the whole damn thing. Anyhow, the three skins:

<center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/siraslan/P1010104.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/siraslan/.mids/P1010104.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" > Click image to view larger version</A></center> 
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D.A. Guertin · Jul 16, 2002

Close-ups. They don't have quite the texture that I was hoping for (yes, I was still wearing my boot when I took the first photo), but they are pretty darn good overall. The Tegu has no tail or belly (probably already walking around as a pair of boots somewhere), but at $18, I'm not at all disappointed. It has all it's little Tegu bumps, scars, and scaley bits. The brown is shiney, sexy, and supple. The matte black one is stiffer, more solid, better textured, and just has the rough and tumbly look you expect from black gator...

<center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/siraslan/P1010098.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/siraslan/.mids/P1010098.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" > Click image to view larger version</A></center> 
<center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/siraslan/P1010100.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/siraslan/.mids/P1010100.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" > Click image to view larger version</A></center> 
<center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/siraslan/P1010101.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/siraslan/.mids/P1010101.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" > Click image to view larger version</A></center> 
<center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/siraslan/P1010102.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/siraslan/.mids/P1010102.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" > Click image to view larger version</A></center> 
<center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/siraslan/P1010103.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/siraslan/.mids/P1010103.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" > Click image to view larger version</A></center> 
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D.A. Guertin · Jul 16, 2002

CITES tag from one of the gators:

<center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/siraslan/P1010105.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/siraslan/.mids/P1010105.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" > Click image to view larger version</A></center> 
<center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/siraslan/P1010106.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/siraslan/.mids/P1010106.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" > Click image to view larger version</A></center> 
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D.A. Guertin · Jul 16, 2002

Karl,

The website is still in the works. I had to trade a bunch of armour to some damn Canadian just to get it that far

I honestly have no clue what I'm going to do with all of this stuff. Of course, then again, I don't know what I'm going to do with the twenty some-odd square feet of deer I just bought, or the two dozen feck-all huge Tagua nuts that I just got in today...

<center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/siraslan/P1010107.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/siraslan/.mids/P1010107.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" > Click image to view larger version</A></center> 
<center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/siraslan/P1010108.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/siraslan/.mids/P1010108.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" > Click image to view larger version</A></center> 
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D.A. Guertin · Jul 16, 2002

As a whole, I'm not particularly un-happy with anything at all. The skins are all a little thin for my tastes, but I've got some leather I can marry them to, and, when I get a sewing machine, I think I'll be in pretty good shape. For all those who are interested, Tegu can be ordered in a wide range of colours at $18 a piece (he may give you a bulk discount, I don't know), and Gators can be had for $30 a body or tail, or $65 for the whole fella. Contact information is as follows:

Paul Will
J. Paul David Co.
10851 US 19 North
Clearwater, FL 33764
(727) 592-0950

I just got an email from Paul, and he said that he'll be out until Saturday. You should be able to get in touch with Dave when you call, and he can get you set up. If nothing else, you can leave a message, and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to get you set up when they get back. I'll be on the board to answer any questions until the little one gets to sleep.....

<center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/siraslan/P1010085.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/siraslan/.mids/P1010085.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" > Click image to view larger version</A></center> 
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Gittin' some tail!

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