Looking for cheap fish replicas? Then you’re at the right place! In this guide, we will not only share the best cheap options to consider while buying fish replicas but also offer you good buying guidance.
Here are the places from where you can get cheap fish replicas:
- Etsy
- eBay
- Amazon
- Local Taxidermy Shops
Read on till the end as we take a closer look at each of these buying options in more detail.
Cheap Fish Replica: Buying Guide
The per-inch price of a fish replica costs up to $15-$16. On the other hand, the cost of a skin fish mount (real fish mount) can be up to $20 per inch of the fish.
The exact cost of a fish replica can depend on several factors:
- Type of fish
- Type of replica
- The complexity of the mount
- The expertise of the Taxidermists
- The material used (in the case of replicas and not skin mounts)
If you have a tight budget, then it would be a wise move to go with fish replicas instead of skin mounts.
These days, fish replicas are made from fiberglass, metal, or plastic material. And advanced technology and design techniques are used which makes it look stunningly realistic.
And the best part, these replicas have minimal maintenance requirements and last longer (almost a lifetime) as compared to skin mounts. To learn more, we highly recommend checking out this guide on how long fish skin mounts last.
If you’re really serious about skin fish mounts and don’t want to spend a lot, then you will either have to find a good taxidermist who offers the service at an affordable price.
Alternatively, if you are passionate about your trophy and don’t mind investing some time in learning taxidermy, then you can also do it yourself and save some money..
The Best Ways To Buy Cheap Fish Replicas
#1. Etsy
Cost: $50 – $250
Time: 3-10 Days
Best For: Affordable Fish Replicas
Etsy is an online marketplace well-known for purchasing hand-crafted and unique artistic items. A variety of sellers, including independent creators and small businesses comprise the seller base of the platform.
One of the great advantages of Etsy is the ability to explore unique items and contact directly the creator of the item. If you are looking for realistic fish replicas, it is one of the perfect places.
In fact, we invite you to check out our – Reelistic Replicas store on Etsy. We are a special brand in this niche offering high-quality and realistic metal fish replicas at an affordable rate.
Our founder, Brian Luoma, started this brand out of his love for fishing. He used to be a highly passionate angler, but due to health reasons, he was forced to stop his fishing journey. That said, he didn’t stop his love for fishing and after years of experimentation he started the brand with the focus of selling high-quality fish replicas.
You can get fish replicas with costs starting as low as $50. We use unique printing techniques coupled with touch art and metalworking, our laser-cut fish metal replicas look super realistic.
#2. eBay
Cost: $70 – $450
Time: 4-14 Days
Best For: Real Fish Skin Mount
eBay is one of the largest online marketplace for buying and selling things. Sellers from all over the globe gather here to sell their products including fish replicas. So you can get quite unique offers that you may not be able to find on other online platforms.
The best thing about the platform is its competitive bidding system. Often products are listed for auctions. And this allows you to get the chance of grabbing some great deals on fish replicas. You can find cheap $70-$80 replicas on the platform, as well as $300-$400 replicas depending on the size, and how they are made.
Don’t worry though if you’re not comfortable with the bidding system. They also offer a buy-it-now option to lock the deal without waiting for the auction period to end.
Moreover, you can check out seller reviews and ratings which allows you to pick the right product with confidence. Overall, eBay is a nice platform to explore if you are looking for affordable fish replicas.
#3. Amazon
Cost: $20 – $200
Time: 2-7 Days
Best For: Affordable Fish Replica
Amazon is a huge online e-com marketplace that doesn’t have any introduction. It also features a good collection of fish replica mounts.
Of course, you can’t expect the most realistic-looking bass or crappie replica mounts here. But still, you can get pretty decent quality fish replicas at a cheap price.
Amazon is worth exploring, especially if you are looking for a cheap fish replica as a wall decoration or mount in your home. From small 12-inch hand-painted fish replicas to big 48-inch realistic-looking fish replicas are also available on Amazon.
#4. Local Taxidermy Shops
Cost: $200 – $500
Time: 2-12 months
Best For: Custom Real Fish Skin Mounts
If you are going to buy ready-made fish replica mounts, and quality is not a big priority for you, you can get cheap fish replicas even in your local Taxidermy shops.
Give a quick search on Google and discover all the local taxidermy shops. Then, one by one, start exploring each shop, get a quote, and compare the prices.
If you got recommendations from your friend about good taxidermists near you, then great! But if not, then don’t worry, just see and evaluate their work samples. When you hire any taxidermists, the cost of the fish replica will often depend on their expertise level and the type of fish.
It is also important to note that most taxidermists have a minimum fee.
So even if you want a replica for a small fish, the cost can be significantly high. For instance, Taxidermists generally have minimum fees of $150-$200. So even if your fish replica costs originally $70, you will have to pay the higher price.
Taxidermists charge a minimum fee because they have to treat the fish skin, stuff, and design – involving a lot of work. Working below their minimum rates doesn’t make it worthwhile to consider the project so they charge accordingly.
If you are looking for just cheap but good-looking wall-hanging art, then exploring taxidermy shops may not be the right option. You will have to invest a lot of time and research.
Instead, it would be better if you consider buying a budget-friendly realistic-looking replica from our Etsy shop or sites like Amazon.
Can You Make Your Own Fish Replica?
Yes, you can also make your own fish replica. It does take some serious time and effort to learn the skill.
But if you are passionate about building your own replica, and have some spare time, you can also do it on your own. This way, you can save on high costs, and you’d have to spend on hiring professional taxidermists.
Of course, you may not get a great fish replica mount right on your first attempt. To learn the skill properly, you need to spend at least a few weeks or months. But once you do that, you can start creating your own taxidermy.
Watching a bunch of tutorials on YouTube is fine. But if possible, you can work as an apprentice or enroll in courses to learn the right skills quickly.
Once you acquire the necessary skills, all you have to pay for is the raw material like fish mount, chemicals you’d be using to treat the fish skin, and any stuffing material.
For a fiberglass replica or metal replica of your fish, it is best if it is done with professionals since they may require machinery and other equipment.
Only for real fish skin mounts, you can learn taxidermist skills. Mounts are available online. So you just need to wrap the fish skin over it and do all the detailing and painting stuff to make it look realistic.
Conclusion
In short, to get the best cheap fish replicas, you need to look for fiberglass or metal fish replicas (and not the actual skin replicas that involve the skin of the real fish you caught).
You can also get real fish skin mounts at an affordable rate if you find a good taxidermist, or if you go with the DIY route. However, for the most affordable options, checking out online platforms like Etsy, eBay, and Amazon is the best way to go.
And finally, it’s important to mention that you don’t need to have real fish while making the mount. Photographs and the measurements of the fish are enough for most fish replicas unless you go for a fish skin mount.
