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Old 02-16-2023, 08:48 PM
Marty S Marty S is offline
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Default Fur Industry: Progress

https://www.furharvesters.com/pdf/pr...ease_02_14.pdf

February 14, 2023
IMPORTANT UPDATE TO FHA’S MARCH 2023 AUCTION
We are committed to hosting live auctions, but there continues to be strong interest from many buyers
wishing to have the ability to participate online. An online pre-bidding process is being implemented into
our auction prior to the start of the live auction in order to service a large number of buyers unable to
physically attend.
Online pre-bids will be accepted prior to the March 20-22 auction. Online pre-bids can be placed in the
same manner as in our previous online auctions, allowing a starting bid and a maximum bid if desired.
Complete instructions will be provided to registered buyers. Those unable to attend in person and wishing
to place pre-bids online have from March 17-18, 2023 to do so as the online platform will close at Midnight
EST on March 18.
All goods will be on show from March 17-19, with the live auction commencing March 20. During the
live auction in the event of a tie bid with an online maximum bid, the hammer will fall to the buyer in the
auction room. The final price of each lot will be determined in the auction room.
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Old 02-16-2023, 10:31 PM
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Camdec Camdec is offline
 
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Online auctions seemed to work pretty well for Ritchie Brothers although this isn’t exactly live online bidding to my knowledge.. Technology sure opened up a lot of markets.
Is Furharvesters instituting minimums to avoid fire sales? Or is this a true 100% clearance type sale at all prices?

Last edited by Camdec; 02-16-2023 at 10:41 PM.
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Old 02-17-2023, 06:52 AM
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H380 H380 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Camdec View Post
Online auctions seemed to work pretty well for Ritchie Brothers although this isn’t exactly live online bidding to my knowledge.. Technology sure opened up a lot of markets.

Is Furharvesters instituting minimums to avoid fire sales? Or is this a true 100% clearance type sale at all prices?
Minimum bids is a good idea to a point ,it protects us trappers from losing our product for a super low price . But eventually stuff needs to get cleared out so they can start new ... FHA is to be commended for their stand on this , much better than that auctioneer on NAFA a couple years ago in the coyote portion where he remarked " who would like to steal some fur ?" Joking or not ,a comment like that doesn't look good .

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Old 02-17-2023, 08:57 AM
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South west trappin RG South west trappin RG is offline
 
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Is there any forecast to demand Marty? you seem to here rumours from the guys in the industry.
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Old 02-19-2023, 05:34 PM
Marty S Marty S is offline
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Not a lot of rumours or facts floating around, but some positive signs. The biggest rumour is no business. Very quiet out there by the players. One little rumour is that CG sales are way off. I even read an article about it in a non mainstream news newspaper recently. Another is that their primary buyer, who was very loaded withskins when CG quit fur, is planning to buy some skins again next year. Another rumour is that some of the big players might start trimming again but only for the asian market? One unfortunate rumour is that the coyote king has skins stacked up still from way back, like the $150 kind and still has a mountain of coyotes sitting at International in addition to home which is in Italy. Another rumour is that the harvest is way off on all species, due to fuel price increase. Thus the supply and demand price thing might come into play, tho one can speculate that if there's no product then people -users might quit.

A fact is that each year that goes by is another years worth of those fricking ranch mink being consumed. Peak production was 90 million mink produced in one year. Another fact is the Danish mink industry is dead, and their last 10 million mink produced, stale of course are probly going to sell this year. The rumour is that nobody wants ranch mink anymore… but they still buy mountains of the stuff. No not like it was precovid, but still great amounts compared to wild fur. The rumour is that SAGA is currently producing 10 million and North America 1 million. Thats a far cry from 90 million skins on a hot market… now speculate!!!!

The rumour was that the Australians came into the last FHA sale and aggressively bought all the beaver aside from the best/shearing type beavers, outcompeting the North American, ukraine and Portugese. Thus the next rumour that these felt companies are short on beaver. Anybody wanna skin some rabbits??? Im sure some or all of these companies would love to buy a few containers of rabbit skins… only 50,000 skins per container. However it is believed that the felt craze cowboy hat craze will subside when the Yellowstone tv show comes to an end

Another rumour is that the sable production in the former USSR is way off, a normal harvest is 250,000 skins for a regular sale this time of year and the harvest was only 110,000 skins. Also the rumour was that sable price was up the first day of the sale, even higher on the second. The next rumour is this will translate into a 30% increase in marten prices… however the sable were only bid on by folks that are able to buy them under the current sanctions, thus likely excluding many from using russian sable. Therefore let me start a rumour, i think we will see much higher than a 30% increase in marten prices in march at fha.

I think the cottage industry is having an effect on the beaver offering, many people not selling their beaver and other skins in the traditional markets, thus lower offering to the industry than if they weren’t. Too bad the felt industry is limited in the price they can pay… or at least what they are willing to pay. I think felt is worth $12.50 USD per pound, could go to a record price of $14.50 per pound??? But i was told thats it, felt people not wanting to go higher??? All rumours!

I think i seen a fricking felt cowboy hat priced at $1000??? Surely they could pay more than they are?

Seeing this blended internet sale followed by live at FHA is ground breaking for the industry. The rumour is 50 ish wild fur buyers at a regular sale? But 390 buyers registered at FHAs last internet sale. Surely the internet bidding will push the live bidders. I can see the zoo collection goods being smoking hot!!! That is wolf, wolverine, bears to a lesser degree, weasels, skunks and such flying high. I see lynx doing well and any other low volume high quality specie doing well in light of the new system. I think the ranch fox is going to go up at FHA, not necessarily world but is a very limited skin to buy in North America for most people. So FHA is breaking new ground… i am very pleased!

So that's a few rumours. What is fact? What is fiction? I dont know


But the positive signs are out there
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Old 02-19-2023, 11:14 PM
TrapperMike TrapperMike is offline
 
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And we get how much for a beaver.
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Old 02-20-2023, 12:34 PM
G_Godberson G_Godberson is offline
 
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Yes, lots of rumours and some facts(Russian sable up) - good thing is that they are generally positive rumours. I did a slide show at our last meeting on “ Active trappers this season. Was surprised at how many were out there trapping . Yes coyote harvest severely muted, but many guys (myself included) taking good numbers of under ice beaver as an example. More effort on everything from weasel and squirrel to wolves. Coyotes were lucrative; and we did good for 10+ years … but they also reduced the time available on trapping other species. I just scraped 16 prime beaver this morning; and strangely enough ; enjoyed it. Ha

Had a few good coyote hauls this winter; but was probably as excited about putting some prairie long tail catches together

Variety is the spice of life (right?)
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Old 02-20-2023, 01:02 PM
Big Grey Wolf Big Grey Wolf is offline
 
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Marty, thanks for the informative fur summary. Even if half of positives are realized will be great.
PS read a good book on trappers life in Cariboo few years back. One trapping year he payed for new log home and had enough left over for a Willys Jeep 4X4 truck. We are lucky to pay for fuel for truck now!
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Old 02-21-2023, 05:57 AM
G_Godberson G_Godberson is offline
 
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Default Arkansas Beaver - big demand

This just in:
Fur sale got these surprising prices -

222 dry Beaver. Low $16 - High $47. Avg $39.02
200. Green Beaver Low $5. High $45 Avg $37.47

54 Dry Otter $45.83 avg
68 green Otter $47.60 avg

All U.S. $$

Surprises besides Beaver avg; was low price of $16. We have all sold 2-$5 small beavers over the past how many years

And high prices on non handled green prices. Buyers must not like the finished product- especially otter? Ha go figure

Anyways- let’s hope this is for real and repeated on future sales -
Looking forward to FHA sale - Beavers and Marten specifically
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Old 02-21-2023, 07:40 AM
South west trappin RG's Avatar
South west trappin RG South west trappin RG is offline
 
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Thanks Garry is this from Gronwald? I know why they are paying high prices for green stuff, an prep is exactly why. I bought a bunch of otter one year from Nafa no damaged goods an payed more than the sale average so not low end stuff 10% was almost no good. Holes can be fixed but not fleshing good engulf the grease soaked into the leather making it very hard to hydrate an tan. Allot of extra work an some were garbage
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Old 02-21-2023, 08:30 AM
G_Godberson G_Godberson is offline
 
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It was a Arkansas Trappers association sale I believe. Saw it on Trapperman
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Old 02-22-2023, 07:40 PM
Marty S Marty S is offline
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Beware of USA country sales results, not necessarily indicative of world market prices. The crafters/cottage - country hobby furriers likely bought the high priced goods such as the USD $40 beavers and $24 skunks and $20 red fox, etc

Time will tell… but hopefully we see a beaver boom. And hopefully CG comes back and at least trims their parkas destined for their Chinese stores.

Just to clarify… the guy buying stuff for CG also supplied/supplies many others.
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