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Post by billmeyerhoff on Jan 6, 2008 20:06:03 GMT -5
As the season progress’s each of us are going to need to decide how we will sell our fur. In some areas there is the option of selling to a local buyer, selling at the association sale or shipping to an international auction house. For me the local buyer isn’t a consideration based upon his reputation and the fact there is no competition. This year I will once again take my small catch to the VTA District 1 sale in Wytheville. I will pay the flat fee of $10.00 and my fur will receive a sealed bid from about ½ of the buyers present if things are the same as in the past.
Two years ago I gave my fur to Tom Tyree, the NAFA Agent who is outside with his truck to accept fur from those who choose not to accept the bids they have received. The Agent for FHA is also there if you choose to sell with them and you avoid the cost of shipping through the mail or by private carrier. Last year I decided to sell at Wytheville and was pleased with the prices I received.
This year I will probably sell the few muskrats, grey fox, and coon I catch and plan on having the other species tanned, either for display or to sell at craft fairs. I feel that selling at craft fairs will be a great way to introduce people to wild fur and maybe I can even make a couple of extra bucks myself.
What plans do you have for selling your fur?
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Post by Earl8656 on Jan 6, 2008 20:15:44 GMT -5
i am going to sell part of my fur the end of January to an out of state buyer(just don't know which one yet), who will come by my shed and pick up the furs , then I might sell the rest of it at the year end state sale. I am not very pleased with the auction process, versus the sealed bid process....last year it would have cost me a few hundred dollars(why would a buyer pay more than he has too?). If I'm not happy with the VA sale i may seek other avenues, NAFA is prob out of the question, due to slow pay and some no sales.
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Post by billmeyerhoff on Jan 6, 2008 20:35:58 GMT -5
However you sell it I hope you get the best buck you can for it.
Our local trapping association had an two day auction back in the boom days and we had trappers driving 5 or 6 hours to sell there and they did that for a number of years. I know they did much better than they would have if they had sold local. The fur was put in lots by the seller and there was no representation of grade. It doesn't take a good fur buyer long to look at bunch of fur and determine what he's got. Like all buyers before NAFA these guys already had it sold before they bought it. Even a seasoned fur buyer at times will get carried away and bid more than he wants. It is important to have a good auctioneer, one who can get it going and keep it going. When they get tired get them some coke and pizza, a ten minute break can make a difference if given at the right time. Properly handled fur really stands out when it hits the table and those guys can recognize it without a problem. They don't need to see every pelt to know what they are getting and they're not depending on someone else's grading to make their purchase. As you can tell I like the excitement of a live auction.
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Post by Earl8656 on Jan 6, 2008 20:42:14 GMT -5
when I sell, it will be to one of the buyers who will be at the state auction, I have already had 3 of the buyers who bought some of my fur last year, call me this year......seems everyone wants coons? ?.....lol, hope it continues ;D I just can't sem to find anyone wanting to pay a 25 dollar average for my 100 reds
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Post by scansy on Jan 6, 2008 20:46:03 GMT -5
I just can't sem to find anyone wanting to pay a 25 dollar average for my 100 reds What are you getting for grays. When I sold the few reds I had, the buyer told me I would have got triple for grays of the same quality.
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Post by Earl8656 on Jan 6, 2008 20:54:26 GMT -5
Right now, i have heard that greys are bringing from 28-30 bucks, looking to move slightly higher....greys are much easier to sell than reds as there are not nearly as many grades of them.
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Post by billmeyerhoff on Jan 6, 2008 23:11:21 GMT -5
I hope you don't turn down a $24 average on those reds this year if they offer it. ;D
How big are your coon. The ones I've caught are in the low to mid teens, nice fur and not bad color but kinda small and I'm not seeing much coon sign. I think they got hit with distemper. Wouldn't you know it. The first year we can trap'em and their population is down. Oh well, there's always next year.
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Post by Earl8656 on Jan 7, 2008 5:07:38 GMT -5
Our coon average about 12 lbs, we did have 2 last year out of 200+, that went 23 lbs....very big for us. I will take 24 on the rds ;D Probably a 22 average would tickle me scatless ; but realistically I'm looking at a 15 average
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Post by trapper82257 on Jan 7, 2008 17:13:52 GMT -5
I do take all my fur to our state auction for I have had good luck with that and I will be going to the Missouri trappers auction on Jan 19. The association had one on Saturday and we seen some $30 coon but they was 34in to. We had 1677 coon there and they average &16,25 I thought that was petty good of the run we had The Grey Fox was going for $33. They did not have that many but they all was 33 no more and no less
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Post by scansy on Jan 7, 2008 17:58:29 GMT -5
For you guys that go to sales and/or auctions - how much fur are you taking with you? Is there typically a minimum to be involved?
The local buyer will take one fur if I have it to sell. I'm sure he's accumulating them to take to a sale himself. He told be he has about 800 fox so far as of this past weekend. Plus I don't know how many coon, rats, etc.
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Post by billmeyerhoff on Jan 7, 2008 18:36:57 GMT -5
Any sale that I've attended did not have either a minimum or maximum that you could sell. Some do require you to be a member of the Trapper's Association. Others charge non-members more to sell their fur. Politics aside we should all be members of our State and also a National Association.
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iafftrapper
Coon Stacker
"Mr. Two Step"
"Dances with Skunks"
Posts: 691
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Post by iafftrapper on Jan 7, 2008 20:12:51 GMT -5
Hey Earl, did you find out about the change in the VTA format on Tman like i did? Seems TPC or the state newsletter would have mentioned how this thing would be run vs. rumors on Tman. Just my thoughts. Really don't see how this is gonna speed things up and I would have lost money too if the highest price bidder bid one dollar over the second place bidder(last years format). Still will support the VTA auction just very cautious/curious on this.
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Post by Earl8656 on Jan 8, 2008 6:06:08 GMT -5
I don't like it, and I was supposed to be on that committee. The fur still has to be looked at...that will take the same amount of time. The buyers aren't Johnny-come-lately's who will get caught up in the bidding process. They will pay all they can, if they want the fur, when doing a sealed bid. Small lots will suffer the most,IMHO.
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Post by billmeyerhoff on Jan 8, 2008 7:31:22 GMT -5
I honestly don't know which format is best or if one is even better than the other. Because of market fluctuations it is very difficult to make a comparison. My only hope is that everyone gets a fair price for their fur and can make a profit.
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Post by Earl8656 on Jan 8, 2008 18:53:19 GMT -5
Me too! there was quite a bit of fur that didn't get bid upon last year...I don't know if this is gonna change that or not. We can only hope for the best.
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buckshot
Coon Stacker
Pickle Smoocher
Posts: 515
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Post by buckshot on Jan 9, 2008 22:18:54 GMT -5
At a sale last week, greys averaged $34, high was $38 should easily pass $40 top pay by March sale
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Post by Earl8656 on Jan 9, 2008 22:22:50 GMT -5
One buyer said not to be surprised at 50 for greys by March. that would prob be at NAFA though.
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trapperpaul2
Rat Trapper
I LOVE THIS THING CALLED TRAPPING
Posts: 18
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Post by trapperpaul2 on Jan 10, 2008 22:28:05 GMT -5
Sold Otter, mink, coon, coyote, three greys and muskrats to a buyer. Otter - 25.00, muskrat - 2.10, mink - 12.00, coon - 18.00, yote - 20.00, and 35.00 for the greys. My partner got skiddish about the coon and didn't ship them. Jan. results on coon are making him sick. The results on the reds and greys are making him sick too, since we shipped them and they were mainly withdrawn. I just tell him to relax. Make a choice and live with it. We shipped to FHA.
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Post by billmeyerhoff on Jan 11, 2008 6:58:48 GMT -5
Those prices are the reason I trap for personal enjoyment.
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Post by Sunshine on Jan 11, 2008 7:10:30 GMT -5
i spoke with a buyer from west virginia who bought a buncha fur at the WVTA sale. he paid 23 for xxxl coon from here. not too bad. he bought 800 coon there and paid from 8 dollars to 23.00. this man would not have paid that much for wv coon unless he knew he was gonna make money on them.
imglad our coon didnt have distemper this year.
He also said there was gpnna be a shortage of beaver. said the canandians arentr trpping them as much because the canandian money is now worth the same as the dollar.
if the canadian dollar is stronger, they make more money.
not sure the rate but say a beaver brought 20 us dollars thats like 30 canadians ones.
since they arent gonna get as much he said the canandians have not trapped them as hard and that there will be less of them at NAFA because of it.
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Post by scansy on Jan 11, 2008 7:26:25 GMT -5
I used to go to Canada for business and still go fishing there every other year or so. I remember getting $1.45 canadian for $1.00 US. Now, it's closer to even I think.
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Post by glen on Jan 23, 2008 19:25:15 GMT -5
Earl I think you will like the auction, If fur is in short supply they will bid the prices up. I will send invites out to 38 buyers in about a week. about 12 are from the north and they want fur.
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Post by Earl8656 on Jan 24, 2008 5:44:47 GMT -5
And if theywant fur, the would have bid their max on a sealed bid, they only get one chance at it then.
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