Just took a look at the catalog. Not sure how NAFA can remain in business with that kind of sale. Good grief!!!

not for the light hearted huh.

Ranch mink my friend. Other than coons and Grey fox everything else saw good clearances

I havent sent any fur to NAFA in 3 seasons. Had a few good sales with them back about 2010, 2011, etc but with the depressed market their sales are not worthwhile for most lower US wild fur trappers. Unless it is the only option for a trapper why would anyone send their fur there now? NAFA must not be attracting buyers...


Groenewold is keeping it alive for me. And running a route into the deep south, too.

Not exactly a "good clearance" on red fox and otters.

Yeah, yeah...those high plains coyotes will sell anywhere right now.

NAFA stays in business on the fees that they charge both sellers and buyers. When you consider commissions on both ends, packing fees, drumming fees, storage fees and everything else, the percentage is a lot higher than most people thing.

On a hundred dollar coyote it is about 25%.

On some section III items, it is more than the hammer price of the pelt. Can be double the hammer price. $2.00 hammer price. $4.00 or more in fees, it all adds up.

Forgot about otters and heavy foxes were better than last year I thought.clearance wise anyway

I realize how they make money, but eventually they have to produce a decent return for their shippers or they lose shippers. This sale looks to be a very, very bad return for wild fur shippers....based in what I saw when I browsed the catalogs...

no respect for trappers IMO

Did you scroll thru the catalog? Maybe they'll PT the rest for the trappers sake...

Other than otters and mink I watched the sale

NAFA 's position is that you can't please all of the people all of the time. They even tick off mink ranchers some times.

It is a cycle that keeps repeating itself -

- a trapper isn't happy with his local.buyer, so he ships to NAFA.
- NAFA sells his muskrats for less than he could have gotten in the country, so the next year he ships to FHA
- FHA some how lost his mink and they didn't get on the sale they were supposed to be, so next year he is going to sell local
- and the cycle goes on and on and on.

Plus there are always new trappers getting into selling fur.

I think we should just face the fact, the fur market hasn't turned around as of yet.

Going to be several years before it does, and then slowly.

wishful thinking is a powerful thing.

Yeah...I've seen that happen just reading Tman posts over past decade.

Same with me. See no reason to put up fur and drive two hours to the drop off when I can get about the same in the country. Maybe I'll ship again if/when the market improves.

Nafa has beaten anything I could get locally ever since I lost my local buyer that had order contracts overseas.

How does not selling at all beat anything? Lots of buy backs..

Poor sale so far for NAFA and the trade overall.
Coyotes only good seller so far.Western cats will likely be good too.
Clearances for some articles may improve thru PT sales.Prices not likely to improve there though.
Next batch off to the tanner!