Doesn't really bother me right now.. after the spring/summer sale that would be more worrisome.

. Ranch mink are terrible and many ranchers quitting. NAFA is in a tough spot right now. If they went under it would be a dark day for the fur trade imo

How tough, specifically ? Any official numbers for that claim ? Not arguing, just want to see em.

I don’t raise them but I know Groeny was saying he watch’s the market daily and I believe 12-18 dollars averages were common earlier. Cost of production 20-30 a mink or so? I just know the industry is in big trouble

Kopenhagen January sale

Grand total

Regular

3.233.684 ranch mink for sale

27% percent sold

160,4 Average price in dollars $24.43 using 6.5 K to the dollar.

Source: Kopenhagen Fur Auction report.

Marten?

There is a bright side to the fur market fiasco. Ranch mink numbers are coming down fast around the world. Next year should produce around 36 million skins. That down from the close to a 100 million skins just a few years ago.

Trade needs about 40 million ranch mink pelts a year. Just have to use up the oversupply.

Some guys in the better regions for at least some fur I'm sure have done alright. I happen to be blessed to live in an area that have good coon and I think i handle my fur well. My coon this year graded into 3 regions at a 30-40-30% ratio. I sold all out of the first region, 86% out of the second region, and 0% out of the 3rd region. I'm sitting at a $17.18 average right now, but that won't hold for the entire year because when the 3rd region skins sell, they will bring it down and second batch for the May sale has some smaller skins in it. Still way better than my disastrous last year. But, I'm lucky to live where I do according to the NAFA graders...

That will be good to see but it tells me there is really not the demand for pelts that there was 3-5 years ago and we may be into a new but more limited market.

My fur sold at prices that were about what was anticipated. 9 of 10 coons are at $15, my two male mink averaged $14.50 so those were OK. I have a 3xl 1* 1-2 color coon left which should not hurt that average
My rats are disappointing. I had 228 of which 213 have sold for $3.75. I have 15 2xl-3xl-selects left.
It was not a good auction for higher grade fur. My 1* grade, xl, large and mediums sold for .25 to.50 less than the 1-11 grade of the same size.
I also had the highest percentage of large and mediums and a much lower percentage of xl rats. I knew that going in but thought that waiting a tad longer to get higher grades would be worth a bit more, but I guess not.
The market for rats is size for lining expensive coats so not much extra value in winter grade rats at this time. I guess somebody has to trap the fur to line the expensive cat coats or the coyote parkas.

Bryce

Sold few more coon pt I think, average went up 50 cents, all 3xl up coon of no 1 or 1 an 2 color in select an 1 grade didn't sell, which I happy not go cheap, what happen in future for them, no clue, mink did ok, $16 top, rats sold 100 per cent but not high, $5 top, beaver very very low, price, I thought fur up price but lower considerably than year ago

Why bid on ANYTHING when you can wait and get it for bargain basement price's PT? Way this so called auction has been trending in the past several years. Quit doing PT sale's and might bet more action on the actual auction which is WHY most ship their fur there to begin with! Or change the name to North American Private Treaty company and be done with it.

Exactly!

There are essentially two auction houses They both rely on same buyers from all over the world. If the demand isn't there you won't be happy with the returns on the sale of your skins. Don't blame the auction houses; they're just the messenger of what the market is saying.

I really have to scratch my head when I hear trappers complaining about low prices somehow being the responsibility of the auction houses.

Past few years it appears you are correct in how the auction vs PT sales are done.

Actually there are five since ALC went belly up. 3( maybe 4) are owned by the farmers who are responsible for the current situation. Now you don't have to scratch your head so much.

If you look at what sold on the auction it seems as though color was not an issue and as a matter of fact they look as though they did not want to pay extra for color. They can bleach or color what they bought for the uses they have in mind. Big coon with c, c-d sold at the sale. I may be wrong but unless you can sell them to the Italians or Greeks you probably won't see much separation in price in this market. Just what I have heard through the grape vine. I was told this weeks ago when I asked a buyer what his basis was on my section of coon. He skirted the question until I asked him straight out what he was willing to pay for a 4x select A-B colored Heavy coon and then he told me that the Chinese won't pay more for the clarity of color. In other words, they want skins at a set price per square inch. If it is more than what they want to pay, they move on. LLL

I wonder what price fate is go to happen to the bigger better quality color coon in future ?

with what they are doin to them,no need to buy good color.cheap is king in coon as exhibited in the sale.

If you think NAFA Is In finical trouble I'm wondering why they just built a new facility In Stoughton. And If you look at the land they have purchased for new expansion I'm not to concerned about NAFA going under.

. Had a huge dairy expand a couple years. Probably bigger buildings and more cost than NAFA. Now they are hauling their cows away. Done out of business. I’m not concerned they are going out of business either but just because you see expansion doesn’t mean they are bulletproof. I sure wouldn’t invest in the fur business today

agree,investing at this time and this market tells me they are makin too much at the trappers and farmers expense.