The auction houses are both very large corporations. They handle hundreds of millions of dollars, annually. If either of them were publically traded companies, there would be people in jail, and would be in receivership.
They both started with wild fur in mind. Then got in bed with ranching, thinking that was the golden goose.
Well, they out-did themselves, don't you think?
The real problem is, in any other corporate structure, a fail in business as huge as this current trend in fur has become would be walking.
Did McDonalds fold under competition from Wendy's, or IBM collapse under the incredible weight of Microsoft?
No.
They had good minds running the show. They re-aligned, righted the ship, and grew.
Our pathetic auction houses do NOT represent us. How many times must we be hit in the head to see this?

AV, I get what your saying but in all honesty there is little we as trappers can do except play the market or make other things happen to make the money. Kinda hard to do with marten specifically, but with other critters that door is wide open and endless.

I agree on the ranched vs wild fur, but I think it is mostly a drying up and changing market. Much like the ol' black and red plaid hunting shirt giving way to Kuiu and Sitka gear. If there is not a good market, not much the auction houses can do about that.

I get the " buggy whip" theory., but I don't buy it, at all.