Okay, so I'm learning here. If the valuation is not met, then the items aren't sold and can go private treaty? But with no valuation , market price could possibly be penny's on the dollar. And more unhappy trappers. Is this correct

Good fur will be kept close to the valuation.Or kept and consigned on the next auction.
The auction house receives a lot of junk-you wouldnt believe it unless you go look thru the bins.That stuff is let go for whatever they can get just to get rid of it.They keep telling trappers not to send that stuff,but some people are idiots and dont believe what they are told is going to happen to junk.

I guess for me it comes down to trusting our trapper brothers at FHA. I can see the private treaty being( shady) in the hands of the wrong people.

The valuation used in the auction room and in the catalog is the opinion of the graders and professionals at FH as to what those pelts are worth. Their opinion is based on what the world Fur market is doing and conversations they have with fur industry people around the world. It is their opinion. It isn’t set in stone. Sometimes their opinion is spot on. Some times it is off. Some times waaaasy off.

I have sat in the auction room when they are selling wolves (for example), the valuation is $75.00. When the bidding is done, the hammer falls at $325.00. Obviously that particular valuation was off based on what the room wanted to pay. Does that mean the valuation was wrong or was it the case of the right buyers in the room at that time, that caused the competition.

I have sat in the auction room when they are selling Raccoon (for example), the valuation is $20.00. No takers. The auctioneer tries $18.00 (10% discount). No takers. The auctioneer tries $16.00 (20% discount). No takers. That lot is “bought back”. The PT person knows what happened in the auction room. He knows the Raccoon market is weak. He knows there are lots of Raccoon available. He gets an offer of $12.50. Based on everything he knows, he sells. Did he make the right call or not??

When the market on any item is strong, the PT room sticks close to valuation. Sometimes even 10% higher. When the market on anynitem is weak, is it better to negotiate in the PT room or should they hold the value and not sell.

I have also been in the auction room when it is announced there will be no PT on a certain item. Either buy it in the auction room or wait for the next auction. There were still goods that were “bought back”.

I have been dealing with another Auction for years. They call the starting price the minimum. You get to set your own minimums. If you set reasonable minimums most all your fur will sell and mostly for more than your minimum. No fur gets sold below the minimum. They get bidding. Bidding finds the market price.

Fur has been sold through the Auction process for over 100 years so market price can be found.

Probably why many Associations sell by Auction, not private deals.

No different than selling to the Rat Wagon. I assume most sellers have a minimum in mind before passing them through the window. If you are offered 10% less than your minimum you have to decide to accept it or not.

I always thought that the GRADER graded fur for primness clarity color size and any defects. So If that Is true the market should have no bearing on the "GRADE".
So once the GRADER is done who sets the "Valuation"?

I have watched one of the best fur graders In the Industry grade 1000 of hides and at no time did he place a value on those hides.

So when the market Is high does the GRADER become less picky? Or does the person doing the VALUATION slip In a few hides that are just a bit less In quality?

Any word on when SHAFTA is going to send me my money BEAV? LLL

you're gonna run outta shirt tails ta ride someday Beav.

LLL things have become a bit mixed up but I've been told that part of your stimulus check was from SHAFTA. So If you got your stimulus check your SHAFTA account has been closed out.

The thing that bothers me Is that the WFSC members lost millions of dollars In this NAFA cluster.

I always have groney LOL

Are there multiple people in the rat wagon competing to buy your fur at their maximum they will pay for it? You are not trying to get the minimum. You are trying to get the maximum.

The people In the rat wagon know what they are going to pay you before they hit the road.
But I always wondered how those guys got paid. Does groney tell them they need to buy coon at a average of $10.00 and If they buy at $8.00 they keep the difference. Since It's all computer handled in the truck It should be pretty simple to work It out between stops.

I have not got a check from them either actually. I am self employed and owner of my two businesses and so they have no bank account to send a transaction to. I have to pay every year. Will end up actually getting to keep some of the money I would have sent them anyways. No real stimulus here just a little tax relief. Difference between the US and NAFA is I will get a check and it will be able to be cashed. LLL

lol its the only auction left at an international level. Until another auction house (that sells wild fur) stands up that is going to get the coverage that FHA has all this conversation is mute.

The auction system has not changed and is not going to change so why worry bout it. We all know the options and the pros and cons of them.

Sell to a private buyer............you know what your getting and walk.
Send to the auction, might get more........your furs might not sell.
Flog the furs yourself.............you might not find a market

Everyone knows what they need to make, for trapping to be worth it. For some thats nothing, for others it dropped below that level years ago.

Speaking of SHAFTA, this appears to be their thoughts on online Auctions.

"While Saga has announced that the April Auction was a success given the new
online auction format, Saga sold substantially less fur pelts than would have been
the case at a traditional auction. In addition, it had difficulty selling North
American pelts, which generally are known to require in person inspection by
buyers in order to assess value;"

I think LL's answer is in there somewhere.

As a seller,what do you prefer-Open bidding or closed bidding.

Dirt, You are referring to the Alaska Trappers Assn. fur auction?

Open bidding. You need in your face competition.

As a seller at a Trappers sale, I definitely prefer closed )sealed) bidding. Time and time and time again it has proven to get the seller more money 95% of the time.