I think It would have to be fur out. Fur In would drive you crazy.

So its not a one size fits all. Case drying for a craft market that sounds like its already in motion.... and then … a probably harder to implement market for international furiers

So You will be limiting yourself on what market the beaver will go to,and not realize the true value of the pelt because it cant be evaluated(graded) fully.
Be like selling balled up frozen green fur-you get lowballed cause the buyer doesnt know exactly what he is buying.

Cased beaver for the craft market has been a thing for quite a few years. Has been picking up in popularity the past 3 or 4, as more trappers get into that market due to low raw fur prices.

The problem with the international market is quantity. They are not interested in just any group of a thousand skins. They want graded lots. Size, color, quality, damage, etc. do you how many many beaver you would have to have to put up a graded lot of say 250 medium size, dark color, I-II pelts.

If a trapper sends 50 beaver pelts to an auction, look how many grades they end up in. Even if all 50 pelts were medium size, they would end up in multiple lots. The chances of all 50 of those beaver are in the same lot is astronomical. Even if a dealer sent in 50 pelts that he/she graded identical, I doubt the beaver grader at FH would see it that way. Just the way it is.

I’m not saying the international market isn’t the way to go. I’m saying the logistics of getting it to happen might be an issue.

Boco: I look at it this way. This market has dictated how I can market beaver pelts. Hatter, Shearable, Tanned. Since I will not knowingly sell a beaver pelt at a lose, this market has constrained me further. Hatters-lose, Shearable- $20-$25 lose, Tanned-profit or I sit on them.
What I am investigateing is develope a small niche market to profit (sell higher than the going price of Shearable pelts)from raw beaver pelts and Mediums in. I'm guessing the use for many cased beaver will not require Hvy pelts. In that case the Hvys can go open to FHA or other traditional venue.
A buyer can judge a cased pelt by
Looking at the leather, with a long enough arm,they can reach in and feel fur density. The only thing they could not judge would be clips and slight rubs.
I think the buyer interested in cased beaver would be aware of this and accept it or move on. Trust in the Trapper may have a bearing in this.
I would not offer cased beaver without me present and with ability to reject an offer.
I don't think FHA is the venue for cased beaver pelts.
ALL of this seasons beaver are at the tannery. I don't want to have to do that this coming season.

Yes this is the big hurdle...Its gonna take someone like GFW to find out if that market is available to us

cattails: One thing Im trying to say is this:
I recommend trappers take the bull by the horns and develope your own niche markets. Although most of us rely on FHA, GFW, Trapper auctions, etc to some extent, to sell to. By limiting yourself to
What someone else dictates to you what your fur is worth you accept the rank of slave.
Im not trying to save the international fur market.
Im just trying to continue to prosper, no matter what.

I get it, that's what I think about the hatter market. What a shame.

Loup Loup,I market most of my beaver tanned,and have been for several years.
I was just saying in the international raw fur market buyers want a standard so they know what they are getting.
Years ago(before 1950) there was no standard oval for beaver-they came into the auction house round,egg shaped diamond shaped square etc.Because there was no standard trappers lost money.The auction houses seen this right away.
That is when notice was taken of Del Millers pelts that were in the now standard oval.The buyers liked that shape as the fur density was good all over including the back of the neck and they could be accurately sized and evaluated.
That is when the international fur market adopted the oval standard for beaver pelts.
There is absolutely no problem with trappers marketing their beaver on their own any way they want,and to meet the demand of their buyer.
After all that is how the standard oval was adopted in the first place-it was what the international trade wanted,and trappers got better money for their fur.
There are standard forming sizes for every pelt for the same reasons.

I see. Thanks cattails, and Boco.

I just got off the phone With Guy Groenwald. He said he's been wanting to do this dorsal thing for years. So He Is on board.
He said he would need about 200 beaver done this way. Then he would pick out the best 50 or so and have them dressed and then try and shop them around to see If there was any interest.
WE aren't going to get any better money at this time for doing It but It just might open up some doors down the road. This Isn't going to happen over night but It may be a start to something better.

I haven't worked out any way to get him 200 beaver. Maybe one guy might want to take this on or maybe several guys from one area could do It. It won't work If 100 guys all over the country send In 2 hides a piece. I think this has to be a localized thing.
If anyone has any Ideas just holler. Or If some one wants to call guy He Is willing to talk to us.
So the ball Is know In our court.

Wouldn't mind doing small beaver cased. The big boys would be a bit more or a problem getting started because of the massive amount of fat at the base of the tail but if I could use my Skinner on em, I'm game.

Dorsal skinning is great for those holy beaver if you spot the bites before you skin or if you have a spring season, just skin em all that way.

I've always thought nailing beaver took up more time than it should and there was a better way to put up beaver. I think this is a wicked idea and would love to see this turn into a market.

I never asked about case skinning them. I asked about dorsal skinning. But If enough of you are interested In going the cased method then I will contact Guy and get a commitment from him to buy them that way. Then If that works we will have to get a few guys to make the commitment to do 200 beaver hat way.

Count me in ...I'm excited about this. I plan on doing any blankets oval, and some where about 40 lbs and down ( what is being called dorsal) . My case skinning leaves both leg holes intact, Scape cased on the beam, then cut it dorsal.

I would think ideal for GFW for the trial run would be dorsal skin, fold fur out and freeze. GFW can flesh them in less than a minute once they thaw and that should make them pretty consistent for the trial run. They already have a way to stretch and dry them as well. Dorsal skin and sell green should not be much different than belly skin and sell green.

I don't think we will have to collect them to one spot. If GFW is our point guy here. We will just need mark them as dorsal, when he buys at the truck. For now he's going to pay us hatter prices so we are getting the same money. I'm going to call him also and discuss some details. Thanks Beav

Yes, I agree . For a trial run, I won't board and dry.

I don't know about groney doing the fleshing. His machine Is set up for the normal way of fleshing. But we would have to ask him.
I still think we have to get this done by a few trappers that are localized. If you don't groney could end up with 500 beaver instead of just 200. We have to take baby steps at first.
But we have time to get this all figured.

Ok , I just talked to Guy, I was wrong on something. He wants the ( big beaver) also, and doesn't care if he gets 200 or 2000 it doesn't matter. Whatever he doesn't use will go into the hatter market still.