Was talking with a friend about the current state of the fur industry and marketing and the discussion led to this thought...

We seem to be in a transition of how raw fur moves through the channels in the fur industry. We have seen many changes from when the procurement of trapper lots was through local buyers and the hub was NYC. More recently, large auctions like NAFA were responsible for setting the markets and many trappers shipped direct to put their product in front of international buyers. All of this has changed.

If now the time to revisit the past? Think back to the Fur Rendezvous of the 1830s.

Could a national organization host a Rendezvous at the right time of year (mid April maybe) in the best location to pull off a gathering of trappers where the modern aspects of conventions could commence (supply dealers, tailgaters, demos, etc) but culminate with a National fur auction? An event which could put all the major players in the fur buying industry in one place...and entice thousands of trappers to load up their years catch of fur and travel to Rendezvous.

There are some states in the west that are already putting on stellar sales and attract buyers that make an impact.

Logistically this could be done. Organizations have experience putting on conventions and others really do large fur auctions well. But I wonder if it could be successful?

Riding a horse and pack animal to rendezvous a few states away would be an adventure I'd be into!
Don't know if it would change markets but if it brought international attention who knows

I'm not feeling it.

Several weeks of drunken debauchery resulting in the vast majority of all trappers still being in debt up to their eyeballs. Not sure if that would help most of us at all. Might be fun in the moment though.

That said. I think the toughest part would be getting big buyers at a new sale, with a new format. There'd be potentially thousands of trappers, with tens of thousands of furs. Everything would need graded and sorted, put into lots and auctioned. I could see it working at a state or multi state level, but not national.

In the old days, they bought most beaver by the pound, eliminated the need for grading for the most part.

That is how beaver are bought today. The beaver market today is the same market as the old days, hatters. Only difference used to be top hats now it is cowboy hats.lol
Don Wolf was paying $6 a lb. last year. They haven't been grading beaver for the most part for a few years now if you haven't noticed.

I don't trap/sell beaver not aware of that change.

NDFTA is getting close to the second Fur Rendezvous for the year. We call it a Fur Auction. 19-20 March.

TTT
I think it IS time.

The debauchery part might be exciting ^^^