Interesting read by Kyle....

Can see it on their website...

Link? Or summary please.

I couldn't find it.

It's sent in a email. If you have ever ordered from them they send emails from time to time. Anyways, here's what it says:

Good morning,

So with Fur Harvester’s wrapping up their online auction, I wanted to provide a little insight on the global fur market. Over all I think the FHA sale was fair to decent. Heavy western coyotes again were strong! Muskrats were fair, I think after commissions the averages were slightly below levels at the various state sales and country buyers. Coon were mixed, 13% sold was a little less than I expected. However, the $8.37 average was slightly higher than my $7.50 expectation. Beaver averaged $14.19 which I think was positive at 55% sold. For the trapper to catch, skin, flesh, and stretch a beaver for $14.19 minus 11% commission, a beaver trapper is operating at far below the minimum wage. I don’t mean to sound negative on Fur Harvester’s results, I think this sale was a drastic improvement from 1 year ago.

When any kind of market is at a low, the risk is low. When risk is low, it’s easier to expand marketing and innovation. The value of the time spent on development is high when the market is low. So I think there is great change coming to way wild fur is sold.

Much of the wild fur market is driven by China. China manufacturers generally master cash flow management. They buy dressed fur as orders are filled. Instead of spending wildly at an auction, and hoping for orders - they spend just what they need to buy the fur needed to cover the orders. This is smart business!

Groenewold Fur & Wool (GFW) has drastically increased their route coverage across the US and Canada. I’ve known Guy Groenewold for over 2 decades, and have great respect for him. Guy is very innovative, and GFW is changing the way the wild fur business works. GFW offers dressed fur for sale in China, every day! So manufacturers have easy access to fur anytime they need it. The fur is offered already dressed (tanned) so the manufacturer knows exactly what they are buying. There’s no gambling on buying raw fur and hoping for it to turn out in the dressing process. There’s no traveling around the world for the manufacturer and no stress on cash flow. The value in this scenario is immense, and regardless of the actual cost of the fur, it’s a profitable and sustainable business model for both seller (GFW) and the buyer/manufacturer.

So long term, I’m very bullish on the fur market. I think the innovative disruption that is coming to the wild fur business greatly benefits the trapper! This is just the beginning of what I think will be a steady increase in wild fur prices over the next decade.

On another note, click here to visit kaatzbros.com and stock up now! Many prices are increasing, and availability on some items is a serious problem. So don’t wait, prepare for next season now. Keep an eye on your inbox for some new products coming later this spring from Kaatz Bros!

Best regards,

-Kyle Kaatz

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I wonder what percentage of the fur that GFW moves is dressed?
Never get that answer I reckon.
Gut feeling is it’s not a high percentage overall.

What ever percentage the market it sure puts a damper on raw fur collectors knowing they have to compete with their raw fur in a dressed market. The idea of buying dressed and what you need makes great sense and probably will be an expanding option for those that want to compete and it may involve several more species as well.

Bryce

It might surprise us all how much GFW dresses I remember old Chuck Boulkus [Band B custom fur ] talking about GFW setting up their own tanneries in China back in the early 90s then I remember him talking about setting up a couple in Vietnam or Cambodia or some other third world country the early 2000s for fear that china was getting less buisiness friendly and had attempted to strong arm them some how .
I know Chuck was a huge gossip when it came to the fur business and this is all hearsay but his stories never changed over the years about GFW. If there is any truth to the tails and I suspect that there is . GFW may be a bigger presence in the world's tanning capability than most realize

I bet the amount of dressed fur he sells It a lot higher then you think. Groney has been doing this for a long time. I know he was doing It In the 80s.

I got the email too. I have been going to Kyle and Kellen Kaatz for almost 14 years now, they know about trapping. I live 45 minutes away from them, so occasionally I stop in and talk to them when picking up a order. Super nice guys.