Is there a difference in the value of an Eastern pelt vs. Western pelt?

Generally yes. Western trappers will get a better average price in most cases.

Martes american are generally worth more the Martes Caurina.

Martes caurina are found in the Rocky and Cascade mountains. There is a very small region in NE Washington, north Idaho and I assume NW Montana that has the americana.
I believe marten in the northeast part of the USA are americana.

It's not really an east versus west issue.

Not altogether true.Depends on how the collection is sectioned.Biggest difference in marten in size and quality is between northern and southern sections.
The best Eastern Marten come from North eastern Quebec and Labrador. Dark,Big HVY and Silky.

In the west the best pelts are from MKR/Yukon.Section

The highest value marten will always be from Martes american. I had one skin in the true Top Lot at FHA two years ago. That top lot had 20 skins out of 60,000 skins at the sale. The skin I had was from SE Alaska, I'm pretty sure there were most likely skins in that lot from all across North America; probably from SE Alaska all the way to Labrador

Here in Alaska, darker, generally more valuable marten come from the eastern interior. West coast marten are paler and off colored.

I didn’t realize martin had fur. Is this something that has just been discovered??

Martin don't have fur, they have feathers !!!!

Perhaps you are referring to Marten ?

w

Nabbed by the spelling police again. Common Grandpa, put your mit out there so we can strike it with the ruler! LOL

Claim spell check! QUICK

I talked to Teddy P. at Western Canadian fur auctions about this years ago and he told me that top marten can come from anywhere but all things equal ( fur handling) western trappers would have a higher percentage of the better marten than eastern or southern trappers. He also said the best marten he seen were from the western edge of the NWT.

There must be few 2 to 3X dark heavy marten in North America. Every time I catch one it will be in lot 1 or 2. The size is common here. The color, not so much.

Southern, central Wyoming where the season opens October 1st, may be the FLATEST Marten produced. I would guess the best would be from somewhere referenced by the above posts. October first season, at the most southern end of Pine Marten range is just to early.

Teddy would know. What a character he was, the fur industry will never be the same without guys like him around.
He always had time to talk to just about anybody; big fish or small fish, it didn't matter to him.

[quote=wy.wolfer]Southern, central Wyoming where the season opens October 1st, may be the FLATEST Marten produced. I would guess the best would be from somewhere referenced by the above posts. October first season, at the most southern end of Pine Marten range is just to early.November.

Oct 1st they are flat. For the nost part..2 weeks make a big difference jerry has had several top lot marten in the past when NAFA was in business and has never trapped marten after the 5th or 6th of november.

Jerry usually starts Oct 15.

NAFA used to give a Top Lot for every section and size for a few years. Just Sayin!

True.
Even though I've received many NAFA "Top Lot" certificates I've only received one true Top Lot; that was more recently at FHA I believe. There were 20 marten in that lot, out of 60,000 on the sale. However, most of my marten used to fall within the first page or so unless they were damaged or in some other way inferior.

Marten size and quality have more to do with latitude and Bergmann rule than anything else.

Marten at the edge of their range in most cases are smaller in size and don't on average have good colors.

Marten the further north in their range are bigger and on average have darker colors.

There are 12 sub species

Biggest in size I have ever seem came from the Old Crow area of the Yukon and Anderson River area of the NWT.

Best color overall come from the Schefferville/ Labrador area they have the most dark colors.

Most northern type marten average in the XXL size while marten from Maine average L

I have trapped marten in a wide variety of locales for about 50 years. I also know a bit about fur grades, especially with marten. In my opinion, interior Alaskan/Yukon/NWT marten are the finest (although Boco may argue). These southern marten that I'm trapping now (Idaho, Washington, Wyoming) are inferior, not so much in color, but in heaviness and luster. SE Alaska marten, typically, are as good as interior marten. Interestingly, the marten (Russian sable) from Far Eastern Russia between Khabarovsk and Vladivostok where I lived were very much inferior to Alaskan "sable", even though they are purported to be the finest worldwide. The Russian sable from near Lake Baikal (Barghuzin) were utterly fantastic, but to say that Russian Sable are "better" than American sable (marten), in my opinion, is not quite accurate. My opinion guys.

Jack

I was hoping you would chime in here, Jack…but I didn’t want to mention that ahead , in case you didn’t want to. Thank you . Always like your input.