Another post about trapping suppliers got me to thinking about some of the companies I have purchased from in the past.
My first purchase was from a supply shop west of Wichita called Verleen Trapping Supply. I don't recall the old fellow's name that had it but he was real gentleman They have been gone for decades. He made me think my little purchase mattered. It did matter, to me, and I still remember it all these years later.
Who was your first supplier?

Midwest trappers supply-La Cresent MN in about 1976.

Store bought?

FnT

First place I sold fur also.


Trapping partner hooked me up with some hand me downs he was gifted, but first store bought gear was from FnT

Necina was one of the early ones.

Tom Florin , was a vendor at the D10 rondy and trappers education field day.

I think I bough 3 1.75 and 3 DPs so that we would have a little something to play with.

I made trips to his garage in Stoughton a few more times to get more.

There's a blast from the past, Ken B, he watched me checking rat traps along a creek, he had a fox set there with a big red in the trap. Made a detour around it and a few years later said he knew I was honest as that was 100 dollar bill bouncing around. Good guy and pretty good trapper.

Murray’s Lures out of West Virginia

Dick Schultz out of LaCrosse Wis., those were the days.

Bought my first traps and lures from Western Auto on the town square in Montezuma Iowa. Store has been gone probably 40 years now.

Ezra Vincent out of Chippewa Falls, WI in 1967. He also bought fur.

Jerry Nelson was Midwest trappers supply I believe.Ken Buege I would be guessing but maybe root river trappers supply.River city bait and tackle had a nice trappers supply and bought tons of fur.At least 6 businesses that bought fur or sold traps within 10 miles of each other.

Bought a sportsman license in 1972 at an old army navy store. Then bought the trap tags with the year on them. I think 1972 was the last year in Wisconsin that you had to buy new tags every year.

Mad S my bad you are correct, sucks to get old.

Bought my 1st dozen Victor 1.5 coils from Necina in late 70s.

First actual walk in Art Scott’s shop in north central Ohio 1974. First mail order 1969 lure from Hawbakers.

Don's Sport shop than Hawbakers,1962. Than O.L.Butcher, Leo Hoeft, Russ Carman, Herters, and several others over the years.

Traps from Bruce Gould a trapper and fur dealer here in Maine

Trapper Arts I think. Besides a few cage traps from the local co-op. Dad ran a long line during the fur boom in the 70s and 80s so I had a bunch of stuff I could use as long as he didn't find out.

I doubt it was my first, but the first I remember came from Ludy Sheda. He was quite a character and wouldn't have done well on the internet.