Sables sell in Russia on Friday, this will speak volumes about the state of the market.

mind that the RUR/USD exchange rate plummeted since the beginning of 2025 (some say artificially; imported stuff has been getting more expensive), and the abnormally strong ruble is said to be bad news for exporters. Another factor is that exporters are forced to operate in RUR locally more than ever in the last 30+ years due to Russia being cut off from SWIFT.


Some people here think that this dynamics may affect the upcoming sales results more than the actual global demand dynamics because many expect the exchange rate to return to 100/1 and above early in 2026, and act accordingly.

Intermediary buyers are currently offering RUR8000-8500 per sable (~$100-107). Most of sable they are buying will be eventually sent to the auctions in Saint Petersburg so they are expecting to make considerable profit. A year ago, they were offering the same price in rubles, but it only meant $75-82.

Interestingly, unlike sable, marten prices in RUR were seriuosly affected by the exchange rate change early in 2025 (RUR6800 to RUR5000) and haven't recovered since. Unlike the sable, marten is mostly sold bypassing the auctions and a big proportion is tanned locally, with the tails sold to Israel separately.

I don't know anything about it really. It's just gossip.

Saga sale for ranch fox is Thursday.

Thank god marten prices have decoupled from ranch mink prices.

Thompson fur tables are tomorrow,,,18th December

If anything, we’ll find out if prices are higher or lower than last year

Aren't both rising?

Marten are rising from the dead better. At least up $50 from the $30 2022 fiasco.

anyone know what the rank mink production numbers are like now?

The mink market

SAGA offered about 10 million. Kopenhagen is done. AME is harder to decipher. Zimbal maybe doesn't even auction?

About 7 to 8 million fresh pelts is all that is going on market. Poland phasing out production. Mink in storage finally almost all used up.

BTW, saga fox sale seemed to be better. Prices up if I remember right.