Assuming you have a choice on days and the same buyers are present, which day is better for the seller? Thoughts

I assume a number of factors come into play: Orders to be filled, already filled, etc.

Current demand? I am mainly thinking in terms of Cats

I have never sold on a two day sale, so this is speculation. In a market like we have right now, I would say day two, buyers would see what other buyers bid on day one, and the ones who didn't walk away with any would bid higher on day two. In a different market it may be better to have them on the first day, so buyers bought your furs before they had their orders filled, and if it turned out only one buyer was bidding good and basically bought the sale on day one, he would likely lower his bids on day two rather than other buyers raising theirs.

Personally on a two day sale I would rather see them sell all of some species on one day and other species on day two rather than split species over both days. Having never been to one like Fallon where they sell cats over two days, this is all speculation on my part. Prineville used to be a two day sale also when their volumes were high, but I never attended when it was.

At auctions, in general, things will start high at first and then start going for less. If there's a limited supply of something wanted, it will start going really high at the end of the auction, as buyers realize they aren't going to get it otherwise. If there's a surplus of an item, at the end of the auction the prices will drop a lot, as buyers stop bidding.

Keith

Two day sells at Klamath tend to have different items both days. Probably have a lot of cats coming in on day one day doubt they will have any day 2 unless the sellers don't get there until then.
Might check with Jeremy Watson to see what they may be selling each day if they are splitting variety.

I would check with Donnie Nichols.

In recent years when cats were hot it would be Friday for just cats and then Saturday for everything else. I have been at the majority of OTC sales over the last 35 years (and more) and have seen two and even three or four day sales depending on how much fur there was.

If anybody ever figures out which day is best they should write a book. I have seen people no sale on day one and double up on day two. Have also seen stuff go down on day two because a particular buyer had bought all he wanted of a species.

A couple of years back I tried to talk George Kortum into buying a stack of beavers I had no-saled day before; and he would have, but his truck and trailer were crammed full of cats and 'yotes and there wasn't any room!
So there is that too.

In general items that are more along the craft line might do better day one. But I have also seen sales where a particular buyer couldn't be there day one but was going to be there day two. And you can bet that buyers that feel like they over payed on day one will be lowballing on day two if they still need more.

The big problem with a 2 day sale, with a specific item (say cats) all on one day and everything else the other - a trapper that traps multiple species needs to be at the sale both days. That is an extra day he could be doing some thing else. Time is a valuable commodity to some people.

If you offer mixed species both days, a trapper can come in and on one day sell everything and be on his way.

OTC has let me bring a few bobcats on a day two when bobcats were supposed to be day one. So I've always been a day two guy when it was cats-only-day 1 sale.

This is an issue. No doubt. Problem I see with mixed fur both days, is that you will undoubtedly end up with 80% of people bringing fur for one of those days, which means you'll end up with the same problem on that day you were trying to alleviate with a two day sale, too much fur to go through in the time you have. Unless you do something like bring in fur one day, let the buyers grade it the next, then do bids on the following day. Then start over for the next one. Which means you basically have two auctions back to back, and take up most of a week.

Lets face it, having enough fur to need a two day sale is going to create time issues for the trapper regardless of how it is handled, unless it is in such a small facility that it really isn't that much fur and buyers can grade all the fur, and get their bids in on the day the fur is checked in. But, it's a good problem to have, because that much fur is going to draw more buyers.

Nevada has made multi day sales work for many years. Based on years of experience, they know how much fur they can handle in a day and set limits. A trapper must consign his fur in advance and pick a day. When that day is full, they move to the next day. And so on until all fur is accommodated (or they run out of rental days). Buyers get fur graded and everything is wrapped up at a reasonable hour each day.

It does help that the Nevada sale is mostly cats, coyotes and grey fox. A few beaver and rats. Castor is the only non fur item they handled. No teeth or skulls or bones. That is easier on the computer people and the entire bidding process.

IMO
Fur sales are important to sellers, buyers and the ones putting on the sale and charging commissions to pay expenses and fill coffers for future fights.
The ones bringing the money need first priority. Time to bid and recheck bibs if needed. Not be rushed or overwhelmed by quanity.
Sellers want the most for there efforts. The most will come with patience and letting the money compete in a rational manner.
The ones donating their time and efforts will be rewarded the most if the first two are happy.
Much effort is required by all. All are equally required to keep what we like going.
The buyers might be the first ones to ask about how to improve? Maybe I their off season?

Very well stated. Especially the second sentence. Without the buyers and their money, fur sales would not exist.

Petcoon, looking back at your original post I would say on a rising market like the current cat market seems to be experiencing I would maybe opt for day two. One of the buyers I talked to at Glenn's Ferry was telling me that he was being instructed to raise all his bids over what he had at Prineville. And he bought a third or more of the cats at Prineville.