Since I'm sure that is what is going on hot and heavy right now. So how many graders are there? Used to hear rumors about common day workers of various nationalities being trained to grade fur. Any truth to that?

I will have an opinion after the sale. I trap rats. I start in December. We used to have a Horicon group with Nafa. They presented heavy WI marsh rats. We always averaged 10% above sale averages, and rightfully so. I have that same type of rat up at FHA in the sundry goods. We’ll see how they grade out.

It seems to me that on a rising market the grading seems to be a bit more lax. Anybody notice that?

It always has been more lax when the markets were strong. I like many shipped to NAFA for over a decade and noticed significant differences in grading based on market strength or weakness. It really showed up in my coons for me as I did not have many canines or beaver.

Bryce

Where is ocoB, he will tell you the grade never changes. It is nothing new. The stronger the market the more they push the grade. When it is dead they tighten it up to try to add value to get interest.

Here I am.
Pelt grades never change.They are what they are.
Part lotting and intersorting different grades (lower grades poorer colours of similar value etc) to make larger lots to make them more attractive to the manufacturers is done from time to time depending on the collection.
later collections are a different animal than early collections and are sorted accordingly.
The amount of fur in a collection will often dictate how far the breakdown (by specie) will go.

Grades don’t change but grading sure the heck does. Pelts often go up or down a grade depending on the market.

I dont buy it.You are confusing grading and intersorting of different grades into a lot.
A semi is a semi and a hvy is a hvy and a xdk is xdk and a brn is a brn.And a xxl is an xxl and a sm is a sm.
Now if there are not enough to breakdown separately they can be part lotted or intersorted like in beaver where you get the 3x and 2x lotted together because there are not enough of the one in a colour of sel grade.
With lower grades and dmgs colours weights and sizes are often intersorted because value is low and the same between the different grades.

I can’t recall what Jeff grades, but Ken’s probably the best beaver grader out there.

Do you really believe in what you posted or are you just trying to create a thread?

I believe they start new guys off with a measuring board/tape.
The main graders have been there a very long time.

If you don't believe grades change or are at least subjective, buy 1 lot of fur at the auction and then send it back the next to be regraded and resold.

I agree with Boco that those things don't change but the one important thing that the rest of us are thinking isn't consistent is the one thing he doesn't mention and that is the quality. Most of us agree that a pelt might go up a quality grade on a year like this year that would go down a grade on low buyer interest years. Boco is a company man with northern pelts that the grade probably don't change much. Us US shippers see dramatic changes in grading from one year to another. I bet someone could go thru the June catalog from 2 years ago and see how many mink graded I-II or better as a percentage of the overall collection and compare that to this year's June auction. I would bet real USDs that there will be a higher percentage of better grades this year.

Schmattz

I agree with Schmattz.

The grades dont change, If a group of pelts that was sorted from one collection is reconsigned to a different collection of course they will be sorted into that collection where they fit/match best.
Every year in fact every sale the collection varies.For example one year rhe marten may have an overall wooly finish and other years or even an earlier collection the species will have a better guard hair finish.
This is noticeable to experienced graders and pelts are sorted accordingly.
values and demand will also dictate how pelts of different grades are intersorted into lots.And so will the amount of fur per species dictate how many grades can be broken out.
But the grades dont change.