I remember that. There was a time FH beaver and otter grading was spot on. What the catalog said is what you were looking at on the table. Bought otter once for a customer and never looked at a skin. He knew what he wanted by the words in the catalog.

That has always been the case, and in a falling or low market condition the grade really tightens up.

Yup, when buyers are hungry and figure on making a big profit quickly, they are not as concerned about a few borderline skins slipping into the better lots, and graders know this. Even the buyers will do this when grading themselves, because they are looking for numbers.

Depending on species and number of fur? Look at skunks. Market exploded and the next auction there’s much more grades, but twice the fur too.
Didn’t help with jerks like me sending in August skunks……lol

Yeah, they called that grade "Junk-skunk". LOL

But the grade never changes, just what makes the grade does. Some how that is changing the grade to me. The only thing the same is the name.