We had a couple of really good years, actually historic good years on the hatter market around 2023, and even into 2024. Damaged blanket beaver were going for around $40! But all the sudden on the early 2025 FHA sale there were no takers and the whole batch of GD DMG went unsold. On the June (2025) sale hatters sold, but at a top of $16! In the FHA wild fur forecast for 2026 we were told that that wonderful beaver hatter market we had been enjoying (as expected) had been short lived, and once again prices were where they should be.

....Then we had the March 2026 sale and KABOOM! Blanket GD DMG all sold for $43 USD!!!!! By the June sale that had come down a little to $38 for the blankets. But WOW!!!!

I sure am curious as to what Mark will have to say about that market when he makes his 2027 forecast in the next month or so. Will it be March of 2025 repeat? Or 2026.

Come on 2026!

It all depends on what buyers show up at the auction.
Best prices for all beaver is when the garment buyers and the felt buyers are competing in the auction room.
Not every sale will have the competition.When they both sell out of fur articles and need more raw product at the same time ees goood
I imagine the garment buyers have the deeper pockets and will drive up the basis by taking the best goods at higher prices,meaning all other lesser goods will benefit accordingly.
Large good damaged beaver on the heavier sections can easily and cheaply be repaired by furriers.(they can often make as good or better profits on those)
The heavier beaver are also preferred by the felters.
Thus competition when everything lines up.

There used to be a cold winter, mild winter price pattern to beaver prices. People will harvest more beaver when it is open water than when it is frozen. Pay attention to winters in the upper Midwest and New England states.

I think some of it has to do with the felt market making sure that they have at least a year or two's worth of inventory lined up. They don't want to get caught short so they show up and buy. Alot of inventory and they stay home.

Since they are grading all dmg beaver GD DGD, not sure how a fur garment guy handles a mixed lot of decent stuff with garbage?

"GD DGD (Good Damaged): Good quality with large imperfections.
REG DGD (Regular Damaged): Average quality with large imperfections.
BDLY DGD (Badly Damaged): Extensive damage, little or no value."

Demand rises when celebrities wear cowboy hats. Beyonce had a big effect for a while.

EXACTLY!

Historic years?

Index for inflation and get back to me.

OK...if we go back to the 1830's you got me.

2012 for me was almost equal without indexing for inflation.


Figure in a 45 50 percent loss in the value of the dollar, well......

Section III beaver averaged $ 13.62 in Feb 2012 NAFA sale. Last few years Section III Beav have been in the $30 range. Peeler is talking about Section III prices.

At least Dirt's paying attention...lol.

So…we need $50 beaver to make up for inflation….good thing gas is cheap.

I only worry about what my beaver average.

BTW. Not only sec III are hatters.

I have often seen higher grades of beaver sell for less than the same size GD DMG (Section III) so you likely have a point there.

I pay the most attention to the Section III because I figure that is the ground floor for what I will get as an average. My late caught beaver will run heavy into that section.

In about 1980 I averaged $44 on 65 beaver. To make up for inflation we'd need about $400 average today.

If you do the math, I believe the number is $179/beaver in 2026.

I guess we ain't getting an answer for this question.

Inflation is killing everything, forsure. I will still trap til I'm gone, pays better than fishing.

Likely has a buyer for the left over skins he cant use.Or has another use for skins of different character intersorted in so called sec 3 lots
The buyers do look at the sample lots and know what they are bidding on and how much money they can make from them.
If there is not enough skins to break out into their own lot,its not affecting the offers.
The auction house knows what the buyers want.And the buyers know the auction collection they are bidding on.

"North Bay for decades has been considered the source of the finest beaver collection in the world and it was at
our March 2023 auction that the beaver market spiked. We were able to maintain that level for two full seasons,
aware that the majority of the entire collection was being used by a handful of companies in the felting
business. There is a tipping point for everything and when production levels exceed manufacturing demands
things start to fall away. We continue to sell the better goods into the garment market but at this time the
felting people have enough inventory. We protected the best beaver which the garment trade uses knowing
that these have better value than what the felt trade use. The beaver market going into next season should
remain good as in six months from now the purchased 2024 stock will have been put into production."

Mark, June 2024

So....March 2027 will we see $40 GD DMG blankets.....or $16....or no takers at all? FHA usually has a handle on what the near future looks like but they were sure wrong last year.

" There is a tipping point for everything and when production levels exceed manufacturing demands
things start to fall away."


I think what happens is if the felt buyers don't fill orders on the better beaver, they pay more for Section III? Most of the garment demand is filled with best beaver. These felt buyers could already have purchased from furbuyers before they even attend an Auction or won't then attend.

One always wonders how much of an effect the Groenwold machine has on filling that niche. If Groeny didn't have enough to supply the demand good things happen at FHA?

I agree

I thought I heard last year that GFW was making beaver felt.

He was making coats with a coyote ruffed hood at one time too. He got rid of the coyotes he was going to corner the market with. Does he have coats listed on his site any more? I am guessing not. Some thought he was a hero making those coats, I thought he was trying to dig out of a hole. The beaver market may be better off if he isn't making felt. Look at the price of heavy coyotes now.

Yes, Still trying to peddle those coats.

I did not see the coats at his booth at the NYSTA Convention.

I made some beaver felt today.
I brushed out 3 nuisance beavers and the brush was packed with cowboy hat material.

So Boco, what do your compadres at FHA say about this last resurgence for the section III beaver; was it garment makers or felters that bought them?

I dont know just know there was lots of competition for beaver at the auction.
I will ask next time Im in North Bay probably for the convention in Jan.

When is the convention? I'm considering making the trip.

I havent checked the dates BP but it should be on their web site.
Hope you can make it BP would be great to meet you.
Last year I met the CDN Longliner (Gary G.) all the way from Alberta at the convention.
Great trapper to chat with.

January is an interesting time to have a Trappers convention.

It was always held in winter back in the OTA days,Then later it went to April.
I much prefer the convention in winter.Just seems more relevant and the fur for the demos and competitions is top notch.
Come on over Dirt and we can talk about bravos and capitalism over a tumbler of Whiskey.

You know what I'm doing in January? Running a trapline.

Your traps will still be working for you when you are away,like mine.
Spend some of that Govt gravy you get every year over there.

FHA convention is January 8-9 2027

I'll admit, sharing a tumbler of whiskey with Boco IS on my bucket list. LOL

A tumbler?, you do realize he's an Irishman? lol