FHA grades for May auction

So I'm impatiently waiting for the grades to come out for the May and June Auctions. They were shipped in March and here we are 10 days from the first day of the auction and still no grades. I know we didn't have grades for them before the auction started a couple years ago and that was really frustrating for us trappers. Any thoughts on when the grades will be posted or should I start calling and bugging these guys/gals?

Grades should be posted by the first day of inspection, which is Tuesday of next week for FHA. At this point they are working hard to get everything ready for the sale. Inspection lots, catalogs, etc.

The last thing they need is every trapper calling asking when grades will be posted. That just slows down the process.

It is a familiar routine on when grades will be posted, it isn't going to change. Deal with it!!

Don't get your panties in a bunch, its not like I don't have history behind me. 2 years ago I didn't get my grades until after the auction. My fur was sent up 50+ days ago and I'm not the only one. Maybe it isn't going to change but it doesn't mean its the best way to do things. Another fiasco like that and NAFA will be getting my business.

Where does it say when/if your grades will be posted? Wasn't long ago you didn't find out until they sent your check.

You can't change them or argue if they are right or wrong. I'm not defending FHA and will go as far as saying their computer skills for the public are archaic at best. It is what it is.

Wissmiss answered your question, just because you didn't like the response is no reason to be rude. And if you know the history why ask the question? Sounds like you already new what was coming.

My history with FHA being that I didn't receive the grades before the auction 2 years ago. With that history in my mind, I wanted to know when to expect the grades. "Deal with it", was rude and defensive. So I returned the favor.

[quote=Monster Toms]Where does it say when/if your grades will be posted? Wasn't long ago you didn't find out until they sent your check.

You can't change them or argue if they are right or wrong. I'm not defending FHA and will go as far as saying their computer skills for the public are archaic at best. It is what it is.

Watching the auction is similar to watching the super bowl for me. I enjoy watching the auction and rooting for my lots. Sometimes its dissappointing but sometimes its awesome. Its exciting nonetheless, and thats why I look forward to seeing my grades before the auction.

I would definitely switch to NAFA. They specialize in sport trapping.

Alot times grades post online for nafa are late, pribly be 12 days before mine show up at nafa. What pricrs they bring is what is most important, nafa held all my best coon back at last auction an let the the rest go, no idea if this auction better ? I sure some better stuff well sell, but for what ? Anyone got idea what next year in Feb or March auction going be for coon ? Better or worse, ? Some say that don't like competitors with real high prices. We well never see real high prices agsin , I really can't take liwer prices than way things are now, it is borderline, now, lower prices in coon an have discontinue lit trapping in future as not afford go , it be great if $20 average a coon take home , could be expected, I dont see rat prices going up more than just a lil by next season, mink. None, for price increase, beaver none, super low prices on them, coon, I doubt be much more lil higher next season, possibly lower

Could have saved yourself some aggravation and thrown them in the ditch.

With a handle like "furious farmer", it sounds like your the one that has your pantys in a wad. Like been said, deal with it. This is definately the age of self gratification! lol

Whatever you say keyboard warrior!

I'm still waiting to see if all my fur made it there. lol

Don't worry it is fully insured, except against damage caused by drumming and fire sales.

I had 12 coon come up missing/shy a long time ago when they still paid OK, when I called about it the heads told me to go pound sand-so much for the insurance end of it. Just so happens another trapper had his on the same load and came up 12 more for his better. The route guy is cool and a friend and made it right with me

The rule is to not panic until after the auction starts. Bigger the sale, the slower the grades pop up.

I wonder if nafa well still have paper acct sales mail out after this auction , or if this auction an here on out is paperless

if you are implying that Lee is a key board warrior, you couldn't be more wrong. He happens to have been a pioneer for all of us in the trapping community.

Won't be long now, they have a little less than a third of the furbearers cataloged.

Will they be offering the furs that didn't sell at their last sale?

Yes. The Buy .Backs are usually at the end of the catalog for each species/section.

FF if you think the other auction house will even marginally better at getting your info out your mistaken.

FHA is/was behind the times but just like NAFA they are busy right til the end. Before you get your panties bunched anymore(using your language) wait and see if NAFA has their catalogs out ten days ahead of sale. It's thirteen days out right now til their next one kicks off. I'm not sticking up for FHA so to speak just sharing my experiences with both organizations.

You could call and complain but it won't do a lick of good. What you should be doing is researching which organization you think will better market your product and put more dollars in your pocket

Well put Stephen! That is the bottom line!

GFW Rocks!! LLL

Larry, aka cat daddy! You start rockin with groeny now? I can't believe you can do better with groeny than FHA! With your type of coon!

"Watching the auction is similar to watching the super bowl for me. I enjoy watching the auction and rooting for my lots. Sometimes its dissappointing but sometimes its awesome. Its exciting nonetheless, and thats why I look forward to seeing my grades before the auction."

Pay attention! His goal ain't money, it is entertainment. NAFA is more entertaining.

I haven't watched an auction for quite a few years now. I would rather watch the grass grow or watch a baseball game, and I neveh watch baseball! Course if your addicted to auctions, like a lot of people are.....whateveh floats yer boat! That Boston slang is growing on me! lol

Sorry if I stirred things up too much. My apologies to you WissMiss and Lee. I was just wanting to know when to expect the grades and felt that each of you were mocking me and I retaliated. I'm still learning about grading and attempting to grade my own fur and compare it to what the pro's come up with so the grades mean a little more to me than your average trapper. I'm not a rookie but I wouldn't say I'm a seasoned veteran either. Every year I get better at setting traps and putting up fur. If you saw the first cat I put up on a wire stretcher you would have cringed but last year I sold a $1750 cat. It's all a learning process and I'm just trying to learn as much as I can in all aspects of trapping.

They should be up 19 May at 0948 EST. I could be wrong, I don't have an account with them. But you never know I might be right. Don't get the drizzles worrying about it.

When is fha auction for coon , rats, mink. Beaver ? The date ?

May 24-25 is the next FHA sale.
25th for the fur you listed.

I hate these threads. I know it is my choice opening them but once open I can't un-see.

Appearance is that suppliers are more trouble than value. Throw in return on time invested and ?

Wow... go post a bunch of goods one day, then... absolutely nothing... NICE!

Yes, I am riveted to the screen here, just watching things move so fast.

What is everyone opinion on fha an nafa comparison on prices? Seems to me that nafa higher? Never ship to fha, so I don't know, just going off the reports, if I ship to fha, my results may be different than I thought , I start with nafa. Fha is smaller company, just never went though them , I think nafa is really hard to beat.on coin an mink prices

If you avg out over a few seasons it comes out pretty equal.
Fha does better most times on certain species and Nafa does better most times on other species.But that too can change from one sale to the next.
I don't know about coon but right now you'll do better on mink at NAFA.

Actually I could see where it would be fun to watch if there was any bidding going on; especially high dollar cats. I tried to watch the marten give away at Helsinki last year and no bidding, instantaneous 10% drop from opening price and lack luster participation. That was enough watching for me. I really can't see where there would be any excitement unless buyers were bidding prices sky high.

I watched the NAFA in person once in Toronto and it was a ton of fun. Of course it didn't hurt is was February 2012..............

Probably never saw beaver prices like that before? Best beaver sale NAFA ever had. Lasted till May.

2006 was pretty good.

Dirt - if you want to watch an exciting auction, check out the wolverine part. Generally a lot of bidding on most of the lots. There aren't a lot of buyers in the room but plenty of action from those who are there.

Wolves and bears can also be exciting, in certain parts. Section III of the wolves is usually a snooze fest but the better pales can get exciting.

The prices both auctions settle for on wolves or wolverines does not excite me. That being said, they are improving their wolverine game.

P.S. their black wolf prices seem to be improving also.

Maybe both have refocused a little effort here since they can't hardly sell anything else for a decent return.

I wasn't necessarily talking about price. I was talking about action in the auction room. Competitive bidding. For more than one or two bids. Starting at $250.00 and ending at $375.00, for example.

With most other species (except coyote), the auctioneer says a price, a hand goes up, no further interest and the hammer drops. That is hardly an exciting auction.[spoiler][/spoiler]

Grades are up.

Thank you.

THANKS! my beaver grades look pretty good, muskrat not so much, but it was a pretty poor rat collection...few chewed up, and early

I sure hope B grade cats do well. Every cat I have has a B attached to it. A-B, B, or B-C. My coyotes are a mixed bag. I've got a little bit of everything. In fact, 6 of my 16 coyotes graded as Eastern and they all came from Colorado/Utah. Grey Fox was the standard I-II XPL on everything. In 3 years of shipping Greys I've never gotten a SELECT grey fox. Coming from southern Utah/Colorado you think thats a regional thing or am I stretching them in some way thats wrong?

Is there even a select grade for grey fox?
Didn't think they broke them down that much-I don't think they get big enough numbers.

Yes, looking at the catalog from March there are Select Grey fox in there.

Western Greys can be fickle, too early their flat, to late they get fuzzy. without seeing how they were handled it's hard to say though.
On the coyotes, I would venture a guess those six may have been early. Long mane with no/minimal under fur making them coarse.

I have a coyote in lot 15498, this lot doesn't show in the catalog. Is the catalog incomplete?

The catalog is complete. Your coyote got pulled for some reason - to be used as a pelt in a grading demo or at a convention or some other educational purpose. Happens all the time. When the auction is over, you will be paid for that coyote at the same price as what that grade of coyote sold for during the auction.

No need to call about it. The pelt is in the system and you will get paid.

A couple of my cats were graded pale / extra pale? Does that generally help or hurt the price?

[quote=furiousfarmer]In fact, 6 of my 16 coyotes graded as Eastern and they all came from Colorado/Utah. /quote]

I was surprised to see all of my red fox (NY) were graded as Central.

If you had western cats, that color would definately help the price. Probably will help your NY cats as well. What section are they in?

Thank you. It was one of my better graded coyotes so it had me curious. 3X-2X SELECT HVY-SEMI A-B

I target fox in October and early November when Bobcats aren't in season yet. And then I catch Greys all year long as a bycatch while bobcat trapping so they get caught from October to February. The coyotes are mostly shot and the dates are also about the same range so you could very well be correct about why 6 of them went Eastern.

Western greys are usually not heavy enough to make the top end, plus they are smaller. NE sections are the premier grey fox, if you see them side by side, there is no comparison! Just the luck of the draw and living in the wrong place for the top end! I'll never see a top lot or even get close to it with my local coyotes!

They are in the Northern section. Is the Canada section the most prized? Followed by Northern, then Western, etc? or is that just the way the catalog is organized?

The Canada section along with the central section are the LEAST prized sections. Both have blah cats with no character.

Western is the best. Then Southwest. Then Northwest. Then Northern. Then central.

Might be a few other sections but western is definately the best. That is where the 1000.00 dollar cats are.

I didn't have many coyotes but they graded Western, Eastern, Central and IV.

I have one XL Reg II raccoon held over from last auction... I'm ready to collect my millions!

I have found that, unlike most people apparently, I have no desire to stare at train wrecks. I look the other way.

"A new book examines the question of why it's so difficult to turn away from scenes of disaster and horror, both on the screen and in real life."

I suspected I just didn't have the quality here but you don't generally hear much about greys. I think they are some of the prettiest pelts out there but they don't garner much attention so I didn't know if it was a regional thing. Thats ok I'll deal with inferior quality grey fox and keep my top end bobcats!

Referring to the recent auctions Boco?? Or did beaver dam up downstream from a RR bridge and wash it out??

Dirt mentioned trainwrecks.
That wreck was caused by a beaver dam.

Gotcha buddy! Darned beavers!!!

Does everyone have access to their grades at this point? This is my first year shipping to FHA and I have been unable to log in thus far. I’m assuming the slight delay is due to my account being new. Has anyone else encountered something similar?

yes, I have access to my grades.

Did you call them and set up your log in?

3 out of my 20 Lynx are listed as graded.
I've had an account with them for years.

I’m also new with NAFA. I do have my account set up but not sure where I find my grades?

I have mink going into their 3'rd year at FHA. Will that hurt the average?

If they don't sell this time they will get thrown in the trash.

Looking at Hobbie's grades on his reddies and thinking about you guys who's main critter is fox and it makes me sad. Realistically, what do you think that lot will bring for an average nowadays, $12 or maybe $15 tops...?

Since May 2016, my Grey Fox average with furharvester has been $12.40 with a high of $22 and a low of $5. I don't sell enough red fox at FHA to get an accurate representative of them.

Yeah, I appreciate your grays situation but grays have never been one of the lynch pins of North American fur. You go back through the culture of 20th century trapping and red fox was right up there as one of the main target animals, a lot more trapping art dedicated to reddies than there will ever be for gray fox. Its just sad to see good red fox going for less than an Andy Jackson. Maybe I'm just too old...