FHA On-Line Announcement

For those interested.
http://www.furharvesters.com/pdf/pressreleaseAPR03_20ENG.pdf

Work's for me......at least they sold something and did not give away the farm on the rest.

Keep in mind that parts of Canada, including North Bay, are under stay at home “orders”. They are able to do some times remotely, but some things require “boots on the ground” (bodies in the warehouse) to get things done.

I’m sure FHA is doing everything possible to keep things moving in the right direction, it will be very helpful if shippers don’t pester them with a lot of phone calls and emails. Your patience will help them out a bunch.

I am disappointedly encouraged!? It don't matter whatever it is. FHA rocks!

We may know what the fur sold for but will we ever know the valuations?
Lets say all the rats sold for a $2.00 average was the valuation $1.80 If so the rat trapper Is taking a screwing at those valuations. That's why In my opinion the valuations should be known to the trapper.
If I'm going to get screwed I want to know how bad It's going to be.

start your own auction co. beav.

I doubt you will ever know valuations for the sale that just concluded. Fact of life.

Beav get registered as a buyer than next time let us all know, in secret of course.

Not really you turned your fur over to FHA to sell ,,,,its not in your hands anymore. You turned over your say. Imo

I’m not sure why some folks are so concerned about what the valuations are/were. Valuations are the opinion of some one, or a group, at FH as to what the fur is worth.

Doesn’t mean much what FH thinks the fur is worth. What matters is what buyers think the fur is worth. We found that out yesterday.

You got it , too many dose not want to hear that , it is what it is worth to a buyers not the trapper.

Bingo!

In all of my years of being involved in the fur world. The one thing that always seems to stand out year after year, is how many guys have NO IDEA what there fur is worth. In this day and age anyone should know within 10%+/- of what their fur is worth on a given day. So many folks bring fur to the road buyer, local auction or shipper with no clue. Most are out right surprised when they find out higher or lower. But for most that turned loose of their fur to FHA or NAFA in the day with out the slightest idea I have no sympathy.

Regardless of the valuation put on lots, if they don't sell it's; those rotten *%#@!@ don't know how to price stuff
If it does sell most times it's; they let it go to cheap.

In the good years everyone was happy, in the bad years no one is. Coons have been in the hole for 5 years but guys still ship north and think it's still the good years.

I'm not defending anyone just stating an opinion. All the data is available, learn to use it to your advantage.

Valuations in a live auction help cut the time but should not be gospel if realistic offers are made. At Colorado we go through every lot of raw fur and try to assess a starting bid for the auctioneers, these numbers are only printed in the auctioneers book. 90% of the time we are right there the, other 10% bidders, start wherever and away they go.

In lieu of valuations to the seller, it would be nice if FHA could publish the general basis they will use prior to the LRD. This might allow shippers a better understanding of what to expect.

How can anybody know in todays climate, what their fur is worth to somebody else? I only know what my fur is worth to me. I hope I dont end up burning it at the town burn pile.

There's a real good chance this could be the second year in my 13-year history of sending to the Canadian auction houses that I will have wished I sold in the country earlier. And there's a 99.9% chance I'm going to send them back up again next year

I had beaver, December coon lots of 3 xx, and nov and dec coyotes there. Nothing sold

Flipper nothing has been updated yet

LMAO!

If they won't revel the valuation there must be a reason .
If I had that information I would be telling every one on T man what their fur was valued at. Know way would I hide It from you. It's all about trust.

Poor Flipper! It can be heart-breaking to see all those "unsold to be offered at the next auction"s.

Thanks for the information Mark Downey. Looks like Moyles again.

The 70s are gone, days when the FFG magazine would be real close with their evaluations and it only went up from there, sometimes for years. Now it is bad, getting worse and changes can be daily.

how do you know that ? will not be posted till monday

we need a foot in mouth emoji

Whatever happens - I had a blast just being out in the woods, creeks and fields.
Keeps me "flexible and limber"... LOL!!

I don't even want to look. I shipped off a bunch of coyotes instead of taking about 120 avg on them with a buyer. Stupid, Stupid Stupid!

here now! You know how many people lost money in the time frame. Of About a Week? I'm in that boat with you. Long game statistics tell me that somewhere around eight out of ten years I money ahead to send to the auction house. And trust me I've done experimental deals with country fur buyers around here. No knock on them. It's just what's work for me

At 84.10 American depending how long ago the offer was,,, say end January first week of feb. I might done the same thing and sent them. Just bad circumstances imo.

That would be $120 Can. which at the time (sometime before mid January last receiving date) would have been about $90 US. Whoever offered you, and presumably others that sort of deal, is kicking themselves now the same. They sure aren't offering, goods for goods, that sort of price now.

Not stupid, stupid - just unlucky as no one mid Jan. saw this Corona mess hitting most all business like it did.

Exactly, all this does is screw things up. IMO, they should have an auction with no reserves. Only then will you know the true value of what you are selling. By setting a reserve you are influencing the price. Example, you put a valuation of $50 of one of my fishers. The buyer that wants it thinks it is worth $50 and he can probably get it for 10% less so why bid higher.IMO that is what happens in a depressed market. In a strong market it doesn't matter.

In that scenario the auction house would not sell and you would still own your fisher. I wonder what kind of blood-bath this FHA internet sale would have been with no reserves.

Hey Beav, no reason not to post valuations for everyone to see. In fact no reason to have valuations.

Have an auction and sell it all or put it in the dumpster.By shipping to FHA I chose to sell my furs in March of 2020. Everything would change if the buyers knew that everything would be sold for high bid the day of the sale.

Didn't NAFA try that with a bunch of hold over coon? How'd that work out?

An auction without reserves? In this market, after it was over you guys would be gathering tar, feathers, a short rope and heading to North Bay. Even the Royal Canadian Mounted Police couldn’t stop you at the border. LOL

Even with no reserves, there will still be unsold goods. Who in their right mind would pay a
Nickel (5 cents) for a damaged ermine when FHA is going to charge you a 40 cent packing fee. Or $7.00 to pack and process a $2.00 otter. Even I wouldn’t pay for some items when you consider the packing fee.

No bidders = it goes in the dumpster.

Yes, nafa did that at least 3 times. Once on otter and twice on raccoon. They moved some goods. I don’t remember too much complaining from the shippers but then at least a couple of those were pre-internet days.

Does fha have more or higher fees than nafa did nancy?

I think FHA,s fees for this sale were similar to NAFA fees. They use 2 different systems, so a person would have to crunch some numbers to know for sure.

For this auction, FHA charged an 8.2 % commission plus a packing fee depending on the species. 25 cents for a possum. $100.00 for a grizzley bear. Everything else some where in between.

Nafa charged a 6.5 % commission plus 2 per species fees.

Reserves, and valuations are two different things.


We're all aware of this , right?

Don't forget their crazy packing fees etc..the last sale NAFA had- their fees went crazy!-cash grab! Bought 300 plus beaver for $4.50 U.S. and they cost me over $15 canadian landed at the dressers-BRUTAL

FHA was not that expensive-not even close

I'm my mind MARTY B there style of valuation is a reserve ,,,,if there not selling below valuation ???

Beav overthinks it.


Dont be like beav.

So auction results are still unknown after all this time ?

Some folks will never learn. Support your local furbuyer!

Nope not until monday sometime.

The press release said "early next week". Monday might be optimistic.

I heard that there was a lot of bidding on the heavy beaver.

There was bidding on the heavy beaver. Not sure if I would call it a “lot”.

You still haven't got your results??????????

They must not have sold any of your fur !!!








Since this sale was put together on the fly when the normal auction was cancelled, I figure there is a lot of stuff being done at homes away from the business facility because of the virus.

Thanks to Mark Downey for the update and to fur harvesters for doing the best they could. If you think about the number of changing circumstances they dealt with in the last few weeks, it is impressive that they held the event. I am happy that had an auction, happy they moved some fur, and wish them success. One more option for fur sellers is good. Fur is a commodity and comodity prices go up and down and are ultimately worth what someone will pay for them, no matter someone,s opinion of their valuation.

yep

I agree that fur Harvesters is a truly amazing and stupendous Outlet fur Trappers and fur buyers. Far more amazing than Grunwald choice to sit on the sidelines with their tail in between their legs not doing anything at all. But I do not believe fur is a commodity. I believe fur is a luxury. Not saying it shouldn't be but that's what I believe it is

Reading many posts makes me think many here are first time shippers to FHA ? It has always taken several days after their auctions to post auction results and even longer to update personal accounts.

Around here, GFW and other buyers are still burning up the rubber buying coyotes.

Yes, definitely poor timing over stupidity. It was early Jan. Hindsight is generally 20/20. I just used prices I received last year at Nafa as a guideline to what I felt they were worth. What is even more concerning is all of the real nice dead of winter yotes still hanging in my shed. Good thing it is just a hobby.

In these days of very cheap fur, packing and handling fees are the only way for an auction to pay the bills. Buyers true cost of fur purchased at an auction with all the up charges along with shipping and brokers paperwork plus government inspection fees can more than double the cost of the fur. An $11.00 select dark LM Otter bought at auction last year cost me $22 by the time it was delivered to the dresser.

Raw fur is a commodity. Fur coats are a luxury.
Raw fur is a product that is produced or harvested in large quantities, can't be easily distinguished by brand, and price is subject to the law of supply and demand.
IMO, of course.

Way too many negative Nellies out there. I have trapped for 40 years and have done well some years and not so well some. When I first started trapping I was able to go a local fur buyer and get paid. When I was able to drive I started going to my state fur sales. As I got older I started learning how to put up my to get top dollar. People have to remember quality fur will always have a market. If you are happy with where you sell your fur good for you. If you are not then figure out how to do better. I personally have sold at the two auction houses(now one) for 30 years. There is a place in this world for the country buyer, state auctions, and the one remaining fur house. There is no need to bash any of them.

Good post otterc.
There is a lot of fur that should never be sent to the international auctions.That said,they will try their best to sell it anyway.

This is why auctions are motivated to sell at any price. Not in my best interest.

This is really interesting. So how on Earth are they even close to the country fur buyers prices in that case? Let alone beat their prices, in my experience of course

This is really interesting. So how on Earth are they even close to the country fur buyers prices in that case? Let alone beat their prices, in my experience of course[/quote]

Over the years I been told by a lot of country buyers that they go to auction to buy certain goods because it costs to much in the country to buy the same stuff.

Who has local fur buyers? I have lived in PA since 1946. I started selling furs in about 1956. For about 20 years 1980-2000 I had a local fur buyer. For the past 10 years I have been trapping in Maine. There are several fur buyers in Maine and several in surrounding states. They come together and have "local" auctions several times each year. Here is why I ship. 2013 Sale: I averaged $132 for fisher and $107 for marten @ NAFA the local sale had $50 marten and $85 fisher. The next year 2014 sale I had $159 fisher @ NAFA local auctions had about $80 fisher. That is why I ship.

Well don't let Simple Math logic and reason get in your way. LOL

Because the country buyer also has handling, shipping, paperwork expenses they need to cover and they need to take some profit between what they pay and their selling price. At the auction that is called commission, in the country it is called profit margin.

It is also called fees which in many cases are much greater than the commission, which means an auction can make money selling for the fees and have little incentive to sell less for higher commissions. It is called fee loading.

Well I certainly think we need all three big options. The country buyers and auction houses and the state auctions just to keep everybody honest. Or more honest anyway