FHA Offering July Auction

Have not heard any complaints about FHA in over a week, come on guys!!

https://furharvesters.com/pdf/offering.pdf

Wow the coyotes are sure coming out of the bush
from 25k to 40k
lets hope that gavel hits the naysayers posting on here.

Thanks Saskfly this helps put a lot of previous gossip to rest

I'm surprised at the low volume of fur, was there really that little effort last season?
For example; only 14,000 sable. Considering that NAFA isn't around, that as a fraction of what I would think should be on this sale. I wonder if these low volumes will cause an increase in price?

I suspect many did not trap as much as they could based on price of fur alone. I know I didn't push it hard on certain species.

marten are in the freezers would be my guess
after last years give away
most marten last sale were sold to China bidders

Just got a report from the BOD meeting.There is a good amount of money in the bank and we have decided to re-invest the extra money in the facility(expand) to save money for the trappers in the long run instead of paying out the RPC's.

If those 6,000 possums don't sell I'll never ship anything to FHA again!

They should snap up Nafa. Probably get her cheap

They arent spending a whole bunch,just enough so they dont have to rent extra space elsewhere.They had favorable negotiations with and support from the city of N Bay apparently.
According to the report they have expanded considerably and the space will be needed down the road with the extra buisness.

If this market finally starts to shore up. They’re gonna need the space and help. As the market shifts the auction will fall into favor

FHA updated the offering, you can use the link above to see the revised numbers against the inline image in the first post. Biggest changes where an extra 20,000 beaver and 5000 Lynx Cat. Slightly more coyote, sable, muskrat and racoon but no huge changes. They added the ranch mink and chinchilla.

A few of the catalogs have been posted on their web site. Beaver, sable, fisher, wild fox. Not much but it’s a start.

Only 2 more weeks and the complaining can start.

Sale the week of the NTA Convention.......

Only 40,000, not lot shipped coon FHA if that all

LOL

Sale is 19-22
Convention 22-24

IF they post results right away and IF the results are positive, could be good news for the vendors at the convention.

A couple of really big IFs there. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting………………

It doesn't matter, I'll still blow way too much money at the NTA Convention.

Good Man, that's the true spirit of the modern day rendezvous!

Pretty sure that won't affect the auction any. No furbuyer is going to cancel going to the FHA auction because he would rather go to the NTA convention.

All my rats sold at the last auction or private treaty last fall after the September sale. I have a poor coyote and a couple dozen coons left over. I don't know if not all their fur is offered or not but with 70K of coons either they never received many or they are not putting all in this sale. We hear all these rumors about the multitude of coon waiting for an uptick but 70K is really not much fur even if much of it is lower end goods.

Bryce

Fur buyers from the US aren’t able to travel to Canada for the auction. Canadian border is still closed. The auction is on line. Buyers can sit in their air conditioned office and bid. Or they could at their booth at the convention and bid!!

I thiought they could travel to Canada now, but have to quarantine for either two or three weeks once they cross the border before they can go anywhere. I'm not sure what kind of quarantine facilities they have to stay in, but heard it was real strict.

Sigh. I sent FHA an e-mail a couple of weeks ago about helping me set up an account (first time shipper to them) but have gotten no response. I'll try again tomorrow but I'm not optimistic about being able to see how my skins graded before this auction. I'll probably get a check for a few bucks in August and maybe some detailed paper work of what sold and what it was graded by what, November...?

Sounds like Burgess Seed company...

Even if buyers can travel to Canada, who wants to quarantine for 2-3 weeks. Stuck in hotel or someplace. Can’t go out. Not an efficient way to spend your time, even if it is off season for buying.

I think Canadian buyers are being allowed in for in person inspection on a limited basis. Auction will be totally on line.

Even if you have an online account, you won’t be able to see your grades until just before the auction starts. Probably the 17th or 18th. Shipper accounts are updated all at once, not species by species.

The focus right now is getting the catalog ready for buyers. That requires taking photographs and getting everything ready to go.

Patience.

I miss NAFA. . LOL

Lol, this is nafa. Even has the sound effects of the crash.

LOL. Not even sure the fur I took to a pick up in February made it to Canada. Even before covid their customer service was awful. At least they got an excuse this year. But of course they are doing me a favor for even selling fur,

Bunch more catalogs are up.

Not many ship coon to FHA if that all they got , no idea how many coon groenwold bought, guess a couple hundred thousand

I will never ship anything to them again anyhow.

Why not ? Because private treaty sales last sept?

Most marten don't die for giggles. They will see more marten when they figure out how to get reasonable prices for the year 2022. Ten years of real inflation mean marten have to get into the $100 range to be attractive. In the last ten years nothing has gotten cheaper and marten shouldn't.

What is this; FHA has hired Giggles the Clown, to bring in the marten.
Now shivery me timbers, that will take it all.

Yes dirt a 100$ average is the cost for most to chase marten at a returnable amount of return.

What no price predictions? Not even price trend direction? Have we lost hope? I suppose a battering in last 18 months has interest softened to submission.

Fingers crossed for FHA! (With selfish motives)

The roaring 20's are right around the corner and we will see a substantial upturn for our wild fur. I don't see us getting there this summer though.

Increases in fur prices tend to always rise slower than the drops. We're at the bottom of the bucket now so it will take some time for us to hit the levels we all want to see for our hard work.

I have a friend who's been shipping there for 2 years now. They have sent him a couple of checks already but never have set him up to log in online for his account yet. He has tried to call and sent emails but to no avail.

I predicted a 8 year slump in prices before we started increasing prices again. It has been about 8 years since 2014. Similar pattern from '97 to ' 05 However, the change in that time period came from expanding into new markets of Russia and China. Not expanding into new markets anymore? China appears to be able to control prices these days and will work hard to keep them low.

A local mink rancher ( who has since pelted out) told me in 2015 it would be depressed for 7 years I hope he knows more than you. Lol.
China has benefited from low prices that came amidst oversupply. Hopefully as supply is corrected pressure will push prices. Don’t know what’s left for demand on high priced furs. Time will tell. There appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, with inventory being liquidated For that I am optimistic.

We need the consumer nations' economies to fire up. For that we need crude oil up over $75 a barrel probably. I think were getting there.

So, you're hoping old Joe shuts down a couple more pipelines?

Nah, he's just realistic realizing all the money that the Trump administration printed followed by the Biden administration doubling down and the effects that the coming devaluation of the dollar will have on fur prices.

Just a friggin' optimist mostly.

Oil up,.catalyst to higher and higher coon prices!,..heard that for a couple decades now. ,..still we hope.

Here it is again. lol

Do you have a rebuttal?


Got them coon traps ready and going to gamble the market will improve?

Even if coon prices double it's still not worth it, and while I think prices will be up a buck or two I will not skin any.

Marten are worth less than a sheet of 7/16" OSB. Take a few marten to build an outhouse. Thanks gubmint!

I sent in a string of coyotes and a sack of rats for this sale. The hope was that they'd open the country by now.... The last sale, with pictures evidently, was somewhat encouraging. I think the rats and coyotes will do OK. Marten still in the freezer.

Does anyone have their account updated to show your fur yet? I sent fresh fur in April and my account isn’t showing it yet.

My account is not updated either

Nope not yet, the accounts are not updated until the last catalogues are posted. It usually happens fairly fast after that.

Steven I have no rebuttal and I actually agree with you. The point was made some time back that I made my point about FHA and NAFA and should let it go and I said to you I will let that go when you let go of the printing money thing. Just showing you that when something is frustrating it is frustrating. Time usually don't change that unless what was wrong stops happening. FHA is still having online auctions and the US is still printing money. Oh and it has nothing to do with Trump now so we can drop that too. lol, LLL

And I have no plans on trapping a thing this season again. Maybe a few beaver if I get calls. LLL

I’ll be trapping come December, it’s one of my better habits. With some luck FHA will put a spring back in our step. It’s overdue.

Markets are delicate and complicated I’m shocked that trappers aren’t more curious about the forces that drive their activities.

Usually in the past accounts would at least show quantities of fur received well before the auction, then grades would show up when the catalogues are posted. I'm not even seeing quantities received yet.

Read a trapper survey. Most trappers primary motive is not economic. So market forces do not drive their activities; entertainment value does. Most are scoring points on how their fur grades, not what it sells for. If they scored on what it sells for in the year 2021 they wouldn't be happy. They want to be in a happy place.

I hear Dimetrios is working overtime on his abacus.

LOL.

When you can't afford to put gas In the tank you won't be trapping many coon, It's over $3.00 here and It's only going to go up.

My account got updated with my fur and says I have a bunch that is unsold. Do they just have it up like that because the auction hasn't happened yet or what?

Yes, your goods are marked unsold because the auction hasn’t happened.

Once the sale starts on the 19th, it will change. Assuming of course your goods do sell.

Ok, thanks for clarifying!!

So, if they have updated the existing accounts, you're telling me, wissmiss, there still a chance they can now set up my account before the auction...?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5jNnDMfxA

I have no idea. Wish I had an answer for you but since I don’t work there, I can’t tell you what is going on. Sorry.

One would think that given the amount of time since the last auction, things would be up to date. But who knows…………..

Too soon?

My account is updated. I see a coyote already sold
3X-2X SELECT LT D for $12. Ouch!

Good luck summer sales, nafa sales in summer about 50/50, pretty good to poor, not many coon must not Been ship FHA if that all they got, was thinking about go to FHA fur handle demos at convention with anytime leftover but I never ship there so I don't know, yes if gas is $4.99 a gallon, unless coon are up, trapping them an any trapping ventures well be limted an plan so nothing unproductive as much as possible, $5 a gallon on gas is go hurt bad, unless prices up considerably it go cost way to much to go

The difference is Larry, is you as a private individual entered voluntarily entered into a contract with those businesses. We don't get a choice whether they devalue our money or not. They are going to do it.

Your comparisons aren't even remotely close to apples and oranges.

I know you'll have your gear ready in case there is a change in market forces. I believe it would be a good idea, and I'd do it if I didn't live in the tundra, to trap coon after say the mid of November and rat hole 500 plus good ones. The market should swing in the next 12 to 18 months.

Dirt, trappers surveys may say that trappers trap recreationally but license sales numbers tell an entirely different story lol.

LOL. Hippie that is great!! Best one I’ve seen in a long time. Thanks

Hippie that is friggin funny Son!!!!!!

I'm gonna make bank this year!!!!!!

All my fur seems to be up for auction, we'll juat see how it goes. Northern fur = big bucks, lol

All the catalogs are on line. That means things are moving forward. Apparently shipper accounts have been updated. Another good sign.

Next step should be to get the buyer catalogs on line so the buyers can start bidding. I’m hoping that happens first thing tomorrow morning.

Do they start accepting bids before the announced start wissmiss? Just curious.

Out of 194 fresh black rats on the auction, I got 82 of them. Had to chuckle.

FH has not yet told buyers when bidding will start, order of sale or any details. I’m hoping that will happen later on today (Friday).

I’m not a computer whiz, so I don’t know the technical terms , so don’t laugh. At some point, the bidding catalog will be posted on line and will be accessible only by registered buyers. That catalog will have pictures of many of the lots. At some point, FH will “flip a switch” and buyers will be able to bid. There isn’t any way for the system to accept bids before that “switch is thrown”.

Once bidding starts, it will continue until the sale starts closing. Closing time will be announced before bidding starts. When closing starts, it goes lot by lot by lot. It is a slow and boring process. Takes multiple hours to go through all the lots, especially on species like raccoon. The bid closing on line moves slower than a live auction in the auction room.

Everything I’ve written above is how the April sale worked. I am assuming this sale will be the same.

Mud - great number of black 'rats. If we could all be so lucky but then black 'rats would not be so valuable then lol. Around here have rough calculated about 1:500 black to regular colour 'rats. What is your ratio over the long haul u figure?

Looked a little closer at catalogue though and lots 80055 - 57 are all black 'rats and total 256 so appears you have 82/256 of the black 'rats. Outstanding.

Only been here two seasons so hard to say long term. But in those two years I’ve had nearly 50% black in the high salinity waters I’m trapping. I counted well over 100 blacks this year but minus slight damaged and mediums brought me down to the 82 that grade 3x-lg. Happy for every one I get.

^^^^But how much of your castor would have graded *western select?

I dont know BP.I sell my castor ungraded.
I sell some locally to medicine men and the rest direct.

That's awesome you catch so many Black ones. I usually get two per hundred rats.

I don't think any of my catch will be rubbing elbows with Bocos...

Probably wont be much difference on the avg size wise the way the market is now for raw beaver.
How come so much DMG?Scars?
Good size on your beaver BP.

I’m surprised how easy it is to get a SELECT grade at FHA. I have way more than normal.

if you trap where beaver are overpopulated you wont get many select grade beaver.

The order of sale, closing times, etc. have been posted to buyer accounts. They have also added a 5th selling day. The 23rd, which is for The Zoo.

There are 599 lots of wolves. Bidding opens at 7 AM North Bay time and runs until noon on the 23rd. That Is 5 hours. For you folks on the east coast that don’t understand time zones - that is 4 AM until 9 AM pacific time. The things us fur buyers in the west have to deal with to buy fur!!!! LOL

I have 10 rats, 9 coons and 1 yote listed. We will see how this goes, the rats are new, the coons an d yotes have been offered before.

Bryce

I didn't start trapping until the end of January so our river beaver are well into breeding season by then. Bites and rubs. We have lots of blackberries which they love to eat so they burrow up through it and leave fur on the thorns. If I were to start in November I would have a lot less damage. Still picking fruit in November.

OH, and yes...plenty of scars. But did I mention the castor...? This year averaged right at 5 beaver to a lb.

Thats pretty good for the castor.
I weighed out a few yesterday to sell.One was 4.2 oz that is dry weight.
At the going rate of $7.75 per oz that one beaver castor netted $32.55.

Don’t feel bad, my grade looks similar to yours. Great beavers are hard to come by here.

I can go a little farther to our Oregon coast and get a way better pelt....but the castors are puny. So I go closer and get the big bruisers on my local river (with big castors) and call it good. I just hope there are hatter buyers for this auction. Some years all the dmg go early and the selects remain unsold. Lately it's the other way around...Section III haven't been moving.

Better off going for the castor beavers with the price of castor for sure.At one time castor was the bonus,now its the pelt,lol.
I hope everyone with fur on the sale does well.

I’m hoping for a couple grand for my efforts last winter. Put it towards an Argo.

I thought about buying an argo a couple years ago but when i sat down and actually thought it over good I came to the conclusion the price outweighs the actual use I would get out of it.
Guys who hunt a lot in the muskeg before freezeup like them a lot to haul moose.Also guys that trap beaver in the interiors of their lines before freeze up have a real use for an argo.
I can go everywhere I need to in the fall on the 4 wheeler and after freezeup the snow machine is much better for where and how I trap.
Also one dealbreaker for me was all the work i would need to do to widen all the bush trails.

If, where and when do they post pics of the show lots? Or are they for buyers eyes only? Just curious

Is castor up more recently ?

Registered bidders only. Sorry.

The bidding Catalog is open as of 7 AM this morning. Very little action so far.

that's a good point JP. Maybe the question is why it was so difficult to get a Select grade with NAFA? Could be the difference between a trapper-centric vs other-centric auction house?

Seems to be typical of online auctions- plenty of time to play wait and see....

I always found it the opposite.Select is the top grade at FHA.Select was not the top grade at NAFA.NAFA's top grade was Super Select.

Basically same grades but different terminology.

NAFA changed their terminology a few times.FHA did once.

Back in the day the top grade at FHA was I pt II.

My experience with both auction houses was that it depended on species. Beaver (for me) anyways have done better at FHA for grades and price. Otter it seems too. Red fox do terribly for me at FHA to the point I’m better off selling privately. But greys do well.

Live and learn and learn as ya go.

I think FHA has tended to grade beaver harder than Nafa over they years which helped boost their beaver marketing as buyer confidence grew.

Does anything close Monday wissmiss? Things still slow?