My fur price predictions

[GRIZ]

 These are just my predictions (I've been wrong b4) after talking with furbuyers and auction houses. They are for prime well put up skins.

Beaver- $20 They did have a 100% sell but allot of the spring caught ones havn't hit the market yet and there are a bunch of them.

Muskrat-  The auction houses had record highes for this item at nearly a nine dollar average with about 90% selling. I would like to see prices stay there but am going to say $4.50 to $6 depending on harvest. Which might not be as much as some think. Around here a bunch of the rat sloughs are dry. I don't know what the rest of the country looks like though.

Mink-  A little better than $20 hopefully advancing towards $25 as this item had a 100% sell.

Coon- $13 to $15 With the harvest last yr I'd like to see prices advance but really don't think they will.

Coyote- $20 to $25 with about half being held over from last yr. This item might even decline somewhat.

Fox- reds should be at around $20 with greys being slightly more due to a better sell.

Bobcat- I'm not even going to touch this one as it could vary so much.

Otter- $70 to $75 They had a low 20% sell due to some chinese laws that are making it difficult to get them into the country. China has bought all the otter for the last ten yrs so it would depend allot on export regs.

Fisher/Sable- $70 Possible more due to a 100% sell.

If a person has access to a good rat population I would say they might want to get after them.

[Dr.Bob]

Wow,? Thanks griz!? I am glad to see a little life in the market again.? At least there is fair interest in most areas.

Jake and I just might have to go after some rats this year, just cause.? At least we may clear gas milage and it would be a great time for him to learn what it is all about.? I reckin Lizzy will tag along too? .

[GRIZ]

 Yup Bob

That is exactly what I was thinking for those that havn't trapped in awhile or would like to try it, now would be the perfect time. If ya have a fair population of rats in ur area ya should be able to pay gas anyhow. They are fairly numerous and rather easy to trap and leave quite a bit of sign usually.

The down side is when price goes up so does competition, which can bring prices down in a larger harvest. With the weather we've had and lower water levels it could go two ways. A bumper crop or a catch 50% down. I've seen it go both ways.

Like I said these are my predictions and I am by no means a fur market expert. It's just my opinion after talking to fur buyers and reading auction reports with some personel experience thrown in. I've read experts opinions that differ from mine in both directions.

[iceman]

WOW where you selling yours at ?

[GRIZ]

Usually locally always with mink as I get more for them than auction houses will pay.

Beaver I do better at the auction houses but have been balked at the way I skin them. (without leg holes)

The rest of the furs are a horse a piece.

[GRIZ]

Just talked to a local buyer. He said things are a bit better than expected. These prices are for prime large stretched and dried.

Rats $8 tops with a six and a half dollar average.

Mink  $24 tops

Coon $20 tops

[iceman]

Griz,
you happen to get the pices on fisher and otter ?

[GRIZ]

Nope my local buyer doesn't deal too much with these, I just called him to see what prices were on the items I'll be after.

[GRIZ]

I just looked at the prices paid at the sept auction. Everything seemed to be pretty close to what I figure cept they had no info on the fisher or marten. The good news was that they sold 100% on everything except the otter.

They withdrew them from the sale. The import/export regulations for china has not been  resolved yet. I would guess that prices would be going way down them, how far i don't know. I would only guess you could sell them to a local fur buyer and take what he gives ya. He's not even sure he's going to sell them himselves so I'm sure it would be at discounted prices.

[vickieschessies]

I cut a lady's hair and her son is a big trapper and He said the same thing about the beaver prices. Good luck!

[GRIZ]

Talked to a guy that sold his rats for 8 bucks tops whole today.

[jigglestick]

whole, unskinned??!!

[GRIZ]

That's what he said.

[Fawkinnae]

Wow. I didn't know not skinning them was an option. What would be the price difference between skinned and unskinned typically? 10%?

[GRIZ]

Roughly 50 cents to a buck for rats. Some fur buyers will pay the same for maybe even more for them whole.

A couple reasons for that would be

1. If they buy them whole, they put them up themselves and they would all be the same. Makeing a large lot of fur uniform is hard to do if a hundred people are putting them up. A large lot of uniform fur looks allot more attractive to the buyers. Usually the buyer in this case has a private contract or more to fill with a larger private buyer or furrier. In this case they don't care if you skin them as long as it's done right.

2. The other reason would be they have a good market for the glands and carcasses. At least enough to pay for the cost of skinning  and streaching. Maybe they might have a use for them personnally if they are into the lure and bait market. In this case they would want them whole as they want the carcass.

Talk to ur buyer b4 hand, if you can get just as much for them whole and you have the space in the freezer why waste time skinning when ya could do more trappin.