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Market Value Of Fur Skins

Categories: THE TRAPPER'S MISCELLANY.

Below will be found an authentic table of the comparative values

of the various American furs at the present date of publication.

The quotations are those of one of our largest fur dealers, as

published in THE HAT, CAP AND FUR TRADE REVIEW, the leading journal

of the trade in America. Of course these values are constantly

varying--keeping pace with the eccentricities of fashion and the

demands of the fur trade; but
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the table will serve at least to gauge the relative values, as

between the two extremes of common and scarce furs. The fur market

is a great deal like the stock market. It is constantly fluctuating,

and a fur which is to-day among the novelties, may next year find

itself on the low priced list. The demand for furs of any kind

is nearly always governed by fashion, and of course the value is

estimated on the demand. If the convention of fur dealers should

decide to usher in Muskrat fur as the leading and most fashionable

article in that line, the fashion would create the demand, the

demand would be in turn supplied by the trappers throughout the

country, and in proportion as the Muskrat skins became scarce,

so their value would increase. In this way a skin which may be

worth fifty cents at one time may soon acquire a value of twenty

times that amount. The comparative value of skins is, therefore,

constantly varying more or less; but the annexed table (page 283)

will be found useful for general reference, and for approximate

figures, will probably answer every purpose for some time to come.



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No. of No. of Estimated

Skins. Skins. Total Price according to average

KINDS. March Sept. No. quality. price per

Sale. Sale. skin.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

L s. d.

Badger 2,700 2,700 1s. to 7s. 1 06

Bear 5,217 2,794 8,011 5s. to L8 10s. 5 0 00

Beaver 111,993 37,052 149,045 4S. 3d. to 38s. 6d. 1 00 00

Fisher 2,843 779 3,622 8s. to L3 5s. 2 10 00

Fox, Blue 90 90 18s. to L4. 2 10 00

Cross 1,818 471 2,289 5s. to L4. 1 10 00

Kitt 6,930 6,930 2s. 8d. to 28s. 10d. 3 00

Red 6,914 1,383 8,297 4s. 6d. to 17s. 10 00

Silver 540 148 688 L3 10s. to L21. 10 00 00

White 7,312 7,312 2s. to 14s. 9d. 7 00

Lynx 2,468 1,652 4,120 9s. 6d. to L1 14s. 18 00

Marten 47,878 18,955 66,833 10s. to L3 19s. 1 10 00

Mink 31,802 12,896 44,698 4s. to L1 8s. 6d. 15 00

Muskrat 651,498 116,488 767,896 3d. to 16d. 00 8

Otter 8,571 2,681 11,252 14s. to L3 18s. 2 10 00

Sea 98 98 L4 10s. to L32. 15 00 00

Rabbit 10,029 10,029 3d. to 4d. 00 3

Raccoon 3,582 3,582 1s. to 3s. 3d. 2 6

Skunk 1,691 1,691 2s. to 7s. 4 00

Wolf 6,216 188 6,404 6s. to L2 15s. 15 00

Wolverine 1,770 320 2,090 8s. to L1 1s. 15 00

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AMERICAN FUR SKINS--TABLE OF VALUES.[*]

==========================================================================

Prime. Seconds. Thirds.Fourths.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Badger $1.00 $0.50 $0.10 $

Bear, Black 18.00 9.00 1.00

Cub 10.00 5.00 1.00

Brown 7.00 4.00 1.00

Beaver, California per lb. 1.25 75 50

Southern 1.00 75 40

Upper Missouri 1.75 1.50 50

Lake Supr. and Canada. 2.50 1.75 75

Cat, Wild 40 10

House 15 10

Deer, Florida per lb. 20

Missouri 20

Elk and Moose per lb. 35 25

Fisher, Southern 7.00 5.00 1.00

Eastern and Canada 10.00 8.00 2.00

Fox, Silver 100.00 25.00 1.00

Cross 3.00 1.50 1.00

Blue 15.00 5.00 1.00

White 3.00 1.50

Red 1.75 1.00 75 25

Gray 3.00 1.50 50 25

Kitt 50 25

Lynx, Minnesota 2.50 1.00

Canada 4.00 2.00

Marten, Dark 10.00 6.00 2.00

Small Pale 2.00 1.00 50

Mink, Southern 1.00 50 25 10

Western 1.25 1.00 50 10

Middle States 2.00 1.25 50 10

Minnesota 2.50 1.50 75 20

New England 3.50 1.75 1.00 20

Quebec and Halifax 4.00 2.00 1.00 20

Muskrat, Southern 28 25 15 5

Western 30 28 18 6

Northern 32 30 20 8

Eastern 35 30 22 10

Opossum, Ohio 30 20 10

Southern 20 10

Otter, Southern 5.00 3.00 2.00 50

Northern 10.00 6.00 2.00 50

Rabbit 3

Raccoon, Southern 50 30 15 5

Western 1.00 50 20 5

Michigan 1.25 80 30 5

Seal, Hair 60

Fur 10.00

Skunk, Black Cased 1.00 60 40 10

Half Stripe 60 50 25 10

White 20 10

Wolf, Timber 3.00 1.50

Prairie 1.00 75

Wolverine 5.00 2.00

==========================================================================



[Footnote *: From the Hat Cap and Fur Trade Review.]




Notwithstanding all these advertised prices, the young trapper

often experiences great difficulty in a profitable disposal of his

furs. Like every other business, the fur trade runs in its regular

grooves, and the average furrier will often pay an experienced

professional five dollars for a skin for which he would not offer

a dollar to an amateur. This certainly seems discouraging, but

the knowledge of the fact is calculated to prevent greater

discouragement.



We often see fancy prices advertised by fur dealers for first-class

skins; but when the furs are sent, only a few are selected as prime,

the rest being rejected as worthless, or perhaps meeting with a

meagre offer far below the regular rates. In this way the dealers

have the opportunity of choice selection without incurring any

risk. Many a young trapper has been thus disappointed, and has

seen his small anticipated fortune dwindle down to very small

proportions.



The fur trade is supplied through regular professional channels;

and in giving our advice to the novice, we would recommend as the

most satisfactory and profitable plan that he should make his sales

to some local hunter or trapper, who has had experience with the fur

trade, and who is satisfied to pay a fair price for the various skins

with the probability of selling at an advance, and thus realizing

a profit.



In nearly every trapping locality such men are to be found, and

although the prices earned may be below the market rates, the amateur

takes none of the speculative risks of the business, and should

be willing to take lower prices on this account.



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