Many trappers continue to wonder what kind of prices raw fur will command during the 2009-10 trapping season. We’re at an uncertain time in the fur market, with recent economic turmoil influencing fur sales internationally.
I’m far from being an expert in the fur market, but I’ll do my best to provide a short summary of the state of the market and point you to the real experts who know what’s going on.
Even the experts are having some difficulty predicting what the fur market will do this year, but the general consensus appears to be that the market has hit its bottom and just needs time to recover. Most seem to believe that recovery will take a couple of years, with depressed prices continuing throughout this season. Much of this is due to the low point the economy, combined with large inventories of unsold fur at the auction houses.
Holding Steady
Fisher, marten and muskrat pelts will likely move at relatively good price levels this season. Fisher and marten are specialty items that don’t usually suffer as much as high volume furs, and muskrat is a cheap alternative to ranched mink. The recovering Chinese economy should help keep the muskrat market steady.
Depressed
Bobcat, wild mink and beaver prices will likely sell at depressed levels compared to past years. Many experts see cats selling at less than half the prices offered two years ago. Increases in ranched mink prices may help wild mink, and a reduction in the beaver harvest could help sales.
Tanked
Coyote and raccoon prices seem to be in real rough shape. There are large quantities of unsold goods out there that need to be cleared before prices can stabilize. This can turn around pretty quickly if a cold winter and/or economic recovery help increase Russia’s consumption of fur.
Well, that’s my take on the fur market based on what I’ve read. You can read the most recent reports from the experts below:
has anyone ever heard of a human slave trap. i bought one in florida .is oval shope & about 18″ high when standing up-right. it has flit teeth.to grip but not brake the skin. just a leg hold trap, it has to small springs on each side of the jaws. the the pan is forged & fits into the side if the trap. if anyony has everheard of this trap ,i would like your feed back.
best regards
joe corning
has anyone ever heard of a human slave trap. i bought one in florida .is oval shope & about 18″ high when standing up-right. it has flit teeth.to grip but not brake the skin. just a leg hold trap, it has to small springs on each side of the jaws. the the pan is forged & fits into the side if the trap. if anyony has everheard of this trap ,i would like your feed back.
best regards
joe corning
Yes, i have heard of a slave trap, and I am considering buying one i found in an antique store in ohio, but i wanted to see if i could find another one to compare it to. the one i have found has no teeth, and was clearly made by a blacksmith, and significantly smaller than what joe corning describes. this one is about 9inches across when the jaws are open.
mike blankenship