Last report said that there could be a increase in price coming but nothing solid yet. Great job!!!
interresting. Do you have a link, I'd like to read some optimism. Lol.
Here is the last i read from NAFA in September.
The Outlook
Reading such news at the beginning of September is not going to spark much enthusiasm into planning a long line. Our words of wisdom have not changed. Go west if you can and trap western coyotes and western cats if profit is your main drive, those markets will still be there come 2018. For northern trappers with access to marten, you can still do fine if you wait for fully prime pelts, and the odd fisher in your sets will sell fine as well. But for the vast majority of trappers targeting raccoon, rats, mink, or beaver; expect another tough year. Pay attention to the animals you harvest and be selective on what you spend your time handling. We have said it over and over again, but in difficult times, only the best skins sell, and anything with multiple damages or out of season is not worth handling. When the top raccoon sold for $75 a few years ago, even the low grades would sell for $5-8, but when the top coon sell for $25, a lot of the low grades have no commercial value. The same applies to all the species that struggle: beaver, mink, otter, or fox. Sell the best and accept, even if it is difficult, that some of the animals you catch simply have no commercial value. Do your best to wait until fur is fully prime, to reduce the percentage of lesser quality goods. But if you catch an animal with multiple damages and hardly any fur on it, do not bother skinning and handling it as it will not sell. Not every apple that comes out of an apple tree is fit for consumption, and the same goes for fur. Some animals simply have no value, and handling them is a waste of time and effort, and it does nothing to help our trade. Tough market years like the ones we live now provide perfect opportunity to improve your knowledge of fur grading so you can better understand this trade, and what is worth handling. Spend time with your local fur buyer, watch him grade, ask questions, and if you can, try to attend some fur grading seminars, or better yet, go visit an international fur auction. You will get some pointers that will help you improve your knowledge of the trade, and that investment will last you a lifetime.
