The Fur Harvesters Auction sale held in mid-March saw reduced prices from 2013 results. Averages were down 35 to 50 percent, according to an FHA news release.
Read below for the full release and the species-by-species fur price breakdown:
A world record attendance of International buyers descended on Finland’s Saga Fur auction facility the last few weeks. By the time FHA’s wild fur auction was scheduled to start registration was at over 950 buyers and more were expected as ranch mink followed our selling days. Articles that have been dominated by China these past years sold at reduced levels to last season but in line with most recent wild fur auctions this season. Articles in demand by Greek and Italian manufacturers such as lynx and lynx cat advanced very strongly compared to the most recent North American auction and in fact we were higher than last year’s levels on these two luxury items. Buying was selective on certain articles but for the most part very active throughout from major markets with good support from all Eastern European countries despite the political tension in this region.
The decision to market the world’s finest collections of wild fur, ranch mink and ranch fox under one roof was dubbed “The Fur Auctions of the Century” and indeed it was when you look at the world’s situation and what has transpired since June 2013, including the arrests in China of top buyers and China’s crackdown on gifting and customs and its change in government. The warm winter in Russia and northern China as well the devaluation of the Russian ruble to an all time low and the Russia/Crimea conflict all has had a drastic impact on the global fur trade. Be it ranch mink or ranch fox or wild fur most articles are 35% to 50% devalued to last year’s levels.
This marketing alliance was viewed by all the International fur trade as a “REAL GAME CHANGER.” In today’s market to draw a world record crowd that surpasses all other auctions by two and three times reflects very clearly and boldly that this is in fact the direction to continue on.
