best furriers for friendliness

[furrycocoon]

Seeing as we're all furlovers,lets do a list of furriers that we know are fur friendly to us lovers or at least don't make us feel uncomfortable.We've all been in furriers,so lets list them.For me its "Gale Furs" in Regents Park Rd in London.The gentleman who owns it is very fur friendly and once he recognizes your face will let you go down in his fur vault downstairs unsupervised.He usually only sells used furs but he has a great selection.He lets you try them on and makes you feel very comfortable.Doesnt ebven seem to mind if you're down there for 1/2 hr and don't buy anything as I have done.

[Worker 11811]

You know, this is a great question!

 

I've been trying to get a nice fur for my wife and have been having trouble getting her to make that "connection" with the coat she likes simply because of the sales person at the store we've been going to.

 

I've worked in commission sales and I understand the type of people you meet in those kinds of stores. I know that, some times, you have to hold your ground with a sales person. Right up to the point of telling them to back off. It's rare but I think I've reached that point with the store I've been going to.

 

The sales lady is pretty pushy. Most people would be able to tell a pushy sales person where to get off or leave the store, entirely. But my wife just isn't the type who understands sales people like this and doesn't respond well.

 

The last time we went fur shopping we actually bought a fur coat and got it all the way out to the car! But, as we were walking, I noticed that my wife was all "Harumph!" unhappy and fidgety. I couldn't figure out what was the problem. We were getting all ready to drive off and she finally came right out, "I hate that coat!"

 

There I was! Stunned!

 

We talked for a minute and I found out that the only reason she picked it out was because the sales lady pushed her into it!

 

I felt bad, at first, returning the coat. I didn't really want to "stiff" her like that but, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this sales lady just isn't the kind of person I want to be selling my wife a coat.

 

We're going to need to find another fur store in our area.

 

If you drew a triangle around Cleveland, OH, Buffalo, NY and Pittsburgh, PA, that would be the general area where we would be willing to travel to find a good furrier whose sales people are pleasant to deal with and whose prices aren't too high.

 

furrycocoon. I would sure like to find a furrier like the one you describe!

 

I think I just need to give my wife free reign in the fur vault by herself for about a half hour and let her come out with the two or three that she likes best... THEN the sales guy can help us pick one out.

[White Fox]

My experience has been that most furriers are Not like the one Worker describes here. Thank goodness!

 

One that has seemed good in the Detroit area for instance is Dittrich. However, I am not sure it is the fur store. It is more the sales person that you get. Sometimes smaller stores are really the best as you get the owner generally.

 

This is a thread I need to think about for awhile.

 

W

[Guest]

One such super shop is Ungar Fus in Portland, OR which I have talked about many times now.

 

Horst, the owner, is such a gracious and talkative person you can't help but like fur. He's not at all pussy but lets you "find" your fur.

 

One situation is the big Baver coat I have commented on before.

 

I practically ran over to it, thinking it was Fisher. He encouraged me to put it on though it is a custom fur for another customer. A very big guy.

 

I'm standing there with it on and my arms stretched out from my body like a stupid eBay model when Hrst says ... "Put your hands in the pockets and OWN the fur."

 

That's a real sales job. Even though I'm having him assemble other furs for me he knows I will eventually buy one from him.

 

No wonder he had work booked for six months in advance.

 

Know your market.

 

He makes a very attractive Bat Wing Mink jacket from prime pelts. Soon as he sells it he makes another. He says he could make more but they sell at the rate he makes them. Of course each one is a little different from the last and fits a wide range of sizes.

 

He makes others like that and always has something the other guys don't have.

 

OFF

[White Fox]

If members here could post a bunch of furriers and fur shops, we could indeed make a page in Wiki for the information. A sort of "Friendly Furriers Directory". However, I think that we should post more than a name if possible. Possibly a small description on why you are "nominating" them.

 

I don't think we can post a page for "Bad furriers". That could get us into huge problems here. However, negative posts about someone in the "Friendly" catagory could well mean they would be removed quickly.

 

W

[ticklefur1]

This is closely related to a post I made a while back regarding a Dep't store fur salon where 2-3 sales clerks ganged up on me to make me feel ignorant, uncomfortable, and unwelcome. The experience at the same store repeated itself a little little later when the one I was dating at the time was with me and saw first hand the mistreating. I have since then browsed other fur salons with the same chain and gotten better results and treatment I am happy to report.

 

The main furrier nearest my home is pretty good and I have dealt with them recently...more on them another time, maybe when I bring the gorgeous mink jacket home that I fell in love with back in the summer.

 

There is another furrier in Winston-Salem, NC, downtown, called Anastasia Furs. I stopped by on my way out of town as I grabbed a cup of java for the road...both establishments in the same bldg that anchored a hotel. As I peered through the glass window at the furrier the man inside motioned for me to come in and invited me to browsed. We exchanged some conversation about fur and what I liked while browsing, and even admitted that maybe one day I'll buy something that even I can wear. Then the visit sort-of changed gears as I was paying less attention to the furs and more attention to the pictures on the walls and columns in the store. There were pictures of celebrities galore. I remember seeing ZsaZsa Gabor, a baseball celeb...Maybe Mickey Mantle but not sure, and I believe Mike Ditka from football fame...there were several others, but I just can't remember names...but this gentleman made/sold furs to most of them.

I had a 3 hr drive to assist at and attend a concert, so I didn't stay very long...but as I was leaving and wishing him well, he pulled out a mink tail attached to a key chain and told me to give it to my wife. I didn't have the heart to tell him I didn't have one, so I guess I'll have to save it for her when I meet her. I'm going to try to visit him again over the holidays and perhaps take him a little holiday cheer to show appreciation.

 

Merry Christmas/Happy Furry Holidays everyone!

 

T

[Worker 11811]

2-3 sales clerks ganged up on me to make me feel ignorant, uncomfortable, and unwelcome.

 

Next time some bastard pulls that crap on you take your credit card out of your wallet, pretend like it's a bird flying away and wave it in the air as you walk out of the store.

 

"My money and I bid you farewell!" you say as the door closes behind you.

 

If you have a wad of bills in your wallet, the effect is a little more dramatic!

[White Fox]

Actually....

 

I have used a line myself somewhat different. And it actually works.

 

Just say "Ok. Please understand one thing. High pressure sales do NOT work on me. Indeed they turn me off instantly. If you wish me to buy something do not do this. If you continue I will be quickly leaving your store!"

 

I have indeed had it work. However, it is so inbred with so many sales people that they just not know how to sell not using it. It is a pity, as it is very possible to Not use it.

 

Sad!

 

W

[ticklefur1]

Worker the clerks that were nasty to me were all women...That fur salon was moved to another dep't store of the same chain at a different nearby location. I stumbled in there one day and the girl there was very cute and quite friendly...I guess it was more of an individual thing...but it really did make me ill when 1) I made complaints to both the dept store and the furrier chain that rents space from the store and I rec'd no apologies and 2) I had bought a jacket from a different location and therefore the fact that I was a previous customer had no bearing on the way those witches treated me.

 

Now the stand alone furrier in town...they are pretty decent and I took advantage of a couple steals there a few months back...I still need to get those pics taken and posted somehow.

 

T

[Worker 11811]

Last year I had a run-in with some people at F.A.O. Schwarz.

 

Every year since I got married there has been a Teddy Bear from FAO under our Christmas tree. Last year, I called the store to order our Christmas Bear and they were out of the one I wanted. I tried to order an alternate Bear and all I got was static and run-around!

 

I was pissed off!

 

I wrote a letter to the G.M. of the store and C.C.'d a copy to the corporate office. I sent them both Certified mail with Return Receipt Request so that the addressee would be forced to sign for the letters.

 

I named names and listed times and dates. I enclosed a picture of our Bear Den (I kid you not! 1,000 Teddy Bears live here!) and I said, "Our Bears will be very sad this year because there won't be a new friend from FAO Schwarz under their tree this Christmas!"

 

I closed off by saying that, if this treatment continues, we will be buying our Bears from The Toy Shoppe in the future. Then I listed the Bear I bought from the Toy Shoppe instead of the one from FAO.

 

Signed, sealed and delivered! It got there in three days.

When you send a letter via Certified Mail you get a tracking number to verify delivery via internet.)

 

About a week later, a Bear showed up on our doorstep! Gratis!

So, he was a little late but we did end up getting our Christmas Bear from FAO!

 

So, complaining DOES get results but you've got to be able to back up your story and you can't sound like somebody who is just whining. If you do tell the store that you aren't going to do business with them anymore you'd better be able to put your money where your mouth is.

 

Prologue to this story: I bought my FAO Christmas Bear this year but this was the ONLY Bear from FAO that I bought. Our other Bears came from other places. My wedding anniversary is coming up just after the New Year and I've already got the Anniversary Bear... He came from The Toy Shoppe!

[fox4me]

I recently had a good/bad fur experience. I brought a fox collared mink coat to a large furrier to have it altered. The salesman didn't hear a word I said. He imediately tried to sell me a big boxy beaver, then a $7K mink coat. I was very disapointed and left. Several weeks later I gave my coat another shot. I went to a small local furrier I had used a few years ago. Not only did he remember me, I was treated like royalty. My coat was expertly altered. I just bought another and will be seeing him shortly. I'm sold on small fur salons. You can keep the big guys.

[furrycocoon]

I actually wanted this subject as a small list for friendly furriers.When I go to a particular city on business or pleasure,I'd like to be able to think "I'll go to such and such furriers because such and such said the owner was very friendly or he lets you try on coats".So come on,how many of you have never been in furriers because of shyness etc.

[Guest]

Washington, DC: Places not to miss:

 

Rosendorf / Evans Furs (Tysons and Montgomery)

The Furs at Neiman Marcus

Millers Furs (in Chevy Chase and Tysons)

Fur Salon at Saks Fifth Avenue (Tysons)

Maximillian Fur Salon at Bloomingdales

 

Rosendorf / Evans and Neimans are best. Loads of furs, with as much attention as you could want--if you want them to leave you alone, just ask, and they will. Very friendly.

 

Places that are so-so:

Macy*s The Fur Vault in Pentagon City (lovely help, but not great selection)

 

Baltimore, MD: The BEST of the BEST

Michael Miller Furs: this guy is amazing. Not the best selection--most are reversibles, but he is so cool. The best furrier I have ever met. He will let you crawl all over his store and touch as many garments as you want. He will let you try anything on. He will shoot the breeze with you for hours if you let him. He will make you feel as if trying on fur coats is the most perfectly ordinary event for you. Small shop, great guy, and some nice coats.

[ticklefur1]

That's funny...when I was in DC area back in the summer I wandered into Rosendorf/Evans and into the Bloomingdales salon while in Tyson's Mall. My eyes lit up so big when I walked from a dept store out into the mall and there was this spectacular fur salon right there in the mall...gorgeous things in there in a variety of styles, types, and garment/accessory varieties....there was a plucked mink jacket I think it was that was to die for. Being without a female companion right now really stinks...lol

 

T

[Worker 11811]

Saks Fifth Avenue in the Beachwood Mall (Outskirts of Cleveland, OH.) has quite a bit of fur in the Accessories department on the first floor. They mostly have fur hats, scarves and other things like that but you'll occasionally see shawls and similar.

 

The Fur Salon is on the second floor, in the back. Their sales people are nice and helpful and they don't push. The manager's name is Christine. She's a nice lady and she seems quite knowledgeable. She even let me take a couple of digital pictures of fur coats my wife was looking at so we could refer to them when we got home.

 

The styles were nice and they have a decent selection but they don't have a lot of the more exotic furs like lynx, etc. You'll find more of your minks, foxes and sables. They'll always have one or two chinchillas just for luck. I'm sure they keep some of the more expensive furs in the back and only bring them out when necessary. (The salon is small. They need the room.)

 

The only down side is that you have to pay Saks Fifth Avenue prices!

[Earendil]

Hola.

 

I would like to recommend Oliverfurs for the readers of this thread. My experience with them is just electronical and overseas, but I do know they have a large shop in Canada. When I bought my hooded white fox from them last year, Olivier himself was one of the key-ingredients of the success of my purchase. Constant e-mail-updates and coordinations via telephone ensured the creation of the coat to my exact desires. No comments or questions asked regarding female-style, or the huge hood and collar.

 

This company will go very far to meet your demands, whatever they might be.

 

On a sidenote, I would also like to recommend Mailonfurs, who is a member on this same site, which most of you already know. I have not purchased anything from Kostas, but knowing him, and having read most of his posts in here, I can tell you that this is probably the furrier you can feel the most comfortable with, regardless of what items you would want created. In fact, I wouldn't even have trouble with asking him to create erotic fur-articles, and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind creating them. I seem to remember that he has even asked what we like in that category. This is all based on the fact that he knows and understands us, and our "little" kink for furs.

 

 

I hope this helps anyone who are looking for "the little extra" in their upcoming purchases.

 

Regards,

E

 

Linkage: Oliver Furs Wholesale -!- Oliver Furs Ebay Store -!- Mailon Furs -!- Mailon Furs Ebay Store

[Guest]

I recall your super Fox coat E

 

 

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