Furriers in North Carolina?

[MrMockle]

All,

 

An online contact not familiar with the fur scene has asked me if I know any furriers in North Carolina, specifically in or near Asheville? Can anyone recommend anywhere she should go to browse and buy furs?

 

(Mods: please forgive me and move this elsewhere if necessary).

 

Regards,

Mr Mockle

[Worker 11811]

Asheville, NC is where I got married... 6 years ago. Today!

The ceremony was on Biltmore Estate, as a matter of fact.

 

I assume you're touring Biltmore?

Nice place! You'll love it!

Stay at the Inn on Biltmore Estate. Tell them I sent you. They'll kick you out at the mention of my name!

 

The only furrier officially listed for Asheville is:

Kriegsman Furs & Outerwear

(Click the link.)

 

Don't know much about the fur scene in Asheville in the present day. We probably won't return there until our 10th anniversary.

 

In Biltmore's heyday, there would have been plenty of furs. Asheville is mountain country. It is in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The weather gets fairly cold and it does snow there often. There may not be more than an inch or so on the ground at any given time but it snows there every so often. At least a couple times per year, on average.

 

Strangely enough, you don't think of the Southern US as being "Fur Country" but you will see a few.

Affluent folks will have furs, no matter what the climate. Besides, summers may be hot but people don't have much tolerance for cold. I knew several people who kept a fur in their closet "Just in Case they needed it." Consider that people down South often consider temperatures below 40º F (5º C.) to be "Freezing" whereas us winter-hardy Yankees think 40º is "Just a Bit Chilly."

 

If you are in Asheville, consider taking a drive over to Winston Salem. It's just about an hour's drive East on US-40. That's another affluent area. Home of RJR Reynold's Tobacco.

Stop in at the Moravian Village at Old Salem. Tell them I said, "Hi!" (Second thought... Don't mention my name! Might get you thrown in the stockade! )

 

Another 50-70 miles East of Winston Salem is Raliegh Durham. Another affluent area. Home of Duke University and Duke Medical Center.

 

About 90 minute's drive South of Greensboro, NC (Half way between Winston Salem and Raliegh Durham) is Charlotte, NC. Home of Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Just a few miles North of Charlotte is a large shopping mall complex known as "Concord Mills."

Don't know if there will be any furs there but it's worth a look, even if only for the shopping experience.

 

Yes, I know I just sent you on a 250 mile side trip but in North Carolina that trip IS drivable in one day. The interstate highways have just been rebuilt in the last 5 years. The roads are smooth and straight. Average highway speeds are 75 MHP when the weather is clear and traffic is good.

 

You can EASILY drive from Asheville to Winston Salem, do some shopping and sightseeing and still have time to drive up to Pilot Mountan, approx 50 miles North of Winston Salem.

 

If you make it to Winston Salem, DO NOT mention my name! They're probably still looking for me!

[MrMockle]

Worker,

 

Small world indeed! Thanks for this info and happy Anniversary too! Sadly I doubt I will be visiting there for a while if at all but it sounds quite lovely. I did find Kreigsman's link on Google, recognising the company website style and remembering that I have seen some commercials for them from a couple of years back. I hope my friend finds her way there and enjoys her first fur shopping experience!

 

Regards,

Mr Mockle

[ew19975]

Using the local yellow pages for Charlotte, NC; there are a couple 'stand-alone' fur retailers here plus a couple more (by observation) that are in a couple department stores- Macy's and Nordstrom's IIRC). All are located in or around South Park Mall here (one of the more supposedly affluent areas here).

 

Generally don't see many furs in the areas that I frequent, but there is the occasional one that pops up here and there when the weather gets cold. I have more chance of seeing an occasional fur if I have to meet an inbound flight coming from farther north before the passengers get off.

 

Eric

[ticklefur1]

dittos for everything Worker suggested....especially the part about visiting Old Salem...it is definitely the gem within that city and very near where I grew up..and being Moravian myself I'm a little biased...if you make it to Old Salem, about a mile from there downtown is the Winston Salem Marriott...and inside on the ground level adjacent to the Starbucks is Anastasia Furs....A very nice gentleman from Kastoria is the proprietor and has several celeb customer photos posted all over the store.

Kriegsman's also has a store in W-S and the parent location is in Greensboro(not sure if there are multiple family members involved or not). Some of the Belk department stores have fur salons in them (Henig furs, Birmingham AL is the parent company) but they all are more of a volume dealer and sell whatever they have on their racks. If anyone males it closer to Raleigh-Durham or even the W-S/Greensboro area (where all my family is) please look me up...

 

Tickle