China buying up skins

[elbas3175]

I visited a furrier in London today, and the lady there mentioned that China has basically hoovered up all the skins at auction this year. Has anyone else heard this?

 

What's the significance of this?

 

I presume this means that prices for anyone else who needs skins, as they'll have to buy them off the Chinese auction winners.

 

Has anyone bought any fur garments from China yet? I have seen a couple of sellers on ebay but have stayed away so far. They are known for mistreating animals before using them for fur. If they have also bought up all the skins at auction, how can you know what sort of quality you are buying from them, unless you have built up a relationship of trust with a seller?

[mr.beaverlamb]

Which furrier in London was that?

[AKcoyote]

The Chinese have for several years been buying all the top quality pelts at the North American auctions leaving N. American furriers with far fewer and lower quality pelts.

[FrBrGr]

Has anyone bought any fur garments from China yet? I have seen a couple of sellers on ebay but have stayed away so far.

There's no way in hell I would buy anything from a Chinese seller. Period. Everything I've ever seen that was made in China has been inferior. . I'm sure their fur garments and accessories would be no different.

[Guest]

I'm with Fr on this one

 

OFF

[samurman]

According to the Finnish Fur Auction Reports (www.ffs.fi), main buyers in the latest auctions were "Hong Kong / China, Turkey and Russia."

 

However, Chinese buying up furs do not necessarily mean less furs are left for North American furriers, because I believe many furriers have already shifted production to China. So, just like when you buy an iphone, it says "Designed in California, Assembled in China", when you buy a mink coat from a reputed furrier in NYC, its label might read "Designed at the heart of the fur district in NYC, Finished in China".

[AKcoyote]

There are very very few manufacturing furriers left in NYC or anywhere else in the USA. There are also few in Canada. But most furs available in the US are designed and made in China. Most wholesale furriers and some retail furriers attend the trade shows in Hong Kong and order their fur garments there.

 

I know for a fact that there are fewer pelts available to N. American furriers. Also the prices are steadily rising and the quality is dropping.

[mailonfurs]

Every time I visit a fur auction I see more and more chinese there. Indeed they cover the whole auction room and uy like crazy, spending millions and millions.

However that does not mean that there are no pelts left for other furriers. Its an auction, we just have to match (and raise a little) the already high prices of our chinese competitors to get the pelts we need for the season.

 

The only bad thing about china buying all this mink is that they increase the prices on pelts and thus on new coats.

[elbas3175]

Mr Beaverlamb, it was Furs of Mayfair, on South Molton Street, by Bond Street tube station.

 

The price of blue fox seems to have gone up a lot. It's very frustrating!

[mr.beaverlamb]

Mr Beaverlamb, it was Furs of Mayfair, on South Molton Street, by Bond Street tube station.

Thanks, elbas

[ReFur]

If I were the Chinese and I had to decide between US Treasury bonds and pelts, it wouldn't have to think long. Pelts are a short term commodity. 1-3 years in a storage vault is nothing.

[elbas3175]

Linda, are you giving financial advice now?

[ReFur]

...opps. Forgot I retired as a stockbroker 20 years ago.

[trebor]

USAFOXX is still manufacturing furs.

 

I had a Red Fox made by him and was satisfied.

 

FurBob

[grouchomg]

There's no way in hell I would buy anything from a Chinese seller. Period. Everything I've ever seen that was made in China has been inferior. . I'm sure their fur garments and accessories would be no different.[/color][/size][/b]

 

I could not agree more. Please buy your furs from reputable furriers who pay a fair price to pelt providers and pay their artisans well.

[White Fox]

Actually there are some very high quality items manufactured in China. VERY! But they are smart enough to know that we in North America are to greedy to buy them. So, we never see them here.

 

As for fur, there are probably some high quality coats there. But I am like others. Would shy away from them because photos are just not reliable enough to show quality so often.

 

W