Will Fur Prices Rise Again? Fur is a commodity and with commodities prices rise and fall. However fur seems to either be feast or famine. This has happened for years and I assume fur will follow this same market trend for the foreseeable future. If I look in my crystal ball I see big volumes of fur in the near future not being in demand. For example, if Canada Goose didn't market the coyote parka like it did and catch a break with a celeb wearing a jacket, coyotes would of been at the same levels as they always have been. I am not saying that won't happen again but with the anti-fur movement and such, I suspect it will be difficult to bring fur into prominence again like that unless this world completely does a 180 and accepts fur and finds the anti's crazy.
The better quality northern skins will be most likely the easiest to market. Those better quality skins will be worth the most money and if you are not in those areas I suspect prices will not be the best. Even though China and Russia are major consumers of fur, the political climate, trade issues and the war currently is not in our favor. Eventually everything will calm down but who knows when and what it will be like after. The country complains about relying on China for everything and why not buy US made. Well maybe this is the time to start doing what everyone is preaching about.
I trap, buy fur and sew fur items to sell like hats, mitts, and blankets, so I see all sorts of people in the fur industry from the trappers/hunters looking to make a quick buck, the landowners allowing me to trap and hunt, and the end user that orders a fur hat for Christmas. The one common thing between everyone is nobody wears fur anymore. During the winter to and from work, running to the gas station, outside playing with the kids, I am always wearing fur. In my area since I have started buying fur and making hats for the last several years I have noticed the acceptance of fur and I do not get the strange looks anymore. It has become common for people to see me wearing my hat uptown at the hardware store or walking into work with my coyote hat on a 30 below morning. I find it odd that for the most part fur trappers or hunters do not wear fur. It would be like a beef cattle farmer not eating steak or hamburger, a wheat farmer not eating bread, or a barley farmer that doesn't enjoy a beer now and then.
I know I am probably preaching to the choir for most of you. But if everyone feels as strong about the fur industry on this forum as I think you do, why not wear fur and wear it proudly. Maybe a grass roots movement that starts out locally and grows regionally will be what it takes in certain parts of the US to accept fur. Maybe more people like me will start making fur hats, blankets and such because people start to inquire about that nice fur hat you wear or see the nice fur blanket you posted on instagram or facebook. These are just my thoughts and something I feel very strongly about. The fur industry is in a downward spiral and it has been for some time, will it ever come back? We all hope it comes back, but in the meantime I will continue to wear and promote fur when I can. Keeping the fur industry relevant seems like a monumental task since us trappers are basically in the 1% club. But we can't quit promoting and wearing fur. If we stop doing that, the industry will go away!!