Taking Fur into ATA

[HunterDave]

I'm not ready to take any fur into the ATA yet but I have 5 yotes ready to go and I've been wondering about it. I don't need the money right away or anything, but I was wondering what the procedure was.

Do you get half of the anticipated value of your fur or do you wait until after the auction to get paid for your fur?

Also, being my first time processing yotes, I messed up on a couple but I managed to save the top half of the pelt. The fur looks good and the leather has been dried properly but I don't know if they're worth anything. Do I take them in or keep them and make mitts out of them or something?

Thanks.

[wolfcrazy]

If it is your first time selling fur you'll have to open an account with one of the auction houses. Easy to do, just call ahead to see who is at the depot and if they can take your fur. If AJ or Jim are around they can help you decide if there is any valve in the damaged pelts. I'm not sure if the ATA gives advances but if you do send the fur to one of the auction houses they will send you a cheque 2 weeks after the auction with deductions for commissions and drumming. If you decide to sell your fur to NAFA I would buy a membership to cut your commissions. You can check out their website from the top headers on this web page.

[HunterDave]

Thanks wolfcrazy. I don't need an advance, I'll just go with the flow. I'll check out the NAFA site to start with. I may join the ATA as well to help keep up to date with what's going on. Are there any perks for ATA members that you know of offhand. I'll check their site as well. Thanks again.

[braggadoe]

many reasons to join the ATA. one of the perks, is the magazine. in a recent issue there's an article basically about crappy fur/fur handling.

not from the article, but selling crappy fur affects all wild fur sellers(especially/even more in a down market). upwards of 15-20% of wild fur comes back from the dressers useless, do too poor handling/poor fur. that the fur graders miss.

less than near perfect pelts, should be kept off the market and used for your own projects.

[bullgetter]

You must have an ATA membership to ship fur from the store in Westlock.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by bullgetter

You must have an ATA membership to ship fur from the store in Westlock.

Well, I'll be joining for sure then. I'd rather deal with the folks at the ATA than joe blow at Halfords. I'm hoping to get meaningful feedback on what to do/not to do when I take my fur in. I think that I stand a better chance of getting that at the ATA.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by braggadoe

less than near perfect pelts, should be kept off the market and used for your own projects.

I'm not sure that I understand this brag. Isn't there a market for less than perfect pelts and that's why they grade them the way that they do. I've got 6 dogs hanging and I don't think that any of them are near perfect. Between primeness, sewn bullet holes, etc they all have some sort of flaw. They gotta be worth something though.

I'm going to depend on the fella at the ATA to tell me what I have because I really don't know. If he tells me that there's no market for anything that I bring to him then I'm going to take it at face value.