NAFA vs. Fur Harvesters auction ..

[H380]

So which auction do most of you send hides to? After checking prices of recent sales looks like maybe I sent my coyotes to the wrong one , FHA. The top lot prices are sure a long way apart between the two on their last 2 sales . I'm hoping the Mar. sale at FHA will be a lot higher than Jan .

[Brian Bildson]

Last year i sent 50 marten to FHA and 50 to Nafa. I've been a Nafa guy since the 70's but thought I should give FHA some business because I respected the work of Jim Gibb so much. Bottom line I averaged just under a dollar more per marten at Nafa. So really its a roll of the dice. I hope we can support both agencies as its a bonus to have them.

[H380]

Thanx for the reply Brian , I've sent most to NAFA but decided to try FHA, guess time will tell .The guy that skins for me sends to NAFA and so we should get a good comparison as both sets of hides are almost identical .

[KI-UTE]

Marten is the one thing FHA seems to do okay on, probably due to the fact that they can't be farmed and there are limited marten produced in the world and they are highly sought after. Beaver and rats they may hold their own on, but they are market followers only.

But if you send coyotes to FHA you are going to take a bath on them 19 times out of 20. I kid you not. As well anything else, except artic wolves and polar bears.

FHA does not put together a large enough collection to attract the numbers of buyers that Nafa does, and so less competition for your fur. Then they have sub-standard facilitites and are located out in the sticks. You have to really want to buy fur badly or like bargain hunting to shop there!

My opinion is FHA is not good for much! Stay far away!

[jim summit]

Mine went to NAFA, they have more bidders and seems like they do more promoting of fur. See how the may sale does.

Anyone wanna take a guess as to how long these better prices will be around?

[Brian Bildson]

FHA I believe has exclusive marketing rights to northern furs like from the NWT so they have created a niche. We're better off supporting two auction houses so I support sending them fur as well. But I lean towards NAFA as well.

[braggadoe]

My alberta fur goes to Brian finlayson. He gave me my first job, when i was a kid. brushing beavers,counting, bundling pelts and skinning animals he bought whole out on the road. i sure enjoyed hanging out at his HBC shop in Grande Prairie when i was a kid. best job i ever had!. Continue to ship to him to this day.

my line is in B.C, so all the fur from there goes to Wayne sharp.
both nafa guys.

[wolfcrazy]

I have sent all my stuff to NAFA and the last sale was great but I have some other furs I'll spilt between the two for their next sales. FH seems to do more teaching and educating trappers. Their mag I think is better and I like the pelt handling book they have for free.

[Brian Bildson]

Braggadoe if you worked for Brian F you must know the value of a dollar! I've known Brian since the 70's and even sold him the odd pelt. He's the last of the Bay-men and real friend of the trapper.