I met with a buyer this weekend and sold this years catch. I had mixed feelings about selling then and there or going to the auction. I got about what I was hoping for.
It broke down like this:
20 coyotes @ $25.00 each
9 Red Fox @ $25.00 each
2 Coon @ $25.00 for the pair
2 Cats @ $500.00 for the pair (one was small)
Went to the auction the next day to see is I did good or took a beating. For the most part the buyer gave me above average price or top price for my pelts.
The thing that really jumped out at me was the price was drastically affected by the workmanship of how the fur was put up. If it was clean, brushed out and stretched well it brought a good price. There were several pelts that were good heavy pelts, but had minimal effort in putting them up (dirty, burs and mats) and they went cheap. It just reinforced what has been told to me all along - Presentation means a lot. Catching the critter is important and fun, but it is just the beginning if you expect to put and dollars in your pocket. I talked with the buyer some about what they like to see in put up furs and even after more than 30 years of selling coyotes for money I learned a few things that I will incorporate into how I handle the skins next year.
