The first fur-sale of 2014 was held yesterday in Ontario and some of the early results are in.
Mark Downey of Fur Harvesters Auction House says a handful of items were offered to usher in the new year.
Prices generally increased from the same time last year.
21,000 beaver pelts were offered and 90% of them sold, the average price was $35.66 American, an increase of a couple of dollars.
40,000 muskrat pelts also sold at an average price of $10.
Downey says Russia and China didn’t buy as strongly this time around but it could be due to their winters — which haven’t been as cold as ours:
“You need enough snow for certain trappers on trap-lines to get into their trap-lines but where you really need the cold weather is in the buying nations of Russia and China, and this year cold weather was really late to come.”
He adds sales of items like coats are down in both countries.
Timber Wolves checked in at $300 an average price with the Arctic Fox listed at $52.
1000 pelts were offered but just 150 sold at an average of $55 a pelt.