I too wish there was a buyer for pelts nearby here. Back in the 80's, a man came thru every couple weeks from late November thru the end of February. He was from Oregon, and he would buy them frozen for 10-15.00, but they had to have good hair on them or no deal. That meant we had to harvest the ones up on the hills or better yet, in the Sierras where it gets real cold at night.
Our 35 degree nights for a few weeks on the San Joaquin Valley floor are just not cold enough to produce the good coats that the market wants.
Back then, however, the market was so high, they would accept some that were of lower grade. But not now. They want the prime pelts, and are willing to pay.
Also, the tannery in Ceres California, does a great job, BUT like Steven D says, the turnaround time is 10 months to a year, and costs 30.00, to get a finished product that MAY be worth $45-55.00, next year.
Japans economy is good again, and when it is, they pay big $$ for fur. Note their stock index, the NIKKEI is entering its 5th year of a bull run. The strongest and highest ever.
http://money.cnn.com/2006/12/28/news/international/nikkei.reut/index.htm
