Auction competition heats up

SANDY PARKER REPORT, VOL. 34, ISSUE 8, APRIL 5, 2010
The following extract is reproduced with permission from Sandy Parker Reports, Weekly International Fur News. Sandy Parker has been covering the fur industry for more than four decades. For most of that time he has published a weekly newsletter, detailing results of international pelt auctions, wholesale price trends, business developments and movements in the trade, as well as economic and political activities that may impact on it.

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International Fur News
with Sandy Parker

Auction competition heats up

WITH ALL THE MAIN COMPETITORS BACK IN THE GAME, the auctions once again are more than a one-horse race, as was demonstrated at the recent Finnish sale. The renewed competition virtually assures prices at the upcoming sales next week in Copenhagen and the final sales in Seattle and Toronto next month will see prices at least firm to recent levels.

At the windup of the Finnish sale, strong demand for bluefox cleared the entire offering at prices averaging 25% over December levels. That effectively ended the long depressed period for the item, which began when China started to produce it in volume, but flooded its market with an inferior product. Many Chinese farmers failed, largely for lack of experience, but the plunge in prices also caused Finnish farmers to slash their production and to put a good part of their existing crops into cold storage.

IN THIS ISSUE
Fur Trade Unfazed by Economy
Skins Enjoy Broad Demand
Auction Competition Heats Up
Consumer Confidence Rises…
…but Prospects Still Clouded

For extracts from back issues of Sandy Parker Reports see News Archive. Subscribers can access an archive of complete issues at www.sandyparker.com.