Is it worth it?

[kellogg]

I have started putting up coons to ship this year. Is it worth my time to put up the smaller goods or am I just plugging some low grade coons into the system?
These are coons that are running 27-29". They will be on wood.

[trappnman]

All I can tell you is what local buyers are doing- and thats that small, flat, poor coon, are worthless to them.

I personally don't feel it matters how many low grade coons are at auction- if they don;t want 100, does it really matter is 1000 are offered?

quality to a degree trumps size- so smaller coon athat have good fur and color, would be, i'd guess, worth putitng up and shipping.

but is small and poor quality- I'm betting they either sit for a while, or don't sell.

but having said that, if you got them skun already, might as well put them up and see what happens.

FWIW

[mtcbrlatrap]

Putting them up and shipping them will change your guessing into answers. My average on the poorer coons over the last 5 years of shipping is about $3.50-$4.50 which is some gas. That is typically about 3-5 out of 5 in that range. Did have a 50 cent coon one time. Last year I averaged $18.86 after commissions with out of 93 coons with 5 in there below the $4.50 price.
I had an xl late caught 2-3 color coon last year that brought $18.00! That is a no value coon at most local buyer locations.

Bryce
Bryce

[captaine]

I would put them up and ship them. You will get somthing for them someday. I ha some carry over from the Feb sale and they all sold later.

[TurTLe]

A 27-29" coon is an xl. I figured up my average on xl coon over the last 8 years of shipping to NAFA. My average on xl coon is $10.54. That is with a High of $31, and a low of $1.50.


So for me it is well worth it to put them up.

[kellogg]

Thanks for the responses I will see how they do.

[coyotewhisperer]

Ship them you will be surprised at how well they do contrary to what a country buyer tells you. Thank God Brian Roberts and Jim Verdier and bill1306 helped me get started finishing fur. I quickly found out KS buyers work on a 150% profit margin.

[coyotewhisperer]

turtle what is your overall average on coon?

[TurTLe]

My average on coon over the last 8 years is $18.28 after commission, with every coon including damage, small sizes and junk. If it has stripes on the tail I put it up and ship it.

May not seem like a great average to some people, but I'd never average that selling local, and we don't have the luxury of having Weibke, or Groenwold here in Kansas.

[blackhammer]

Minimum unless there pure trash from the local buyer here would probably be five bucks.You really get payed for put up.It's the weak area in my fur marketing strategy I just don't get enough fur put up.I'm working on changing that,hard to teach an old dog new tricks.lol . If you have the time, put them up.At least you will figure out if it's what you should be doing.

[trappnman]

I've had experience with bad country buyers- I don't sell to them anymore.

but we are lucky enough, to have as stated good local buyers in this area- since so many of you don't have any, and are constantly getting screwed- seems like an opportunity here to make some money by becoming a furbuyer. and I'm not being sarcastic- I'm being serious- if the difference between YOUR local sales and auctions is 100% ,200% as seems to be or whatever- then BUY that fur at a fair local price, and send it to auction.

blackhammer- if you are getting $5 for small flat coon, you haven't gotton many small ones this year. Or, you got averaged.

When a fur buyer I've never, EVER had no sale anything, no saled 2 coon for me- I know its not a gimmack and it reflects reality.

here was original question-

Is it worth my time to put up the smaller goods or am I just plugging some low grade coons into the system?


and my answer was doesn't matter how many low grade ones go into system- this year, its going to be QUALITY that sells.

what did Groeny sell in Kopenhagen? 19% of the coon he offered?

might be many reasons for this- but the bottom line is still- 19% of his coon offered, sold.

A common sense reason, might be that coon aren't the most desired (and yes, I know this was a ranch fur auction) and buyers are being selective.

[blackhammer]

That's what I've been seeing on put ups.Not personally my coon.I don't catch small ones.lol These coon were more small than flat.I would say if there's some fur there put them up.I think this fur market might be getting better than many thought.Unfortunately I've sold a lot of fur.But still got a decent amount.It's nice to pay some bills and see some cash rather than waiting and wondering till March.

[trappnman]

yes, agree-

I skin all my coon, and why not put them up if thats how you market the others.

[mtcbrlatrap]

I have thought about say taking 2K or 3 K and buying low quality and smaller pelts. I thought about setting up near the routes that come through but then one is feeding off others work and that is not who I want to be. If you set up a time and shop then one has to be there and that cuts into many other life happenings.
Actually if one has the freezers, stretchers and equipment it is the time that is even more costly than the investment in funds to me.
One could double your money and with the time commitments one still would not make additional money for cash flow.
It may work better if one was doing custom fur handling and was spending a lot of time in the fur shed anyway.

Bryce

[Iowa Badger]

not a bad idea if you have the market.

Like low quality hogs near packing plants and damaged corn.

[ColdSteel]

Its a shame some of you boys can't find a meat market on coon th ey sale good around here and we have small coon a big coon in my parts is 15lb plus and the meat still brings from 5 to 8 bucks lots of people are even getting into the muskrat meat at 2 to 3 bucks each