FUR FACTS 233 



color make the fur more valuable. In other words, dark, deep, rich 

 brown mink is more valuable than the yellowish, lusterless, faded 

 looking mink. These are two extremes, but serve to emphasize the 

 point of what is meant by color. 



Another important element that enters into the value of pelts 

 of course is the size. The difference in the value of two furs being 

 equal in color and quality would be the size. The one having the largest 

 number of square inches of fur would of course be the more valuable. 

 Therefore, to repeat, in judging the value of pelts, there are three 

 important things to bear in mind. First the quality of the fur, the 

 thickness and silkiness; second the gloss and shade of color; third 

 the size and condition of the pelt and the color of the flesh side of the 

 pelt. Funsten Bros. & Co. quote prices on the different grades and 

 kind of raw furs according to their standard grades, which are #1 

 extra large, #1 large, #1 medium, #1 small, #2 large, #2, #3 and #4. 



Grading and valuing furs is a good deal like valuing and judging 

 diamonds or pearls. A man, to be an expert, must have years of 

 experience and not everyone handling or buying furs becomes an 

 expert. The writer believes, however, that these suggestions will 

 be of value to the man or boy possessed with what is called "fur 

 sense." When you stop to consider that it takes a man with "fur 

 sense'* working in furs every day and handling thousands of pelts, 

 about five years to become a qualified fur grader; you can readily 

 understand that it is not possible to become an expert in furs by 

 merely trapping or handling a few skins each season, but the man who 

 has this experience and will read carefully and follow the suggestions 

 in this article will find that his ability to judge the value of raw furs 

 will be aided materially. 



A Number One Prime Skin 



Any pelt to grade number one prime must be prime pelted; that 

 is, the flesh side of the pelt must be a healthy reddish white, clean 

 color. The fur must be full, the under-fur well developed, and the 

 guard hair not rubbed off. In addition to this, the skin should be 

 stretched properly. 



Now it would be graded an extra large number one, large number 

 one, medium number one, or small number one, according to the 

 size. Right here we would like to call attention to this fact, that the 

 size of a number one extra large skin in one section often differs from 

 that of another section. For instance, the size of a number one large 

 mink from the state of Maine would be about the same size as a 



