Ivi INTRODUCTION. 



Sales. 



The great fur sales in London are now held at the 

 College Hill Sale Eooms. Previously to 1890, they 

 were held in the Commercial Sale Eooms, Mincing 

 Lane. They are of great importance compared to those 

 of former times, and the annual amount of all classes of 

 fur-skins sold is little short of i* 1,000,000. 



The Hudson's Bay Company used to hold their sales 

 in their warehouse in Fenchurch Street, and later in 

 Mincing Lane ; and other sales were held in coffee- 

 houses, such as Garraway's and Simpson's. The goods 

 were sold by the light of the candle. 



Sales are held four times a year : in January, chiefly 

 for Beaver and Musk-rat ; in March, for furs generally ; 

 also smaller sales in June or end of May and in 

 October. 



The sales are attended by buyers from nearly all parts 

 of the world, and the Germans are conspicuous by their 

 numbers. The room is sometimes full almost to over- 

 flowing, whilst at other times the articles offered for 

 sale attract comparatively few. 



The bids are silent, by movement of the head, and 

 the celerity with which the sale proceeds is most 

 astonishing, a fresh lot being brought up the instant 

 that one is sold. 



The fluctuations are somewhat considerable, an 

 advance of 60 per cent., or a fall of 40 per cent., in 

 these days of steamers and railways, being not in- 

 frequent. 



