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The Kitchen Table

old fur coats

13 years ago

I have accumulated 3 fur coats. Two ae quite old, a mink bubble jacket, and a mink & leather 3/4 length coat. Also a regular full length newer coat. I really have no use for them, but dont know what to dowith them? There is no one to give them to. Any suggestions?

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Comments (10)

lydia1959
13 years ago
Donate to a wildlife rehabilitator.

Here is a link that might be useful: Donate fur coats
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
13 years ago
What a great idea, Lydia. If there is a theatre group in your community (high school, college, or community), fur coats would be a much appreciated addition to the wardrobe and costume department.
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How would I sell fur coats?
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Comments (33)
No, I still have not sold them. I got sidetracked. But a friend now has a booth in an antique mall, and has offered to place my squirrel coat there as kind of a test. We saw some furs at a different antique mall, all priced $200 and up (like, raccoon at $200, mink at $600). But I have no idea if that seller actually succeeds in selling them. But if it fails to sell quickly in my friend's booth, I will have to take it back. I am pricing it at $ 80 because though warm and well made, the style is not that attractive. The minks I will have to get much more for. Those are much nicer coats. I do appreciate all the input. I think if this does not work, online will be the way to go. I just don't want to get returns if someone buys it and then decides it does not suit her.
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Uses for old fur coat?
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Comments (27)
Sue I inherited a lovely mink swing coat with the same problems as your coat. If the pelts are strong, so the fur is basically good (you can tell by brushing your hand over it to se eif there are any hard spots) it's easy for a furrier to remake it. My swing coat was cut down to deemphasise the swing, and the sleeves, which had fur inside of them as well because of their huge openings, were unfolded, steamed and then cuffs were made of the extra fur from the body and the sleves are now nice puffy sleeves on a fitted coat. You'd never now it was a Jackie O era coat :)
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If you inherited a fur coat. . .
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Comments (105)
You seem to know what you want to do with the fur coat. As long as you're comfortable with how you're using it, that is all it matters. As for myself, I feel creepy wearing real fur. I'm not comfortable wearing one at all. However, I am fine wearing certain type of leather such as cow or sheep leather. At an earlier post, someone posted that's all in the food chain. I disagree, we eat beef, pork, chicken, lamb, etc. but we normally don't eat beaver, chinchilla, etc.. So, if it's snake skin, leopard leather, etc.., those too I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing it. That's just me though.
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Comments (33)
Hi 3cats... just to offer friendly feedback on a point you made (I'm not arguing/lecturing and don't care what you do :) You seem to feel that because you are ok to wear leather that there would then be no reason to reject fur. There is a big difference which is why most people who wouldn't be caught dead in a fur will still wear leather. Yes, while it would be ideal to be leather free too, leather is a byproduct of the meat industry. No animal is suffering in order to provide you with a pretty coat, unless you are wearing exotics. That is unfortunately not true for most animals with pretty skin. If you care about animals or the message you are sending, perhaps you will want to consider a coat made of something that is also being raised for food.. then you can be as warm as you'd like but not sacrifice your values (if you didn't say you were sensitive to the issue, I wouldn't have bothered pointing this out). On the pricing issue.... my mother has a nice old mink that no one in the family has been willing to wear for at least 20 years. My sister brought it by a furrier last week and was offered $750 for it. They will obviously be selling it for more. So, I guess the prices do vary quite a bit. Cyn427, Thanks for that info. I didn't know it was possible to get down humanely if it wasn't eider down. I'll have to look into that because I try to make humane choices when it's an option. I have an eiderdown comforter and it's the most wonderful thing, albeit not inexpensive. On that note, 3Katz, if you want something warmer and lighter than fur, an eiderdown coat would be superior in every way. It may not fit into your budget though. There is no fur coat that could compare.
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marilyn_c
13 years ago
Yes...that was what I was going to say...same as Lydia. I use pieces of old fur....it is very comforting to orphaned baby animals. And it seems like a kind way to honor the animal that originally gave it's life for some woman's vanity.
glenda_al
13 years ago
I sold my mink jacket, many years ago.

Didn't think THEN about what Lydia suggested.

Like that idea.
bigack
13 years ago
There was a place in our area that used to make teddy bears from old fur coats! Thought that was cool.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
13 years ago
A friend of mine took hers and had them made into a throw for the bed. It was beautiful and she was able to continue to admire and use it. I have a few furs and minks that I have not used in ages, I have thought of doing that with some of those. I am going to hand down some to the granddaughters if they want them especially the ones that have been in the family.

The animals idea is one I had never heard of, but I always used fake furs for my puppies when they are newly away from the mommy.
So sounds great.
Marilyn Sue
13 years ago
My daughter, Terri used to use them to make teddy bears. She sold a lot of them on eBay and at bear shows.

Sue
jenson13
Original Author
13 years ago
Glenda..................how did u sell your mink? Ad in the paper? To someone u knew?
jannie
13 years ago
My Mom had a -gasp!- leopard skin coat. She was very petite, none of us daughters could ever wear it. Then again, I love animals and would not want to be seen in a fur. I'll have to ask my brother what has become of it. she passed away in 2011 and Little Bro is handling the estate.
glenda_al
13 years ago
Sold mine thru the newspaper.

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