Remembering old fur buyers

Was just reminiscing old times spent at the country fur buyers. The 1st buyer a can remember by name that I sold to was Larry Shoover in Chelsea IA , Richard Reagon,Walt Boyd and of course Mr Grant in the rat wagon, maybe Bernie B can remember some of these north IA boys , oh yah there's the Gorly boys Rusty and Chris's I believe, selling fur in the old church basement in Ventura IA. Don't know if Bernie remembers me but I met him at that church fur house when they had some freezers go out and some local trappers helped finish some fur.
Rich

Here in the interior we had H E Goldberg buyers in the 70’s. Then Ron Long and Dean Wilson started.

Dean Wilson was responsible for many young trappers getting their start with his encouragement and fair practices. His shop was the place to meet many of Alaskan bush trappers. I truly miss my time with Dean!

Here in the middle of Lower Michigan we've had a lot of fur buyers over the years.

Where I'm from, a man known as Perry Steele bought fur for so many years most don't remember when he didn't. He was a 6 foot plus 300 pound man.
A couple of guys came up from Saginaw once when Perry was i good shape to steal from him. A mistake to say the least.
Years later when Perry and wife were a lot older a repeat this time and the two of them were beaten up. Some money was taken.

Back in the 1960s when I was a young trapper I sold my first furs to Ezra Vincent from Chippewa Falls Wisconsin. He worked with my grandfather at the old Gillette Tire Company. I also sold to Leon FYE from Lake Hallie. Another fellow from Earl Wisconsin bought a lot of fox from me back in the '70s. I also sold some Furs to Lance Squires who is also a T-man member. His dad who has passed was probably at the time the best under ice Beaver trapper in the state.

Back in 1980 sold fur to “one eyed” Al Gordon. With just one eye he could still grade very well. lol Was really nice to young kids.

Sold my fur thru most of the 1960's to Larry Plante of Culvers Lake, NJ. He was the first president of the NJTA. Great guy who like so many others now traps in the sky. After he passed his wife asked me to sell his traps and related stuff. I kept a homemade trapping hook he had and have used it trapping snappers since 2008.

Sold to a buyer in Gilbertsville, named White always called Skunky White, was an amazing place for a kid to watch and see all the things that mattered to me.

I sold most of my fur to "Dutch".

How bout Hollis Perrin then Don Perrin. In Corning Iowa, good people there.

Great to hear about these old buyers and there stories, many of them trapped and most were willing to help with advise an old buyer in IA showed me the correct way to skin a rat and in no time I was skinning rats in 30 to 40 seconds. Ceep em coming guys realy enjoy reading about these men and you're experiences.

Sold my fur to man when I was a young teen to a man in Eden, NY. Can't remember his name. He was more than fair with his prices to me and my buddy. We stood in line and you could watch and listen to him grade and buy fur with the people ahead of us. After a month or so of bringing in fur every 2 or 3 days in the round he sent us around back to his fur shed where 3 guys were skinning and fleshing. He told them to teach us how to skin and flesh. Went to that fur shed a few times and was hooked. I wish I could thank that man for what he did for two curious trapping kids. Because of him I try to pass it down to others and teach put up and proper handling of fur.

I believe I sold to them once, don't remember there names. I remember them fleshing rats In a ringer and giant burlap bags full of rats and fur out Coons that were snared and sewn.

nate.
I looked up corning, I'm pretty sure that was the place. The buyer had mentioned heading down to Shenandoah to trap. I olso sold some fur to a buyer in MO. I think the town was leon. He was an old man who said he just dabbled in buying.

Before I went to AK, I wrote to Dean and asked what I should bring for trapping equipment. He wrote me a nice letter explaining what he thought I should bring. During trapping season when I lived in North Pole, my wife and I would go to Fairbanks to go shopping. Well, she went shopping and dropped me of at the Klondike Motel where I visited with Dean. Dean bought fur out of a motel room there. Dad came up for a visit in 89 and we went to Copper Center to dip salmon from the Copper River. On the way we stopped at Dean's and had a nice visit. He was a good man, and I miss talking with him.

Same here, started selling to him in the '70's at his barn. Bought and sold with him ever since and really miss him.

It was in the 80’s and I dropped by to visit Dean one afternoon. He was handling lynx pelts. As we talked Dean said he is loosing money on the pelts. He went on to say that he is paying too much. Well Dean you should stop then I replied. Dean came back with, but those guys out there trapping hard and are counting on me. We need you here next year my reply. He stopped buying and thanked me several times.

Dean first of all was a Trapper. He did a lot for the Trapping community. He was selfless. I considered him a friend and best of all after riding along on my line and breaking the mystery of wolves 2 days after his ride along I caught my first wolf after a bunch of years trying.

I don't remember the year. It was in the 1990s (maybe spring 1993?). Loaded up the airplane with beaver plews. Drove to Fairbanks. Rented a car and drove from the airport to the Klondike. Dean and Ada always a joy to deal with. Beaver prices had plummeted, and I was ready for the poor prices. Dean looked through my 70 pelts and gave me an offer. I was more than happy. Took the little scrap from Dean over to Ada (she wrote the checks). She was not happy, as she thought he paid way too much. Dean told her to write the check, then he told me they were the best-handled beaver he'd seen that year. I was one proud puppy. Many times, even when I didn't have fur, I would stop into the Klondike just to sit and chew the fat with Dean Wilson. What a fine gentleman!

Sold my first furs to Ned Stark in Eldred, Pa. Always sold it green when I was young but he always went out of his way to make a kid feel like it was the best fur he ever saw. Then he would kindly give you some hints on how to get more next time.

I sold my first muskrats back in the early 60s to George Mace of West Brooklyn ,IL. Then to Grant Groenewold. He had a daytime stop during the week at a gentlemans residence. I would leave my skins there on Wednesday night and pick up my check after school the next day. Always treated me well.

Back in the late 70s and 80s...in Georgia:

Plott Fur Company..Griffin, GA
Luther Overstreet..Tifton, GA
Hoke Arnold...Argyle, GA
RM Horne..Glenwood, GA (if I remember correctly)

There were at least a couple more...I can't remember the names.

Oh, and Jerry Lee...Alma, GA (late 90s and 2000s)

I sure miss those days......

One of the best I ever knew was when I lived in Oh. His name was Lester Fitzgerald. I believe he was inducted into the OSTA hall of fame.
He taught me how to properly skin, flesh, and stretch fur. That was over 50 years ago.
I owe him a lot

Although he wasn’t the local fur buyer,,, I remember selling lots of fur to Ed Bauer in smithboro, Illinois. I can still remember how looked and smelled,,, I sure do miss it

Locally I sold to Lincoln Barbour. You had to count on being there at least an hour, because he loved to talk trapping and fur. If you got there around lunch time, he insisted on taking you to a local restaurant to have lunch with him. I saw him at the NCTA convention this year. He's getting frail, but still the great gentleman I remember. He quit buying fur a few years ago. In the day, he was huge in buying fur. I always enjoyed visiting him and E.J., Lincolns brother who worked in the fur house. Both men treated me well over the years.

When I was living in Maryland in the late 80's, I took over a hundred foxes and various other furs home to Ohio. Dad took me to Paullette fur company in Carrolton, OH. He treated me well too. It was the most I had gotten for my fur up to the time.

All these stories, an end to an era?

Yes those were the days. Thought they would never end!

I used to sell and work with Frank Kostecki in Ohio , he used to tell some interesting stories.
I remember him telling me about a trapper he bought fur from ,that trapped out west a lot.
J.C. Connors , he used to stop at Franks fur house and Frank would go the JC's house.
Frank sold to NY in the early days then sold to FH.
He taught me a lot about putting up fur.
He told me about some interesting adventures on the trapline and explained a few sets.
He was a good friend, went elk humting with him in Colorado .

Learned a lot in those fur house gatherings.
That was the good old days.

Wow some great memories there. Tracy Gourley was a good friend as was Rich Regan (Except Rich beat me when we were both running for President of the Iowa Trapper's Assn LOL.) Sold a few to Larry Shuever in the early 80's before he killed himself. He was not in Chelsea, he was in Goodell I think. I Sold a LOT of fur to Lavonne Tostenson of Kensett from the early 1970's through the mid 1980's when he retired. It was always an event for me and my high school buddies to drive over there and sell our stuff and dream about buying traps by the dozen rather than singles.

Trying to think of the guy in Britt that had a good run buying fur. Sold quite a bit of stuff to him since he was only 15 minutes away from home.

Izzy’s barber shop and river city bait and tackle and hinnets fur shed.Dicks sport shop that Wiebke later bought.

Goldberg rented a banquet room in a motel here in Moses Lake. Most of my fur went to Pacific Hide and Fur in Spokane. Roger Schearer was the buyer and a real gentleman to do business with.

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Gary Schroeder or Lars Eidnes at Moscow Hide and Fur (later, Lars at Eidnes Fur in St Maries, Id.). They were both volume buyers in the 1970s, and responsible for many hundreds of thousands of pelts going to the furriers. Both of them treated me good through the years, and taught me a lot about the worldwide fur market. Schroeder is still buying fur today. Unfortunately, Lars has passed on.

Jack

I believe my Dad and I sold to Gary Schroeder in the 60s or 70s in the UP when he was buying for Hudson Bay. Might have the wrong name but I think it was him.

Ya my mistake about Larry he was the first buyer I sold to after I moved to Ventura 79 I believe. I sold alot to Richard when it was convenient to dump at the end of the day. I lost track of those Guys when I moved out west. I moved to our family farm in KS then to AZ for a couple of years fighting fire the back to KS for a spell. Then on to WY in 94 been hear since. Heard you had goon to AK for the Hall O Bit or something like that.

I also sold to Sterling Fur in Ohio on a couple of occasions when I would go home on leave. Humphrey would usually be in the back processing fur, and it was always fun visiting with them.

I also sold to Ohio River Fur Co in Ohio.

Wow some great memories there. Tracy Gourley was a good friend as was Rich Regan (Except Rich beat me when we were both running for President of the Iowa Trapper's Assn LOL.) Sold a few to Larry Shuever in the early 80's before he killed himself. He was not in Chelsea, he was in Goodell I think. I Sold a LOT of fur to Lavonne Tostenson of Kensett from the early 1970's through the mid 1980's when he retired. It was always an event for me and my high school buddies to drive over there and sell our stuff and dream about buying traps by the dozen rather than singles.

Trying to think of the guy in Britt that had a good run buying fur. Sold quite a bit of stuff to him since he was only 15 minutes away from home. [/quote]
Ya my mistake about Larry he was the first buyer I sold to after I moved to Ventura 79 I believe. I sold alot to Richard when it was convenient to dump at the end of the day. I lost track of those Guys when I moved out west. I moved to our family farm in KS then to AZ for a couple of years fighting fire the back to KS for a spell. Then on to WY in 94 been hear since. Heard you had goon to AK for the Hall O Bit or something like that.[/quote]

Sounds like you're someone I would probably know. I fished salmon in Alaska (Purse seine) in the summer, trapped in the fall and winter. Some of the hardest working, but best, days of my life. Oh to be young again.

Randy Jernigan of Grand Blanc,Michigan,Bud Stewart of Fenton Mich.,and Maynard ? of the Clare,Farwell area.Randy was a young guy who worked a day job and bought fur at night.A fun guy to sell to and shoot the trapping breeze with.Bud and Maynard were both old timers in the trade,and fair.Buds shop was always a hot bed of activity during November when muskrat season opened,he was called the 'rat man and for good reason,I'd love to see the total number of rats that man bought thru the years.He was also big into hand carving fishing lures which today bring good money in the vintage lure market.I never knew Maynards last name,but he was,to me,the classic northern fur buyer.His operation wasn't as big as Buds,but he bought alot of beaver ,something that was scarce in southern Michigan at that time.His fur shed looked like what you'd envision a buyers place would look like,wood stove and all.His place wasn't as hectic as Buds so he had a little more time to talk to a couple of teen age trappers like ourselves.The sights and smells from those businesses are something you never forget,and most likely gone for good.Glad I got to experience it.

Work for Richard for 9 years, sold to Bob Mohle in Sheffield, Ludy Sheda in Chelsea, Bill and Harvey, Phil Huffman in little cedar bought for a while.......

Evans Steel and Wool, Zimple Fur, Sundrud Hide&Fur, Schlaben Hide, Koep family, Runnigen Furs. Good Northern Minnesota buyers back in the day.

As far as I know Runnigen is The last Man standing.

The good old days.

Bill Henry in eastern Ohio.early 70’s then Lester Fitzgerald.
I remember taking a load of red fox to bill and it was when the interest ( price) was ticking up, probably ‘76 he was so excited because he had an order for reds and not enough we’re coming in and my pile made his order. About a week later he called and said he could really use some more, and did I have any. I had a few and if he would hold the price for a couple of weeks I would get another collection together and we made the deal. After Bill passed I sold to Lester until he retired from buying. Lester taught how to skin and put up coon for maximum money.

Clarence wells in Lawrence ks.
Carl ditch in Leavenworth ks
Boals and barrow in Denison ks.

Any in this area ever sell to Louis Bell? I did from the time I was seven and older. He was buying out of Harveyville Ks, but ran routes all around the area. Was a big rosy cheeked Irishman that loved to help youngsters. I sold to Louie till after I got home from Nam, but the best story I have about him was when I brought a big box of rat pelts in when I was in the service before I left for nam. Was stationed in Colorado, and had a few beaver and those rats. First thing he said, after the howdy do’s, was where did you get all those Co mushrats? I couldn’t contain myself and said, how do you know that those rats came fromCo? He grinned and said, he!! boy, anyone can see that they’re all the same size, that’s the way they are in Colorado! I miss that old boy, he was a good one, and sure nuff got me off on the right foot!

Sold to Ed Bauer a few times too in the following years. He was a dandy too!

Bernie you may not remember me the only time I remember meeting you was at the Gourleys in Ventura the night there freezers had gone down. I believe it was you me Lance Thou and Tracy there . My name is Rich kriegh . I distinctly remember a story you had told about a deer chasing dog a rag and a dog house. I'll leave it at that, I can tell you Mr bud hall spoke highly of you when we visited . He was impressed with your ability to trap coon. I know I saw more than a few coon toggled to a heard wood stake by a cable, but alot more spins lol .

eedup
I think I sold to Richard between 85 to about 92 maybe. When did you work for him. The last time I remember being there I ran in to Tracy Gourley he was telling me about a mink set called the know nothing set. I think it was a Hall set, Richard had asked me if I had figured out how to snair mink around the neck because so many had snair marks on the neck. I miss long lining for mink and coon in the great fur state of IA.

Gulo
I sold to Lars and Gary. Another local buyer was Stan Sweet from Bonners Ferry. I always felt they treated me well and were happy to see me when I walked in the door. Another buyer had a business in Sandpoint called the Stove Corral, his name slips my mind right now.

Ken Russell was the buyer from Sandpoint.

Irwin Goldberg, I nearly always did better selling him my beaver than I would get at auction.
I loved going to his original location on Western Ave near the waterfront of downtown Seattle; back when Seattle was a nice place.

Sold to Les Carol in Skidmore Missouri and I always liked saling to Don veirs in unionville mo.

When I was in South Dakota in the early 70's, I recall selling to Mardians up around Pierre. I also sold to a man in Belle Fourche.

When I started trapping in the late 70s early 80s, i knew nothing other than the fact that I wanted to trap. Things were a lot different then. There were many great trappers, but every one was closed mouthed when it came to advice. I had a local buyer named Harvey Cole in Northome MN. I would bring in the few furs that I accidentally caught, and he would buy them for prices that I couldn't imagine! He would also show me how to treat them better, and give me tidbits of advice on traps and trapping. I still remember the first fisher that I caught paying more than my week's wages. I would always buy more traps from him and still have extra money to give my children something special for Christmas. Without Harvey, I doubt that I would have stuck with it and ended up where I am today.
Thanks Harvey!

Louis Paisly out of Sherril Iowa was my hero. Anyone here remember him ? Had a trap collection on the walls of his fur shed was amazing. Ginseng roots hanging from the rafters, Burned coon fat in the stove and while he scraped and stretched fur. Always had a cold beer or us teenagers. Bought our first rats coon after teaching us how to put them up.

I grew up and went on to be a fur buyer myself for awhile, flying into villages buying fur in the dead of winter, and selling tanned fur and supplies, attending auctions are some of the best memories I have in the old noggen.

When I was in HS I sent the few furs I would catch along with the two fox bounty trappers that took their fur to LaCrosse. This was 1964-66. I started trapping again in 1980 and took my furs to the huge WTA sales in Cleveland WI. These were 2-day sales with over 100 lots per day and all day affairs. Usually 20 or more buyers were there bidding and many carried their beer or drinks with them as they sorted, graded and bid. They all had helpers the WTA provided but many had assistants that would bring them lunch or drinks. Many were in pretty tough shape by mid afernoon. Semi loads of fur and yes some loud exchanges at times as well. I can't remember the total numbers of all the fur but the piles were huge.

Bryce

Dean, unless I missed it, you're the only one here to mention Ludy, I'm kinda surprised by that. He was a character few people who ever met him would forget.

We've sold fur to Joe Mattey and Dean Wilson. Both were helpful, and we usually got more than we expected. I had the distinct pleasure of tagging along with my friend Jimmy on his trap line one March, and Dean Wilson came along too. I ran a 7-dog team, Jimmy and Dean were on snow machines. They hoped local wolves would smell my team and run our trail. Dean gave me lots of compliments on my team, and at night in the cabin, he told us lots of dog stories. He was such a positive person to be around. He was especially fond of my big leader Andy. I treasure those memories, and I miss visiting with Dean.

Old, Grand Groenwald bought a lot of furs around here too. I started out at maybe 12 selling to Gene Davis in Barnes City. I guess that would of been 40 years ago now. Jim Smith in Toledo bought a lot of my stuff back in the day too.

The first guy I ever sold to had the last name of Ryan and was in Troy, Ohio. He paid very very poorly. I talked to a friend who coon hunted and he recommended a buyer whose last.name was Long, who was just outside of Troy. Long paid much better. Twice when I was selling to Long, Ryan came in to sell to him and I learned he was just buying cheap, driving a few miles and selling what he bought for 2 to 3 times the money.

Later on, I sold to Lester Ison in Greene County.

Keith

Used to be several around back during the fur boom. S E Iowa Messler, west Burlington, Mershmans St Paul Louie Season Fort Madison. There were several traveling buyers then as well.

Nobody mentioned Ludy Sheda - Iowa and a guy 1st name Ray (forgot his last name) from Shenandoah Iowa,,,,,,, or Willy Stevens - Michigan (when I sold him my coons in '77 he claimed he bought 40,000 coon in 1977-78 fur season). And a fellow still in the fur game selling supplies Keith Winkler of Sterling Fur and Tool - Ohio. Marvin Mallow - Ohio (I think). Sold or bought from these guys a Longggggggg time ago........................................... the mike

I remember Ludy Sheda! He used to be auctioneer at NFH conventions. Quite the character. Sold me a pile of old coyote boards plus some used Montgomery 2s and always made me feel like I just got the deal of a lifetime.

Some buyers I’ve sold to around here since about 1980s…

Roger B. At Crete, NE Turkey Creek Furs
Dennis V. At Pickrell, NE Blue Vally Fur
Allen Papp at Nebr City Papp Furs
Burr Furs at Adams, NE
And sold some coon one year to Petska Fur at Ord, NE

These days I sell to…
Kevin J. (Grizz) At Palmyra, NE Jones Fur Buying

Ken Conley, Shell, Smith and Warren Crum in NY and PA buyers, Fowler, Mott, Doney, Schaefer, Bridlestein

As a teenager and up until the fur market crash in 1987 there where many options when it came to selling fur to local buyers .They where the backbone of the industry I can't remember all of them but there was probably a dozen or so that lived within 15 to 20 miles of my house When the 1987 market crash hit the local buyers closed up They where buying fur with their own money and there was almost no money to be made .During that time because I did not know about the NAFA and FHA fur auction houses I did almost no trapping . Those old timer fur buyers where another part of rural America

Wish my memory was better I don't remember the story.

Bud Hall was a great guy and one of the best mink trappers ever. He refused to give me mink trapping instructions because we trapped some of the same area. He wouldn't even discuss his favorite set. He always told me that when he was too old to trap, he would take me out and show me everything. But of course he trapped until he died. My articles put a lot of money in his pocket because he did a lot of instructions due to the publicity I gave him. He was always grateful for that.

When he died, his wife sent me a handwritten lure formula he had made about 50 years before. I framed it and sent it to the NTA to be auctioned as a fundraiser. Never heard a word from the NTA, not a thank you or anything. Somebody probably pocketed it rather than put it on the auction or something.

Ludy was a hoot, still have some #2 long springs I got from him used , and a knife. I didn't see any mention of North IA Fur, I think the name was Drulos maybe.

You can’t have a thread about fur buyers without mentioning Tom Wiebke He passed about two years ago Even in his late seventies he was driving all over the west buying coyotes when that market was hot . Bought literally hundreds of thousands of our Midwest coon and was one of the the premier fur buyers in North America Always willing to talk about the fur business and markets when you asked He loved the business Today is the first day of water trapping here in southeast Minnesota and I’ll set some traps But if we continue to basically have no market soon there won’t be any fur buyers Sad when you think about it.

In West Michigan we had Jack and Steve Vanhoose in Greenville. What I would give to be able to walk into that place one more time. Jack was a great story teller and had seen some country. He raised silver fox outback and you could smell them as soon as you got out of the truck. It was a very busy place during the fur boom. It was a paradise to this little kid. We also had Dewitt in Grand Rapids. Sold a lot of coon to Phil Welty from Indiana. Not positive on the name. He owned a place called Gunners Tradeing post. He loved our coon and always paid us well. That place was cool as heck too ! Great thread !!

Earl Cain from Plainview, MN. I remember my step dad and I selling to him the last time in the 80's, my eyes were WIDE open after a very long and heated interaction that ended with grab that box we are going!
Lol

I did, I remember you as I was working there then. I also mentioned bill and Harvey who were north Iowa

I grew up in N E Kansas and as a young trapper I had 3 buyers close by. Dan Barrows, Lee Hinkle, and Dick Archer were good to us kids I always thought.

Lee, do you remember who the guy was that would stop by Big Dan's dad's place outside of Gypsum? That was years ago, but he taught me a lot about the fur industry as a whole.

Yes Rich I remember you, I was working for Regan then, skinning and scraping and milking cows for myself also. Dean Hoffman was another buyer. Another life ago....Dean

Jim Messler another

russ cumberland a looong time ago in medford mn.i still visit his place to buy a few things from his sons jeremy an jayden,as far as selling i shipped to nafa the last time i sold fur for money,so as you know i havent sold any fur for a while,there was a guy from madison lake that my mom took me to even before that,but i cant remember his name,but i gotta tell you that guy bought my fur,even though it wasnt put up right and showed me things to make it better,he was a real nice guy.now its pretty much adc

wayne funk state center iowa was as nice as there was bought fur supply dealer and depot for north america

Back in 73 I skinned muskrats for 10 cents a rat for Roscoe Nare south of Wooster Ohio, dad also sold his coon to him.

I don't remember his name or even where he lived for sure. Thinking maybe it was the Middleport/Medina area in NY. I was NOT a very good trapper but finally had a season where I had enough fur to bother selling. I wasn't old enough to drive yet so had to talk my Dad into driving me out there. When we got there it was dark out, and he came out from inside and graded my very poorly handled fur in the driveway. I don't know if he gave me a good price or not but he was the only buyer I knew of and at the time I wouldn't even have knew what a fair price was, lol.

But my eyes had zeroed in on a pile of unskinned animals laying by a shed. There was 20 or so coon, and TWELVE red fox. I'd been struggling to catch any fox and think I had only one in my collection. I finally got up my nerve and pointed to the pile and asked had be bought all that fur? He laughed a little and said that that was his days catch! My eyes really bugged out then! I asked him how in the world he'd caught so many foxes and he told me that all that fur in the pile had been caught by setting 220s in trails, mostly where they went under fences. My mind was blown.

At that time I wasn't able to set 220s, didn't know the rope trick, and never even heard of trap setters. The internet hadn't been invented yet, lol. But after that I started setting a LOT more 1.5 coil springs in trails, and my catch of coon, and yes, even fox, went up significantly.

Second on Izzy's and Dick Shultz in La Crosse. Growing up on Brice Prairie there were more than enough 'rats for everyone. Literally.

Dad used to get his haircut at Izzy's. When he did he'd take whatever 'rats I had and sell 'em at the same time.

Selling fur to Dick Shultz was always a treat for the eyes. My most vivid image from the 60s selling fur to him was the mountain of carcass 'rats and the "old guys" sitting around on 5-gallon buckets skinning them. These fellas would be skinning 'rats on their laps and carcasses would go to another pile and fur to a smaller pile nearby. And yes it is interesting that when I've taken fur to Dan there now it's been 50+ years.

Sold to Preuss in Portage awhile, and also to Don Coleman in Lone Rock. Don was a big 'coon hunter but also bought fur including 'rats I would trap off Bakken's Pond.

Off topic there was Epstein's fish market in La Crosse. My younger brother and I ran set lines in our high school days summers, 800 hooks a day, 8 lines, a hundred hooks a line. Everything ordered from Herter's. Wasn't that like Christmas when those boxes would arrive. Epstein's paid out 27 cents a pound on catfish on the hoof, 8 cents for bullhead, carp was two cents and buffalo was a nickel. Sure beat mowing lawns or working at the can in Holmen.

Good memories for sure.

Where was Messler? That name rings a bell I think I may have sold to him when I trapped in Southeast Iowa.

Messler was in West Burlington Ia. He was an agent for an auction in Canada too.

Hmmm, wouldn't have sold furs there I don't think. I think he may have been one of the directors of the ITA in the 80's when I was. I was on the Iowa board from about 82-89 or so.

As a teenager, I sold to Mr. Brown in Seven Mile. After I started driving, sold a bunch of fur to Ron at Necina Fur Co. in Jamestown. Wanted to get in to raising some fur. That's when I met Mike Morford. Sold to and worked for Mike till he moved to Missouri. Mike taught me alot. Very smart man.

Rick Hemseth and Mike Mazur been around the buying game a long time also

Guess I haven't got that far from fur handling. Started this week catching up on otters from last season.

Regan still buys some fur and his grandkids help process now.

Jimmy Watson and Roy Lewis in south Arkansas

Saw Rick at the Minnesota convention this year. Still doing what he does because he says he doesn't know anything else. Sounds about right for most of us trappers.

Looks good Dean At least otter have demand but way too cheap. Hemseth along with most of the rest of us are the last of our kind

Back in the mid 80's I got permission to trap on a very big ranch but I could only trap beaver. It was damage control. They would not let you trap coyote which is mostly what I trapped then. I did take a lot of beaver off the ranch. It was certainly a beautiful place and had it all to my self. Many thousands of acres .When it came time to sell my beaver there was a guy I think his name was Paul. He worked for Pacific Fur. He came to my neighbors to buy and pick up cans. She would buy cans and put them in like 10 foot long bags. He would show up in a big truck to load the cans and them come into my garage to look at my fur. Kinda cool private sale.

George Haupt (Thumb Fur Co.) near Sandusky, Mi. Starting going with my Dad when they had the fox club, usually about 100 a year. I starting trapping when I as 10 and I sold to George until he passed. When I was 14 I got a Remington Sportsmen 12 for Christmas. We were at George’s and he had a rifled slug barrel in his display case. I was checking it out while he was with another customer. When George had wrote my check he asked if I was interested in the barrel and I told him yes but I wasn’t going to buy it now. He said to just take it and Merry Christmas. Not many men like George was.

I have to mention Neil Hooper from Indianola Ia. Back in the 60's ran a route into SW Ia.

Thanks Paul, yeah I been tanning otter since prices went below twenty bucks. I need to get some blankets or hats made. Or Trade some tanned otter for other things.

I started trapping rats in 1967 there was afir buyer named Ford Peterson i didn't have a clew what i was doing to skin or stretch them. Ford traded me 6 rats for 6 wire stretchers and showed me how to use them after that it was $.50 ea I was in hog heaven.
Years later he was getting older and tried to get me to go to work for him

Cambridge fur,kishwaukee fur, groenwold, irv schomeyer bought out of his garage in cuba city wi, buckhorn from richland center wi to name a few from this area. this was back in the 70s and early 80s.

Dean was one of the "Best". He and I visited quite a bit when he brought his fur into Montreal to Murray Lippman.

Pete Smith was another buyer I loved to visit with. He started in the business with his dad in the late 1950's and bought a lot of fur throughout New York, PA. and up through New England. A fine gentleman there also.

I'm sure that didn't happen that way. Volunteer organizations are never great at distributing thanks for small donations, no matter how sentimental they may be.

Any New England guys remember Walter Strokie and Reggie Nettles? The first fur I sold was to a furrier in Springfield Massachusetts. He had a factory that made fur coats. He was an old Jewish guy named Max Zeller, that wore suits that appeared too big on him. My mother, God bless her, drove me down with a load of coons. I don’t think he normally bought raw fur but he really liked me. He made me an offer and I started marching out of there. When I hit the sidewalk, I heard a whistle and he flagged me back and offered me my price. Then he walked me all over his plant and seemingly introduced me to everyone. He seemed really proud of me for sticking to my guns. During the war, Polish people saved his family and he liked that my family had immigrated from Poland. He kept introducing me proudly as the “New generation Pollack.” What a great experience for me. I think I had about 20 nice coons and I remember my mom being shocked at how much money I was paid.

You may be too young to remember old Russ, Rusty's dad, a real character. I think the sons you mention are grandsons of Russ. That fellow your mom took you to in Madison Lake was Bernie Kahnke. Sold quite a few coon to him over the years. You may be too young to remember Oshman's in Mankato, or Hannible Hase out of Blue Earth?

The first piece of fur I sold was a put up coyote in 1977, I had shot gunned pheasant hunting. It was late October and I too it in to Pacific Hide and fur in Gt Falls MT. Don Judkins was the buyer and he looked it over and said " It's a little early, so all I can give you is $75." My house payment was $110 at the time. The next year I trapped muskrats and made more way more than I ever did working. I sold all my rat's to Don and started going in to the fur room helping in the spring. One day the old guy that worked there shows up and looks at me funny on the way by. I had seen him, but never met him. He was Bob Young. Don come up and introduced us and Bob ask if I liked working in the fur room. I told him I did and he said to come back next fall if I wanted a job. I went back and he ask if I would move out of state and I said yes. He took me in his office and he called Roger Schearer, in Spokane. He told Roger he was sending me over to work and that I needed $5 an hour. I worked two years in Spokane and then went back to Gt Falls and worked two years there.

In the 70's and 80's In Chippewa Falls my favorite was Ezra Vincent, near him was Muellers - not my guy for several reasons. Ezra was a straight shooter and great old gentlemen. For a few years around Cornell where I lived a Roy Schroeder as well trying to get it going. Never really took off.

Sorry about the slow response. Had to run to Cody today. I vaguely remember talk of cow milking lol, are you the guy who had a wore out all metal paring knife that you used for pelting?

Bernie do you remember when bud died, the last year I talked to him he told me he was planning on trapping one more year. I think that was 91 or 92. I moved to WY spring of 94 and never went back to IA to trap. Bud had caught 225 mink that year.

Back in the late 80's, Early 90's, We sold to Ray Scheive, He was in Richfield Springs, New York

Mark Hammer, I think his name was worked out of Princeton Mn bought most of my furs when I was a kid, also bought my first mink which is still the biggest as well as the most I ever sold one for, 40 dollars even which made for a great Christmas for me, caught it on the 23 of December and is still the best trapping memory I have

Havens sporting goods bought my first fox and beaver, they were located on coon rapids Blvd in Coon Rapids, he was also a taxidermist

Tell me a Harvey Payne story. He was a fur buyer in Northern Missouri.
I bought some big lots of fur from him a few times back in the late 70"s. I heard he was quite a character.

Paul - I have sold a mountain of fur to Dave Paulette. I live about 5 miles from his shop. He is doing well. He buys ginseng roots and is big into selling mountain man stuff - furs, beads, turtle shells, and other interesting stuff. His wife sews fur hats. His daughter and son in law are busy in the business.

Oh I remember Pete and Conti in Granville/Shushan

Rusty was Russ’s son I am assuming Jeremy and Jayden are Rusty’s sons. Russ’s Dad lived in my hometown and Russ worked for my Grampa for awhile. I would go for the old time stories and buy supplies but sold most fur to Earl Cain, I remember when Russ threw the Mesabi fur heist guys out of his place but Earl got pinched. Can’t remember Earl’s wife’s name but she got the license and they kept on buying fur.

I can still picture my first furbuyer a half century ago..well 54 yrs....a navy vet and farmer. It was just a part of his life and he was ALWAYS overly generous with kids and payed top dollars. Then at about 20 or 21 sold him many coons at 40 on carcass. I visit his remote grave still. RIP Don Shumaker!!!

Bernie do you remember when bud died, the last year I talked to him he told me he was planning on trapping one more year. I think that was 91 or 92. I moved to WY spring of 94 and never went back to IA to trap. Bud had caught 225 mink that year. [/quote]


I think he died in maybe 2010 or thereabouts.

A friend of mine took instructions from Bud and the things he taught work well for me in Ohio.




https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/legacy/obituary.aspx?n=marvin-w-hall-bud&pid=103373149

Yotetrapper, the guy you sold to in Medina was probably Don Durow. The first buyer I sold to was a guy by the name of Schicktel (sp) in Boston, NY. He was a character. You had to bring your fur into his basement, sit down, grade and talk about each pelt. He really seemed to like talking trapping with us kids. That was 57 years ago.

Yeah Rich that was me. Rada mfg inexpensive paring knife, they still make them and I still use them at times. Had new 87 white 4wd Toyota pickup also.

The first fur I sold was to George Yarborough in Peck, LA. Over the years I sold to 2 or 3 other buyers in North LA, but most went to Mr. George.

I don't believe Ray Schiedvy is dead, moved to Florida updated his stuff two weeks ago on FB

I sold most of my fur and bought a lot of supplies from "Dutch" Elsasser and Jerry Johnson.
Also sold s few hides to Jeff Davis when he was in Carlisle.

When I was in Maryland in the late 80's, I was a cooperative agent with the wildlife folks. As an agent, I took care of problem beavers. There was a limit of 15 beavers a year, unless you were one of these agents. I took a lot of beavers up to John Epler's place in PA. I remember his house was on top of a large hill. He treated me fairly, and got to know him more as a trap supply dealer in the following years.

I sold to Marvin Mallow in Clarksburg, Ohio back in the 90’s.

I sold to Paulette in the late seventies. If I remember correctly he bought fur out a shed behind his house in sandyville.

I can recall playing cribbage with Norm Goldberg in Sleetmute back in the early 1970's. The man had an amazing memory for names and faces !

I sold to Vicars at Pickrell, Burr at Adams, Roger Belohovy at Crete when he worked out of his house And long ago sold to Don Bolte at Beaver Crossing along with the Wambold Brothers and who ever had a route around here Petska and a couple others... Local fur buyers are gonna be hard to find here in Eastern Nebraska for a while

Hey Tom, I believe Ray Schiedvy to have had a fatal heart attack. Pete Smith, did he partner up with Ray. Pete Smith's son was buying fur back in the mail early 2000's in Charleston, NY. Then when muskrats were going for 10-12 bucks, he lost a lot of money when the prices dropped.

Great thread thanks for starting it.

The memories come flooding back, I don't think most people today can understand what it was like to have several options of where to sell your furs, swap stories and just hang out with other trappers during the season, all within a half hour to an hour. Great times they were.

X2, THANKS

X3, neat thread. And don't forget the extra competition on the line that was around back then, thousands more trappers afield. These new guys have no idea what 3-5 trappers under the same bridge/location was like.

Ralph Watts, north of Luverne, MN.

It is funny that you bring that up in this thread. Hard to believe but beaver were a lot more scare back then. I had a spot where I had to walk in a mile to trap a big dam and surrounding rat sloughs. A few days after I set it up I noticed that someone else had walked in about as far from the other direction and now we were both trapping the same dam. It would have been fine except that he started having empty traps and was talking around town that I was stealing beaver from his traps. The way I wanted to settle it was stupid and would have just caused more turmoil. Instead, Harvey, my fur buyer took the time to explain to him that the problem was more than likely the fact that he was staking 1.5 coils for beaver without even a drowning setup. Things settled down and no one ended up in trouble. Imagine now days walking a mile through the woods to get to a dam and still be 2 people trapping it!
Jim

Bernie , your the reason I started this thread when I heard about River and what you and your family must be going through, it brought back a flood of memories to me thinking about old times like they where yesterday. Pretty much what you just posted is what had gone through my mind. At our age you can just see how short life is and how important family and acquaintances are
Rich

Might be Ray is gone , I don't think Ray and Pete Smith ever teamed up. The last year I sold to Ray was when things fell apart he was buying for Hudson Bay, he made the coon market that year and I think he lost enough money that he quit. Last I knew he was in Florida. Here in New Mexico its gonna be a different fur market as we lost Mike Goodson who was very competitive , nothing stays the same. The auction we ran in Oneonta had buyers from Europe all up and down the East coast, I never thought the market would fall apart so fast, it was like overnight, after the crash I shipped for years, I have a check for something like thirty cents from the OTA for some fox and coon they finally sold!

In 70s sold to a few different people in NW Mo. they did not last long. Inmost of 80s sold to Mark Morris in Louisiana Mo. heck of a nice guy . Never talked till we agreed on prices. Then talked my ear off. He come up and hunt ducks on the wetland I worked on. When I got promoted to a area farther south I still sold to him. The trip was a highlight of my season. Sold to him till he gave it up. Building had old wood floors and heated the building with wood stove. Good times

Johnny Schultz in St.Marys Ohio. Spent many a day in his fur shed talking BS!

Some of my best memories were The Southern Indiana Fur Takers 7C Fur sales in the late 70's to the mid 80's as a kid and as a young man. There would be hundreds of trappers there selling fur and many fur buyers bidding on lots. I still have some receipts from back then from buyers that most have passed on. I know of a couple that are still alive. Ron Bloebaum and Don Wolf. Red fox bringing 85 bucks, rats 8 bucks , coons 40, mink 40. These sales would last all day and sometimes pretty late in the night. Fond memories I'm sure I will never see these again.

Sold my first stuff............in the early 70's and for years after........to Blaine Richardson in Elderton, PA. Then once or twice to Rod Heasley in Templeton, PA. And after that, Russ Lambing of L&S in Plumville, PA.

Long time ago...................

I sold to a fella called Red in Acme, PA. He also had a fishing bait and tackle store.

In the late 70's early 80's we would go to a guy near Dunbar. The guy, according to my friend was "miscounting" his rats he was bringing in. So we stopped going to him and would drive the extra 25 miles to ole Red. We always went ice fishing near Champion and would drop off our rats and such on the way past. When we came back thru he would have them skinned and graded. He'd pay us in fishing gear. One day we went in and told us we'd get a lot more for our furs if we had them at least skinned. He taught us how to skin, scrape and put up rats and a few other critters. Once we got good enough he asked if we wanted to skin for him. He paid us $4/hr. We would go up twice a week and skin everything he had bought during the week. One day I had a fox shot in a trap. There was still a piece of and ear laying there when I got to it, the rest the person had taken. For some reason I kept that piece of ear. I was telling Red about it. He was so mad. Two days later a fella brought in a fox that was pretty beat up. He came back to the little room we were in and asked me to show him the ear. He matched that up to the fox this guy had brought in. He walked back out and started yelling at the guy for taking fur from a kid. He told him if he ever stepped foot on his place again he'd shoot him.

A couple years later, after the crash, I was in there buying some fishing supplies. In walks this fella. Next thing I know Red stands up walks around the counter and puts his pistol in this guys face. Says to him; "I thought I told you we don't cotton to thief's around here." The guy instantly turns white as a ghost and backs out of the door. It turns out ole Red had a thing for remembering faces, even after years of not seeing someone, and recognized him as soon as he stepped out of his truck. I asked him what he would've done if the guy had denied it. He got a little smirk on his face and said; "I woulda shot him twixt the eyes then told the cops he had tried to rob me."

Some of the stories he would tell a couple 13-15 yr olds about trapping out west in the 50's and 60's were colorful. Probably something that would get a person in trouble for now.

Once I moved further north in PA I sold to Gary Sunderland. I liked Gary. He taught me a lot about catching coyotes.

pm to you

Smeal Hide & Fur in Scribner NE. Harry Smeal did The Market, best guess” in the trapper for years.

Sold to Harry in late 70s and early 80s, then later on his son Bob took over. Bob would go bowling on Wednesday night and Harry would take over and didn’t believe in the new color grade for coons. Sold a lot of coons on Wednesdays back then. LOL

The first fur I sold went to Levi Fox in Salem,Ohio . He always treated the Young trappers well. A few years later I sold to Bob Umsted over near New Albany in Mahoning County .He lived right next to my trapping partners home . He told me of some new trapping spots and my trapping partner and I caught a lot of fur in those spots to sell to him . We found out that he was selling the fur he bought to Fox in Salem ,and that he payed us the same price he sold them for to Fox . Just one of those nice guys helping out a couple of kids. When they opened the first beaver season in Ohio I met R.L.Thomas from Wadsworth ,Ohio . He was trapping with some of the other Ohio Trapper Assn. Officers on land near my line .I showed them several other places in the area that had beaver problems . I sold fur to Thomas ,and he showed me a lot of new ways to set traps for Mink and fox . I introduced him to Umstead and he bought all his fur for a lot more than Umstead had been getting . Umstead was one happy fellow .I Sold some fur to a fellow in Columbiana , Ohio ,but can't remember him name off hand .He lived on Pearl street . For some reason I remember that .For the last 40 or so years I have sold to Rick and Rodger Baringer in Berliin Center ,Ohio . Always enjoyed taking my fur up to sell, and always felt I was treated fairly .I count them as friends .I did ship to NAFTA twice . Hit it perfect the fist time and got a 15 dollar average on my rats the year the South Koreans broke the market . There will not be another price like that payed for rat in a very long time if ever . I was lucky to get in on it .71years lots of buyers. Most long gone now . Never felt cheated by any of them.

Grew up a few miles from Chelsea. Not familiar with Larry, must have been before my time. I did sell a lot of fur to Ludy Sheda.

My grandpa helped me put up the first ‘rats I caught on boards he helped me fashion from some old wood shingles. Old Ludy oohed and aaahed over how nice they were and what a great job I had done with them. Then he asked me what I stretched them on. When I told him how grandpa helped me put them up, he walked over to a pile of wire stretchers and grabbed a dozen. He handed them to me, along with 3 or 4 bottles of lure, and told me use these next time. Then he paid me for the rats- probably double what they were worth.

Over the years I witnessed Ludy doing same kinda thing with young kids several times. Always appreciated that.

That was Ludy all right.

When I first starting trapping muskrats and skunks as a kid of nine or ten (late sixties) my dad would take me to Charlie Winters near Reinholds PA. Charlie had been dad's fur buyer when he was a kid. There was an article on Charlie in FFG about a year or so ago.

As a teenager through my twenties I sold to Mountain Baumy (Baumbach) in Kutztown, PA. Two or three times a week he'd park his truck at the local beer distributor and sit on the tailgate buying whole critters and fur. He'd share a shot of whiskey a cookie with you before making any purchase.



When my youngest daughter got me back into trapping John Epler was the first buyer we went to. We took our Cable Restraint Certification classes at John's shop in Orwigsburg, PA. He always treated us fairly as well.

After John I sold for a number of years to Dave Rodgers, Rodgers Hides and Supplys in Honeybrook, PA.

Who was the big fur buyer around Gap PA?

First buyer I ever sold to was Harold Smid in Elmira, Oregon. He was paying me $3, $2, $1 for carcass nutrias. I was about 16 then and I could fill up a 20 gallon gas tank for two nutrias. I was hooked. He kept asking me where I was catching all these nutria and after I told him where he went to the landowner and asked permission to trap the same duck club. My permission was rescinded since I was just a kid.

I was pretty ticked at what I felt was a very under-handed trick so I went down there and stuck sticks in all his traps one day for revenge. LOL

Sold a lot of fur to Goldberg either directly to Irwin or his buyer Dick Stewart at the buying stations at the Holiday Inns along the I-5 corridor in Oregon.

In later years sold a fair amount of beaver to George Sovy up in the Tacoma Washington area. He always seemed to pay more at the OTC sales than at his home shop. But he was a real nice guy. I one time told him (over the phone) that I was picking huckleberries and saving my money to buy 3 dozen Belisle 330's. A week later three dozen Belisles showed up drop shipped from the factory. George just assumed I would pay him when I had the money.

When I got into trapping. I sold my fur to a John Seitz from Harrison County Indiana. I sold to him , because my brother sold to him for years. He got killed in a farming accident. Then I sold to a Jerry Murphy from Paoli , Indiana. I left trapping for awhile, then in 2001 I sold to Don Wolf until his passing, I miss Don , he was a good all around guy.

Earl Cain in Plainview bought all my fur from the 70's till the late 90's. Mauer Brothers Tavern in Elba cashed the fur checks for me.

I dealt with Thomas a few times in the early 70's , he was inbetween Seville and Wadsworth on 97 Greenwich road.
He was a fair buyer .

Zane Bryan in Prospect, Pa. I think he also had a shop in Cody, Wy.