top of page
Writer's pictureRalph Scherder

Fur Prices then and Now



I have this framed and hanging on the wall at camp. Last week I was looking at it and it dawned on me...this price list is 100 years old. A century! These were the fur prices offered by Simon Summerfield & Co. based out of St. Louis, MO, in 1920.


Back then, even an "ordinary" extra large raccoon skin was fetching $11-14. For the sake of comparison, factoring in inflation, $10 in 1920 had approximately the same buying power as $130 today. Getting $100 for a fisher back then was like receiving $1,300 today!


Also interesting...look at the bottom row of furs in the small boxes. House cat: $1.00. Wild cat (feral cat): $3.00. This was before laws came about that required garment manufacturers to label which fur was actually used in each product -- I believe this was around World War II, but not completely sure. But I do know this is also why skunk fur was so valuable and in demand back then. Once people knew the coats were made from skunk pelts, the price of skunk declined.



53 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page