tractor
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 4, 2011 15:19:30 GMT -5
Posts: 3,489
|
Fur Coats
Mar 20, 2014 19:33:14 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by tractor on Mar 20, 2014 19:33:14 GMT -5
Please don't turn this into a PETA thread, I don't really want to start a debate about what's right or wrong in your opinion.
My mom has two mink coats, one long and one short. I know they were very expensive when she purchased them. She moved south about three years ago and left them at a consignment fur shop in the north country. They haven't sold and is now trying to figure out what to do with them. Anybody know if there is much of a market for such things anymore? My brother suggested that I start wearing them, but Tractor in a full length mink coat might not be what most of the world wants to see.
|
|
mollyanna58
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 5, 2011 13:20:45 GMT -5
Posts: 6,720
|
Post by mollyanna58 on Mar 20, 2014 19:37:38 GMT -5
It's funny; I was just talking to someone today who is trying to find someone who wants her late aunt's furs. She offered them to various family members, and no one wants them.
I suggested she had the full length mink cut down and made into a dog bed . However, these furs are at least 25 years old. Eventually furs can lose their value as the pelts age.
Maybe Mrs. Tractor would like them? Furs are very warm and cozy on a cold winter's day.
|
|
tractor
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 4, 2011 15:19:30 GMT -5
Posts: 3,489
|
Fur Coats
Mar 20, 2014 19:59:07 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by tractor on Mar 20, 2014 19:59:07 GMT -5
Molly, I'm sure this is a common problem. Mrs Tractor will wear a sweatshirt on an 80 degree day, so I figured she would be interested. However, she thought they would be a bit much to wear to school. You did give me an idea I might look into, I wonder if I can have them made into a mink blanket. I know she'd use that! We live in a log house, so it would fit right in with our decorating.
Time to do some checking.
|
|
cronewitch
Junior Associate
I identify as a post-menopausal childless cat lady and I vote.
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 21:44:20 GMT -5
Posts: 5,979
|
Post by cronewitch on Mar 20, 2014 19:59:22 GMT -5
I think you should sell or donate them as stage or movie props. Nobody wears mink but in the 20's you would have seen them so maybe to make period movies they could use them.
|
|
whoami
Well-Known Member
Joined: Jan 8, 2011 12:43:49 GMT -5
Posts: 1,292
|
Post by whoami on Mar 20, 2014 20:01:12 GMT -5
Id donate them to a homeless shelter or something.
I wouldn't be caught dead wearing fur. I don't care how much they cost.
|
|
busymom
Distinguished Associate
Why is the rum always gone? Oh...that's why.
Joined: Dec 25, 2010 21:09:36 GMT -5
Posts: 29,235
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"https://cdn.nickpic.host/images/IPauJ5.jpg","color":""}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 0D317F
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0D317F
|
Post by busymom on Mar 20, 2014 20:03:33 GMT -5
I was going to say the same as Molly. Women in the north didn't only use to wear them because they were fashionable, but they're very warm on a cold winter day. My Aunt had one, & LOVED it. Ask Mrs. Tractor if she'd wear them...
|
|
Bonny
Junior Associate
Joined: Nov 17, 2013 10:54:37 GMT -5
Posts: 7,459
Location: No Place Like Home!
|
Post by Bonny on Mar 20, 2014 20:03:41 GMT -5
Lower the price at the consignment store or donate them to get a possible tax write-off. You know that it's un PC to have fur coats so you'll be hard pressed to get them sold for a good price despite the fact those animals would be dead due to natural causes by now.
In contrast, was a little startling to me when we moved to Germany how many of the older German women were still wearing fur. During the winter some of the ice cream shops would turn into temporary fur consignment stores.
|
|
zibazinski
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 16:12:50 GMT -5
Posts: 47,912
|
Post by zibazinski on Mar 20, 2014 20:06:35 GMT -5
You can have them remade into other clothes. I inherited a fur coat and a stole from my mom. I need to get them done.
|
|
Blonde Granny
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 15, 2013 8:27:13 GMT -5
Posts: 6,919
Today's Mood: Alone in the world
Location: Wandering Aimlessly
Mini-Profile Name Color: 28e619
Mini-Profile Text Color: 3a9900
|
Post by Blonde Granny on Mar 20, 2014 20:09:56 GMT -5
I had mine cut up and turned into a teddy bear.
|
|
milee
Senior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2012 13:20:00 GMT -5
Posts: 12,344
|
Post by milee on Mar 20, 2014 20:25:32 GMT -5
In contrast, was a little startling to me when we moved to Germany how many of the older German women were still wearing fur. During the winter some of the ice cream shops would turn into temporary fur consignment stores.
Believe it or not, fur isn't uncommon in our area of Florida in the winter, either. Less so than when I was growing up, but you still see a number of furs at certain churches, the theatre, the opera, the symphony and some of the upscale clubs/restaurants. Mostly older women as you mentioned. Although luckily I haven't seen any of those really creepy old fashioned ones with the taxidermied heads still attached lately.
The mink blankie sounds like a great idea. Very soft and warm.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 9, 2024 0:33:40 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2014 20:31:16 GMT -5
|
|
ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ
Community Leader
♡ ♡ BᏋՆᎥᏋᏉᏋ ♡ ♡
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 16:12:51 GMT -5
Posts: 43,130
Location: Inside POM's Head
Favorite Drink: Chilled White Zin
|
Post by ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ on Mar 20, 2014 20:34:26 GMT -5
Don't hate on me, but I have a full length long-haired Labrador beaver coat that I got from DH as a gift over 25 yrs ago. Trust me, in the cold Canadian winters, it was WARM to wear when temps dipped into the mid minus 20°C here.
I still have it, and put it into cold storage at the furrier during summer to protect it from degenerating. It still looks like brand-new - and keeps me snuggly warm on really nasty frigid Canadian winter days.
(And I'm not ashamed to wear it either).
Most of our shoes, handbags, leather jackets/pants, and gloves etc. come from animal skin. We eat animals as well.
(Should we all turn into vegetarians so as not to offend PITA?)
|
|
quince
Senior Member
Joined: Sept 23, 2011 17:51:12 GMT -5
Posts: 2,699
|
Post by quince on Mar 20, 2014 20:51:31 GMT -5
I like the blanket idea- sounds smushy and cuddly and WARM.
|
|
cronewitch
Junior Associate
I identify as a post-menopausal childless cat lady and I vote.
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 21:44:20 GMT -5
Posts: 5,979
|
Post by cronewitch on Mar 20, 2014 20:52:01 GMT -5
Don't hate on me, but I have a full length long-haired Labrador beaver coat that I got from DH as a gift over 25 yrs ago. Trust me, in the cold Canadian winters, it was WARM to wear when temps dipped into the mid minus 20°C here.
I still have it, and put it into cold storage at the furrier during summer to protect it from degenerating. It still looks like brand-new - and keeps me snuggly warm on really nasty frigid Canadian winter days.
(And I'm not ashamed to wear it either).
Most of our shoes, handbags, leather jackets/pants, and gloves etc. come from animal skin. We eat animals as well.
(Should we all turn into vegetarians so as not to offend PITA?)
This wasn't a fur debate, I am ok with some furs including ranch raised mink. I have a coyote collar on my down parka. I think other furs should be left on wildlife like big cats. Raising animals like minks or rabbits in cages then killing them for meat or furs is no worse than raising hogs, chickens and steers.
|
|
mollyanna58
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 5, 2011 13:20:45 GMT -5
Posts: 6,720
|
Post by mollyanna58 on Mar 20, 2014 20:59:32 GMT -5
Most of our shoes, handbags, leather jackets/pants, and gloves etc. come from animal skin. We eat animals as well.
(Should we all turn into vegetarians so as not to offend PITA?)
I think the difference is that many of the animals whose skin is used for leather were first slaughtered for the meat. Using the skin means using as much of the animal as possible.
Minks and other fur-bearing animals are bred, raised, and killed solely for their fur.
Fur coats used for warmth in cold climates makes a lot more sense to me than furs worn in FL and other warm areas.
|
|
MarleyKeezy78
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 22, 2011 13:20:34 GMT -5
Posts: 3,226
Location: Sittin in the mitten
|
Post by MarleyKeezy78 on Mar 20, 2014 21:55:57 GMT -5
I have no problem with furs as long as they are a animal we eat Although I do understand the older minks and other furs so nothing there either. We have quite a few wool rugs (some with the skins on the back) Maybe you could have them made into throw pillows along with the blanket. As much as I don't like animals to suffer, I also think the less unnatural stuff that goes into the the better.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 9, 2024 0:33:40 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2014 22:45:53 GMT -5
I like the idea of giving them to homeless people.
|
|
KaraBoo
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 17:14:51 GMT -5
Posts: 3,076
|
Post by KaraBoo on Mar 20, 2014 22:54:16 GMT -5
What about having teddy bears made for all of her (your mom's) grandkids/great-grandkids (if there are any)? That way, they have something special from their grandma?
|
|
marvholly
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 11:45:21 GMT -5
Posts: 6,540
|
Post by marvholly on Mar 21, 2014 5:43:31 GMT -5
I have a mink jacket my Mom got in 1967 that my DDs INSISTED I keep when she passed in 2004. I have NEVER worn it.
I have a fox jacket late DH boiught me in 1987. Wore it a lot early on. Have worn it 2x in the past 3+ years. Last time was about a month ago when I took a frien out for a bday dinner & it was VERY cold in metro Chicago.
Nevr had an issue w/PETA people but did, years ago, read about paint splashing in the Michigan Ave and loop areas.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 9, 2024 0:33:40 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2014 5:46:03 GMT -5
Crone - you know how they get the fur from those ranch raised mink, correct?
|
|
tractor
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 4, 2011 15:19:30 GMT -5
Posts: 3,489
|
Post by tractor on Mar 21, 2014 5:52:37 GMT -5
Thanks for all the ideas. The teddy bear one is cute, although all the grand kids are now too old, although the next generation should be here within 10 years or so.
I'll have to check around. I'm like several of you here, I hate to see them go to waste if they can be repurposed in some way. I don't like to throw anything out (just ask my wife), so I'll keep looking for a good end use for them.
I don't care if fur is in fashion or not, it's just not my thing, although I have several pelts hanging on the walls of my house. Thanks for keeping this on-topic so far, I was worried it would become a "I hate people who hate animals" spinoff.
|
|
bookkeeper
Well-Known Member
Joined: Mar 30, 2012 13:40:42 GMT -5
Posts: 1,783
|
Post by bookkeeper on Mar 21, 2014 7:53:01 GMT -5
My friend made an old mink coat into some beautiful crafts this past Christmas. She made new Christmas stockings for her mantle (she is a new grandma) out of white or off white sweaters and trimmed the top of the stocking in mink. Then she added a metal monogram to the stocking so she knows whose is whose.
They are beautiful.
My brother has a fur blanket. It is the warmest thing ever. He has to put it in fur storage for the summer months. Personally, I would try to have it made into a throw for the couch. Fun to use and easy to put away when the PETA friends or relatives visit.
My mom had a yard sale years ago when I still lived at home. She had an old fur stole that she had acquired in the '50s. Two young boys bought the stole. When she asked them if it was a gift for their mother, they replied no - it was going to be a new target for their BB guns. One woman's fashion accessory is another man's target practice.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 9, 2024 0:33:40 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2014 8:08:00 GMT -5
I think the costume idea is great! Or the blanket.
So if you don't want to use it, donate it to a theater. If you do, make a blanket.
|
|
alabamagal
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 23, 2010 11:30:29 GMT -5
Posts: 8,147
|
Post by alabamagal on Mar 21, 2014 8:15:05 GMT -5
Since you are not having much luck selling at consignment shop, try ebay, or just google "Sell fur coats" and you will find places that will give you cash for them. You can send a pic and they will give you a price.
|
|
973beachbum
Senior Associate
Politics Admin
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 16:12:13 GMT -5
Posts: 10,501
|
Post by 973beachbum on Mar 21, 2014 8:18:09 GMT -5
I wouldn't wear it as is because I just don't like the look of one but I also would hate to see them just wither away also. I tried on a fur lined leather coat years ago. It was kind of like sho fleece lined coats you see today except the inside was lined with whatever fur it was. I don't know what the fur feels like but if it was soft maybe get someone to use it to line a coat for her. You said she likes to stay warm and I can't think of anything warmer and cozier than a warm coat with fur lining. It sounds like a crazy expensive lining for a coat but since the fur seems to be going to just get old and wither away it might be worth ry. It does sound like it could be a nice comfy warm coat for cold winter days. And if she is worried about paint throwing people she probably would be safe with it on the inside of the coat.
|
|
zibazinski
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 16:12:50 GMT -5
Posts: 47,912
|
Post by zibazinski on Mar 21, 2014 8:27:32 GMT -5
I think you won't see too many paint throwers because you never know who is armed now.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 9, 2024 0:33:40 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2014 9:06:33 GMT -5
I have my grandmother's mink stole; she won it in a church raffle. Mom lives in SC so she doesn't have much need for it. I think it's beautiful but really don't know what to do with it. Last Christmas I saw a young, slim, 20-something woman wear one to a performance of the Nutcracker and on her it looked like retro chic. On me it would look SO last-century. One thought I had was to have it made into a collar for my camel hair winter coat.
When I lived in NNJ, I had decided that if I ever got a job commuting into NYC I'd get a fur coat. Those streets get COLD when the wind blows in the winer. I always ended up working in the suburbs, though, and it seemed silly to get one just to wear to church on Sundays, which is where I saw most of them, so I never bought one.
|
|
sarcasticgirl
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 4, 2011 14:39:51 GMT -5
Posts: 5,155
Location: Chicago
|
Post by sarcasticgirl on Mar 21, 2014 9:12:49 GMT -5
I am always surprised at how many older women that wear fur in chicago. There are 4 on my floor alone at work. I see them all over during the winter.
I wonder if there is a market on line? EBay?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using proboards
|
|
Tiny
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
Posts: 13,488
|
Post by Tiny on Mar 21, 2014 10:36:59 GMT -5
I like the mink blanket idea. I'd maybe also look into having the coat(s) re-shapped?/cut down? into either a more modern look OR into a style that would look nice on Mrs. Tractor. I've seen several women pull off wearing vintage stoles or 'capes' for dressy occassions - BUT that's a challenge with modern styles (and, um, our larger sized frames). Just realize it might be a bit expensive to cut down, re-shape the furs. BUT I imagine it would be worth it if it becomes something useful. ADDED: I second sarcastic girls observation of lots of fur coats in Chicago. I see alot of women wear them.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 9, 2024 0:33:40 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2014 10:40:16 GMT -5
I wear your grandpa's clothes. I look incredible.
|
|