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Pelts Marketed
on Notion-Wide Basis
  American National Fox & Fur Breed-
ers Association.-Several marketing
associations sell cooperatively other
types of commodities. The American
National Fox & Fur Breeders Associa-
tion, which has been operating for 17
years, markets pelts on a Nation-wide
basis. It maintains its own nonprofit
cooperative marketing system in which
the pelts of its shippers are graded,
pooled, and sold at the association's
own auctions in New York City.
Membership extends from coast to
coast and into Alaska. It maintains
its headquarters in Wausau, Wis.,
which is the geographical center of the
fur farming industry of the United
States in that more than 70 percent of
the fur raised on farms is produced in
Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.
In addition to the main warehouse and
receiving station at Wausau, a number
of receiving stations are operated in
different parts of the United States
during the receiving season-at Al.
bany, N. Y.; Lima, Ohio; Grand
Rapids, Mich.; Des Moines, Iowa;
Pocatello, Idaho; Gardena, Calif.; and
Salt Lake City, Utah. All types of
pelts are handled, including silver fox,
mink, and many other types of furs.
  Sales of pelts for $2,640,000 were
made for about 1,700 patrons in the
marketing season ended May 30, 1940.
Patrons are paid the actual selling price
less a handling commission of 5 percent
and costs of marketing.
  It is a major objective of the Amer.
ican National marketing system to
properly grade and bundle the pelts in
order to bring the highest possible price.
Each fur is appraised separately.
Most of the furs are then bundled for
sale with other furs of like grade. A
special specimen fur, however, may be
sold separately. The marketing sys-
tem operates on both the pool and
consignment bases.
  If there are any hold-over pelts from
one season to another, the association
buys the pelts at the market price, less
Grading silverfox pelts in the main receiving station of the American National
Fka & Fur Breeders
                          Association at Waasau, Wis.
,     *1
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