April fur auction brought in USD 12.5 million for Soyuz furs

Revenues from the 163rd international fur auction held April 24-28 in St. Petersburg totaled USD 12.5 million, or USD 3.5 million more than last year's April auction. As reported to a Rosbalt correspondent by the press service of the fur trading company Soyuz Furs, nearly half a million wild (sable, ermine, weasel, squirrel, wolverine) and farmed (mink, polecat, Arctic fox, raccoon) furs were offered for sale.

The total number of sable furs sold represented 98% of the total offered for auction. The average price for a sable fur was USD 62.2 (5% lower than the January auction). The best sable fur lot was acquired by the Italian company Guida s.r.l for the Russian buyer, Sergei Popov, Galerie des Serges (Moscow).

There was a fairly high demand for ermine, striped, silver-black, platinum and red fox. More than 140,000 mink furs were offered for auction. Of those, 47% were sold. Participants in the auction included 136 buyers from 13 countries, including Russia.

The revenues from the 162nd auction (January 25-29) brought in USD 14 million for Soyuz Furs, which was 40% greater than the January auction of 2003.

Soyuz Furs is Russia's sole organizer of international fur auctions. The company's headquarters is in Moscow, and auctions are held in St. Petersburg.