Pearson Stays at FICA
Though Jack Pearson has left Maximilian at Bloomingdale's (as reported here last week), he will not leave his position as board director of fashions for the Fur Information Council of America (FICA) any time soon. He told Fur Age that he has no employment plans at this time but is "exploring several avenues, many of them outside of the fur industry. I'm a free agent." He will stay on the FICA board of directors until he determines his destination.
FICA executive director Carol Wynne said, "The whole industry has benefitted from Jack's work on the board of FICA. His ideas and his energy have been instrumental in making furs fashionable again. Our executive committee was thrilled to hear of his interest in staying on board. If the time comes when he takes a position outside of the trade, then, according to FICA's by-laws, he will resign."
Pearson might very well end up taking a position outside the fur industry (he has experience in other apparel fields), but for now, his commitment to the trade remains firm. "My mission for the fur industry -- through FICA -- was to take it into the next millennium as something modern and contemporary, an item that is attractive to young people, something exciting."
PeTA Fails the Test
The animal activist group People for the ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA) fails to meet two standards set for charitable solicitations by the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. (CBBB). A recent report by the CBBB said PeTA does not meet the following:
1.- "C1 -- Solicitations and informational materials, distributed by any means, shall be accurate, truthful and not misleading, both in whole and in part. PeTA's 1995 annual report stated that its board members received no compensation." Yet Ingrid Newkirk received $14,039 as managing director from July through December 1995, and Alex Pacheco, while a member of the board during 1994, received compensation of $34,000 for his duties as president.
2.- "E3 -- Soliciting organizations shall have an independent governing body whose directly and/or indirectly compensated members constitute no more than one-fifth of the total voting membership." Yet, "two-thirds, or 67%, of PeTA's board of directors is directly or indirectly compensated by the organization."
Based in Rockville, MD, PeTA is reportedly planning on moving to Norfolk, VA, Dan Mathews said in a recent newspaper article.
Chicago Re-elects Waitz
The Associated Fur Industries of Chicagoland has re-elected Hal Waitz of Herman Waitz & Co. as president of the 78-year-old association. Steve Rich of Leonard Adler & Co. was elected first vice president. Other vice presidents are Howard Bresnik of the Chicago Fur Outlet, Sue Kluger of Kluger Furs; Kathy Rezny of York Furrier, and Robert Walowitz of Mysels. Chris O'Brien of O'Brien & Sons Furs was elected treasurer, and Alex Berg of Maple Furriers was elected secretary.
The AFIC represents 35 Chicago-area furriers and fur-affiliated businesses.
New Montreal Exhibitors
ROT-FRONT, one of the largest Russian fur manufacturing companies, has become the first major Russian exhibitor to book space at the Montreal fair, announced the North American Fur & Fashion Exposition (NAFFEM) last week. A large influx of Russian buyers Ñ more than 75 from 19 Russian companies, plus a group of 10 buyers from the Ukraine Ñ has sparked the interest of North American suppliers, including Mark Rathaus, a major New York skin broker, who will show raw pelts at the fair for the first time, and other skin dealers are enquiring about exhibiting.
NAFFEM also said that, among the special events will be a second FICA Evening at Milos restaurant night, plus another Gala Show.
Wild Furs: Colorado
About 44 buyers attended the Jan. 12 wild fur sale held in Deer Trail, CO, by the Colorado Trappers Association. The company reported the following results:
Beaver: 490 offered, 100% sold, $16.32 average. Castor: 32 lbs. offered, 100% sold, $8.75 average. Raccoon: 1,060 offered, 76% sold, $16.39 average. Badger: 81 offered, 94% sold, $12.72 average. Coyote: 2,093 offered, 100% sold, $17.97 average.
Gray fox: 168 offered, 12% sold, $9.52 average. Muskrat: 895 offered, 100% sold, $2.01 average. Skunk: 87 offered, 87% sold, $7.36 average. Bobcat: 71 offered, 21% sold, $30.33 average. Red fox: $1,098 average, 100% sold, $22.48 average.
"A shipment of southern bobcat is blamed for a low average on the cats," reported the CTA. "Sellers can set minimum prices on their fur at this sale. Bidding was strong except for gray fox and bobcat."
Wild Furs: Oregon
"Fur prices are running about the same as last year, but the Prineville sale [held Jan. 26-27] did show some improvement," reported the Oregon Territorial Council on Fur, Inc., after a recent auction. "The most notable improvement was the raccoon and muskrat. There was a better quality (fewer lowgrades) mink, and they were up from the Ontario sale [an earlier sale held in Ontario, OR, by the OTC], but I think that was because of the better quality. Cat prices were about the same as the Ontario sale. Coyotes were a little higher, but the quality was better at Prineville. Red fox was about the same as the Ontario sale.
"All in all, prices were a little better, and I'm looking for them to gradually improve for the rest of the year, unless the market is flooded. Beaver may be the exception."
Badger: 24 offered, 100% sold, $8.03 average. Beaver: 358 offered, 100% sold, $30 average. E. cat: 457 offered, 92% sold, $148 average. W. cat: 39 offered, 64% sold, $31.45 average. Civet: 28 offered, 100% sold, $4.41 averagge.
Coyote: 1,185 offered, 98% sold, $30.38 average. Gray fox: 16 offered, 6% sold, $12 average. Marten: 9 offered, 11% sold, $12 average. Mink: 32 offered, 100% sold, $19 average. Muskrat: 1,701 offered, 71% sold, $3.05 average.
Nutria: 190 offered, 100% sold, $5.17 average. Opossum: 5 offered, 100% sold, $1 average. Otter: 48 offered, 100% sold, $57.67 average. Raccoon: 128 offered, 99% sold, $22.26 average. Red fox: 45 offered, 98% sold, $36.05 average. Skunk: 10 offered, 100% sold, $9 average.