Do you want a plush mink coat for parties, or a casual jacket for relaxed wear?

How to buy

1. Familiarize yourself with the types of fur: Mink, fox and swakara garments are popular; sable and chinchilla are expensive and rare; coyote and opossum furs are generally used for men's jackets.

2. Determine how you will wear the fur. Do you want a plush mink coat for parties, or a casual jacket - maybe with only a fur-trimmed collar - for relaxed wear?

3. Decide whether you want a garment that is sheared or unsheared, dyed or natural. Special treatments like dyeing can increase the fur's price.

4. Shop around extensively to compare furs and to be able to recognize good quality.

5. Go to a reputable fur dealer or to the fur department of a department store. Consult with the store's furrier.

6. Make sure that the fur is labeled Origin Assured (OA). OA gives consumers confidence about the provenance of the fur they are buying. It is an assurance that the fur comes from a country where national or local regulations or standards governing fur production are in force.


7. Examine a wide variety of furs. Pelts should be glossy, soft, supple and well matched.

8. Feel the fur. Guard hairs (the long outer layer of hairs) should be soft and lustrous, and underfur (the inner, insulating layer) should be uniformly textured.

9. Wear the garment and consider whether its weight is right for you. Is it too heavy?

10. Make sure that seams are sewn tightly and that hems fall straight.