Recycle Your Old Fur Coat Into a New Fur Throw

Someone in Napa California is my new best friend and doesn’t even know it. I had three different people from that area call me about our used furs and making them into throws or pillows. They said there was something on the news about recycling old furs. First we sold a lynx jacket that we turned into five beautiful throw pillows. The next day I spoke to a few people who wanted throws made from older coats.

A mink throw made from a used mink coat

I sold one a lunaraine mink coat $650 and made it into the pictured throw for an additional $600. Just this morning, I sold a beautiful ranch mink coat which we are making into a throw. It is costing the customer a total of $1600.00. This is the cost for the coat and the labor to remake it into a gorgeous full pelt throw. If he were to buy a new full pelt mink throw it would cost about $6500.00.

There are so many things that can be done to refurbish used furs that you already own or you can find gently used furs for sale!

Some words of caution are in order. When buying a used fur be sure that the pelts are soft and subtle. It is important that the leather side is in good condition. If at all possible buy it from a furrier and ask if it is in good enough condition to be remodeled.

If you are buying the garment from a private party or a consignment shop make sure it can be returned after you have it checked out by your local furrier. I have had many people come in with a coat they bought on E-bay that began ripping as soon as they wore it. I hate having to tell them it isn’t repairable. I hate to sound like my father – but his old saying “a penny saved a pound foolish” can happen if you are not careful when buying used furs.

Cold Weather- Fur Care Hint

The cold weather arrived in the Chicago area with vengeance and the customers have been running in with emergency repairs on their furs. The most common repair being a rip in the armhole of the coat.

My tip for avoiding this repair:   when you get in the car lift the coat before sitting down on it…DO NOT smooth it under you.
If this tip came too late take your fur to your furrier and have it repaired properly. Following this tip you should be able to avoid those pesky armhole rips in the future!

Bridal Gowns for Budget Weddings – Consider Used Formal Wear at Consignment Shops

I was searching the web this weekend in order to get an idea what to price two gently worn wedding gowns that were brought in for consignment at our new consignment formal wear store. During my search I came across the site Top-wedding-dresses and their blog post of November 29th, 2009 titled Ten Ways to Cut Wedding Costs.

The author starts the blog “There are two types of wedding couples: Those who have unlimited finances to throw the party of their choice and those who have to remain within a budget. If you are the latter, there are ways to have the wedding you desire without going way into debt to do so. But it will take a bit of compromise. Here are 10 ways where you can cut costs in certain areas to free up money to put elsewhere into something you really want for your wedding ceremony or reception.”

This blog has some great hints for everything from the invitations, to the food and beverage. I encourage you to read her other hints. Of course what caught my eye was the part about wedding gowns. She suggests renting the bridal gown and those for the bride’s maids and flower girl. This sent me on a quest to find costs for renting bridal dresses. I found the range for renting between $300 and $800. I suggest looking at consignment shops and buying a once loved gown. At our store the gowns that we currently have are priced from $300 to a never worn one at $800.

Fur Coats, Leather Coats, Shoes, Belts, Hamburgers and Hypocrites

One of my friends sent me an article that ran in the Meat Trade News Daily on November 14th, 2009. It was titled “USA – The things that PETA don’t know”.

My friend wondered if I wrote it since the author complains about people who bad mouth people who wear fur and leather coats. Those same people eat hamburgers or wear leather shoes or a leather belt! This is one of my pet peeves. I can assure you I did not write the article, but I agree with the content.

Some of the issues the author raises are: “The biggest complaint about leather (and fur) is from animal rights groups like PETA..” They “chiefly complain about the mistreatment of animals, the consumption of meat and the wearing of animal skin…These people are frequently self-righteous hypocrites…They frequently forget about the shoes, boots or jacket they are wearing. (Oh look, they’re made from leather!)”

I respect people’s beliefs when they take it to the full extent like Mary Tyler Moore does. I respect her for not wearing or eating anything from the use of animals. She also does not advocate the violent acts of many of the animal rights organizations.

Use this link to read the rest of the article.

Great Customer Service Should Be Part of Any Good Business

I pride myself at providing great customer service. And, I get so aggravated when I don’t receive good service. Today was an example of one of the frequent acts of poor service that can easily be avoided.

I was in line at a local bakery behind two other people. The phone rang about four times. Each time the clerk answered the phone and helped the on-line customer while leaving the customer she was waiting on. I walked out at the fourth interruption as the first person in line had still not been helped.

At our store, Hinsdale Furriers, the policy is clear. Try not to answer the phone while helping someone else. If you do, tell the caller there are people ahead of them and ask if they can hold. Or take their phone number and ask to call them back. We also have voice mail saying we are busy with a customer and will phone you back as soon as possible.

The bakery lost a sure sale, while the fruit store down the street gained a sale. I suppose we all enjoyed healthier treats at our staff meeting.

Video on Ideas to Remodel Old Furs Into New Fashion Furs

ABC13 in Texas has an online video showing some remodeling tips in making use old furs.  Check it out at their site. You’ll have to scroll down to Video Library>By Section and click on “Give your old fur a restyle”. This will give you some ideas of what you can do with an outdated piece until we get our own videos up on line. They also offer pointers on finding a reputable company to do the work for you.

Monogramming Your Fur Coat – Tips and Hints

I started thinking about monograms on fur coats after I sold a mink coat today and the happy customer asked, “will you put my whole name in the lining instead of a monogram so it will be harder for someone to steal?” I told her that we can put anything she wants as the monogram but I suggested that she signs her name in permanent marker on the pelt side of her coat because if someone stole her coat, they would probably just remove the entire lining.

Now you are probably wondering what is the purpose of a monogram? Monograms are used as identification when you check your coat. Even though you might think you would be able to identify your coat among all the others, it is not as easy as you might think. I see a lot of ranch mink coats and even with my trained eye they all begin to look alike, especially in the dim lighting of a fancy restaurant. When I monogram my coats, I always choose a color thread that is contrasting to the color of my lining (I usually use red because it’s my favorite color). That way it is easy for me to identify at a glance. Some customers prefer blending the thread color with the lining (these are usually the people who are shy). It is ultimately up to you.

A few tips and rules for monogramming: When the middle letter of a monogram is larger, that is the last name intial. When all the letters are the same size, the letters go in order (1st name, middle name, last name). When deciding which monogram to use, check and be sure that the letters of your initials don’t spell something strange. I had a customer named Paula G. who had her coat monogrammed PIG. When ever her husband would get the coat from a check room he would ask for the pig – Paula did not find that funny. Before I was married, I always put just my 1st name in the coat, in hopes that my last name would some day change. Some of our customers have messages put in their lining. Sweet sentiments like, “Happy 10th Anniversary”, or “in honor of baby James” are a nice personal touch. Of course there are some people who are not so sentimental but do have a sense of humor. One customer had his ex-wife’s coat monogrammed with, “1st wife’s coat 2nd wife wearing it” and then gave the coat to his new wife…YIKES…good thing she had a sense of humor too! You can sure learn a lot from the monogram a customer chooses, but when all is said and done, it is a matter a personal preference.

New Hinsdale IL Resale Shop to Open for Formal Wear, Wedding Attire, Accessories, Shoes, etc.

We are getting ready to open Formally Hers on Saturday, November 14th.   There is a planned preview party (if you’d like an invite to the preview party send me an email) scheduled for November 12th. It is tricky running a business and trying to get another opened at the same time. Thank goodness I have wonderful staff at Hinsdale Furriers and a carpenter husband. This weekend we paint and next week the fixtures start getting put together. It is exciting to be starting something new.

It is so unbelievable the amount of worn lovingly once evening wear that has come into the store. We already have over 300 garments just from one advertisement and a letter in our Hinsdale Furriers newsletter. It is fun to hear the stories of the outfits: where they were worn, what the occasion was or why they were not worn. It is also fun to see my employees drool over some of the items. The most fun was the day some one brought in Jimmy Choo Shoes and my employees played Cinderella. To their dismay not one of them was Cinderella.

A Customer Writes About The Gently Used Fur Coat He Purchased Over The Web

What a way to start the day! The 1st email I opened this morning follows:

Susie,

I just received the jacket. It is beyond my highest expectations! It is absolutely gorgeous, and my friends will be so thrilled.

I would never have believed to receive such a high quality fur at such at great Price. Now that I know the kind of service and quality you provide, I will be ordering much more from you.

Global warming be damned! ALL my friends will be receiving furs this year!

Thank you, again, so very much.
Ford

To think I joined the web generation kicking and fighting my daughter, who is a web designer. I only agreed thinking it would be used like a newspaper ad to bring customers to our brick and mortar store front. Over the past 10 years our sales on the web have continued to grow, especially those in the This Old Fur section. We update the used furs in real time.

As soon as something is available for sale a written description goes up (photos take longer).  As soon as something sells it is taken off the web. The real time aspect was only added this month, before that we had many disappointed people when items were sold but still showing on the web. I am sorry that the real time aspect only applies to the gently used furs on our site. The best thing about our web site is it is even open while I sleep.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… CY: wait… I: wait… YCat: wait… I: wait… Top: wait… I: wait… L: wait… C: wait…

Your Fur Coat Must Compliment Your Hair, Not Match It, So You Look Great!

If I hear one more time , “I want the fur coat to match my hair”.  I may scream! You want your fur to compliment yes, match no!!!

When you are wearing your fur garment the compliment you want is “You look great!” not “Nice fur coat!”

Picture this — a dark mink fur coat and dark black hair all blending together and this pale white face sticking out. When this happens you see every bit of bag and circle under the eyes.

Here is a little trick to see which color is better for you. Put half of each of two coats on and then look at your face. Which side of your face looks younger and healthier? That side is the garment that has the better coloring for you. This trick also works with clothing.

So go out and make yourself look great!

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… CY: wait… I: wait… YCat: wait… I: wait… Top: wait… I: wait… L: wait… C: wait…