Fur

In a similar situation, I was offered 3 fabulous fur coats by an older relative recently. A Silver Arctic fox, an ocelot jacket and a blond mink jacket.

I politely refused them all. They were all bought and worn at a time when no one thought anything about wearing fur. They are now all languishing back in storage.

I do have a vintage fake fur jacket that has been cut and styled by a furrier. At times when I have worn it I have been challenged, then I have shown that it is fake. Nice and warm though!

x

A tricky situation indeed Shinyredcar I can't really think of what you could do with them. I am sure someone else will know more.

Very good question Shinyredcar.

My mum's old coat had a huge fox fur collar, which I couldn't bring myself to touch. I was undecided what to do about it, and admit I ended up ramming it in a recycling bin - it solved my guilt feelings. That was a few years ago and as you suggest, I should imagine there are charities for overseas refugees who would welcome warm clothing of any description. Most of the charity shops in my town don't sell fur. Have you a local refugee charity anywhere near you where you can enquire?

My mum was so proud of her mink coat and a local charity shop in Scotland took it (late 90's, maybe not as PC as charity shops in urban areas?)
I had a fabulous fake fur once which somehow went missing over years of over-zealous "de cluttering" [??]

Do you have a wildlife rescue centre near you? I believe that they use fur coats to comfort abandoned babies who are brought into them. Or what about donating to a local theatre company for their props department?

I think I would try the charity shops first.

What a lovely idea vegasmags. An excellent use for these relics to comfort baby animals. Wish I'd thought of that. I think we just left mums coats to house clearance people to deal with.

I inherited my mother's fur coat, a very heavy garment which I could never bring myself to wear. A friend was organising a Narnia feature for a museum and asked around for old fur coats for the animal characters. I gladly donated the fur coat and a fake mink I never wore. After the exhibition, her son's MiL from Russia admired the fur coat and I happily gave permission for it to be taken back to Russia and for all I know it is still being worn. A sealskin jacket with a mink collar which had belonged to a great aunt hung unworn in my wardrobe until the moths got at it so it ended up in landfill, poor thing! Sorry, I don't think this solves your problem, Shinyredcar, just reminiscing! .

When I was at the Ideal Home Exhibition (i think it was there) a couple of years ago there was a stand selling vintage fur coats (quite expensive).
Perhaps you could google to see if you can sell them to a dealer, you could then donate the money to a charity if you wish,

They still wear them in other countries so there is a market for them and it would be a pity for them to go to landfill, at least if they are worn the animals will not have died in vain.

they are for sale in lots of antique outlets here [some look a bit motheaten.]
I would try the ones in your area, and you will get some money for them.

also, am/dram companies may want one,if they are putting on a period play.

Thank you all of you, for your very useful suggestions. I will see what I can find locally. I love the animal rescue idea and some of the less exotic ones would certainly find a good use there. I shall see if I can find a dealer over the Internet for the mink. Since a wild mink killed all my ducks just for the fun of it, I have very little sympathy for them! I shall exploit them if I can, for a good purpose.

And what fun for the Am Drams or local Rep — I may well send one their way.

What a resource Gransnetters are. Thanks.

I was left a fur stole and Mink coat by a friend who died suddenly, she had made promise I would wear one if DD ever married to her wedding.
I wore the stole to enter the Church then changed to a nice jacket. I felt I had fulfilled my friends wishes.
DD gave the furs to some Transvestite friends who now wear them in cabaret.
I like to think my friend would have enjoyed that.

I passed my Mum's mink coat on to our local amateur dramatic group, they said that they were delighted with it

When DF died 6 years ago, he still had DM's fur jackets, including a mink one in the wardrobe.

Someone told us that Oxfam accepted fur garments so we took ours to them. What they do with them I do not know, either sell them to gain funds or send them to needy people in cold areas, either way they gain either funds, or give aid where needed.

So I think , if you can afford it donate them to Oxfam, or look online for specialist fur coat auctioneers - or ebay.

When my Mum died I took her mink coat to Oxfam. They sell them on abroad apparently to a country where people are happier to wear them.