Facts you should know about furs

A pamphlet published by the Boston Better Business Bureau in 1936 & distributed by Filene's

TO nearly every woman, the purchase of a fur coat is an event of major importance, calling for decisions which should be based upon FACTS so far as possible. Since knowledge about FURS is neither extensive nor common, there seemed to be a very definite need for a booklet (compiled from authoritative sources) which should present "FACTS You Should Know About FURS."

Its aim is two-fold; to assist the customer in buying the Fur Coat which best fits her needs—protecting her from possible pitfalls—and also to cooperate in establishing a common ground of knowledge upon which both the retailer and the customer could meet. While this booklet is not perfect, it is felt that it is a step in the direction of better buying and selling of FURS.

For easy reading it has been divided into the following parts: I. Where to Buy. 2. How Furs Are Described. 3. What to Buy. 4. How to Buy. 5. How to Take Care of Furs.

THE most important factor when you buy a fur coat, and one that cannot be too strongly emphasized, is the unqualified necessity of doing business only with a reliable concern. When a reputable merchant sells furs, his interest in the

general satisfaction of the customer is an important consideration. His reputation for fair dealing is a valuable asset which must be protected. He uses no high-pressure selling methods. The customer is shown the merchandise and all representations may be accepted with confidence.

This is the policy under which most concerns operate. Unfortunately, there are a few retailers whose chief interest is to sell merchandise regardless of the methods employed. They use a variety of high-pressure systems to foist upon the public inferior garments at high prices. The method most commonly used by such concerns is what is known as "bait advertising." This means the store advertises, or displays in its windows, very attractive garments at remarkably low prices, with promises of amazing bargains and exaggerated value claims, which the advertiser does not intend to sell at the advertised prices. This type of advertising has accomplished its purpose when the prospective customer determines to visit the store. She then falls into a trap of systematized and vicious selling methods, such as few are able to resist. Sometimes she does not realize that she was lured to the store by "bait advertising" methods. Various tricks are used. "The advertised coat was sold." "It is the wrong size." "It isn'1 durable." This, that, and anything else to switch her, or to make her switch herself, to some other coat, usually higher in price. Should a customer suspect that she is the victim of "bait advertising," she should ask herself the simple question, "Am I being given a fair opportunity to inspect and purchase the advertised merchandise?" If the answer is "No!" the chances are she is the victim of a "bait advertiser." The best thing she can do, for her own interest, and unless she can secure a satisfactory explanation, is to leave the store without purchasing.

The type of concern which will practice "bait advertising" methods will also use other tricks. One of these is that the salespeople ask a hesitant customer to make a deposit with the false assurance that the deposit will be returned if she so desires. Another trick concerns "guarantees." Oral guarantees are of little value. Obviously a guarantee is only as reliable as the house back of it.

It does not stipulate definite facts and restrictions, it is practically worthless. In the case of the trickster, he will assume no responsibility for any defects, despite the fact that the purchaser may have been informed, at the time of the sale, that the guarantee covered all contingencies. The trickster also uses alluring offers of "sample furs" and slightly used coats which have been "posed by actresses" or "used in studio posing." With some knowledge of the number of "samples" put out by manufacturers and the number used for "studio posing," etc., it is obvious that many times more than this .number have been offered in advertising by such descriptions. Tricksters use misleading trade names and do not disclose the true name of the fur. In many instances their garments bear no price tags and their price is dependent upon whatever they think they can get the customer to pay. Often this same type of dealer offers fictitious allowances on trade-ins and jacks up his own prices to cover the make-believe liberal allowance. Sometimes working with tricky furriers and on their payrolls are individuals operating so-called "stuffed flats." These individuals advertise as private parties, stating that for various reasons, such as "leaving town," they have a practically new garment for sale at a great sacrifice. They tell a plausible tale of misfortune which necessitates the disposal of the coat at a great sacrifice. Furs sold in this manner are not bargains, but usually are over-priced, misrepresented, cheap and poor quality furs. Then, of course, there are the so-called "smugglers" and "fur peddlers" who tell the story about valuable pelts they have obtained through dubious channels, and which they are willing to sacrifice for a small portion of their real worth. Without exception, this is a scheme by which the cheapest kinds of furs are foisted upon those who are easily swindled. Another scheme is that the dealer misrepresents himself as a "wholesaler," or that a disreputable "wholesaler" sells at retail at prices represented to be "wholesale" but which in fact are not.

Also, avoid the tricky storage dealer who fails to provide adequate storage, and insurance protection, or who overcharges for repairs to make up for the "bargain price" storage rate.

It should be perfectly clear that the first and most important step in buying a fur coat is to pick a reliable dealer—one whom you can trust.

FORMERLY it was common practice in the fur trade to use descriptive trade names to describe a fur treated and dyed to resemble or imitate some other fur. For example, "Hudson Seal" was a trade name used to describe Muskrat fur treated and dyed to resemble Alaskan Seal; "Northern Seal" to describe Rabbit fur similarly treated, etc., etc. There were over 200 such trade names in common use, most of them misleading and confusing to the consumer. This evil has been corrected. Reliable concerns are accurately describing the fur a-; well as its dye or treatment,—for example, "Hudson Seal-dyed Muskrat," "Seal-dyed Rabbit." In every case the correct name of the fur is the last name of the description, and if any dye or blend is used in simulating another fur, the word "dyed" or "blended" is inserted between the name signifying the fur that is simulated and the true name of the fur. Legitimate merchants are also describing as such all furs that have been shaded, blended, tipped, pointed, or dyed. For example, "Black-dyed Fox" or "Pointed Fox." Where the name of any country or geographical section is used to describe a fur, it should mean the actual country of origin of the fur, such as "American Opossum." Where the name of a country or place is used to designate a color, that fact should be indicated thus,—"Sitka-dyed Fox."

DYEING: Many furs (leather and fur) are dyed to improve the color, to simulate choicer furs, or to produce colors for style purposes. In some cases, however, where natural color is retained, if the fur is thin, as on belly pieces, the leather only may be dyed so as to make it inconspicuous. It is possible to determine whether the leather has been dyed by blowing the hair apart and examining the leather. Undyed leather is almost white, or light tan. If it has been dyed, it will be a darker color, ranging from golden to black. Modern methods produce beautiful and serviceable dyed furs, so that the fact that a fur is dyed is not in itself derogatory. Improper dyeing may make skins stiff, tender and brittle, but the customer's best protection against such exceptional * possibility is to deal with a reliable concern.

BLEACHING: Most of the natural white furs, such as White Fox and Ermine, are uniform in color, but in exceptional cases, if not so, they may be bleached to remove discoloration or to produce uniform white.

BLENDING: Even if the skin shows no sign of dye, the fur itself may have been colored by running a brush or feather over the top hairs. This is called "blending" or "feathering," "tipping," or "topping." This may be done when a garment is made of skins that do not exactly match, or to improve the color or pattern. Light colored furs are sometimes deepened in tone by this process to make them resemble the more expensive peltries of the same type. In many furs, such as mink, blending is used to advantage and without injury.

POINTING: Red foxes are often processed to simulate the more aristocratic and expensive silver fox. The peltries are dyed black and "pointed" by cutting white badger hairs to the right length, dipping one end in glue, —-_ blowing the fox fur aside and attaching the badger hairs as near the leather as possible. Sometimes an inferior natural silver fox is made to look like a better quality peltry by this method. This is known as "pointed silver fox" and should be described as such. Some of the inserted hairs may shed or come out in the cleaning process, but on the whole they remain secure. Pointing may be detected by the fact that the badger hairs used are glued in groups of two or three to the natural fox hairs and the leather; also by the fact that the badger hairs are all white, whereas the natural silvery hairs of silver fox are alternately black, white, black from bottom to tip.

LEATHERING: Thick, full-haired peltries like certain species of woolly furred European white fox may be cut in strips, and then re-sewn with leather inserted between the strips. Leathering may be detected by blowing aside the hair and examining the skin. This process relieves the natural woolly appearance; makes it fluffy and beautiful and prevents matting.

RESETTING: As in mink, to create herringbone and diagonal effects and increase the number of dark stripes in the fur, the skin is cut lengthwise in half along the dark center stripe and each half is then cut into vertical strips about '/j inch in width. These parts are rearranged and sewn together so as to produce two dark stripes on the single skin. Resetting shortens the length of the skin but makes it wider. It is an expert, expensive process used in certain type skins to improve style and beauty.

DROPPING OR LETTING-OUT: Peltries are lengthened by cutting them in narrow diagonal strips and stepping them down. The finest mink is treated in this manner, one or more peltries dropped or let-out to the entire length of the coat, giving a narrow line to the skin and the marking. This improves marking and makes possible more attractive styles. Dropping or letting-out is also an expert and expensive process used in certain type skins to improve style and beauty.

PLUCKING: Many skins, such as otter, seal, beaver and nutria, have coarse guard hairs which are plucked out to reveal the beauty of the under fur. Muskrat fur is plucked, sheared, and dyed to make Hudson Seal-dyed Muskrat.

SCARVES: A "fur scarf" means a scarf made of one or more full skins. "Pieced skin scarves" should be described as such. They are cheaper and less durable.

There are four points to consider in buying a fur coat:—

This booklet gives information on all these points, but such information should be qualified or supplemented with the following (Par. I, 2):

1. There is a difference in the serviceability of furs of the same species. For example, many species of skins are graded I, 2, 3, and 4. The quality of a fur is indicated by the length, fullness, and texture of hair as compared with peltries of the same kind. The prime skins (No. I) are soft, heavily furred because taken in the season when the fur is naturally at its best. "Ones" may cost much more than "twos" which generally are thinner, shorter haired, weaker peltries. So it follows that garments of the same kinds of furs will vary in serviceability depending on the grade of fur used.

2. There is a difference in the serviceability of skins of different species. Skins of different species, even of the same grade, differ in serviceability as well as other points and this difference is not dependent on cost. For example, the inexpensive rabbit will outwear the expensive chinchilla.

With the above in mind, the following chart should help guide you as to the serviceability, price range, purpose, and style points of popular furs. In the chart, the terms "Good," "Fair," and "Low" have the following meanings:

GOOD SERVICEABILITY refers to that class of fur garments which will hold up well under most of the conditions that the average wearer will give it.

FAIR SERVICEABILITY requires a fair amount of care to be given to the garment while it is worn and when it is hung away.

LOW SERVICEABILITY includes those garments which, while they may be alluring in appearance, cannot, by their texture, be expected to give good and long wear without exceptional care and regular checkup to detect necessary repair.

THREE -factors enter into the serviceability of a fur coat, namely, workmanship, material, wear and care.

SELECT PROPER SIZE. Be sure to buy a garment that is really your size. Tightly fitted fur coats are more subject to splitting under strain. Select a coat large enough to give complete and easy movement about the shoulders and in the arms, and with sufficient "lap," when buttoned, to prevent undue strain in the coat when you are sitting. A reasonably loose fit is especially desirable in the weaker furs or small animal pelts.

In good quality coats the pelts should be carefully matched,—uniform in color, depth, and texture of hair. The less noticeable joining of pelts is found in better quality coats, except where pattern or style requires otherwise. For example, in squirrel, mink, raccoon, and some types of muskrat the various pelts may be detected, but in good quality coats the fur is so well matched by grade, color and workmanship that a beautiful effect is produced. Also, as in blocked lapin, the pelts are cut and sewn into blocks which are apparent. In coats dyed solid color without variation the furrier strives for unnoticeable joining of pelts.

Minks, sables, raccoon, etc., may be top blended to improve the color. Examine the fur carefully through the under fur to detect top blending. Top spotted furs, as in imitation of leopard or leopard cat, may be detected by brushing the fur against the grain to tell whether the spots are on top or run through to the pelt. Some cheap furs, as in cheap raccoons, may be heavily dyed or painted to give stripes or pattern. To detect such, rub your hand over the fur. Heavily top painted fur may feel sticky rather than smooth and clean, or may even be apparent to the eye.

Edges subject to hard friction wear, such as front edges, cuffs, sleeves, pockets, back of neck, bottom edges should be adequately protected by full, thick hair, and in long haired furs by plenty of guard hairs. In good quality coats, the under sleeves are not made of mismatched, inferior quality pieces. Examine underarms particularly for this.

The better qualities in most furs are bright and lustrous. Poorer furs are apt to be dull and lifeless in appearance, or a pelt poorly dressed and dyed will be dull.

In long-haired furs be sure the long hairs are thick and plentiful, as these long hairs, guard hairs so-called, are of strong texture, and protect the under-fur. They are the first to break, shed, or wear off, and, therefore, should be thick on hard-wearing edges. The. under fur should be plentiful.

Examine the lining. Is it a good, strong, serviceable lining that will reasonably resist friction wear, particularly under the arms and at bottom edges? An interlining naturally adds to the warmth of the coat.

If you have not determined the definite amount you intend to spend for a fur coat, a reliable dealer will gladly show furs at various prices, pointing

out the differences in quality, but giving you -freedom of choice without high-pressure tricks to force an unwanted expenditure.

If you have determined the amount you desire to spend and the fur you want, you may then examine various coats about that price or within reasonable range for comparative purposes.

A detailed description of the leather-side of a fur coat might be confusing and would serve no practical purpose to the reader of this booklet. In those instances where the leather-side may be shown to you or there is an opportunity to examine it, the following few points will be helpful:

1. It is common practice in making some coats, such as Hudson Seal-dyed Muskrat, to stitch or otherwise securely attach a "staying" fabric to the leather. This adds to the strength of the pelts, particularly the seams, increases resistance to strains and adds to the serviceability of the garment.

2. The leather-side of a good quality fur coat presents an appearance of uniformity—uniformity of pelts in size, shape, thickness, and color; uniformity and smoothness in seams and stitching. If the pelts are carefully cut, seamed, and in perfect alignment, it is generally a sign of a quality garment. If you find hundreds of bits and pieces roughly patched together without uniformity, this is an indication that the coat has been made out of cheaper cuts and quality of furs. Don't confuse "let-out" or "dropped" skins with cheap, pieced, and patched furs. Well-made, "let-out," or "dropped" coats may show thousands of seams but all would be uniform in pattern. Uniformity is one of the best indications of quality.

3. There are instances where a tricky furrier has shown customers the leather-side of a coat, pointing out a misleading trade name stamped thereon which, for instance, indicated t° the consumer that the fur was "Seal" when, in fact, it was nothing more than rabbit treated to resemble Seal. Misleading trade names, if stamped on pelts, should be qualified by the true name of the fur.

"HE life of good furs depends much on the care you give them and the service you demand of them. The most durable of furs may be ruined through improper care. The less durable the fur, the more care is required and the life of even the most perishable of furs may be greatly lengthened by proper care. The greatest enemies of furs are moths, heat, strong sunlight, and friction.

Many of the troubles experienced with furs have no relationship to the workmanship or quality of the furs but are caused entirely by improper care or other causes. Most of these troubles can be averted by proper care. Cherish your furs with wise and thoughtful care and they will be a lasting as well as luxurious possession.

Knowledge of the following ten points should result in a better understanding of what to expect and what not to expect in furs and should enable you to get better and longer service from fur garments, including those listed in the low serviceability class.

I. FRICTION WEAR. This is apt to show where hat brims come in contact with and rub or cut the hairs. Heavy jewelry worn where it will rub against the fur is also harmful. Wearing the fur high and close around the neck so that movements of the head constantly rub it, seriously wears the fur. Carrying bags and packages under the arms also is likely to wear or cut the fur and cause one section of the garment to wear out prematurely. Friction

wear also occurs on the front and bottom edges, at the wrists, and under the sleeves. Riding in an automobile is known to cause friction wear, particularly at the shoulder blades, elbows, and lower part of the back of the coat. This is true of any fur. Such wear does not denote inferior skins.

5. TEARS AND RIPS. Seams may open up or the leather may tear under strain. This occurs in furs regardless of quality or price. It may happen to the finest coat as well as to the cheapest, and is in a large measure due to the insistent demand by the public for lighter weight furs (thin leather) to make the garments more supple. ...'.''

Moths are one of the greatest enemies of furs. They are almost always an ever present danger, not so much when furs are frequently worn, as when the furs are put away, even for a few weeks' time. The danger is that one of those tiny insects may get into the furs and deposit its eggs. To help prevent this, put the garment in an air-tight moth bag which contains a moth preventative, such as crystallized camphor, naphthalene, or dichloricide. This method is not recommended instead of commercial storage but as a precautionary measure over short periods of time. Caution: Give your garment for storage to a reliable concern only, receiving adequate contractual acknowledgment, description, and valuation of it.