1979-1980 Pennsylvania Fur prices...

[Hern]

All previous records for returns on Pennsylvania furs were broken during the 1979-80 marketing year, according to final figures compiled by the Game Commission. During the year licensed raw fur dealers purchased 815,087 pelts taken by state trappers and hunters. $11,340,544 was an all time record.

Dealers bought 291,496 Raccoons for $6,116,305, an average of $20.98 per pelt.
323,579 Muskrats, which brought a total of $2,014,924 an overage of $6.23 each.
26,098 Red Foxes bought in the state returned $1,212,413 for an average of $46.46 per pelt.
28,525 Gray Foxes for $1,146,533 for an average of $40.19 per pelt.
121,934 Opossums for $494,850 an average of $4.06 per pelt.
5,883 Beavers which sold for $213,543 and average of $36.30 per pelt.
5,734 Minks for $112,559 an average of $19.63 per pelt.
10,783 Skunks purchased for $26,944 an overage of $2.50 per skin.
1,055 Weasels which returned $2,473, or $2.34 each.

These figures only represented furs harvested in Pennsylvania by hunters and trappers and bought by Pennsylvania licensed raw fur dealers.
Furs shipped or transported out of state by the trapper and/or hunter or held for his or her own use are not included in the tabulations.
*This information was taken from Pennsylvania Game News magazine dated January 1984.

[dreamcatcher]

I remember. 79-80 was a very good year

[Buckwheat]

Just to let you know how great the fur market was.
That's when a dollar was worth a dollar. You could buy a Chevy or a Dodge truck for around 5 to $6,000 4 wheel drive loaded.
So today when we see a 40 or $50 redfox. Pickups trucks start at $45,000 and Go the whole way to $65,000. That means they cost over 10 times the amount today. That's the same as saying your $40 redfox today is really only worth $4. Interesting isn't it.

[QUATTRO]

"Dealers bought 291,496 Raccoons for $6,116,305, an average of $20.98 per pelt.
323,579 Muskrats, which brought a total of $2,014,924 an overage of $6.23 each.
26,098 Red Foxes bought in the state returned $1,212,413 for an average of $46.46 per pelt.
28,525 Gray Foxes for $1,146,533 for an average of $40.19 per pelt.
121,934 Opossums for $494,850 an average of $4.06 per pelt.
5,883 Beavers which sold for $213,543 and average of $36.30 per pelt.
5,734 Minks for $112,559 an average of $19.63 per pelt.
10,783 Skunks purchased for $26,944 an overage of $2.50 per skin.
1,055 Weasels which returned $2,473, or $2.34 each. "

Interesting. And also I see no coyotes in these figures.... yet.

[Buckwheat]

Good point! There had to be a few I would think.

[Hern]

My area, I trapped and called my first two Coyotes in 1985.
I would guess guys were selling Coyotes in the late '80, early '90's.