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Schumacher Furs ... Their Saga Continues


JGalanos

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Since I visit and do business in Portland often I wrote a letter of protest to The Oregonian.

 

Thank you JG for bring it to our attention.

 

 

OFF

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Quick response:

 

"Mr. XXXX

You need to go back and read my work before criticizing me for reporting on this. No reporter in the United States has written more about the harm done by eco-saboteurs than yours truly. This Schumacher Fur issue is an important public policy issue that deserves reporting in my newspaper. You wouldn't know about it unless this newspaper reported it first.

Best Regards,

Bryan Denson "

 

I appologised for shooting the messenger.

 

He certainly got my point and message about fur and other things as well.

 

 

OFF

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Shelley and I are very familiar with this whole thing facing the Schumachers. It has been on the news and in our paper here for sometime. We've been to the old store that they had before they moved to the new store. Greg was very nice to us as we were checking prices on a new coat for myself. We never did get the ctalog from Paula Lishman that he promised though......

I feel sorry for the Schumachers but at the same time we have seen how confrontational he has been with the protesters and it had the effect of throwing gasoline on a fire. Everyone here had hoped that they would move to a new high end shopping area in Tualatin but I guess it was not to be.

The city of Portland and the Portland Police are also partly to blame for this whole thing getting out of hand. There were only two arrests that I know of in the last year or so.

I am sorry to see them go as they have been here in Portland for over a 100 years. Maybe someone else will take their place......

 

Kevin and Shelley

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shelly and kevin;

 

Is there another furrier in the Portland area?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OFF

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You are right Kevin, their behavior gave the protesters power they would never have had otherwise. And, it probably is why they had little support with Police and local government. Who wants to help someone they don't like? Plus, if they are going to be that nasty, who feels the need to defend them?

 

That is one thing I have found in the fur industry a lot. Very dominant older men with just horrible people skills. ...Good people, just bad communication skills. But, in all fairness to them, if I had watched the decline of my industry the way they have, I might not be very nice either.

 

Linda

 

PS. Tell Shelley I said, "HI!! Love her new fur!" 8)

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A few years ago, a Portland furrier was fined $40000 for selling sealskin and leopard fur in his store. There used to be 12 furriers in Portland. Now, the number is much less.

 

eBay removed a jaguar pelt just today. Some guy in Chicago was selling it for a starting price of $15000.

 

Minnie

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The sale of pelts from endangered or protected species is another issue altogether. Here, a longstanding member of the business community is subject to the harrassment from the hypocrits at peta and alf. As I'm sure you're aware, Minnie, peta kills more animals than any other organization in the USA. I'm sure that as you read through all our forums, you'll see how in some countries, those people have been allowed to run amok. Welcome aboard and I hope you get to spend a lot of time with us!

 

FLinFL

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OFF, there is another full on furrier in Portland and that is Nicholas Ungar Furs........They do a top quality job on everything they do........They have done all the work for Shelley and I from coats to blankets and Shelley's Purple Fox purse.

Thanks Linda, I'll tell Shelley you like her coat. This was made by our furrier for her. She really loves it too:)

Minnie, the furrier you speak of that was "supposedly" selling prohibited coats was the furrier we use. The coats that were there in question were anywhere from 40-60 years old and had never been sold. He had only shown the coats to the undercover DFW employee and had not offered them for sale. And from what I've read on another site is that the undercover DFW employee was only out to further his career........this is coming from another DFW employee who knows him...

Either way they do a great job and we will go to no one else as the service, price and quality can't be matched. I've been to other furriers and have had good service but not the same as we get here.

Also, Shelley and I have spent many a Saturday there visiting and learning the business and the whole process of what it takes to make a fur from start to finish.

I could go on forever........but I need to get some stuff done around here and I'm sure no one wants to read my novel if I get going:)

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shelly and kevin;

 

Please post their address. I'm going down to Portland soon and I need my Fox Spread cleaned. Don't like the fur cleaner here in Seattle.

 

OFF

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The last furrier in a close by city closed a few years ago when her landlord would not renew her lease because of anti fur vandalism and she was unable to find any other retail space that would rent to her. She quit business.

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OFF,

 

The address for Nicholas Ungar Furs is 1137 SW Yamhill. They are open till 5 or 6Pm during the week and 9or10AM till 1Pm on Saturdays. They are very friendly and helpful.

 

Kevin

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Looking up Ungar Furs on GOOGLE I ran into a whole lot more on Scuhmacher.

 

Some "open forums" had replies not very compementary to the Anti-Fur folks.

 

I think they were expecting a unanimous response for their side.

 

I'd say it backfired.

 

One reply:

 

 

 

Neil

Apr 27th, 2007 11:48pm

 

Schumacher's is welcome to reopen their store in Tillamook. People here wouldn't put up with peta or any of the other protesters and would welcome the added revenue. They should also open an online store.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OFF

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Furriers are folding everywhere in North America. It is NOT because of PETA. It is because the industry is in a state of transition, there is a tremendous over supply of furs on the market, North America no longer controls the hide inventories, tanning or manufacturing of furs, and so on.

 

New furs are rapidly becoming a rich mans item again. Old furs, accessories and trims will be left for the rest.

 

Just as Mom and Pop businesses across the America's have folded, so go the furriers. We will have large regional department stores and the Internet left.

 

I think one of the reasons is also the horrible sales skills of the fur district set the standard of how to be a furrier. Imagine where other industries would be if they allowed their technical people to be their sales and marketing staff. Anyone who walks into the fur district knows if they leave without being ripped off you are going to be very lucky.

 

Rapidly a few are buying up the financially viable businesses for their storage business and will continue to have a few pieces for sale. The real loss will be their "backrooms"

 

There is one thing that I noted in Steve's letter from the Montreal fur show. (He is the owner of Jean Crisan, a highly respected Canadian manufacturer and design house) They have been working a new methods of working with fur. If they can show the furs without the expensive "letting out process" in a more natural form, it will lower the labor cost. That will help Canada and New York compete better. I am excited to see what they do.

 

Have any of you seen the furs where different furs are used in the same way as lamb shearlings are? The fur is on one side and the leather is on the other. There is no lining. They are sewn in a artistic pattern skin-to-skin. A very flowing soft garment. Beautiful pieces. Really shows of the design and talent of the furrier. Coming out of Europe. Not used much in North America yet. Hoping that is what he was referring to.

 

Linda

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Linda;

 

The "Letting out" process?

 

Iunderstand it but I've often wondered why the "Full Skin" method wasn't used for reducing the costs.

 

As with Fendi they seem to charge MORE for full skin furs. Mainly on a style inovation basis I suppose?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OFF

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"Letting-out" is the process used to lengthen a pelt. The traditional mink is an example. If you look on the back of the pelt you will see the small v shaped seams.

 

I personally love the skin-on-skin look. OFF, you are right. The high-end designers really "show their stuff" with these garments.

 

Linda

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