Opossum skin fetches $19.95

Press, 22 June 1981, Page 9

Opossum skin fetches $19.95

PA Dunedin The final opossum skin auction nf the 1980-1981 season saw the bulk of the skins come from the North Island. Of the offering of 188.091 rawskins, most were late summer to autumn-caught, anil the rest early winter. Prices for the better type of skin improved slightly on the April auction. The poorer quality was considerably cheaper, particularly in the light smalls and in the fourth grades. The top price reached was $19.95, compared with $lB.lO in April. The average price for large grades was also up at $10.25, but was down for medium large grades to $7.38, from $7.79. The over-all average was $5.94, down from $6.75.

Prices were: - Grade I.—Large: red brown, $l4; dark brown, $15.5(1; red neck, $11.90; pale. $l3; grey, $19.50. Medium to large: dark. $l2; pale, $8.75, grey, $11.65. Medium: $8.50; light, $7.55. Grade 2.—Large: red brown. $10.20, dark brown. $12.52; red neck. $9.20; pale. $11.60; grey, $14.27. Medium to large: dark. $10.41; red neck: $8; pale, $8.26; grey, $8.40. Medium: $5,70; light, $5.65. Small: dark, $3.18; light, $4.17. Grade 3.—Large: red brown, $7.24; dark brown, $9.72; red neck. $8.36: pale. $8.11; grey. $8.35. Medium to large: dark, $7.44; red neck, $5.98; pale, $6.26; grey. $6.56. G'rade 4.—Fourths: dark, $3.50; light. $3.72.