Furriers generally purchase their pelts at international auctions. Major North American auctions are held several times a year in New York, Seattle, Toronto and North Bay, Canada. Auctions are also held around the world. At the auctions, buyers from the fashion centres of the world, speaking a dozen different languages, bid for each batch of pelts as it is presented. It takes a keen eye, strong nerves, and a lifetime of experience to master the auction. A furrier's success in the coming year depends on the decisions made in the final moments before the auctioneer's hammer falls. At the auctions, the rules of supply and demand come into play. When consumer demand is high, pelt prices generally increase. The price of pelts at auction determines the price of fur garments at the retail level.

From the auction house, pelts are sent for tanning or "dressing," as the process is called within the industry. After the dressing process is complete, the pelts emerge as shiny, silky fur and soft, supple leather. The dressing process preserves the pelts and therefore, is one of the most critical steps in the making of a fur garment adding to its durability. Dressers in the U.S. are regulated by both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The fur industry supports the strict regulations that seek to protect the environment, as well as those employed in the fur trade.

The craft of making a fur garment requires hours of skilled work by hand through every stage. The dressed pelts are sent to manufacturers, where the creation of a garment begins with the designer. Many of the world's most renowned designers use fur in their designs and ready-to-wear collections. Some of the most notable are Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, and Bob Mackie. In fact, more designers today are working with fur than they did ten years ago. Once the designer has created their design, the manufacturer makes the pattern, from which each pelt must be cut. The pelts are wet, stretched, and tacked to a special table called a "blocking" table. This enables the furrier to shape and soften the pelts. A highly skilled craftsman called a "cutter" slices the pelts. Finally, the pelts are sewn together. A more common intricate craft is the "letting-out" process where each pelt is cut into narrow diagonal strips. They are then meticulously sewn back together, with hundreds of tiny seams, into a longer, narrow band. This "letting out" process is one of the secrets to creating a supple, flowing garment.

In all, it takes about one full year, from the time the furs are harvested and sent to auction, until the finished fur garment is ready for the consumer. There are more than 1,500 retail stores across North America that specializes in fur garments. While some retail establishments are large, chain operations with many locations, most fur retailers - over 85% - are small, family-owned and operated businesses.

In an age of standardization and production-line uniformity, the fur trade remains a last bastion of personalized, highly-skilled craftsmanship. As no two pelts are ever exactly alike, the fur trade can never be fully "automated." It is still the skill and knowledge of the individual fur craftsman; skills passed down through generations, which transform a bundle of fur pelts into a unique and wonderful creation - your own fur coat.
Furs are gathered from specialized farms, from the northern forests, and from around the world. Graded and selected by experts at international fur auctions, the pelts are tanned and "dressed" according to closely guarded processes. Some may require months and more than one hundred separate steps to complete. Each pelt is carefully cleaned and treated with oils to bring lasting softness to the leather and lustre to the fur. Natural colours are highlighted and new ones may be added.
The pelts must then be matched, cut, "blocked" (stretched out on the pattern board, to shape and soften the leather), sewn together and finally finished. Each step is done manually and every garment is inspected constantly at every stage: seams must be straight and tight, pelts well-matched and linings, buttons and other accessories sewn in properly. All this so that, when you slip on your coat, it will feel as good as it looks. Throughout these operations nothing is wasted. Even small pieces of fur cut from the pelts as they are fitted to the patterns are collected, sorted and later sewn together into "plates" from which less expensive pieced garments can be made.