Real Fur Dilemma

[whymadam]

Don't hate me, I agree with the whole anti-real fur thing, ok? I've inherited 3 mink coats from an ancient relative (why me?) and have nooooo idea what to do with them! I suggested to DH that we just burn them. This seems a terrible thing to do, though and I can't explain why.
Advice please, and no haters - honestly, I am not pro-fur. Help!

It's far more ethical to wear real vintage fur than it is to have new faux fur. If you don't want to wear them that's fine, but you are better to sell them to someone who will. It would be such a devastating waste to burn them.

Could you offer them up to theatres?
Make a ddoggy bed?
Make cushion covers?
My great grandfather made fur coats and dgm had a fair few in her wardrobe when she died... Not sure what happened to them though..

Please don’t burn them, that is just terrible. It won’t stop any suffering, it’s just wasteful. Sell on to someone who wants vintage fur or to a vintage shop.

Don’t burn them. Give them to a charity?

They already exist and you aren't supporting an unethical producer/trader by inheriting it, so I don't really see the problem. Wear it or donate it, but don't create unnecessary pollution by burning something someone else might happily use.

i’d wear them so the poor animals didnt suffer and die for nothing. i’d never buy new for though. thats just making businesses that do it expand and hurt even more little animals.

Dont burn them!!! Sell them on ebay or vinted! Real fur is so much more enviromentaly friendly than plastic fake fur and its vintage.

I have 4 real fur coats a mix of inherited and bought online (ebay) i see them as more sustainable than fast fashion and they already existed so why not wear them?

I had a work friend who was in a similar dilemma. She inherited a number of fur coats and stoles and donated them to a production company who gladly took them for their costume department. Then she was utterly convinced Gina Grey in Peaky Blinders was rocking her granny’s old Fox stole. 🤣

The animals have already died. The people involved already made their money
Destroying the coat is wasteful

There are three good options
Wear them and make a donation to an animal charity

Sell them and donate the profit to an animal charity

Wear them or sell them and don't donate to an animal charity. Acknowledge that attitudes were different in the past, your relative didn't consider real fur awful as we do now and these were a gift given in good faith. Enjoy the coats or enjoy the money selling them brings you because your relative wanted the best for you.

I'd wear them. I used to have a couple rabbit furs inherited from my mum and nan. I love the way they feel.

If you hate the idea and look then sell them. Lots of people do still wear vintage furs.

I'm ethically against modern fur production but if the animals died in the 1940s it's better to wear it than throw it away?

Plus I eat meat and wear leather so I can hardly claim to be the doyenne of the anti animal cruelty society.

I understand the dilemma. I have a mink coat and two animal skin handbags. I just keep them in my wardrobe and enjoy the memories.

Thanks all for your valued comments. You are correct, it would be wasteful to destroy these coats. Yes, DH also pointed out that we eat meat and love a good leather handbag or pair of shoes - so a mink from the 1950s, whenever, won't make the planet explode. I'm going to keep one of them and see if I can find good homes for the rest. You've been so helpful, given me perspective on what can be an explosive issue wrt animal welfare. Much appreciated

I mean....if you put it on ebay send me a link 😅

I have the same issue. My Nan gave me her fur coat. My grandad saved really hard to buy it her for her on her 21st birthday and she gave it to me on mine. They were teen parents and had very little, and have always grafted, so I could never part with it, it holds sentimental value. But I have never worn it. I take it out my wardrobe every so often and try it on, it is beautiful, but my ethics just stop me from wearing it. I know my Nan wants me to pass it onto my 5 year old daughter one day.

Agree with this, those animals died a long time ago. I have a moleskin jacket from a great aunt. Moles were, and still are, trapped as pests. Not by me, I love moles, but if they do get killed better to use the fur. Same with grey squirrels, I also inherited a coat with a squirrel fur collar. I would never buy a new fur item, but a coat from a century ago isn’t anything to do with the current fur trade, and is far more ego friendly than fun fur.

I strongly disagree with the idea that it’s more ethical to wear them. The argument against is that, by wearing them, you are normalising it and if enough people do that then others start wanting new ones again.

Some animal shelters accept them to use as bedding or, as others have suggested, theatre costume departments.

Just read a story about someone who thought it was fine to murder someone for shooting wild animals/wearing fur, but this person happily wore leather, ate meat, and had no interest in paying more to make farming/slaughtering more compassionate.
I don't know if that's because fur/shooting is seen as more elitist, but if you're really against them, don't wear them-give them away.

PETA accept donations of fur coats which they distribute to the homeless and refugees.