Mink average 13-18 inches long and weigh up to 3 pounds, whereas ermine weigh 0.2-0.3 pounds and least weasels weigh 1-2 ounces. Mink can be brown or black, but many mink in Iowa are black year-round. An ermine is dark brown in summer with a white belly, feet and a white line down its hind leg.

Along with their tubelike bodies, weasels have small flattened heads, long flexible necks, and short limbs. The fur is short but dense, and the slim tail is pointed at the tip. Five toes on each foot end in sharp curved claws. The species can be differentiated by size, colour, and relative length of the tail.

Minks are slender mammals with pointed noses, short legs and partially webbed feet. Weasels are also long and slender, with short legs and long snouts; but their feet are not webbed. Some weasels have long tails and others have short tails. Unlike weasels, minks’ fur does not change color.

Ermine (/ˈɜːrmɪn/) in heraldry is a “fur”, a type of tincture, consisting of a white background with a pattern of black shapes representing the winter coat of the stoat (a species of weasel with white fur and a black-tipped tail).

Once the fur of European royalty, Russian summer ermine (golden color) and winter ermine (white, sometimes with the tell-tale black tail tips) are rare and expensive, costing between $30,000 and $60,000.

Identify it as an ermine if is white with black tips. Ermine is a type of weasel, and the fur is extremely silky. Identify the fur as a fisher if the fur is long, dark and shiny.

With rabbit, you have the choice of shearing, grooving, and natural fur types. This fur is warm and soft and perfect for coats, jackets, vests, and hats. Rabbit is one of the least expensive furs you can buy. Typically, you can find a rabbit jacket for under $2,000.

To sell a fur coat, first assess the worth, considering quality, how well it has been cared for and the type of skin. Get a professional appraisal of your coat if you plan to sell it directly; fur resellers or consignment shops will insist on their own appraisals.

Most vintage furs are worth less than $750 US. Other types of furs in coats, jackets and stoles will usually range from $50 to $300. $1000 and up for a full coat for the following furs: chinchilla, lynx, modern sables especially with provenance such as Blackglama, designer furs.

Real fur feels very soft and smooth to touch, easily rolls between fingers. The fake fur is rough to the touch. It may become sticky in wet weather and may have the same feel as a stuffed animal toy. Gently blow on the hairs, separate them and look at the base.

Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s are currently selling off the last of their coats so they can close their fur salons. A year ago, California passed a ban on the sale of new fur products, effective in 2023. Many luxury brands, including Burberry, Chanel, Coach, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren and Versace, have banned fur.

You can check the quality of a mink pelt from the touch and look of it. Higher quality pelts are softer, have shorter hair, they are more lightweight, more shiny and their color is more vivid. Check inside the lining.

Male pelts are longer than female, and very often have a thicker leather. However, since the smaller female pelts are often used for lighter-weight, more expensive garments, they can actually go for higher prices at auction.

A sable fur coat can cost from $10.000 to 500.000! On 2015 Kalr Lagerfeld featured one of the most expensive clothing ever made, a full-length sable fur coat that cost 1.000.