Hello. I have this vintage leopard coat that I inherited (at least I believe it's leopard). somebody mentioned that it might be ocelot. It was my great aunts coat and from the early 60's (I believe, I have a picture of her wearing it in the 60's.) Does anyone here have any idea of what should be done with such an item? Is there any value?
If it is either real leopard or real ocelot, you almost certainly won't be able to sell it because they are now endangered species, and commercial use is forbidden, with only very few exceptions. It will depend a little on where you are based, but in most cases these can't be sold. If it can be sold at all, you will need paperwork to do so.
I'm in Colorado. What type of paperwork would I need? Does anybody know? I don't know what to do with this and don't really want to just hold on to it. Thank you, Linda
In the USA you definitely won't be able to sell it outside of your own state - the Endangered Species Act prevents sales or commercial use of any items made from such animals. Whether you can sell it within Colorado, will depend on on local state law on endangered species. I believe there are some states that will allow local sales if it's older than a certain age, but I don't know which states, or what proof of age or permits you might need. Many states won't allow it at all. Try googling colorado endangered species law, or contact your local wildlife office. It might be simpler to give it away. There is a USA charity that uses old fur coats for rehabilitating animals - someone else here may give the name, I can't remember. If you give it to someone to wear, they should be made aware that they can't sell it or make any commercial use of it, and they would need a permit to travel outside the USA with it. These kind of items are governed by strict laws all over the world to prevent the illegal trade in endangered species. Just occasionally exceptions are made for older items, but even this is strictly controlled, and in most cases selling them is not an option.
Ah, I found the charity - Coats for Cubs http://coatsforcubs.com/ "These furs can be used to aid in animal rehabilitation by providing bedding for orphaned or injured animals. Rehabbers from across the U.S. report that the furs provide a more natural environment for the animals as compared to towels or blankets and, for example, the animals are often heard heaving audible sighs before snuggling into these fur donations."
Thank you for all the information, Ruth! I will research the Colorado laws on such sale or will probably just donate the coat. Linda
Hi Linda, Your fur is Leopard fur. Very pretty. As Ruth said you will not be permitted to ship it outside of your state because Leopard is listed as an endangered species and is protected through the endangered species act. There are some threatened and endangered species that if over 100 years of age are allowed to be sold and shipped domestically and/or to certain countries/export from the US with required permitting but Leopard is excluded from that list and is as Ruth said only shippable in rare exceptions. Commercial sales that take place entirely in one state and involve legally acquired endangered or threatened species are not prohibited by the endangered species act. However, many states have their own laws which regulate or prohibit selling protected species. To find out what the laws are in your state as Ruth also suggested you need to contact your local US Fish & Wildlife office. Here is the link to Colorado's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. I am not sure if this is the region assigned to the city or county in which you live however if it is incorrect they should be able to redirect you. Code: https://www.fws.gov/offices/Directory/OfficeDetail.cfm?OrgCode=65320
I realize this is an older thread, but I wanted to say Thank you. An older lady friend of mine showed me a vintage Leopard stole she has from her mother whom passed away a long time ago. As my friend is 83 years old, you can guess how old this stole is. She will never part with it but wanted me to see what the value was. I have no idea what the laws in California are but I can guess they support the ban on endangered animal fur. I am passing along the information ya'll have shared. She and I were going through several of her mother's vintage finer clothing items. St. Thomas clutch, Jeanette of Paris purse that looks like a small hat box, her "kid" opera gloves, etc. Ladies truly liked to dress up back then
