Why do many people go abroad for a fur coat? Because there you can buy a fluffy new item of modern design, high quality, and cheaper than at home. I first encountered the opportunity to buy a fur coat while traveling about ten years ago. My family and I went to Greece on the Halkidiki peninsula to catch the tail end of the velvet season and swim in the still warm Aegean Sea. There we were given the opportunity to visit the famous Greek fur factories. We had no idea then how seriously the Greeks are involved in the fur business. And there was plenty to see: a whole valley lined with small shops. Furs in all their glory - luxurious sable, plucked mink, fashionable denim jackets trimmed with arctic fox fur. We couldn't resist - we bought my mother a red fox fur coat for a thousand dollars. And our fellow bus passengers, who clearly knew where they were going, bought fur coats for two thousand or even five thousand and were very happy with their purchases. "At home, I would have spent three times as much," one happy owner of a luxurious floor-length black mink coat shared with me. Since then, I have learned a lot about the scale of "fur places" on the planet.
Greece
The quality of fur products made in Greece is valued worldwide. Twice a year, in March and September, auctions are held here where pelts are purchased for sewing new products. However, there is no seasonality for ready-made fur products in Greece (the concept of "sale" does not exist here). Fur coats are sold in any city, but people usually go to the fur kingdom of Kastoria or to Katerini-Paralia.
Kastoria, located in the northern part of the country, is considered the fur center of Greece. Currently, there are about 2,000 factories producing fur products - most of the population of this area proudly bears the name "furriers", that is, fur masters. Tourists looking for a fur coat are taken to those very "factories", although in reality they are showrooms (visitors are not allowed into the workshops where fur coats are cut and sewn). One of the famous features of Kastorian furriery traditions is that they have a special technology for processing and dressing furs and sewing fur coats, even from the smallest pieces. By the way, no other country in the world sews fur coats from such pieces of such high quality.
When you are planning to go on a fur coat trip to Greece, you need to decide for yourself: choose a fur tour from a travel agency (with the obligation to purchase a fur coat) or just go to relax in Greece and at the same time devote a day to shopping? Because very, very much depends on your choice.
If you are going to Greece to relax, just ask your guide to arrange an individual excursion to one of the "fur" places. And if you are going exclusively for a fur coat, it is better to choose a fur tour, but without the obligation to purchase. Such a trip will cost you about $500. The price includes tickets, visa, hotel, and transfer. A nice addition: the three days you spend in Greece will be devoted not only to searching for a fur coat but also to evening excursions and dinners in Greek style. And which factories to go to for a fur coat - you will choose personally.
A completely different scenario awaits tourists who buy a fur tour with the obligation to purchase. Such a trip, as a rule, costs almost nothing, sometimes you only need to pay for the visa yourself. However, before departure, you will be asked to sign a contract stating that the tourist undertakes to buy at least one fur coat worth about €1,000 (and if you have children over two years old, they also each need a fur coat), since the costs of your visit to Greece are paid by several fur factories. In case of non-fulfillment of the contract, you will be obliged to return about €400 to the travel company. But there is another circumstance that cannot be left unmentioned. Tourists "with obligation" are taken to a limited number of factories, and they cannot choose which ones to go to (remember those several fur factories that paid for your trip). And they visit these factories separately from those tourists who came without obligations. Why? Because the price the seller quotes for those "obligated" is higher: it includes the cost of the paid tour.
According to experienced people, it makes sense to take such a tour only if you plan to purchase two or three fur coats (when buying the first, you get a discount on all subsequent ones). And if you need only one fur beauty, it is worth booking a regular tour (without purchase obligations) and bargaining, bargaining with the sellers! Because for those who came "with obligation," the price for even the most modest fur coat will not fall below €1,200.
A cult place in the city of Kastoria for every fur tour tourist is the trade and exhibition complex "Edika." Local furriers understand that it is simply impossible to visit all factories in a few days, so they built this building with 12 halls, which feature about 80,000 models of fur coats.
This is clearly more than in the town of Katerini-Paralia, but it also has something to boast about. On the main street from the church, there are a hundred shops with furs and other goods. And prices for fur products in Katerini-Paralia are lower than in Kastoria. Moreover, here shopping can be successfully combined with an excursion program (this beach town is located a hundred kilometers from Athens) and swimming in the sea. And a nice addition: a room in Katerini-Paralia can be rented for just €30 per night. All sellers speak Russian, and payment is accepted in both euros and dollars.
By the way, approximate prices for fur coats in Greece: half-length mink coat (pieces) – €900-1,300; half-length whole mink coat – €1,600-3,500; silver fox (half-length) – €1,200-1,800; karakul (half-length) – €900-1,200; crystal raccoon - €1,000-1,500.
Italy
If you want to buy a luxury fur coat, it is best to turn to products of international high fashion brands. Excellent quality of fur combined with original design and flawless execution - that is what the buyer gets by paying a considerable amount for the item. If the price is so high, it is better to go shopping where there is a wide selection and a guarantee of authenticity of the purchased items. For example, to the monobrand boutiques of the fashion district in Milan.
By the way, the last two seasons have shown the direction in which fur fashion of the near future will apparently develop. If last year the key word was 'luxury', this year it is 'fantasy and design'. It goes without saying that the fur is of the highest quality, but it must be 'presented' in the most interesting way. Moreover, modern fur products should rather show the impeccable taste of the owner than shout about her financial capabilities. In this situation, interesting design and original fur processing technologies come to the fore, and the Milan fashion district becomes an ideal place to buy expensive furs. Here, on a relatively small territory, the boutiques of the best world (and not only Italian, as is commonly thought) fashion masters are concentrated. Fashion houses themselves run their boutiques, intermediaries are excluded, which guarantees the authenticity of items.
Prices here are always lower than in the capital, and from January 7 the sale season begins, with discounts up to 70%. Approximate prices for designer fur models in Italy: Celine figaro jacket from fox - €1,120; Borbonese short fur coat - €3,900; Just Cavalli short jacket from almost any fur (not chinchilla, of course) – €2,500-3,000; D&G sheepskin coat with silver fox collar - €3,500; D&G foal coat (color 'sand zebra') - €10,000.
United Arab Emirates
The entire fur empire of the UAE is concentrated in Dubai on Nasr Square. Many local shopping experts recommend the store Emporio Giodimo. But it is better to visit all companies, so that you form your own personal impression of the quality and assortment.
Some say that fur coats from the Emirates are somewhat inferior in quality because it is a very hot country, and fur is afraid of heat and light. It can be argued. But if this bothers you, when you enter the store and choose a model you like, ask to be taken to the warehouse - say, you want exactly the same model but a different size. The warehouse will likely be dark and cool - that's where you look for the double of the fur coat you liked. And when you bring this soft gold home, do not forget: you need to store the fur coat in the cold. Then it will keep you warm for many years. By the way, fur coats from the UAE are considered the best in terms of price-quality ratio. And, importantly, their prices are set in US dollars.
Here is what travel agency representative Tatyana Meshcheryakova told us about her experience buying a fur coat in the UAE: 'When I went to Dubai in August, by that time I had formed a goal - to buy a fur coat for winter. I really wanted a Greek one. I know from experience that there is a large selection of fur products in Kastoria and they have excellent quality. But, alas, the prices in euros were clearly unattractive for me, so I decided to buy a fur coat in the UAE. There are three major centers in Dubai where fur coats are sold, all not far from each other: "Abrash Center", "Alaska" and "Planet of Fur". The main thing is not to rush when buying. A good fur coat is a very expensive item, so you should choose carefully. The selection was large: from short jackets made of pieces of mink (about $500-$600) to long ones, all sorts of colors and styles (about $4,000). Moreover, the price on the tag is one, the sellers name another, and you buy for a third. You must bargain. If you like a model, take the trouble to take a business card of that store. If you eventually decide to buy a fur coat from them, call the number indicated and they will come to your hotel and then take you back.'
There are Chinese fur coats in the UAE, they are the cheapest. Attention! If they ask less than $1,000 for a long fur coat, something is wrong with that fur coat, be careful. It is also possible to buy Italian fur coats (from $3,500) and, of course, Greek ones. The price depends on quality, color, length, and so on. Last year's models are sold cheaper. By the way, many owners of Greek fur factories have their own stores in Dubai. The sellers are Russian-speaking, so there are no language problems. One of my acquaintances bought a southern seal (tag price $1,400, bought for $950) and a mink (tag price $1,700, bought for $1,100).
There was a girl in the group who bought a fur coat in a store on the very first day of her stay in Dubai. Only later she regretted that she was in a hurry, seeing a better and cheaper model elsewhere. And I bought a Greek mink fur coat of a beautiful peach-pearl color, long, for $1,700 (initial price – $2,200).'