I collect animal products and have since I was a child, I feel the relationship the members in the fandom have with many of them collecting these items is the fact that they love animals alive and find what they leave behind in passing to be neat, and they understand that passing away happens and is natural and that furs , teeth, bones, antlers and more are interesting and peak interest so many collect those items to be able to enjoy those oddities , as for having them at a con, I personally feel that Many may have a discomfort with it and a con should be a respectful area all around and that respect should extend to peoples comfort as well and the environment to be kept comfortable and bringing in an item or items that could potentially disrupt that comfort and enjoyment might not be advised as anyone looking to get something like that can very easily purchase them online on a multitude of sites in the privacy and comfort of their own home and those who wish to share their beloved items with the public can do so at their own discretion with the understanding some may feel differently about the items :)

That was the longest sentence I have ever read.

Sorry about that -
I do feel that what I said is pretty close to most of us who collect though. Most of my friends on here also collect animal products and items so I get quite a bit of input about their comfort levels with items and how people who are not interested in animal products feel about them. Those who don't collect seem to be indifferent, and the few who do very much dislike it will usually say something along the lines of "oh no poor animal" or ask why you killed or hurt it, and in all honesty I wish they would ask where it came from and know that a collector can be far different from a hunter. I feel like ethically sourced items are always what I go for first as I don't wish to know something was hurt just for its fur or for profit but once in a while I cannot tell where something has come from and will sometimes still get it knowing its 50/50 and just enjoy it for what it is ~

Love your opinions. If it were something I were to look into I would be sourcing the pelts myself. That is by getting them from farmers who have shot pests (foxes and rabbits... cause Australia) or even from kangaroo or deer hunters who usually are hunting for meat purposes. But at this stage it's just a thought.

As long as it's humanely sourced it doesn't bother me. I actually have several fox tails I bought over a decade ago that I adore, though personally I'll probably go faux for any future purchases. :)

If it were something I would personally look into, the fur I would be getting is from animals that wouldn't have their pelts used otherwise. I'd be getting them from farms where animals like foxes and rabbits (in Australia) are considered pests and are not killed for their pelts but rather for existing. I like the idea of not letting animals like this just get thrown in a gully somewhere but rather being used and appreciated. I just can't spend my life collecting pelts if I can't share them with anyone.

That said I only have the one at the moment. I just know I'll be moving to a more country area in the next few months and I need a new hobby.

Then by all means, go nuts ^-^

Floofy floof is cool. I'm certain it'd catch my eye since it's authentic, but I'm sure people either feel better connections with these items or just enjoy the floofiness. I'd be curious about the sourcing but I don't think I'd mind necessarily. Also floof. Did I mention floof?

I personally used to own a springbok skin that we brought when we moved away from South Africa, and I always loved it, we also had numerous other pelts and other items when we lived there still.

The skin unfortunately got ruined after a few years of living here and I have since been looking to replace it.

I feel that if it is sourced in a humane way, and not from any animals who are endangered or protected that it can be perfectly fine to have. It all depends on the item in question and how you came about having it in my view.

(( I also live in Aus btw x3 ))

Reading above comment; I don't see anything wrong with the rabbit or fox pelts in the slightest, could be an alright hobby to have :o

If I saw someone selling skins or tails at a con, I'd be generally interested and would probably strike up a conversation and want to know more to be honest !

I think I'm just keen to use this kind of stuff if given the chance.

Go for it ! And then tell me how it goes haha

I'd only consider buying animal products if I knew it was all done in a humane way, like a farm that specializes in treating the animal well then putting it down gently. I don't think I'd be ok with owning items from an animal that was hunted down in cold blood and probably died in a lot of pain from a trap or something. Just my thoughts though

I feel like the ones who do that are the ones who like to feel as connected or as close to an animal as they can. Although i'm not one for real items (since it means killing a real animal), but I wont mind or judge the ones who do. Me personally, i'd rather keep it faux

So long as the item wasn't illegally obtained through poaching or procured through overly cruel means, I'm for it.

Many people seem to have a blanket hatred of fur, or other animal products, but I'm pretty much fine with it so long as the supply is sustainable, no unnecessary hunting was done to obtain it and, preferably if the item or items (furs, teeth, skulls, etc) were a byproduct of something else.

Personally, I don't have a problem with the sale/purchase of animal pelts, etc. (assuming ethical sourcing) in everyday life. Though when I think of it within a "furry fandom" setting, it bothers me just a tiny bit. Maybe because, in my mind, it switches from representing a "love of wildlife" to "souvenirs from an anthropomorphic being".

Keep in mind that even _I_ think my opinion sounds hypocritical, especially considering I've never attended a furry convention.

I don't know where I would sit on it, but I try to respect other people's wants and desires, but I feel that while it is not necessarily in poor taste I feel it would still be a bit weird. I can't say I ahve ever liked the idea of taxidermy, it's always kind of weirded me out to think that that item once used to be a living animal and now it is someone's collectors item as if to say that humans still have some privileged existence above other animals

If they are things collected from naturally deceased animals, I can't really complain, things die, that is the circle of things. Collecting bird feathers feels very different from collecting fur pelts, because feathers simply fall out were fur pelts you would actually have to skin the animal to acquire it.

It also might e hypocritical with the above statement because I am generally okay with people using things like kangaroo leather to make whips and other useful items that have a purpose beyond adornments to things like fursuits or tails.

This is a very nuanced conversation that I don't think will have any sort of resolution beyond what we personally are comfortable with. So in short I am comfortable with the use of animals products like leather in the making of tools or items that have a purpose but would feel very uncomfortable with someone using pelts to make tail or fursuits out of pelts.

I'd have to say I love animals enough to not get a product made from fur. It doesn't make me uncomfortable, and to be honest a lot of the time I'm indifferent. However I believe all animals have a right to live outside of human interference (hard to do right?). But unless I knew you were actively killing these poor animals, I wouldn't have a negative opinion of you. Maybe of some people who buy the stuff tho. Idk. Hard to tell, what the feels would actually be. I like to think I am open minded about people, but I do have my own personal rules in life.

I think it completely depends on the history of the fur. I'm not a huge fan of wearing real fur, just a personal choice (partly because I don't want to deal with PETA if they found out lol).

But, if I was going to buy real fur or like a tail, I would only do it from a very reputable artist. One that I know the fur was got humanely and treated correctly and all. I don't believe I would purchase one at a convention, just because I don't think many people could prove that they got the tails humanely, or bought them from someone who got them humanely. I would most likely find a store or something that can prove background and all :)

I hope this helps and doesn't repeat too much of what was above! :D

Depends on where it came from really. Every time I got to a renaissance fair or a convention and see a booth or a shop with a wall full of fox tails I die a little inside because I can't help but feel like those probably came from a fox farm. And the shop owner can bullshit you any story they want. You never really know under what circumstances those tails or furs were harvested.

I got into yarn tails because I really loved the idea of wearing a tail but I couldn't bring myself to buy one that once belonged to a living creature and most faux fur tails don't appeal to me.

I myself am a bit of a collector of animal parts, so....my opinion is very skewed, lol. If I saw someone selling animal parts at a furry con though that would make me do a double-take. Like, tails I could see, but anything else would surprise me (since anime cons are already pretty popular places for selling tails, so it makes more sense to me for tails to be sold, plus...furries). I'd be cool with coming across just about anything, but I'd be very confused if I saw stuff at a furry con. I'd kind of hope for the seller's sake that they know the source of their furs/bones/other parts and that they're responsibly sourced.

A lot of people I know who make things from animal parts are extremely respectful of what they are creating with/selling. Some do have a bit of a spiritual connection (or a lot of one), and many think of the animals involved as individuals rather than things. I myself am that way as well. Not so popular with older crowds who are into more traditional avenues, haha.