Overview

We import between 150,000 and 200,000 rabbit skins per year and have been in this business for more than a decade.  We understand this market thoroughly and know that our skins are some of the nicest ones for the price in the market today.  

This web page is extensive.  It is broken into sections to try to answer many questions our customers have about the various grades of skins. You can either review the entire page by scrolling down or jump to relevant sections using the hyperlinks found immediately below.

Please do not hesitate to call us at 1.800.206.6544 if you have any questions.  Thank you.

Click on the following headlines for links to more information.

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Price by Grade and Quantity

White vs. Natural vs. Bleached vs. Dyed

Minimum Order

A Note on Grades

A Note on Sizes and Weights

A Note on Odor

Why Buy From Us?

How Much Does It Cost For Shipping Within the USA?

International Shipping Costs

Counting Instructions

Washing Instructions

Where Do the Rabbit Skins Come From?

Do We Buy Rabbit Skins?

Why Are There So Few Natural Colored Rabbits?

Why Do Rabbit Skins Often Have Yellow Edges?

What are the Rabbit Skins Used For?

How Much Do the Skins Weigh?

Return Policy

What Are Your Wholesale Prices?

Join Our Import Program

Container Load Shipments to China

Related Products

"White" vs. "Natural" vs. "Dyed" vs. "Bleached"

We use the following definitions for our rabbit skins.  When ordering, please ensure that you use our terminology to get the skins that you want.

White Rabbit Skins refer to rabbits that are virtually all white in color and have not been dyed or bleached.  They could be referred to as Natural White because they have not been altered by dye or bleach, but we simply refer to them as White rabbit skins.  If you order White skins or Natural White skins, you will get all-white skins that have not been dyed or bleached.  Click HERE to see a picture of our White Rabbit skins.

Natural Mixed Color Rabbit Skins are a cross section of the colors other than all white that are found amongst domesticated rabbits, such as bunny rabbit brown, natural black, spotted, fawn, chinchilla, etc.  These have not been bleached or dyed. 

Dyed Rabbit Skins are skins that have been commercially dyed to a variety of different colors, such as orange, blue, red, pink, black, yellow, etc.  We offer 25 different colors, including fluorescent colors.  Click HERE to see a sampling of dyed rabbit skins using our Better Grade Size Dyed Rabbits.

Bleached White Garment Grade Rabbit Skins are white skins that have been treated with bleach to brighten the skin, that is to make it whiter.  Click HERE to see a picture of our Garment Grade Bleached White Rabbit Skins.  Click HERE for a comparison of bleached white and regular white skins.

Black Dyed Rabbit Skins are skins that have been dyed jet black using commercial dyes.  Natural black rabbit skins are skins that have NOT been dyed and tend to be more of a natural, charcoal gray.

The Printed Rabbit Skins come in various animal patterns.  Click HERE for pictures and prices of the stenciled rabbits.

Please do not hesitate to ask us if you have any other questions about the skins.

Minimum Order

Please note that we have a US$75.00 minimum order.  You can mix and match merchandise from elsewhere on the website, but the total before freight must be at least US$75.00.  Sorry, but we do not waive this minimum amount.

We do not waive the quantity pricing structure.  If you order 32 rabbits, we will not give you the 100 price.  If you order 100 rabbits, we will give you the 100 price.

To the best of our knowledge, nearly all other importers in the United States rely on overseas tanneries to grade their skins.  These firms then take the bundles of 100 skins out of the bales of 1,000 skins and ship them off to their customers.  With the better grade skins, this is often possible--although we still inspect bundles at random to ensure that they meet the grade.  We have found, however, that for the lower grade skins, we have to sort these again when they arrive at our warehouse in Niagara Falls, New York.  When you buy skins from us, you will get consistent grading.   

The following grading guidelines should help you choose the rabbit skins that will work best for your application.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us at 1.800.206.6544 for clarification.

The Clipper Grade Rabbit Skins are generally decent chrome-tanned rabbit skins that have extensive yellowing.  These skins are ideal for testing dog and human hair clippers.  The hair is fine (it is not matted), we just don't like the color and presentation.  They could also be used to line the inside of gloves and mukluks.  We have many customers in the clipper sharpening business and know their requirements for suitable skins to test the clippers.  

The Cut-Up Grade Rabbit Skins are lower quality skins that have good fur, but have serious cosmetic defects.  For example, these skins can be smaller than normal, misshapen, have extensive tears, holes or bald spots in the middle of the skin or have patches of bad hair on them.  They are unsuitable for resale as novelty skins to tourists or kids, but are ideal for cutting up into smaller pieces for craft projects or for testing clippers.  We use this grade of skin to make many of our rabbit fur bags and for trim on crafts.  These are good value for the money if you need good fur and can work around the problems.  For a quick video summary of the cut-up grade skins, please click HERE.  If you do not have high speed access, this may take a few minutes to download. Click HERE for pictures of some Cut up Grade rabbit skins.

The Trading Post Grade Rabbit Skins are generally full skins with areas of weak hair coverage or minor defects.  They are suitable for people who want a rabbit skin for whatever purpose and do not know or care about the quality of the hair.  They are also suitable for craft projects, especially for ones using small pieces of rabbit.  The white skins are chrome-tanned and may have a bluish cast to them or more yellowing than skins from our primary tannery.  This is the grade most commonly found in the marketplace.  This is also a grade that many Boy Scout troops or camps buy.  Please click HERE to go to a page with 50 pictures of this grade to give you a better idea of what to expect.

The Craft Grade Rabbit Skins are lower quality skins that can be misshapen, smaller than normal, or have some other minor defects, such as tears, lower quality fur, or minor bald spots or holes on the side.  These are Spanish "pulgares" skins, often called "thumbs" in English because they are used to line gloves.  We do not control for size in this grade.  Some of the skins will be larger than average and some smaller.  Nonetheless, these are generally full skins, not pieces.  We double tumble our skins in Spain to offer the best quality possible.  For a quick video summary of the craft grade skins, please click HERE.  If you do not have high speed access, this may take a few minutes to download. Click HERE for a picture of some Craft Grade rabbit skins.

The Gift Shop Grade Rabbit Skins are slightly better than the craft grade skins, but do not have the consistent fur quality of the better grade skins.  While we can tell the difference between grades, most people have trouble telling the difference between the gift shop grade and better grade skins.  These skins are primarily sold to gift shops for resale to kids.  They are ideal for Boy Scout camps that want to offer rabbit skins to the scouts.  Our main grading guideline is that they look like a full rabbit skin and do not have serious cosmetic defects.  For a quick video summary of the gift shop grade skins, please click HERE.  If you do not have high speed access, this may take a few minutes to download.

The Better Grade Rabbit Skins are full size skins suitable for sale in galleries and more discriminating gift shops and trading posts or for use in craft projects and manufacturing activities that require very nice fur quality.  These skins have a more consistent hair length (~3/4" - 1") and few, if any, imperfections.  These are Spanish "forro" skins, often called "lining" in English because they are used to line jackets and garments.   Click HERE to see pictures of the better grade skins.  For a quick video summary of the reject grade skins, please click HERE.  If you do not have high speed access, this may take a few minutes to download.

The Better Grade Black Dyed Rabbit Skins are a mix of the better grade rabbit skins that have been dyed jet black in Spain.  We usually keep between one and two thousand of these rabbits on hand in our Niagara Falls warehouse.  We can order any quantity you desire.  The black-dyed skins are about the same size as the better grade skins above.  Some will be a bit smaller because the skins tend to shrink somewhat when dyed.  Although, you also get some that are bigger.  In general, other firms sell lower-grade, smaller black dyed skins.  We start out with good quality and end up with a superior product.  Click HERE to see pictures of the black-dyed better grade skins.

The Better Grade Dyed Rabbit Skins are a mix of the better grade rabbit skins that have been dyed in more than 26 colors in the United States using high quality professional dyes.  The dyed skins are about the same size as the better grade skins above.  Some will be a bit smaller because the skins tend to shrink somewhat when dyed.  We start out with good quality and end up with a superior product.  Click HERE to see pictures of the dyed skins.

The Garment Grade Bleached White Skins are the best quality rabbit skins produced in Spain.  These skins are Spanish "peleteri" used by the fashion industry.  Nearly all of the skins are used by the Spanish firms to produce rabbit skins plates (2' by 4' pieces of material) that are then further processed into many designs.  We only maintain limited stocks of this grade at this time.  Click HERE for pictures of the bleached skins.

The Female Lower Grade White Skins are more heavily furred skins that have serious cosmetic problems.  They may be torn, ripped, have holes, bald spots, etc.  These are ideal for craft projects that require heavier fur.  If you are going to cut it up in small pieces anyway, who cares whether there are cosmetic problems?  We use this grade as well for making massage mitts.

Product of Spain, Hungary, or the Czech Republic

A Note on Sizes and Weights

We have used the better grade rabbit skins as our benchmark for the size of a "typical" rabbit skin.  We measured three individual skins at random to get an approximate size for this grade.  Because the skins are not a true rectangle, we provide two measurements for each skin:  the maximum dimensions and the minimum useable dimensions.  The first skin was 11" by 17" for the maximum dimensions and 9" by 14" for the minimum.  The second was 13" by 16" maximum and 9" by 12" minimum. The third was 12" by 18" maximum and 11" by 12" minimum. The sizes may vary somewhat, but this will give you a good idea of what to expect.

The cut up skins can range from half-skins to larger than the better grade ones.  We do not control for size on this grade.  You will get at least half a skin--usually far more.  These are not scrap or tiny pieces.  

The craft and gift shop grade skins are generally as big as the better grade skins described above and often are even bigger.  The main determinate of this grade is fur quality, not size.  Consequently, some skins can often be rather large compared to the "typical" rabbit skin.

The garment grade skins are the same size as the better grade skins described above.

The large female rabbit skins are generally about the same as the better grade or "typical" rabbit skins described above, but have heavier fur.  Please click HERE for a gallery of Natural Colored Rabbit Skins available today.

The size of the bundle of regular rabbit skins is approximately 12" wide by 17" long and 8" high. 

The approximate weight on a bundle of 100 regular size rabbit skins two months after tanning is 11 to 12 pounds. (4.98 kg to 5.44 kg)  The female skins will weigh considerably more.  One rabbit skin weighs approximately 2.1 ounces (58.59 gm).

A Note On Odor

Please note that the rabbits may have a mothball odor because we have to prevent bugs from getting into the skins. We would rather have a mothball order than moths.  You can reduce this odor by either airing them out or by tumbling the skins in a dryer with a dryer sheet on very low heat for no more than five minutes. Any more than this will shrink the rabbit skins and you will no longer  have the option to return them if unsatisfied. If you're worried that the rabbits skins may leave an odor in your dryer, we suggest you use a public laundromat.

Why Buy From Us?

We have been importing rabbit skins for ten years.  We receive monthly shipments from Spain and usually import between 150,000 and 200,000 rabbit skins per year, making us one of the largest importers of tanned rabbit skins in the United States.  We sell to distributors, craft supply companies, gift shops, trading posts, clipper sharpening firms, manufacturers, artists, and crafts people.

We have dealt with a number of tanneries in Spain, Brazil, Hungary, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and China and now work closely with a tannery in Spain that is more concerned with quality than simply volume.  The rabbit skins from this tannery are washed three times instead of two as is common at most tanneries and are alum tanned instead of using the more conventional chrome tanning process.  This special preparation makes the skins softer and more supple to work with.  The regular Spanish rabbit skins (not the females) tend to have thinner skin that some skins from Brazil or eastern Europe.  The thinner skins makes it easier to work with the skins in garments.

We are also interested in growing our business and know that if we ship you what you expect, you will re-order from us.  We know what is in the market and are appalled at what some people charge for low quality skins.  Compare our skins to those of others.  We think you will be surprised. 

Testimonials

Emiliano from Switzerland writes upon receipt of the better grade rabbit skins he ordered: I've just received the skins. They are faboulous!!!
Thank u a lot!!!!!  I will send u a pictures when the blanket will be finished!!!
Best regards and thank u again. 

How Much Does It Cost For Shipping Within the USA?

For the smallest order (US$50.00), please allow at least US$8.00 for shipping by UPS anywhere in the lower 48 states.  Depending upon your location, it takes 1-5 business days (not including weekends and holidays) for UPS to deliver the shipment  by regular ground service.  The closer you are to Niagara Falls, New York, the shorter the time.  No COD orders under US$150.00 due to the high cost of processing the COD shipment.  COD money order only.

The cost to send 200 Gift Shop Grade Rabbits to a residence in Wisconsin by UPS was US$18.50.

The cost to send 100 Better Medium Rabbits to a residence in California by UPS was US$21.90.

The cost to send 100 Better Medium Rabbits to a residence in Indiana by UPS was US$11.74.

International Shipping Costs

We use Global Express Mail Service to send small quantities of rabbit skins internationally, which takes 3 - 5 days and includes a tracking code.  A typical bundle of 100 rabbit skins will weigh around 11-12 pounds for regular rabbits and 14-16 pounds for the better grade bigger ones.  Add a pound or two for the weight of the box.  The cost varies slightly from one destination to the next.  You can see the U.S. Postal Service's website at www.usps.com for postage amounts.  Go to the website and click on their postage calculator in the red header bar on the home page.  Then click on Calculate International Postage and then select package.  You will have to specify your country on another screen and then the estimated weight.  We charge US$2.00 per box extra for shipments that we take to the post office, so include this in your estimate.  There are also minor charges for insurance and delivery confirmation.  A recent shipment to the United Kingdom cost US$68.75 via Global EMS.

Please allow some delay for customs clearance.

The domesticated rabbit skins can be exported without obtaining an export permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Counting Instructions

We are very careful in counting rabbit skins when preparing bundles.  In the past, we have had the occasional customer who claimed a shortage on a shipment.  Often what happens is that customers try counting the skins by flicking through the end of the bundle.  This does not work!  The only way to count a bundle of skins accurately is to untie the bundle and flip one skin at a time into another pile.  Often the skins stick together, so you have to be careful to ensure that each skin is carefully counted.  Once you get to 50 skins, you need to make another pile.  It is very hard to keep a pile much larger than this from falling over.

Washing Instructions

Where Do the Rabbit Skins Come From?

In many parts of Europe and Latin America, the people there eat rabbits the way we eat chickens in North America.  The skins are a by-product of the food-processing industry.  The rabbits are raised for meat, not for their skins.  

Do We Buy Rabbit Skins?

Why Are There So Few Natural Colored Rabbits?

Why Do Rabbit Skins Often Have Yellow Edges?

What Are The Rabbit Skins Used For?

When I first started importing rabbit skins, I was astonished at the wide variety of uses for the skins.  Here is a list of things that I am aware of that the skins are used for: skins for kids to play with (go figure), doilies, jewelry displays, trim on Native American crafts (kachinas, peace pipes, mandellas, etc.),  painted on the back, cut up into small pieces for fly fishing, trim plaster masks, test human and animal clippers to ensure that they are sharp enough to cut hair, cut the hair off for dubbing in the fly fishing industry, make into bags, line gloves, trim collars and cuffs on garments, fur coats for dolls, Halloween costumes, cat toys, etc., etc.  If you have other uses, please let us know.

Some people put many rabbit skins together to make a throw or blanket. (Click HERE to see a sample blanket that was made using our dyed rabbit skins.) While it is much easier with a fur machine, it is possible to sew rabbit skins together using regular thread and a sewing machine that has a walking foot. We recommend gift shop or higher quality skins to make blankets. The hide side on the gift shop grade and better grade skins are the same.  The main difference is the CONSISTENCY of the HAIR LENGTH.  The better grade skins tend to have hair that is more consistently the same length.  Many people do not even notice the difference, but it is there.

How Much do the Skins Weigh?

The weights vary depending upon the size of the skins and how recently they have arrived from the tannery.  Super fresh skins have more moisture in them and tend to weigh a bit more than ones that have had sufficient time to dry thoroughly.  For gift shop grade skins, assume a working weight of 12 lbs (5.44 kg) per 100 skins.  Keep in mind that you will need to add two to three pounds (0.9 to 1.4 kilograms) extra for the weight of a box when calculating shipping amounts.

Return Policy

What Are Your Wholesale Prices?

Join Our Import Program

Related Products

We have thousands of products on this website.  For similar products, click on the webpages highlighted below:

Click HERE for printed or stenciled rabbit skins in animal prints

Click HERE for Rabbit Hair

Click HERE for Rabbit Plates

Click HERE for Tanned Hare Skins (Wild Rabbit)

Click HERE for Rabbit Fur Scrap

Click HERE for Rabbit Foot Keychains

Click HERE for Rabbit Fur Bags

Thank You!

Thank you for considering us as your rabbit skin supplier.  I hope that we will be able to serve you.

Regards,