Gorgeous Creatures can quote to repair your possum fur throw, blanket or fur coat in New Zealand only.

Each project is unique depending on the age of the fur and the issues like split or papery perished skins, failing/bursting seams, holes, weak areas of leather, dry and dull matted fur, bald patches and furs that need to be replaced etc.

Not all furs can be repaired, in fact most of the fur throws/blankets that we see are well beyond any help. If it is falling apart in multiple places then it is at the end of its life. Most possum fur throws last about 10 years.

If any small pieces have fallen off your possum throw please keep them, they are very important. However once this starts to happen it is probably not strong enough to put under a sewing machine without tearing further.

One way we have successfully repaired older possum throws in the past is to remove a line of pelts from a side, and then used those furs to repair issues in other places (so the furs match). This means the throw will be smaller but at least it will be useable (as long as it is repairable).

Sometimes a possum fur throw has simply worn out beyond repair and it is better to buy a new one. If your possum fur throw or blanket is more than 10 years old then it will probably not be able to be repaired or worth repairing.

We can't quote or estimate until our furrier has seen the fur throw, blanket or garment and the cost for this review is $100 (this covers the courier to and from our furrier and a some time to turn the throw/jacket inside out, assess the situation and then to work out a estimated price for the repair).

We need to open the throw up to see what is really happening inside before we can quote. Please DO NOT do this yourself to save money. You will probably do more damage and then it will cost you more. If the pelts are dry, weak and brittle this needs to be done very carefully.

Expect to pay a minimum of NZ$250 as a starting point (plus the $100 quote fee). But this can increase to around $450-$650 or more if the repairs are extensive and some fur pelts need to be replaced completely with new pelts. Or if a supportive backing needs to be glued which is very time consuming and difficult.

Repairs are done during quiet times and new orders for things like new possum fur blankets take first priority, so there can sometimes be a long wait for repairs, sometimes up to 3 months.

A fur coat or jacket repair will cost about NZ$150-$350 to repair if it is a simple split seam. But again this will be priced on a case-by-case basis depending on what is required, and what condition the fur pelts are in.

Most of this fur repair cost is manual labour. Old fur coats or jackets are often too brittle to repair as they will not hold a stitch.

Once a fur coat smells musty there is nothing that can be done to rescue it other than airing in a shaded place, but never put fur in direct sunlight. Or a fur coat or jacket can be dry-cleaned by a specialist fur cleaner if the garment is not too old or fragile.

Issues that we often see in old possum fur throws and blankets:-

• Fur skins splitting/bursting open along the seams
• Fur skins spitting and tearing in the middle of the pelt (the leather is perished - can only be repaired in some circumstances)
• Fur skins that look and feel like paper (dried out and perished)
• Weak leather that is disintegrating and brittle and easily pulls apart
• Fur that is dull and dry looking
• Fur that has faded in colour or changed colour (we can't do anything to help sorry - fur can not be re-dyed)
• Fur that is knotted and matted
• Fur that is sticky with food and drink spills
• Fur that animals have urinated on and the leather has rotted or it smells
• Fabric lining that is dirty and needs cleaning or replacing
• Insect damage

What we can do to help fix your old possum fur throw or blanket:-

• Suggest an Auckland based dry-cleaner (NZ only)
• Replace or remove and clean the fabric backing
• Replace a few fur pelts (it is best to use pelts from your existing fur throw by removing a row, and then use those furs to replace any that can not be repaired - new fur pelts would stand out too much and make the rest of the throw look terrible - we could never match the colours of new pelts to old pelts)
• Sew up split seams and holes (if pelt strong enough)
• Brush up the furs to fluff them up and remove knots
• Reinforce repaired areas so they will be less likely to split again
• Check the fur throw for other issues that you may not be aware of yet