Thoughts on selling pre-ban seal sporrans?

[Nathan]

This was my exact sporran for years... it is baby seal pelt.

[OC Richard]

I still wonder about the legality of domestic sales (within the USA).

They're illegal to bring across the border into the USA, that's clear.

I picked up a sealskin Evening sporran at one of our Games several years ago... I doubt the seller knew what it was, or about the sealskin ban.

There's an entire pipe band here in California, Prince Charles, who for decades wore sealskin sporrans (sort of a badge of pride, perhaps, because no other band had them). When I decided to sell my sealskin sporran I sold it to a Prince Charles member, who said they were running low on those sporrans and couldn't replace them.

It's odd how these animal bans go... I remember being amazed at walking into a shop in Glasgow and seeing an entire wall of sealskin sporrans, while on the other hand badger is banned there, but widely available here in the USA.

About that style, it's interesting, because it's basically a Day sporran done up in sealskin. Sporrans like that show up quite early in vintage Highland Dress catalogues; here it is in 1936 (they continue to make #5, but unfortunately not #4... and what is "blue sealskin"?)



This Prince Charlie, designated EW7, is one of the traditional "canon" of sporran designs... here is my thread about them

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-styles-77256/

And here's the page



Somewhat odd is the sporran lower centre, a complete Day sporran done up in seal, but unlike EW7 lacking the metal plate on the flap and using Day rather than Evening tassels

[RockyR]

@ OC Richard.... It's interesting to see how LITTLE sporrans really have changed in the past 80 years. Very neat!

[Pleater]

You do need to be really aware of the regulations - I heard of someone taking some ivory jewellery boxes to family in the USA. They had been left to the grand daughters in a will. Because the right paperwork was not available they were confiscated at the airport, and even though copies of the documents were obtained within hours, the boxes were not returned.

I have also heard of musical instruments being confiscated as they were, or apparently were, made from banned woods, though some were returned after payment of all sorts of fees - serious money. One duo who go to the US regularly travel a few days early and buy instruments to use there, and then sell them again before returning home, as their own guitars have a type of wood which causes all sorts of trouble when crossing borders.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[creagdhubh]

Very smart! I've always admired the look of this particular style of ("Prince Charlie") sporran for Highland evening dress, and I actually own one that was made by L&M Highland Outfitters of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (see below). This was a popular style found in old Highland dress catalogues during the 1950's and 60's.

[TheOfficialBren]

Very smart! I've always admired the look of this particular style of ("Prince Charlie") sporran for Highland evening dress, and I actually own one that was made by L&M Highland Outfitters of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (see below). This was a popular style found in old Highland dress catalogues during the 1950's and 60's.

Might this style of sporran be the precursor to today's "semi-dress" sporrans? I see some similarities.

[creagdhubh]

Might this style of sporran be the precursor to today's "semi-dress" sporrans? I see some similarities.

Possibly, yet I never really understood the point of a "semi-dress" sporran. And to me, the term "semi-dress" as applied to Highland dress, has never made much sense.