Looks like Seal Skin is OK...

[D.A. Guertin]

There has been talk here and there about the legality of 'repurposing' vintage and antique seal skin products into sporrans, since seal skin itself cannot be imported, either directly or indirectly. As a sporran maker myself, I felt I had to read up on this closely. From what I can see in the text of the actual act, as passed, and as amended, it looks like this is fully lawful:

Sec. 102, subsection e:

This Act shall not apply with respect to any marine mammal taken before the effective date of this Act [December 21, 1972], or to any marine mammal product consisting of, or composed in whole or in part of, any marine mammal
taken before such date.

Seems to sum it up well enough. There is also an exemption listed earlier on in the Act that states you can bring your seal skin sporran back into the country if you leave with it (6Ai): "was legally possessed and exported by any citizen of the United States in conjunction with travel outside the United States, provided that the product is imported into the United States by the same person upon the termination of travel."

Of course, the fun part is the proof...

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

There has been talk here and there about the legality of 'repurposing' vintage and antique seal skin products into sporrans, since seal skin itself cannot be imported, either directly or indirectly. As a sporran maker myself, I felt I had to read up on this closely. From what I can see in the text of the actual act, as passed, and as amended, it looks like this is fully lawful:

Sec. 102, subsection e:

This Act shall not apply with respect to any marine mammal taken before the effective date of this Act [December 21, 1972], or to any marine mammal product consisting of, or composed in whole or in part of, any marine mammal
taken before such date.

Seems to sum it up well enough. There is also an exemption listed earlier on in the Act that states you can bring your seal skin sporran back into the country if you leave with it (6Ai): "was legally possessed and exported by any citizen of the United States in conjunction with travel outside the United States, provided that the product is imported into the United States by the same person upon the termination of travel."

Of course, the fun part is the proof...

That's pretty easy-- old stuff looks old, and new stuff looks new, and your customs agent at the airport is extremely adroit at telling the difference. When I travel abroad I always make sure that I have the dated ticket stub from last years tartan ball in my dress sporran-- just in case. Although I've had my luggage inspected by customs on several occasions, they have never given my sporran as much as a second glance.

[vorpallemur]

As you note, the proof is hard. The onus is on the importer to prove the provenance. with something like skin, you don't have a chance of convincing customs. Not a chance, unless you've got a piece that's been in museum continuously for 40 years. (Even reimporting legally exported skins would be very hard.)

[vorpallemur]

That's pretty easy-- old stuff looks old, and new stuff looks new, and your customs agent at the airport is extremely adroit at telling the difference. \

Which is why it's up to the importer to prove it. Can't prove it, they seize it. There's an incredible amount of fraud in the trade of animal skins. Customs knows that. They're not likely to give an individual's personal property too hard a look, but if you've got a dozen in your luggage, and they open it up, they're going to start asking questions, and a ticket stub isn't going to do you much good, except as something to throw your gum away with.

[Wompet]

Seems to sum it up well enough. There is also an exemption listed earlier on in the Act that states you can bring your seal skin sporran back into the country if you leave with it (6Ai): "was legally possessed and exported by any citizen of the United States in conjunction with travel outside the United States, provided that the product is imported into the United States by the same person upon the termination of travel."

Of course, the fun part is the proof...

There is a Customs Form, the number I forget at the moment (C-4540? 4541?), which you can use to register personal property on prior to departing the country. Then you can present it when you return home to show that you didn't purchase these (potentially) dutiable items overseas. It's usually used for cameras, laptops, and the like, but I think it could be used for a sporran - if it had certain identifiable markings.