# The mink coat I'm never going to buy my wife **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266 "2017-08-10T18:01:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/21 "2017-08-10T22:28:11Z")
My mother had a mink coat. She ended up giving it to my cousin’s wife when she and my father moved to Mexico, which was fine by me. No way in hell did I want it. Fur is wonderfully warm. I know this because, for reasons unfathomable to me, my parents bought me a rabbit fur jacket while I was in college. (It embarrassed the crap out of me, but on the few occasions when I wore it, I noticed how good it was at keeping the New England cold at bay.) In an earlier era, I could see wearing fur as a purely practical matter. But these days we have the technology to make wonderfully warm outerwear (that is also lighter, easier to clean, and more durable than fur), so killing animals for their fur seems unnecessary. I eat meat, though, so perhaps I’m a little hypocritical. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/22 "2017-08-10T23:22:54Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Do you have a crazy sister, too? 😉 As a matter of fact, yes. Certifiable. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/23 "2017-08-11T00:54:09Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Do you have a crazy sister, too? 😉 Doesn’t everyone? ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/24 "2017-08-11T15:38:28Z")
$67K is way too much. Twelve years ago an older man I knew placated his sulky Russian wife with a new mink coat for a mere $6K. She wore it when she went shopping at ALDI, and damn what people thought. Haters gonna hate. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/25 "2017-08-11T15:45:59Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Doesn’t everyone? … Mom? Are you sure the Bros are both male? ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/26 "2017-08-11T17:11:45Z")
I have a crazy sister too. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/27 "2017-08-11T17:25:13Z")
Fake fur nowadays is pretty much identical to the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/28 "2017-08-11T21:35:44Z")
Back in the day, my father settled for buying my mom a rabbit fur coat. It’s all he could do on his prison guard salary. I’m going to guess that he got it from someone who knew someone, y’know, classy. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/29 "2017-08-11T21:48:23Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Somebody must be buying mink something-or-others as there’s a mink farm around here and the people that run it aren’t exactly poor. Most of them nowadays are sold to China and Russia. A lady at a meetup I attend, who is rather colorful anyway, said that a few years ago, she wore her late grandmother’s fur collar to a wedding, and later to an after-party she and some friends went to later in our local bar district. More than once, people pointed at her and went, “EWWWW! You’re wearing FUR!” and she reminded them that they may be wearing leather somewhere on their bodies, and what about that nice juicy burger or steak they probably had for dinner? :o 😃 Some people go to estate sales, etc. to buy fur coats, which they repurpose into things like stuffed animals or use the fur as trim for custom clothing they make. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/30 "2017-08-11T21:50:11Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > At the risk of perpetuating another stereotype. . . we have season tickets for the opera, and we dress up there (especially on opening night), but even then, fur coats are a rare sight. I’ve seen older ladies wearing fur coats, but no one within 20 years of my wife’s age. > > The other event that comes close is Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree social functions, where the gentlemen wear tuxedos, sometimes white dinner jackets to dinner, and the ladies are dressed appropriately matching. But again, the only time we see fur coats is on the older ladies. A while back, my insurance agent, while reciting the script, asked me if I had any furs. He then said, “In 30 years of selling insurance, I’ve insured one fur, and that was many years ago for a senior citizen.” ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/31 "2017-08-11T23:00:45Z")
I had 2 crazy brothers, but my sister is perfectly normal. I always wanted a fur coat but I couldn’t afford it, had better things to spend money on, and felt bad for the animals. I have a faux sable coat which looks real until I stand next to my friend when she is wearing her full length black mink. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/32 "2017-08-12T00:10:16Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I’m reasonably comfortable, money-wise, these days, but there’s no way in hell I’d drop $67,000 on a coat even if I had ten times as much disposable income. There’s just too much other stuff I’d do first. Even if I had Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos money, money enough that I literally would not notice the expenditure (“Honey? I’m missing sixty-seven thousand dollars; can you check my pockets before you run the washer?”) I would not spend it on a mink coat. > > Luckily, Mrs. Bricker has never hinted at any interest in a mink coat. > > No mink coats. Sorry, Past Me. Would you spend $67 on a mink coat (imagine a sale, or something. It’s the same brand and quality)? Because that’s how guys such as Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos think of $67,000. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/33 "2017-08-12T00:12:08Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Some people go to estate sales, etc. to buy fur coats, which they repurpose into things like stuffed animals or use the fur as trim for custom clothing they make. I have a couple vintage coats with mink or fox trim. My theory is, if the animal would have died of old age by now anyway, it’s perfectly OK to wear. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/34 "2017-08-12T12:52:11Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Tell that to those who live in the northern climes. Bingo. I have fur earmuffs and fur-lined gloves, and couple of fur collars. If it’s 9F, I’ll be a wee bit chilly, and the fur is a nice addition to my various wool coats. I stick to truly unpleasant animals (fox) or those that can be farmed and eaten (rabbit)(ironic, I know). No seal. Nothing endangered. YMMV. PETA hasn’t come up to me yet. Maybe I’m not old enough to be in the “safe” range to hit with paint, or maybe I just have a look in my eye that says, “You attack me, I will stalk over to you and shove the paint-splattered clothing up your butt.” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/35 "2017-08-12T14:06:06Z")
This is not political at all, for once. But mink coats seem like something Trump would like. He’s always had this gaudy sense of wanting to show off being rich. It’s seemed that way to me for a long time. It made some old TV shows kinda funny. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/36 "2017-08-12T15:37:34Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Somebody must be buying mink something-or-others as there’s a mink farm around here and the people that run it aren’t exactly poor. They probably ship to Russia. Gathering from Russian women I know, they are still popular there. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/37 "2017-08-12T15:56:22Z")
> [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](#): > > They probably ship to Russia. Gathering from Russian women I know, they are still popular there. Also popular in China, from what a friend tells me. > [@BigT](#): > > This is not political at all, for once. But mink coats seem like something Trump would like. He’s always had this gaudy sense of wanting to show off being rich. He’s very much of the blingy-fur class, yes. Honestly, if I had unlimited funds, I’d have a house with a garage and a good camel-hair wool coat for grown-up occasions, and I’d be set. Would still own the fur-lined gloves, though. My hands get cold. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/38 "2017-08-12T16:04:53Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > This is not political at all, for once. But mink coats seem like something Trump would like. He’s always had this gaudy sense of wanting to show off being rich. > > It’s seemed that way to me for a long time. It made some old TV shows kinda funny. And a great big pimp hat. That would actually be kinda cool. (Seriously though, dude has no fashion sense. I mean, he puts _scotch tape_ on his ties. Who does that?) ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/39 "2017-08-12T21:30:31Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > This is not political at all, for once. But mink coats seem like something Trump would like. He’s always had this gaudy sense of wanting to show off being rich. > > It’s seemed that way to me for a long time. It made some old TV shows kinda funny. His wife has been photographed many times wearing fur so one of them sure liked it, although now she says she no longer wears any real fur. I remember she was given a fake fur coat by Pamela Anderson to wear at the inauguration. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266/40 "2017-08-18T22:49:18Z")
I’m bumping this thread, because I can’t take it anymore. I clicked the link to the hipster/barbarian leather coat from [post 12](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20403781&postcount=12), and now that goddam thing is stalking me. As I scroll down through ads, that coat jumps out. Ooooh! It’s here! No it isn’t it’s here! Am I seeing things, am I crazy, is there a phantom coat or is there not, but oh, no! I refuse to be sucked into his little game… of… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mink-coat-im-never-going-to-buy-my-wife/793266.md?page=1)