Each buyer brings to the saleroom his catalogues, containing valuations and descriptions of the pelts he has inspected at the various fur warehouses. For the most part, only a very small proportion of the lots catalogued are seen by the prospective buyer; these are "show" lots and represent the bulk, which could not be properly examined in the short time at his disposal. There are usually about twenty catalogues--some of which contain only a few hundred lots but most of which run into thousands of lots--and as the fur collections are distributed amongst a dozen different wharves and warehouses, where the skins are lotted and placed "on show," only a few days before the sales takes place, it will be appreciated that the thorough-going dealer who wishes to acquaint himself with the whole collection of furs on the market has plenty to do! _The Order of the Sale_ At one time the order of selling was rather haphazard, but in recent years the sale arrangements have been revised and co-ordinated. Catalogues are now divided into definite sections, and the entire market supply of furs contained in section 1 of the various catalogues is offered for sale before section 2 is dealt with, and so on--the brokers balloting among themselves for precedence. In accordance with long-established custom, the first goods to be put up for sale are those coming from China and the far east (these auctions are referred to as the "China sales"); next comes the catalogues of Australian furs, followed immediately by any offerings there may be of fur seals. _H.B.C. Auction Premier Attraction_ Although these auctions occupy the whole of the first sale week, they are of secondary importance when compared with the sales of the choicer North American and Siberian furs, which commence on the Monday of the second week with the Hudson's Bay Company's sale. Needless to say, the Company's auction always proves the greatest attraction of the whole series and never fails to draw a crowded room. The Company's catalogue is the only one now sold in its entirety without a break, and this for the very good reason that it provides the most reliable basis for comparison of values and enables the experienced buyer to appraise market fluctuations with confidence. The rest of the week following the Company's sale is taken up with the disposal of "fine" furs (such as beaver, ermine, foxes, marten, otter and sables) from other catalogues; the third week sees the "staple" lines (such as skunk, opossum, musquash and raccoon) offered for sale; and in the fourth and final week sundry South American and lower grade skins are offered. _The Flexible Eyebrow An Aid in Bidding_