So, in my past I was quite a vintage glamourpuss and I had (actually, still have) two fur pieces. I found one of them, a four-mink scarf, while going through our storage unit and I don't really know what to do with it.

I'm not comfortable wearing it any more, and a large part of me is inclined to sell it because it's still in good shape and it's old - it was given to me and the animals were killed probably 40+ years ago, so the damage has long been done. But I dunno. What would you do? I can't really think of anything else to do but throw it away and that also doesn't sit well with me for some reason (I hate just throwing stuff out).

As much as I'd hate to see fur on anyone, with it being in such high demand these days, I would imagine it could stop someone from buying a newer fur. I guess it's all been dead a while, but at least the demand won't be increased because it's being reused? So I say commission shop and donate the money to an animal rights organization or sanctuary, to also offset some of the cruelty, I suppose. That's what I would do if I really didn't want to just give it away. Actually, I'd probably just give it away (as I have with all my leather) because I'm a lazybones and done have time(or patience), but I think the aforementioned is a good route to go.

There are organizations that take old furs for baby animals I think. To nestle in. Maybe look into those near you? My local Buffalo Exchange participates in them, and donates any furs that they come across.

That's what I did with an old mink stole that belonged to my grandma. Just pop it in a padded envelope and mail. I know some things PETA does are problematic but I think they use the furs for good things.

I'm having a similar dilemma with a pearl necklace I got as a gift from my dad years ago, and a coral necklace that belonged to my grandmother. The weird thing is, I still wear pregan leather and wool, and don't feel bad about it, but I'd feel weird wearing either of the necklaces, even though they'd go nicely with certain outfits. Maybe because they're luxury items?

Not sure what to do with them. WWTPPKD?

_________________Ain't no guarantees in life, and nothing that comes out of my vagina can change that. - Erika Soyf*cker

I have pearls that were given to me almost two decades ago. I've never worn them, I never will but I keep them for sentimental value. I know that my mother will leave me her pearls in her will, which I'll also never wear but will keep because they're my mother's.

I have pearls that were given to me almost two decades ago. I've never worn them, I never will but I keep them for sentimental value. I know that my mother will leave me her pearls in her will, which I'll also never wear but will keep because they're my mother's.

I've never owned any fur, but I gave all my leather shoes to Goodwill when I went vegan. I do have a pearl bracelet that I wear, though. It's a thin white gold chain with pearls about 2" apart; it's from the 1920s and belonged to my ex's grandmother, who was just a lovely person, and I like thinking about her when I see it on my wrist. It's funny where different people decide to draw the line.

I have pearls that were bought for me, pregan leather shoes and bags. I still use them. No-one has ever asked me and even if they did I would just explain that I have had them for a long time and as someone with a very tight budget I don't have the luxury of giving away shoes/bags and buying new ones.

As for the pearls I don't really see what I am gaining by giving them away. Just like I don't really see the problem with vintage furs or second hand leather items in charity shops. I personally wouldn't buy them but I don't think it would make me a bad vegan if I did. Everyone will have their own opinion. I know certain people will say that I am reinforcing the belief that these items are fashionable or whatever but as long as I am not contributing to cruelty by paying for new leather/fur/pearl items I say I'll do what works for me and they can do what works for them.

I have pearls that were bought for me, pregan leather shoes and bags. I still use them. No-one has ever asked me and even if they did I would just explain that I have had them for a long time and as someone with a very tight budget I don't have the luxury of giving away shoes/bags and buying new ones.

As for the pearls I don't really see what I am gaining by giving them away. Just like I don't really see the problem with vintage furs or second hand leather items in charity shops. I personally wouldn't buy them but I don't think it would make me a bad vegan if I did. Everyone will have their own opinion. I know certain people will say that I am reinforcing the belief that these items are fashionable or whatever but as long as I am not contributing to cruelty by paying for new leather/fur/pearl items I say I'll do what works for me and they can do what works for them.

See I don't even know why people think its reinforcing some fashion thing since I've been wearing loose sweat pants, flip flops, and 90s professional wrestling t shirts for ten years and it hasn't caught on yet.

I have pearls that were bought for me, pregan leather shoes and bags. I still use them. No-one has ever asked me and even if they did I would just explain that I have had them for a long time and as someone with a very tight budget I don't have the luxury of giving away shoes/bags and buying new ones.

As for the pearls I don't really see what I am gaining by giving them away. Just like I don't really see the problem with vintage furs or second hand leather items in charity shops. I personally wouldn't buy them but I don't think it would make me a bad vegan if I did. Everyone will have their own opinion. I know certain people will say that I am reinforcing the belief that these items are fashionable or whatever but as long as I am not contributing to cruelty by paying for new leather/fur/pearl items I say I'll do what works for me and they can do what works for them.

See I don't even know why people think its reinforcing some fashion thing since I've been wearing loose sweat pants, flip flops, and 90s professional wrestling t shirts for ten years and it hasn't caught on yet.

Yeah, I don't think anyone have ever looked to me for fashion inspiration. Ever. Unless they are into the wearing out your clothes until the visible holes encourage your friends to make you go shopping look.

What is the harm in enjoying gift items with memories attached? I'm not talking about some brand new item, but something handed down.

My aunt gave me a silk Hermes scarf for Christmas. She collects them and wanted to give me one because she doesn't have a daughter to share with. It's actually kind of ugly (I don't like greens and browns), but it's nice having that connection with someone. It's a vintage item, so it doesn't bother me the way a new item would, or an item without some meaning. It mostly just lives in a drawer in its orange box, but I've worn it in my hair a few times. It means a lot to me that she wanted to give me something that she has enjoyed.

If the fur isn't in a good condition for an animal rescue group, I bet a deserving theater group would like to have it. Lots of nonprofit theater groups, especially those helping disadvantaged kids really have to scrounge for props and supplies.

_________________"This is the creepiest post ever if you don't know who Molly is." -Fee"a vegan death match sounds like something where we all end up hugging." -LisaPunk

For me, fur and leather are more viscerally "skin" so it would be gross to wear. But I've worn and still wear handed down pearl jewelry, silk scarves and so on. Frankly, almost any new jewelry made with precious or semi-precious materials has a pretty bad impact on the environment, whether it's animal based or not. So ethically it's either no jewelry or only handed-down jewelry for me.

Nobody really mines much for jewelry alone; it isn't cost effective. Even diamonds are only profitable because of all the industrial uses. That may not change how one feels ethically about them, but, for example, canadian diamonds would be mined at pretty much exactly the same rate even if they never sold another gem quality diamond.

Exceptions are things like Tanzanite, emeralds, probably some others, but most are just happy by products of industrial mining. Too much earth has to be moved for too little gain.

It's a really complex geopolitical topic, and since so much of modern society rests on access to these minerals, it isn't one with good solutions.

_________________"This is the creepiest post ever if you don't know who Molly is." -Fee"a vegan death match sounds like something where we all end up hugging." -LisaPunk

Yeah, I feel kind of hypocritical, because I do wear leather shoes. Like the previous poster, I'm not financially able to replace everything I currently have. I get most of my shoes and my kids' shoes at the thrift store (or they're given to me), and if all I can find in the right size, colour, whatever, is leather, then that's what we wear and I don't really think too much beyond that. The stuff isn't new...

I guess this particular fur for me is like... it has four mink faces staring at me and it's just... I dunno. I used to love the thing and parade around with pride wearing it, but I also used to devour dead cows. I do have a coat with a small fur collar on it that I have fewer qualms about wearing (again, vintage, and given to me). That one I could give back to the original owner, however, if I decide to not wear that any more, because I live fairly close to her and that was her request.

I never really thought about the pearls thing. I don't wear jewellery and when I did only ever had a faux pearl necklace, so it was an aspect of the whole vegan thing that was off my radar, I guess.

I guess it boils down to we're all on a journey. We're not all going to do everything the same, and that's okay, I think. The idea is that we're moving in the right direction.

The fact that your fur has cute little mink faces on it might make it really useful for those campaigning on street stalls etc as it may horrify the general public into seeing fur = individual creatures, and often quite a few animals are required to make even a small item.

I once bought a vintage coat with an astrocan collar not realising what it was - I didn't know what astrocan was at all and when I examined it in the shop I thought it must be synthetic because it was such a strange 'material'. When my better educated AR friend filled me in I was horrified. I removed the collar and when looking for fake fur to make a replacement collar I discovered they also made fake astrocan so I used that instead.

When I first went vegan I saved up and bought one pair of vegan shoes. I gave all my old shoes away except for a pair of knee high boots (these were really expensive back then) and a really cute pair of shoes I'd bought relatively recently and only wore on special occasions because I liked them so much. But I found I could never actually bring myself to put them on and go out in them though so in the end I gave them away too. Sometimes it's easier to keep things until you know for sure you are ready to part with them.

I think you should do what feels right. I used to be against wearing anything non-vegan, even if recycled. I don't feel like that at all anymore; i will happily wear vintage leather, vintage wool, vintage silk and I even have a really old wool coat with a fur trim that I wear. I just decided that I would wear it for the purpose of challinging myself - I really don't want my veganism to be a status quo or an identity-thing (which it probably was when I was a teen) because I don't want to live by dogmas without ever questioning myself. And for me, there is nothing morally wrong with using recycled materials. But it is definitely not a black-and-white issue, for some people the ick-factor is making it uncomfortable, while for others it's because of something else. It's not like there is one way only to be a good vegan. I used to think about these ings a lot more, but 9 year in I'm a completely different person and this is where I am now. I still think veganism is an obcious solution to a very obvious problem, but I definitely care less about what ofther people think of me now, and it's something I do my own way :)

I'm going through the fur dilemma myself right now, going through the belongs of a recently deceased 94 yo relative. She had 3 fox stoles, complete with the head and feet, that we buried in her yard. There was no way those were going anywhere, even if they weren't in such poor condition! That leaves me now with 3 full length coats, 1 beaver and 2 raccoon. As soon as I'm sure none of the other nieces or nephews or their families want any of them, I'll pick 3 of the animal shelters I found on-line that accept them and send them off.

My husband's first idea was to sell them, then he saw how little they were going for on ebay and the local classified ads, so now he agrees the best thing to do if nobody wants them is to donate them to the baby or injured animals who can cuddle up in them.

I wish we had shelters that would take fur donations here, then I would totally just get a faux fur trim for my coat and donate it. But animal shelters are quite different here and mostly just work as euthanization clinics :(