We are proud of the prestige and excitement that our top lots have come to mean to many of our buyers.
The process begins with individual ranchers or intersort groups indicating that they wish to have a top lot selected. A color type must have a combined minimum of 15,000 male and female pelts to be eligible to have a top lot identified. During grading, fifty female pelts or forty male pelts are selected and identified in the cataloguing process as the top lot for each eligible ranch/intersort group. Once the catalogue has been printed, a list of the top lots is provided to NAFA. A voting ballot is then created by NAFA showing each top lot and page number by color type so that the buyers attending the sale can each vote on their choice as the top lot for each type.
The ballots for voting are available at the Buyer Registration desk and the buyers are asked to participate in the voting. Prior to the first day of sale, NAFA’s staff and international marketing agents approach the buyers to collect their ballots. At no time is auction staff or ranchers involved in the collection of ballots. Every ballot is signed with the buyer’s name, account number and a printed name for easy recognition. These ballots are then given to NAFA staff. Ballots are received up until the evening prior to the sale of each individual color/sex. The results are tallied by Canada Mink Breeders Association and American Mink Council scrutineers who review the ballots and verify the counts. The auctioneers are then advised the morning of each day of sale of the winners and they identify the top lots selected for the color types being sold that day from the auction stand.
Approximately 40-50 ballots per color are usually collected, ensuring a good representation from each buying country. Once the scrutineers have completed their counts the ballots are destroyed.