Random St Petersburg question

[Orch at Sea]

I am sailing to St Petersburg next month on the Eclipse & REALLY want to buy a Russian fur hat. I know there is a market next to the Church of Spilled blood,any idea how much a hat would cost?

[shoreham01]

I don't know how much they are on the market stalls, but be very careful. We walked away as we were not interested and they just keep following you and giving you a lower price. Sorry I can't remember how much. These hats are not fur, they are made from the nylon animal! They also have the soviet badge on the front.

 

If you want a really good hat then they do sell them in the biggest souvenir shops. If you are doing a private tour then ask the guide.

[Orch at Sea]

Ok, thanks for that,perhaps I'll stick to the bigger shops then.

[Alaskanb]

Last year they had them in the gift stores at the cruise terminal. They are synthetic "fur".

Edited July 7, 2014 by Alaskanb

[threetowner14]

they are also on sale in Helsinki and Tallinn, but again nylon fur, real fur will probably be rather expensive. I know when I was on BoS they were on sale at $30.00

[Giantfan13]

If you want real fur, be prepared to pay a hefty price. Most of the hats you will see at the vendors, or in souvenir stores will probably be some sort of synthetic. They do look real though and if that is what you are looking for, the street vendors might be a good place to shop. As was said, hondeling is part of the process.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Orch at Sea]

Great, thanks you all for the info. Very helpful.

[SeaMaster]

Just got back from Eclipse 21Jun14 sailing. The hats were in the cruise terminal for €12.00 if I am not mistaken. Check them out on your first day and that will give you day 2 to compare.

[nybumpkin]

DS bought one. Synthetic. However, with our rather brutal winter this past year it was very useful. DS folded down the ear flaps and was very comfortable while shoveling.:p

[Orch at Sea]

Brilliant, thanks very much....Seamaster do they take euros ? I thought it would be rubles ???? Thanks again.

[bcnvcanada]

Added information, there is not a "free market" near the church on the spilt blood any more. A couple of street vendors, now all tours, ship or private stop on a 14 tourist shops in SPB. No vendors near any of the main site either. Prices of goods 6x higher than my last visit in 2009. Most items are cheaper in Estonia. Poland also is not the bargin it once was either. It is easy to see why, when we were in SPB earlier this month,

there were 14 cruise ships in port, most at the new terminals, and 6

downtown area on the river.

[Orch at Sea]

Thanks....Looks like Tallinn is my best bet then.

[Olga Eagle]

Thanks....Looks like Tallinn is my best bet then.

 

Are you touring with a large group or with a private guide?

If you go with a private guide, ask to take you not to a souvenir store, but to an actual fur shop, and you will see that the prices are not as bad.

 

BUT I still don't understand what kind of fur hat you want. Do you want the funny Soviet one or a real fur pretty one?

[Pet Nit Noy]

If you want real fur, be prepared to pay a hefty price. Most of the hats you will see at the vendors, or in souvenir stores will probably be some sort of synthetic. They do look real though and if that is what you are looking for, the street vendors might be a good place to shop. As was said, hondeling is part of the process.

 

If you want to buy a real fur hat, you'll have to be prepared to spend some real money, although the amount can vary dramatically depending on the type of fur. The famous Russian Trooper hat (AKA Ushanka hat) is most commonly made in rabbit, shearling sheepskin, fox, and mink going from least to most expensive. Shearling is a good compromise for real fur at a less hefty price.

 

Don't be surprised if the tags inside the hats say "Canada" as the origin of the fur. According to our guide, that's a sign of a quality. She claimed that the Russian fur industry is great at handling fur to make things but not quite so great at producing top quality pelts.

 

My husband and I each bought a real fur hat in Russia and we've worn them happily for many years now. Every couple of years, we have had them professionally cleaned by a fur salon. Unfortunately, I can't pass along the name of the store. If we were told, that information has long since faded from our memory. We simply trusted our guide to take us to a suitable store. Given the years of wear and the comments of the fur salon employees, we made good purchases.

 

Here's a link to a web site that shows the range of furs and that company's pricing: http://www.furhatworld.com/russian-hats-c-42_45.html

 

My husband bought a Trooper hat and I bought a cloche style. We paid about half of the prices now being shown on the web site, but that was over a decade ago.

[Orch at Sea]

WOW..What a choice...Love the Trooper fur hats. Thanks again.