30.06.2026
Nearly six years ago – in September 2020 – Saga Furs welcomed its first female auctioneer when Vennesa Webster joined our roster. At the June 2026 auction, we celebrated a milestone: the first-ever all-women shift on the auctioneer’s stand.
Canadian-born Vennesa Webster is also a professional grader, using her expertise several months a year when grading the North American collection. In addition, she works as an Account Representative for Canadian ranchers. As an auctioneer, Vennesa is known for her energetic style – speaking loudly and fast.
The spotting team (top picture from left) consists of Jelena Hokkonen, Vittoria Tosatto, Anni Lensu and Tiina Ojala – a mix of experienced hands and newer spotters at Saga Furs. For this shift, the spotters enjoy a shorter commute home, as they all work right here at Saga Furs’ headquarters in Vantaa, Finland.
In her daily work, Jelena is a Business Manager responsible for Türkiye and Eastern Europe. Vittoria works as a furrier and Product Developer at the Saga Furs Creative Hub. This opportunity brought her from Italy to Finland when she joined Saga some years ago. Anni is the one organizing our auctions. In addition to working as an Auction Manager, she has a wide range of duties also related to communications. Tiina has a previous work history with Saga Furs and returned two years ago to her current role as a Controller in our accounting department.
Where premium fur meets expert eyes and tireless minds
Auctions are big moments for the global fur community. For us at Saga Furs, it is always a great pleasure to welcome the global fur community to the home of responsibly produced fur and serve our partners. Auction also means long days built for serious business for everyone involved. For Across the 8-day June auction period, buyers from around the world compete for 4.4 million mink and 200,000 fox pelts. Trading begins at 8 a.m. daily (7:30 a.m. on the final day), and the auction floor stays packed with activity well past 6 p.m. every night. There’s no shortage of passion – nor competition – when premium skins hit the block.
A fur auctioneer needs to be able to work at a fast pace, stay highly focused, and make quick decisions while reading the auction room. Good judgement and perceptual ability are a must – and the same applies to spotters. The whole Saga Furs sales team has the advantage of knowing the fur business from various perspectives. To succeed on the stand, you need to follow the sales policy while constantly reading the room and tuning the atmosphere.
Saga Furs has the privilege of having an international, experienced staff working for the 88- year-old company. What brings the whole Saga Furs auction team, and every professional of the company staff together, is a shared passion for the fur trade and the understanding that this is people’s business.
Please also read the story about Vennesa Webster, published six years ago:
Vennesa Webster joins Saga Furs auctioneers
