When Customs Wanted Our Pelt Import License For Our Faux Fur Pom Poms

A few years back, I found this amazing Austrian company that is making luxury faux fur pom poms that look and feel very realistic. We had been importing them directly for a while, but we got a call from customs in Tennessee one day. The lady wanted our pelt import license number. I was initially so confused. I thought she must be referring to a shipment of wool yarn. I had immediate fears that I was not going to be able to import yarn anymore without additional licensing. Then, she told me that the shipment was from Lovafur. I asked her why I would need an import license for a product that was not made of animals. She read line items from the invoice: "Fur Raccoon, Fur Fox" and stated that because I was importing raccoons and foxes, I would need a pelt import license. I replied that the word before those items on the invoice was "faux," thus, they were not real fur or actually made from animals at all. Her response: "Oh! That's what the word "faux" means." So, she eventually released the pom poms from the hold without requiring us to provide a pelt import license for our fake fur pom poms. Thankfully we haven't had an issue since that day, but wow, that was a small business owner rollercoaster ride. 

We now have another fresh delivery of these vegan pom poms at the shop (having cleared all customs hurdles), and you will find them to be very soft and beautiful, despite not actually being made of fox or raccoon. They come in a huge variety of colors as well, and each one is finished with two ribbons that you use to tie onto hats. The smaller, more brightly colored children's poms are large enough for adult hats as well and can be used on keyrings, purses, or even the tops of sneakers. While hand knitters and crocheters love these as adornments to their handmade items, they can also be added to machine knit beanies, like the ones you will find at The Hive and The Shoe Hive right now. So, if you want to upgrade your basic beanie to something a little more exciting this winter, stop by and try these out. Because they are removable, you can easily swap out colors on your favorite beanie to create a completely different look or move your pom pom from a purse to your hat and back again!