I am a second generation fur trader, one of a “dying breed”, as my father says. My story is a unique one shaped by valuable lessons learned from my parents and childhood experiences. Trading has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories was being three years old and living in a teepee in Jackson Hole, Wyoming during the summer. Long days spent at my parents fur stand on the side of the road, where they sold a variety of oddities, which included Alpaca fleece, cowhides, sheepskins, coyote, and fox pelts, to name a few. My parents learned the tricks of the trade from my hell-raising godfather, Don, who has a store near Glacier National, Montana. The summers eventually went away and our next journey was to South Dakota for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Again, my parents would bring the teepee and we would camp for several weeks while they sold furs at Big Al’s for the rally. Eventually they found a building and some land in Valle, Arizona and we would spend our summers there. They opened a business called the Double Eagle, which is still open to this day.

The days were also long, hot, and boring. My father would have us help him set the teepees up for the season. Valle was a major tourist stop because the highway is on the way to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Tourists from all over the world traveled through my parents’ store. My family spent thirteen summers in Valle, where my sisters and I had few friends since the town was more like a tiny pit-stop. We found ourselves catching horned toads and lizards, and charging tourists to pet and hold our reptiles. Our parents would put us behind the register to help with customers as well. I watched my mother buy, sell, and trade with the Native Americans and other people passing through. Eventually my parents sold the Double Eagle and built Wyatt Earp’s Old Tombstone, in Tombstone, AZ. My mother eventually opened another business in Tombstone called The Red Buffalo. These fond memories of my childhood have influenced the evolution of my store, Drawn West, to what it is today.

My parents have passed on their connections, which includes other second generation traders. Now we at Drawn West get long horns, buffalo skulls, hides, horns, and many other hard to find items from these valuable connections. Growing up in the trading industry has shaped me into who I am today and I am thankful for the journey my parents took us on. Now at 73 years old, my father can still put up a teepee. That is an image I will always carry with me. My mother still being the resourceful hard-working person she’s always been is always just a phone call away to provide advice on deals or to evaluate an item. I have to say that I did not appreciate all of this as a child, but I am now thankful that I am able to share this with you. I love the career God has chosen for me and I appreciate all the customers I have had over the last ten years. Thank you.

Rebecca Kline