Kalinsky?

I had to look up 'kolinsky' (had subtitles for correct spelling) and it did sound more 'recherche' (per Franklin Pangborn) than mink or sable. No way Mary Smith would've paid 162.79 for it.

And speaking of price: $58,000 for a fur coat (in 1937) doesn't sound anymore expensive than it might be today. How much do fur coats go for today?

http://3linesabout.blogspot.com/2009/09/easy-living-1937.html

We see an invoice for it that says it cost $58,000, on the breakfast table right at the start of the film.....

Sounds like a hell of lot of money to me even at today's prices - no idea how much fur coats cost as I disagree with them on ethical grounds, but that kind of money, even today, for one coat, when Mrs Ball already a huge closet full of them, just illustrates the privileged and wasteful life she leads, compared with ordinary people who survive from one meagre paycheck to the next like Ms Smith.

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I know this thread is quite old now, but my guess is Mrs. Ball referred to the $58,000 sable coat as a "Kolinsky" to throw Mr. Ball off in his search. A Kolinsky is not a valuable coat-fur animal, like a mink or sable. It is a Siberian weasel whose fur was used primarily for artists' paintbrushes and small items such as a scarf-like "choker, to wear over a coat or suit jacket. The fur could be died to imitate other, more costly furs. I would think it was the fur choice for the girl on a tight budget...an office worker or retail sales clerk, for example.

As odd as it may sound, fur coats were much more costly during the time this film was made. I recall when furs had a resurgence in popularity during the 1980s (almost every secretary had a fur coat then!), they could be had for relatively little. Thank heavens it is no longer considered fashionable or ethical to wear fur!