Today’s Statistics

Number of Alpacas by state as of March 17. 2009

Supply and Demand
Price is always a result of supply and demand. With a long gestation period and the inability to import, demand for alpacas has steadily increased every year. This growing trend is clearly illustrated in the climbing numbers of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association Membership (AOBA). When AOBA was established in 1988, only 87 members with less than 400 alpacas were involved. In 2009, the association has become representative of a billion dollar industry, claiming 12,165 members owning more than 145,000 alpacas. And this is only the beginning!

The price range that can be found in one’s initial search may be lower or higher than the average cost range published by AOBA (see Table 2). This said: The key for capitalizing on this growing industry is in purchasing quality alpacas. Price of an animal will depend on conformation , fleece qualities, positive proven heritable traits, bloodlines, sex, age, and pregnancy status. Auction results from AOBA will show you what has been happening throughout the last few years. You be the judge!

The appreciation of the alpaca has grown steadily. The following figures were taken from Celebrity Sales Inc.

These figures do not reflect animals donated to alpaca organizations.

As you can see, the American Alpaca Industry is growing. Demand for premium quality animals is evidenced by the price the public is willing to pay. The quality of animal with excellent conformation and exceptional fleece characteristics continues to rise as well. American breeding practices are setting the stage for future fiber processing on a nationwide scale.

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