What sells in the shop of an alpaca farm in France

Alpaca farms in France open their gates in many ways: guided visits on weekends and in the school holidays, mornings for school groups, felting and spinning workshops, a few rooms or a gîte for guests. Many already sell wool from their own herd. All of those visitors pass through the shop.

French visitors like to know where a product comes from. Every alpaca is made by hand in our workshop in Lima, from real alpaca fur in natural colours, and a sourcing statement travels with every order. Where our fur comes from.

The Mini, 15 cm: for the school groups

$10.90 at the entry tier. The size for a school class, where every child wants one. Stock five or six shades. The Mini alpaca.

The Small and the Medium: for the families

$15.90 for the 23 cm Small and $20.90 for the 32 cm Medium at the entry tier. The Small sells as a present, the Medium for a child's room.

Baby Alpaca: for the visitor who wants the softest

Our finest grade of fur, around 22 microns, softer to the hand than anything else on the shelf. From $11.90 at the entry tier. Put a few next to the Naturals so visitors can feel the difference. Baby Alpaca.

The Large, 48 cm, and the keychains

$37.90 for the Large at the entry tier. At the till, keychains in real alpaca fur. And for the gîte, alpaca fur rugs of 100 by 65 cm and teddy bears in real alpaca fur. All of it counts toward the same $500. Alpaca fur keychains.

An example of how the shop of an average French alpaca farm thinks it through. Take the Ferme du Pré Doux in the Drôme: fifteen alpacas, guided visits at weekends, school groups in May and June, felting afternoons, and a gîte for six. Claire, who runs it, has a list before she orders anything. This is her list, and what we answer.

“Something every child in a class can take home.”

Minis in five shades, five of each. Enough for a school group to take one each and leave the shelf stocked.

“My visitors will ask where it comes from.”

Made by hand in Lima, from real alpaca fur, and a sourcing statement comes with the order. The full answer is in our guide on where the fur comes from.

“It has to look like our herd.”

Every Naturals alpaca is a natural colour. She picks the five shades of her own animals, so the alpacas on the shelf match her herd.

“Something special for the guests in the gîte.”

Five Smalls in Baby Alpaca, the softest we make. The softest piece in her shop, for guests who want the best.

“Parents will ask if it is safe.”

All our alpacas are compliant and safe, tested at an independent laboratory against EN 71. The test report comes with the quotation.

“Ready for the school visits in May.”

Making takes 4 to 6 weeks at the entry tier, so she orders in March. And sometimes part of her list is already waiting: small numbers of some colours and sizes are already made and ready in Lima, and then a small order can ship almost straight away. The quotation tells her which.

Her first order: 25 Minis in the five shades of her herd, ten Smalls in two shades and five Smalls in Baby Alpaca. $516.00, mixed in one order.

The minimum is $500 an order, mixed freely across every size, shade and collection, with at least five of each colour. The price per alpaca drops at 100 alpacas and again at 500. Build your mix in the order form and the quotation comes back within 24 hours, with the ready date. Ordering and terms.

From 500 alpacas in one order, the hangtag carries your farm's name instead of ours, for $0.20 an alpaca on top, plus the cost of printwork. Private label.

Anything your shop needs on top of that, we arrange together during your order.