What sells in the Hofladen of an Alpakahof in Germany and Austria

On an Alpakahof in Germany or Austria most visitors come for a walk of an hour or two with an alpaca on a lead. Add children's birthday parties, spinning afternoons and overnight guests, and the Hofladen sees the same visitors several times a year.

Many Hofläden already sell what the farm's own herd gives: yarn, socks, insoles, a duvet. An alpaca in real alpaca fur belongs on that shelf. It is made by hand in our workshop in Lima, in natural colours, Ivory White through to Cacao, so it looks like the herd outside and sits well next to your own wool.

The Mini, 15 cm: for after the walk

$10.90 at the entry tier. Put them on the lowest shelf, at children's height, in the shades of your own herd. The Mini alpaca.

The Small, 23 cm: the present for those at home

$15.90 at the entry tier. The one visitors buy for the person who could not come along.

The Large, 48 cm: for the window

$37.90 at the entry tier. A Large in the window of the Hofladen is seen from the yard. The large alpaca.

Monsterfluff: the coat before shearing day

Monsterfluff keeps the coat exactly as it grew, long and soft, the way your herd looks in spring before it is shorn. From $10.40 at the entry tier. Monsterfluff.

At the till, and in the holiday flat

Keychains in real alpaca fur, a mini alpaca or a pom pom on a ring, for the till. And for a farm that lets rooms: 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 Hofladen of an average Alpakahof thinks it through. Take Alpakahof Wolkenweide in the Allgäu: eighteen alpacas, walks every weekend from April to October, birthday parties in the summer, and a Hofladen with yarn from its own herd. Jonas, who runs it with his family, has a list before he orders anything. This is his list, and what we answer.

“It has to sit well next to our own wool.”

Every Naturals alpaca is a natural colour, nothing dyed. He picks the four shades closest to his herd, and the alpacas on the shelf match the yarn beside them and his herd.

“Something for the children after the walk.”

Minis on the lowest shelf, five of each shade.

“Something that shows the coat before shearing.”

Ten Monsterfluff Minis, with the long coat left exactly as it grew. They sell best on shearing day.

“Our name on it, one day.”

From 500 alpacas in one order the hangtag says Wolkenweide instead of our name. His first order is smaller, so it carries our Munay hangtag, and the farm's own tag comes with a later order.

“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, so he has it ready at the till.

“Ready for the Christmas market in the yard.”

The Advent weekends are his busiest of the winter. Making takes 4 to 6 weeks at the entry tier, so he orders by the end of September. And sometimes part of his 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 him which.

His first order: 20 Minis in four natural shades, ten Monsterfluff Minis in two, five Smalls and five Larges for the window. $591.00, mixed in one order.

The minimum is $500 an order, mixed freely across every size and shade, 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 Hofladen needs on top of that, we arrange together during your order.