Bolivian Alpaca Voters Turn Away from President

Nicolas Noa was once a die-hard supporter of Bolivian President Evo Morales, a fellow Aymara Indian, but now his small businesses are in trouble and on Sunday he will vote against Morales' bid to change the constitution so he can run for re-election.
In December, Noa's two businesses -- importing used cars from Japan and making clothes for the U.S. market -- suffered severe blows and he blames the socialist president's trade policies, which he calls foolish....

The Joy of Sox!

The Joy of Sox!
Published in Alpacas Magazine, Winter 2008 Issue, December 2008


Perhaps you have heard of Reflexology, the act of applying pressure to the feet (and hands) to affect the health of the body? The idea is with the proper stimulation, you can effect beneficial and healthy change in the individual. Not having tried it, I don’t know about how well Reflexology works but I see a strong analogy between Reflexology and the humble alpaca sock.

Alpaca socks do for the alpaca owner (and alpaca industry) what Reflexology purports to do for the body, bringing healthy positive change and new awareness. With their superior qualities of comfort, warmth, strength, breathability, odor control and hypoallergenic nature, alpaca socks can be thought of as little ambassadors of good on a mission. Alpaca socks introduce the wonder of alpaca fiber in a simple yet soundly convincing manner.

Having sold alpaca retail products for a number of years I always smile with anticipation at the prospect of an enthusiastic sale when a customer says, “Someone gave me an alpaca ( ) once”. This customer already gets it! They are converts to the luxury and pleasure of alpaca fiber. They are quite pleased to have found a source for products made from this still exclusive material. They understand the value, the price and are most willing to buy.

If you are like most alpaca breeders you wish to promote your alpacas and the alpaca industry as a whole. You ache to tell stories of fine comfort, warmth and the special feel that only alpaca brings. One simple and cost effective method for delivering that message is the humble alpaca sock. With its many fine characteristics, alpaca socks open the door to your customers to think of alpaca the way we do, as a highly useful, luxurious and renewable natural fiber that is perfect for our age.

Getting your prospects into a pair of alpaca socks will get then feeling and thinking about the alpaca industry, its unique nature and your farm. If you have a farm store (or chest of goodies) it will likely lead to sales of more socks, hats, gloves, scarves and larger items. The socks will surely help your prospects to see what this alpaca thing is all about, making your animal sale prospects that much easier.

In an age when advertising can be so expensive, referrals from happy advocates of your business are nothing short of golden. With a little creativity and small expense, the simple alpaca sock can be leveraged to bring you lots of business for your farm store and farm. How do you do it? Find some talkers! Seek out pleasant people who like to chat, perhaps to a fault! Perhaps your hairdresser/barber, your favorite waitress or barista talk away the hours of their work day with friendly conversations. They stand most of the day and appreciate comfortable feet. Find people who are around lots of people and friendly. GIVE them a pair of your favorite alpaca socks! These talkers could easily be raving fans of your socks. They will also promote your farm at the same time as they promote their new happy feet!

Perhaps a family Dentist chats away, or your doctor or someone at your local grocery store that you like. Maybe it’s a fire fighter, EMT or police officer, a person who works outside and works with a lot of other people. Maybe your pastor or mail carrier or kid’s teacher would be a good candidate. Perhaps the gabbiest person in your walking or hiking club, the list of possible candidates is endless. If they know people and spend time on their feet you could have a raving fan that will tell countless people about you, the great exclusive socks you have and your farm of alpacas.

When giving away socks, it is best to pick those that can be easily washed and dried unless the recipient knows they are getting specialty (aka hand wash/no dryer) socks. If your recipient has a family or co-workers, etc,. be sure that you give only ONE pair! The others around them get to hear how wonderful the socks are and can come to you to purchase theirs.

With alpaca socks you have a fun and profitable way to promote your business, one pair of feet at a time.

…….


Brian Schieber owns www.PurelyAlpaca.com, an alpaca specific clothing and gift business since 2002. He’s a raving fan of alpaca products to all who will listen. He lives with his wife, 2 livestock guard dogs, barn cat and 25 alpacas in the Pacific Northwest.

Winter on the farm 2008

With the winter rush of Christmas orders mostly behind us we at PurelyAlpaca have taken time to enjoy the most beautiful snow our alpaca farm has seen in a decade.

The snow is still cold and locally we don't use salt or ash so even the roads are bright white. To get out of our driveway we need 4WD and Chains. We went through some serious heroics to get orders out quickly on one extemely important Christmas shipping day (but you'll have to ask about it privately, we won't disclose that publicly!)

It's truly gorgeous and it is exciting to know we will surely have a white Christmas!!

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you!!

-Brian and staff at PurelyAlpaca

Alpacas in tough times?

A recent article about investing in alpacas during these challenging economic times.

I don't know about the livestock industry at the moment but the garment industry continues to grow and grow. ALPACA makes an excellent all- natural, eco-friendly, non-polluting product that is soft, durable and luxurious. Emus, Llamas and other animals which had a "fad" following cannot rely on the commodity aspect that alpacas can. I do not see alpacas going away. Sure, prices will change but the top animals will always demand an impressive price. And once you've enjoyed a quality alpaca garment, you like me, will be a raging fan.

-Brian

Eco-friendly comment encourages expansion

Nathalie H from the U.K. writes...

Alpaca fibre seems to tick all the right boxes.

1. It is animal friendly, and cruelty free, as the animal is not killed, so appeals to vegetarians like me.

(Merino sheep in Australia are subjected to a hideous practice called mulesing, which people do not realise is going on, and people think that lambswool in the UK simply involves a haircut, but in reality, the animal has to be slaughtered very young for its meat, as the fleece on its own is almost worthless, as it just can not compete with cotton, & synthetics. That is why I like alpaca, because its fibre is highly valued in the marketplace.

2. It is also earth-friendly, because like you say so little industrial detergents are needed, as there is no lanolin. And it is biodegradeable of course, unlike sythetics.

For me, a perfect garment would also involve eco-friendly dyes, which unfortunately is still in its infancy.


Nathalie's comments highlight one of the strongest growing trends in eco-shopping, a desire to purchase fashions which not only look good but are good. PurelyAlpaca strives to use suppliers which follow fair trade principles, do not harm animals and reduce pollution to the environment.

Alpaca is naturally Earth-friendly due to its very nature. It has the added natural benefit of being washable in mild soap (instead of harsh polluting chemicals).

PurelyAlpaca regularly seeks products from vendors that work with small groups on indigenous peoples who earn their livelihood entirely from alpacas.

In my opinion, Alpacas, perhaps the world's oldest domestic livestock is poised to be the natural, non-polluting, eco-friendly clothing fashion material of this new century.

-Brian, PurelyAlpaca