The news from The Economist this week is even more grim than last week's dire news.  Markets are collapsing everywhere, and in nearly every sector.  What are normal people to make of all this collapse?  Is this the end, or worse?

There is much to wonder about in the alpaca industry.  Why are these animals so valuable? Will they continue to hold their market value, or is this all a "flash in the pan"?

We have found through experience that the alpaca market has been strong through several episodes of bull and bear markets on Wall St.  It is possible to view the alpaca as a commodity, but we think this is a short-sighted view.