2020 Llama Market Report

​As this memorable year winds down we wanted to pause and take a look at 2020's llama auction results. Interest in llamas continues to be strong. Anecdotally, we hear from breeders all the time that they are sold out and continue to receive inquiries, our personal experience supports that as well. Demand continues to outpace supply. But did the up-and-down 2020 economy have an effect on auction prices? In this post we'll share some 2020 statistics and how they compared to results from 2019. 

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The average for female llamas selling at auction in 2020 was $3,142
The average for male llamas selling at auction in 2020 was $1,611

The average for females under 2 years of age was $3,711
The average for females between 2 and 10 years of age was $2,772
The average for females over 10 years of age was $2,157

The average for males under 2 years of age was $1,853
The average for males between 2 and 10 years of age was $1,150
One male over 10 years was offered, selling for $1,000

**In calculating our averages we did not exclude buybacks. Our 2020 statistics did not include results from the Millennium Magic sale in Michigan, as results were not published by show management. For the female average dams selling with female babies at side were counted as two lots, females with male babies at side were counted as one lot. 

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In 2020 83 llamas sold at auction.

• 14 animals sold for over $5,000 (17%), including 4 animals who sold for more than $9,000 (4.8%). All of these animals were females.
• 39 animals sold for between $2,000 and $5,000 (47%)
• 30 animals sold for less than $2,000 (36%)
• Zero females and only five males sold for less than $1,000 (included in the below $2,000 percentage)

In 2019 197 sold at auction.
The Pistachio Farms herd reduction sale, MSF production sale, and Floyd Zopfi dispersal inflated numbers, as these are not regular sales and they all occurred in the same year.

• 22 animals sold for more than $5,000 (11%), including 7 animals who sold for more than 9,000 (3.5%)
• 60 animals sold for between $2,000 and $5,000 (30%)
• 115 llamas sold for less than $2,000 (58%). 51 sold for under $2,000 at the Pistachio Farms sale.

​Perhaps the biggest difference between the auction stats in 2019 and 2020 is in the high sellers. 
In 2020, the highest seller was WOL Chiri Silver Rosa at the Cascade Llama Sale (online) for $10,500. The second and third high sellers sold at the ILR Summer Spectacular sale: MBL Korbel for $10,000, and Sangria RTC for $9,400.
In 2019, the highest seller was MSF Purple Reign for $20,000. The second high seller was Ollendick Farms Zariah for $17,000, and the third was CVL Pride's Marquis Dyamond for $14,500. All three sold at March Llama Madness. Even the fourth and fifth highest sellers sold for more than 2020's top seller (MSF Showtime for $14,000 and PVL Chilean Seshat for $11,500). 

The very top of the market may have been dampened slightly by this strange year, but I think it's important to remember that a lot of factors go into whether or not an animal sells for $15,00-$20,000. Purple Reign, for example, was a former ILR-SD National Champion and full sibling to MSF Show Stopper. It is also important to remember that the industry's top performing sale, March Llama Madness (where the top three animals for 2019 sold), was forced to cancel during the first round of lockdowns. Beyond the cancellation of MLM, did the economic and health concerns affect the very top of the market? It's possible, but I don't think anyone can say with absolute certainty. 

As we move from the top of the market to the lower-end of this year's auction market, things looked impressively strong. This year saw 66% of llamas sell for more than $2,000 and 96% of auction llamas sell for more than $1,000. Both percentages were big improvements from 2019. 

WOL Chiri Silver Rosa

MSF Purple Reign

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​I have a theory that this strange year might lead to a real explosion in the llama business. Throughout the various lockdowns I have thanked my lucky stars that I live on my little farm, with my llamas, and not on a lot in town or an apartment. I wonder how many people plotting to move out of their metropolitan apartment to get out into the country have added "buy some llamas" to their wish list. They have seen llamas on everything from cereal boxes to t-shirts, seen local news stories about llama treks, read articles about Caesar the No Drama Llama (or some other celebrity PR llama), and when they visit a farm they'll see first hand how much llamas can improve their daily lives. No one can say for sure what 2021 will bring, but I'll continue to say that llamas are a better investment than the stock market. 

To see our spreadsheet with complete 2020 auction results click here.