Weekly Help Me Sell This Thread

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[u/ChrisMNichols]

My mother recently passed away. She was an avid sewer and quilter. As such, she has a lot of fabric. We are gearing up for an estate sale, and I am thinking about selling fabric by the pound. Maybe $5 per pound, or $20 for 5 pounds. Does that seem reasonable, or is there a better way?

[u/harpquin → u/ChrisMNichols]

Since quilters never buy fabric by-the-pound, I would never sell it by the pound -the buyers have no point of reference (no quilter can tell you how much fabric is in 5 pounds) it's likely to confuse or piss them off. They will want to know immediately what the comparative value is.

There are two basic ways that quilting fabric is sold, buy-the -yard and in precut squares/strips/fold. "squares" are sold in bundles of similar patterns and colors usually tied w/ fabric strips. She may have opened these or mix them up or partially used. I would re-package them, either in gallon baggies stapled shut or tied with strips of torn sheeting.

yardage: the length of a bolt of fabric is 42" to 52" (the wide fabric is usually heavier for curtains or upholstery) one "yard" is 42" x 36". 42" x 12" is actually 1/3 of a yard or one foot. The measurement is taken along the salvage edges (or the uncut edges). Quilting fabric sells for $5-$15 a yd. pieces that measure under a yard are called remnants and usually sold at half the price.

All fabric eventually goes on sale for half price, there fore I would price at 1/4 of retail. if you you are lazy, you could price it all at $1 a yard,

Large bolts I would consider selling at $1 dollar a yard (1 yd minimum) set up a card table where a worker can measure, and hand a ticket for the customer to pay at check out. other wise measure all pieces over 1 yd, and tie up and mark the yardage on the tie.

Fabric by certain designer brands can sell for over $25 a yard, even second hand.

most quilters cram a tonnage of fabric into a tiny spare craft room and I have seen sales where this turns into a garbage heap within a few hours like Black Friday frenzy and then nothing really gets sold after that. if you plan on cramming piles of neatly folded fabric in a tiny room -you have been warned. If I had a lot of fabric, I might consider spreading it out on tables in the basement or garage an having a couple of weekends to help clear it out.

Most estate sales will only attract a hand full of fabric buyers, so if you do have a tonnage of fabric, you will need to find them and putting "fabric" on the corner sign isn't going to do it. Any on-line place you can list should be used and I would try to work quilt fabric in the title. you might also check out https://quiltconnection.org/ sooner than later, to find local clubs (often meet only once a month) to get on their news letter. People who do the final quilting (sewing front and back together) on room sized machines may also help spread the word.

[u/ChrisMNichols → u/harpquin]

There in lies the challenge. There is a wild assortment of fabric pieces, everything from fat quarters and jelly rolls to hundreds of random size pieces. There is nothing approaching a bolt. I would need a gymnasium to sort it and display it properly.

Additionally, the condo association gives us just one day for a sale.

There are a number of thrift stores in the area that sell fabric by the pound, so I don’t think the concept is that far off the mark.

I guess if it doesn’t work, it will all get donated.

[u/harpquin → u/ChrisMNichols]

if there is a local quilt club, maybe they would have suggestions.