Helping a friend, need advice:
10-03-2014, 05:50 AM
#21
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 4,299
I OFTEN see vintage quilts in the thrift shops, usually priced very inexpensively. Many have damage or are weird half-shrunk polyester things - but I've seen undamaged, neatly-made, hand-quilted vintage cotton quilts with $40 price tags that sat for weeks. I like to look at them but I never buy them as I really don't have use for them. It seems to me it's really hard to find a market for your average, run-of-the-mill vintage quilt, even ones with nice hand-quilting.
My sister bought a (non-vintage) hand-pieced scrappy hexi throw-size quilt at a thrift shop for $4 to use in her dog's bed. At first I screeched when I saw it but honestly I can't blame her - she's not into quilting and just saw it as an interesting dog blanket for a good price. The dog still uses it....I wasn't about to take it from him and I have no use for it anyway. At least the dog is not a chewer or a shredder and is more of a snuggler; the quilt seems to be withstanding his use pretty well (I am driven to discreetly check every time I visit). It's machine-quilted so hopefully that'll help it hold together. And I have to admit, it does look nice draped on his bed, LOL.
My sister bought a (non-vintage) hand-pieced scrappy hexi throw-size quilt at a thrift shop for $4 to use in her dog's bed. At first I screeched when I saw it but honestly I can't blame her - she's not into quilting and just saw it as an interesting dog blanket for a good price. The dog still uses it....I wasn't about to take it from him and I have no use for it anyway. At least the dog is not a chewer or a shredder and is more of a snuggler; the quilt seems to be withstanding his use pretty well (I am driven to discreetly check every time I visit). It's machine-quilted so hopefully that'll help it hold together. And I have to admit, it does look nice draped on his bed, LOL.
10-03-2014, 06:54 AM
#22
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 2,876
I'll confess, I did not read all the responses. BUT, if I did not know how to price a quilt, I would have told her that. Also, I would have told her I did not sell quilts (if that is true) and would have no idea about how to do it. It is OK to say No or I don't know.
10-03-2014, 10:54 AM
#23
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Lowell, MA
Posts: 14,083
I absolutely, positively agree with quilt1950, tell your friend to get the quilt appraised, regardless of any inconvenience to her if she really wants to sell it; and I would not agree to do it for her because you don't feel qualified. Just my opinion.
10-03-2014, 11:04 AM
#24
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Piedmont Virginia in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns.
Posts: 8,562
Whew, you dodged a bullet on this one! And, if for some reason, she decides she 'found' the things she wanted you to work on, you will just recently have discovered you have a sore hand; have to leave town for weeks; gave your machine away; are only sewing for your new grandson/daughter/neighbor/MIL/favorite charity; your husband is forcing you to go back to work; the house flooded and everything you own is in storage; yoiu've lost your memory and don't know who in the world she is;........
Jan in VA
Jan in VA
10-03-2014, 11:39 AM
#25
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Upstate NY, north of Syracuse Area
Posts: 6,003
LOLOL, Jan, too funny!! Actually, I won't mind sewing the blocks for her if she finds them. I love her and would do it when I can fit it in. I did also suggest she should take the crazy quilt to an appraiser at any time if she changed her mind and decided to sell it.
10-03-2014, 06:51 PM
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 619
My friend was recently in this same situation. She inherited a crazy quilt from her MIL. With my help, she found local appraisers (Well, 2 hours away). They did not feel confident to give her an appraisal of this unique quilt. (It was beautiful). The appraisers suggested she contact an appraiser in California, who had some expertise in this area. It was appraised for several thousand dollars, and the California appraiser helped her find a buyer. It was worth her time and expense to do a thorough job researching her quilt.
10-03-2014, 08:43 PM
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 983
Okay this is my own personal opinion and worth exactly what you paid for it, and I may get flamed for it, but I'm gonna say it anyway.
My sense of this situation is your friend wants to get as much money for as little work as possible, and you are getting pulled by her tractor beam into the crosshairs. RUN. Let her deal with it. You are a quilter, not a professional restorer or appraiser. You are right; if she wants money for anything she wants to sell, she should get it appraised. That way she can back up her pricing with paperwork and provenance. Appraisers may also be able to suggest appropriate selling venues.
My sense of this situation is your friend wants to get as much money for as little work as possible, and you are getting pulled by her tractor beam into the crosshairs. RUN. Let her deal with it. You are a quilter, not a professional restorer or appraiser. You are right; if she wants money for anything she wants to sell, she should get it appraised. That way she can back up her pricing with paperwork and provenance. Appraisers may also be able to suggest appropriate selling venues.
10-03-2014, 10:18 PM
#28
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: kansas
Posts: 6,407
Very interesting outcome today. After seeing the quilt, it was not in good shape as I expected. About 20% was damaged by wear. I pleaded inability to make a proper judgement and she decided to keep it. She gifted me one quilt with one area of damage, one flimsy with 2 missing blocks and a set of very old blocks in muslin and blue, tree of life, 11 blocks and 4 in the same colors that are signature blocks. There is a lot of flocking on the muslin, so I'll be trying to get them cleaned up.
She didn't bring any blocks for me to sew and give back. Not sure what happened to that but I didn't ask.
She didn't bring any blocks for me to sew and give back. Not sure what happened to that but I didn't ask.
10-04-2014, 04:37 AM
#29
Super Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 6,764
Okay this is my own personal opinion and worth exactly what you paid for it, and I may get flamed for it, but I'm gonna say it anyway.
My sense of this situation is your friend wants to get as much money for as little work as possible, and you are getting pulled by her tractor beam into the crosshairs. RUN. Let her deal with it. You are a quilter, not a professional restorer or appraiser. You are right; iWell, I'm,f she wants money for anything she wants to sell, she should get it appraised. That way she can back up her pricing with paperwork and provenance. Appraisers may also be able to suggest appropriate selling venues.
My sense of this situation is your friend wants to get as much money for as little work as possible, and you are getting pulled by her tractor beam into the crosshairs. RUN. Let her deal with it. You are a quilter, not a professional restorer or appraiser. You are right; iWell, I'm,f she wants money for anything she wants to sell, she should get it appraised. That way she can back up her pricing with paperwork and provenance. Appraisers may also be able to suggest appropriate selling venues.
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