I'm sure they want you to buy the thread from them. I use aurifil a lot and it is awesome thread-very little lint shedding-never a slub or uneven spot-lots of length on the spool. However, there are many good quality threads on the market. Just make sure you clean and oil your machine often and you will be fine. (My Bernina shop pushes Aurifil as well.) Try one spool of aurifil when the store has a sale and you'll see why it has such a good reputation. Can find it much cheaper in common colors if you shop around the web.