Originally Posted by BellaBoo
I'm just guessing here but it seems that someone overseas could order lots of fabric from say Hancock's of Paducah as a customer sell it for $2 over the cost per yard over what it cost them and sell it out of their home and make a profit. Travel to guilds/groups in the area and sell it to sewers.
One problem is that the larger the order, the more likely you'll be caught for customs and VAT. Smaller orders have a better chance of slipping through unnoticed.
Long ago a friend of a friend used to sell fabric her husband would bring her back from business trips to the US. She charged just over her cost, but you had to be a friend and have the same taste in fabrics as herself!
Fabric.com does ship internationally, as do many of the other online sites like Fabric Depot, Hancocks of Paducah, Keepsake Quilting, Erica's (those are just some I've used over the years). Global Priority envelopes used to slide through most frequently and I sometimes had an order in less than a week! Those were the good days before money was such an issue, LOL.
Now I mainly do mini's, table runners, wallhangings or lap quilts (which are quilted on to a fleece blanket instead of batting and backing, which saves a LOT of money!)