Originally Posted by PatriceJ

not all fabrics "everywhere" are the same as all available "anywhere", let alone the same as "everywhere else".

small, locally owned quilt shops (LQS) will most likely stock fabrics that fall at the high end of the spectrum in terms of their customers' preferences. the owners are usually first in line for the newest lines from the top manufacturers. if you think of quilt shops as clothing stores, they can be reasonably compared to Nieman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, etc. they carry the haute couture "designer fashions".

while i know from personal experience that a small percentage of fabs purchased from an LQS will turn out to be disappointing in quality and performance, it should be fairly noted that in general this is not the case.

it isn't unusual for products in an LQS to be priced at the highest end of the spectrum, as well. they need to be located in areas of the community best suited to attracting customers who can afford to shop there on a regular basis. that means very high rent, for starters. a very important factor is that they cannot afford to buy too many bolts of the same fabric ahead of time. they lose the advantage of volume pricing when building their stock. add to that utility expenses, marketing and advertising costs, personnel costs, and the need to offer substantial discounts at least occassionally, and you can see why they have no choice but to charge higher prices if they want to keep the lights on and the doors open.

a chain store, on the other hand can buy googobs of anything they chose to stock. they start off with the pricing advantage. the fabric department is likely only a portion of the total operation. they can afford to grow or shrink it; rearrange the percentage of which types of fabric they carry; and to carry products found across the entire spectrum of consumer preferences. they can afford to stock fabrics that fit the budgets of the whole consumer population.

they are the TJ Max, Marshall's, and Beal's Outlet of the fabric world. you will find within their walls everything from famous name designers to the little heard of manufacturers. and - yes - you will sometimes find the exact same fabric $3 per yard that you saw elsewhere for double or triple the price. that is not always and only the case, but it is an extremely fortunate circumstance for those who have to shop with great care on a very tight budget.

it's also true that not all chain stores offer classes or special activities. they are trying to attract and serve a large number of customers they hope will all be in the store at the same time. they often have a high turnover among their employees because they don't pay well. the range of knowledge and experience may not be the same as you'll find in a good LQS. that means you may not always get the very personal and time consuming attention you can count on in a good LQS.

not all fabrics are created equal. therefore, when you shop at a chain, you will find a wide selection that includes everything from fabs that feel like silk to those that feel like sandpaper. when you shop at an LQS, the fabrics will almost always feel silky and luxurious. on rare occassions, they just won't perform as wonderfully as they feel.

because you can find diamonds and rhinestones no matter where you shop it's important to keep an open mind and to take advantage of every affordable opportunity to sample what's available from as many manufacturers and retail sources as possible. over time you will learn what you like and what you don't. you can then freely choose to purchase those things from the retail source that best meets all your individual needs as a consumer and a quilter.