I have some 20-25 year old fabrics I bought at an estate sale. This elderly lady had gotten them from Ben Franklin and the like. They are in great condition. A lot of the newer fabrics are pretty crummy.
Some of you know I run an online fabric store. Even my kids can tell the difference. When we unpack fabric from Springs (Walmart carries a lot of it - Spiderman, Cars, Strawberry Shortcake,) it smells. I think the dye process and treatment for the fabric is the cheapest possible and you can really tell. My little ones will show up from across the house going ewww that's the stinky fabric.
Julie