I asked for and received a swatch from one ebay store. Often they will offer to send one, you just have to ask. I have often been disappointed that the fabric was not exactly what I thought it would be, but I buy for my stash, so almost any fabric will be used eventually (if I live long enough). I buy only brands that I recognize and like, so that takes care of the fabric quality issue. Only once did I receive yardage that was not first quality (it looked like it had not gone through all the dye process) and the seller promptly refunded my money and told me to keep the fabric. So overall I am very pleased to order online, and I save quite a bit by doing so.