I wouldn't want anyone to go to their LQS, shop and then take the business elsewhere, at least *not before* asking the LQS if they could order the fabric by the bolt at a fair price. Anyway... most of the time, the work of identifying/selecting a fabric can be done online at the maker's website.
As to being able to feel the fabric... if you've ever had a piece of QT (Quilting Treasures) fabric, they print on the same greige goods (basic undyed fabric) all the time. So if you've felt one, you've felt 'em all. Their VIP line is printed on one of four different greige goods/finish styles. This is the first part of their FULL pattern number and it is a 4-digit code such as 1005, 1012, 1021 (and I forget what the fourth is). I don't think that they show that information on their website, but it is in their printed catalog (released twice a year) and you could always e-mail Cranston (or me) to ask about it. 1005 is fairly lightweight. 1012 is 60x60 weave. 1021 is 60x60 with their Cransheen finish (slightly shiny or chintzed and my favorite for home dec work).
Quick rundown: their blenders and most of the basic calicos are 1005. The sunflower group is 1012. Vineyard (grapes) and the Hautman wildlife ones are 1021. Their "Anything Goes" group is done on the fourth type of fabric and is about as heavy/thick as the 60x60 but it's just a slightly different weave as the vertical (warp) threads are closer together.
You should always give your LQS a shot at your business before taking your shopping online. It's just a matter of being kind to your neigbors! But unless it's a very large LQS, they may not carry all brands, or patterns/collections, in which case it's perfectly fair to shop elsewhere for what you cannot find locally. (We can't carry everything, either... in my shop's case, we're heavy on novelty fabrics because you can describe them in 2-4 words and type that into Google's search box.)