i'm with you on the need to see and feel for myself. now that our WM has downsized, i've been driven to shopping online for fabric. nearest anything else is an hour away.
i don't worry much about ordering from Joann. but the "local" hancock carries everything from decent quality to junk. you'd have to be just as careful there as at WM - and pay higher prices. i'll give their online operation a shot at my business one of these days. i'm really hoping that when i get around to ordering from thousandsofbolts.com it turns out to be decent stuff. (haven't actually started a shopping cart there yet. they have sooooooooooo many things i want, i'm afraid i wouldn't stop. LOL)