I am a quilter who relies almost solely on "serendipity" to find my key fabrics and then go on a "sensible" shopping trip to find the secondary fabrics or neutrals. Price these days is a factor, though from time to time I am prepared to pay a little extra for an exceptional piece.
I love stores that have an eclectic mix, because this suits my style, but I do understand the need to have a decent selection of new lines and popular designers latest prints. I was pretty disappointed recently when visiting a large fabric warehouse in our nearest town....everything was so mainstream and frankly a little boring, I came out with nothing but some needles and other "hardware".
So if I was buying....I'd do a half and half...and sometimes it's the way something is marketed that makes or breaks the sale. Discontinued or old stock sounds foul, whereas, "limited edition" or "last opportunity to buy exclusive pattern at a special price" (bit wordy but you know what I mean) sounds like if you don't buy, you will never see it again....much more appealing.
I also use vintage materials and other outlets, like car park markets and charity stores, so maybe I'm in the minority, but anyway, thought I'd chime in. Hope all goes well.