Originally Posted by
Gay
I bought 30yds of fabric from thousands of bolts. postage was $55 (for 11-30 yds) - total cost was $250. If I'd bought it here, would have cost me $650. New lines, toile and such can be $32 metre in the LQSs, and discount shops usually charge $10-26 for 'better' fabrics, with sale items down to $5pmt. I don't really know why the cost is so high, but I do know the shop owners put on a hefty mark-up, and probably the middle man does too. If I had done that in the grocery business I'd have gone broke.
I think that there are too many middle men. I think even if customs/VAT were 100% of the wholesale price, it would still be cheaper (much) than what you pay. And I don't think it is nearly that much. In Poland, VAT is something like 22-24%--not sure at the moment.