Amish tried selling their quilts to my LQS
 

i really dont think its odd. some shops sell on consignment. some shops need samples of quilts to show they are making different patterns and changing their inventory. so to me no, i dont think its unusual.

wow, the economy must be really bad if the Amish are having trouble selling their quilts!!

No, it's not odd. In Lancaster County, PA, there are a lot of shops that sell Amish made quilts and other sewn things.

PinkBerryKay ... But is that really any different than ... a fabric rep coming in and saying, I'll sell you fabric at $x per metre... and you can sell it for whatever you want?

ITA with Ro, that some shops do sell quilts ... so what's the harm in asking? He knew his price he needed, and it goes from there.

PTQuilts ... whether Amish or ??? doesn't really matter ... they are in the same economy as the rest of us, and need to keep stretching out and marketing their products.

I don't think it's that odd. As mentioned, the shop should have new inventory to display. If I were the shop owner, I'd offer to take them on consignment for a short period of time.

I also don't think that's odd. Lots of shops have an inventory of quilts for sale and no harm in asking by those Amish folks. The answer is either ,yes or no.

Not exactly odd, but IMO strange that they wouldn't ask to sell on consignment rather than a flat out $500 each for the owner to buy them. They aren't going to get many takers with that business strategy! Who has a few grand floating about to buy quilts that may or may not sell in your store? Not the best business plan...

I agree the odd part was that they wanted the owner to buy them.......wonder if they were just passing thru town.
and ran short of money.

They may have had a crisis and needed to raise some cash. May not have ever tried to deal with the English before. Brave of them to even try. Would you ever try to navigate their world?

I think the Amish are diffferent from the rest of us
Economic terms and plans are probably alien to them.

I don't think it's odd for anyone to try to sell their quilts to a LQS. The biggest problem that I see with the whole situation is this....The owner of the shops obviously want their products displayed in their shops. If thequilt makers did not use/buy the fabric that the owner sells, then she's not advertising her products. A lot of quilters want to purchase the patterns and the same, or some of the same, fabrics they see in a quilt.
I think the Amish might have done alot better, setting up on the side of the road or at a parking lot some where and selling their own quilts.... maybe even at a flea market, consignment shop or something like that .

i dont think the Amish are different from us they may dress differently and use another form off transpotation but belive me many off them are just as bussines savey as any Englisher.
And im sure the economy is hitting them hard as well although they whont have to wory as much about how to feed there children since they produce much off there own food.

I lived close to an Amish community in Ohio and found them to be great neighbors but also astute business people.

The local shops here do not take consignments or buy outright, but the gift shops do. In some areas I have seen bed turnings in a quilt shop. (usually one or two beds piled high with quilts and a shop rep will turn down each quilt on the piles for customer to choose) As to the pricing, based on the local districts school auctions held yearly, that was fair pricing. Quilts will go higher, so there was meat on the bone, so to speak.

WOW! What a reaction to the word "Amish." The Amish I have quilt my pieced tops are hardworking and do have a strong knowledge of economics. They pay for things cash, don't buy what they don't need, and aren't "into" fads. It is a patriarchal society, so that's why the man did the talking and the women listened. I find them good neighbors, and I don't know about the dog thing that was mentioned. I've never seen that. These particular folks probably needed cash and thought selling to a quilt shop was logical to them. They try not to have too much contact with the English, and don't have electricity in their homes, so have no ability to post things on eBay or such venues. So they did what they thought would work. Their society is different, but that doesn't mean they are ignorant. They do try to be self-sufficent. I admire their work ethics.

I don't see it as odd. In Penn. there are a lot of places that sell Amish quilts in their shops. There are some quilt shops, gift shops that will accept quilts on consignment

The Amish I am aware of are honest, peaceful, hard working folk who value their families and their religion. What is wrong with that? I say more of us should take on some of their character.

Don't for one second think the Amish don't have any business sense! I used to go to a small shop in Lancaster, pa run by a little old Amish woman. They had no electricity - just lamps, and a register run by a crank handle. But I was there when a fabric rep was dealing with the Amish lady, and she really made him work for his money ! It was a hoot. She looked so small and meek, but boy, she went toe to toe with him on prices and delivery and everything. I would imagine lots of Amish are the same way, or they wouldn't stay in business very long.

The lady that owns the fabric shop where I buy my fabric has asked to display a quilt after I make it when she is cutting my fabric so that her customers can get a idea about the way the fabric choices can be used. In return if someone wants to buy the quilt, she gives them my phone number. But I do think it would be kinda rude to walk into a shop and think a shop owner would buy quilts when she is selling her own. Maybe if they had bought the fabric from her shop it might be different.

I have been to some Amish shops in PA and never did I see any that you could purchase a few for $500. They were all much higher depending on size and detail. In the 1st post I did not see where it was $500 for each quilt. Amish are hard working people and maybe if the United States of America would use some of their business tactics and sense we would not be in the poor economic shape we are in today. Our kids are not raised like when we were young and had to work to go to school and help out at home. Now many parents are "buying" their children love because they either are not able to spend any time with them or they don't want to do so or whatever. Anyways the kids are not having to do anything and have huge piles of stuff they really don't need. Granted not all kids are this way, but I am finding the majority in my area that are doing this. I find even my own kids are buying their kids stuff they really don't need.

We have a large population of Amish here. They have a beautiful quilt auction every year and they get good prices for them. They are skilled at many things.

They view dogs differently that we do. They are the same to them as cows and horses. They do sell dogs in this area at flea markets and roadside stands. Most do not allow them in the house. They are in the barn with the other animals. There was an uproar about some in cages with no water at a farm stand. I am not even sure if that was true.

I respect them very much and may not agree with how they do everything. BUT one things is for sure--they take no government handouts--even Social Security and take care of eachother.,

Another store owner might have thought it was a good idea for her store. We sure shouldn't be judging the Amish by this one encounter. The Amish I know are very intelligent, hard working people. I think we can learn a lot from them and their more frugal means of living. Just because their religious beliefs are different than ours doesn't make them a bad people. I have never heard of the dog problem mentioned so again shouldn't be judging the entire Amish population by one incident.

I think the store owner made a big mistake. Buying an Amish quilt for $500 is a bargain. She could have sold a genuine Amish quilt for twice that.

I have not heard of it in Central Jersey but it doesn't sound out of line. This would be about what the Amish would sell a quilt for around here.

Excellent points. A well thought out post.

I don't find this episode to be inappropriate. Quilts, a quilt shop, they go together. I get people weekly (at least) walking in my store to sell me and/or my customers socks, books, prayer cards, flashlights, microfiber rags, etc, etc. I tell them they can buy my stuff, as I pay rent, but they don't get to SELL in my shop!!

Holy Cows! What direction is this site going? My DH & I have been to PA to visit the Amish. We have been going to Berlin, Wooster, and other areas in Ohio for the past 6 summers. We love the scenery and the Amish people. Very friendly and they have many fabric stores. Never ran into any problem. And as for the dog rumor please stop/end it now. A few on this site are not being nice and spreading rumors!

Many shops carry Amish goods so not odd at all

you never know unless you ask- i know of a number of shops that do accept people's quilts buying them outright to resell and on consignment- it is too bad she was not able to do it- the amish quilts i've seen up that way are beautiful- in fact i am saving to buy one my hubby & i saw last fall - if it is the same family it could be they have not had any traffic this winter and want to find a place to sell them- it is not 'odd' at all- in fact quite common- i'm a long-armer and have even had customers ask me if i could sell their quilts for them-
i hope they find somewhere willing to help them out-

I used to live in Pennsylvania and I am very familiar with the Amish. I found them, on the whole, to be kind, friendly, hardworking and decent, caring folks. Yes, they are pretty good business people too. So I found nothing upsetting about the fact they would ask the quilt shop owner to buy their quilts. And for the record, I never once saw any signs of puppy mills and never saw pups being sold by the Amish on the roadside.

Why is it necessary to bash the Amish? I live right smack in the middle of the Amish and would much rather have them for neighbors than the minister who lives next door to me. They are a wonderful group of people who live to themselves and bother nobody. I have purchased home grown vegetables from them for years and their generosity is amazing. They are also very astute at making money to provide for their families....something you won't see in the "English" population today.

The Amish women so not talk or do business. It's always the man. In our Amish stores here the man always runs the cash register. My friend had a farm for sale and an Amish couple wanted to look at but would only talk to the real estate
agent.

Well said...

I live in the middle of the Amish community in Clark, Missouri. I can tell you for certain the most Amish have more money than most of us. But they are always trying to make more. They really are not the world wise and probably didn't think it odd to ask the owner to buy the quilts. The owner should have offered to take them on consignment.

At least she handled it politely- She could however offered them to display one on a comission bases as a way to draw new business of people looking for Amish made hand goods. The Amish do not accept federal funds nor do they rely on outside help when at all possible. The economic strife that has hit this country has not spared them, infact they have suffered much. Many have been running cottage style businesses sewing, crafting etc for other busineses out of their home by the piece and when the businesses hit hard times those were the first cuts made.
There really is no difference between an Amish person coming in and negotiating a business transaction- of which they have actually produced the product then another sales person.
We deal with businesses all the time and to go to a shop etc and sell yourself and your work is neither comfortable or easy.
Instead of seeing this as odd etc look at it as someone who is doing business.

Our site doesn't condone or allow posts that reflect or encourage prejudice.
Since I can't read minds, I cannot say whether or not the original poster meant to imply anything negative about the Amish. That detail might just have been "thrown in" with no particular intention.

That others jumped on that detail as the focus of their comments is unfortunate and inappropriate to say the least.
What should have been a useful discussion of salesmanship has turned into a debate about a group of people.
That debate has nothing to do with quilting and adds nothing of value to this thread or to our site.
It also does not reflect well upon us as a community.

Thank you, Patrice, for stepping in. There were elements in this thread that were personally very upsetting to me, notably the taking of ugly rumours as fact.

This board is a lovely, supportive community and I appreciate it more than I can express. Thank you once more, Patrice!