Thank you everyone for your replies. I left a whole bunch of spools at a garage sale recently because I had no idea how I would use them....what a fool! Next time they are coming home with me!
Thanks again to all on the board for your responses! Love this place!!!

Great to know because I do believe I have a lifetime supply. Just read where someone uses a quart jar for her cone thread to work. My huge supply came from a yard sale. had been kept in a bard and I had to sort through it. Had to through out only about 10%. No rats nests, just some tangling from the smaller partly used cones. I put them safely in boxes standing up and easily accessible.

I have often looked at the cone threads at the fabric stores. I like to use 100% cotton when quilting. Do you know where I can find cones at a reasonable price with 100% cotton?

What I'm reading is that they must stand up when using and not lay on its side? Is that right?

I bought one at JoAnns about 6 months ago and it was $6.95 without the coupon.

I'm using the empty spool from blank CD/DVD's. It works good. It bobbles around a bit when I wind bobbins, but I just hang onto it.

I use a spool holder that I keep on the side of my machine. It is great for large spools. I don't even use the spool pin on the machine. Even when using the regular gutterman spools I still use the spool holder on the side.

I have the one from Connecting Threads. The base is metal and much heavier and sturdier than the less expensive plastic one. It's probably the same as yours.
http://www.connectingthreads.com/too...d__D81905.html

But look at this pretty one:
http://www.connectingthreads.com/Too...r__D71253.HTML ;-)

Do yourself a favor and buy the pretty one. You won't regret the purchase.

I have not found that the quality of the thread on these larger, inexpensive spools is good enough for regular sewing. My understanding is that this is thread for surgers/surging, and where quality is not as critical, perhaps? (I dunno, I don't surge... not with a machine anyway, yuk yuk...)

I bought a few of these from my LQS and was immediately disappointed when I started threading my machine for standard sewing.

I use them with my Viking all the time. Like others, both the plastic thread stand at Joanns. Think it was about $5. Works just dandy for me. Fortunately I can wind my bobbin without unthreading my machine so it's really handy having the large spools.