I just dropped $550 on several eBay purchases. First and foremost, you get what you get, Caveat Emptor and all that. The description mentioned "vintage 1920's and 1930's" in all of them, but there was NO 1920's fabric in there. Some of the 1930's fabric was indeed feedsack, the rest were higher quality cottons, so I am pleased either way.

Photos are critically important but DO NOT replace eyeballing the actual piece; you can't really tell the accuracy of the cutting or piecing from a photo.

I bought 42 Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks; 24 of them were 1930's but were not accurately cut - the template the person used was included in the stuff and it was pretty wonky! I can easily re-use them as embellishments for crafts (such as an "imperfect table runner" using them as appliques, the part of a potholder that covers the back of your hand), but ... The other 18 had fabrics from the 60's, and many of them were not 100% cotton, and others were actually suiting or home dec fabrics. They go on the guild's "freebie" table next week and, if unclaimed, into the trash after the meeting adjourns.

I also won a set of 85 Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks, also advertised as "vintage 1920's" but which were all gen-yu-ine 1930's blocks and BEAUTIFULLY cut and pieced. Each was clean and in mint condition. I also won some yardage of same-era soft white fabric - just as pristine as the blocks - which I'll use to make the white pathway units and connect the blocks.

I also won a partially finished Grandmother's Flwer Garden quilt top, which, after rearranging some of the outer blocks, will finish at 60x60; I'll use another "win" of "gently aged" white fabric that looks just like the white fabric used in it to fill in the pathway and between the outer blocks.

Another win was 32 Ocean Waves blocks (the half-square triangle "band," without the corner background/setting triangles); the workmanship was not perfect (nicked points on the HSTs) but they are charming to me because of the wide variety of authentic 1930's and 1940's fabrics used. Since I have a ton of scraps from that same period, I'll make 4 more of these blocks so I can complete a 3x3 (three across, three down) layout; four of these blocks - with the corner background/setting triangles - forms a complete big-ole-block.

The ton of 1930's feedsack scraps I won in several auctions are genuine, and since I bought some same-era, similarly-aged white feedsack towels, I'll be able to create a vintage feedsack scrap quilt.

SO - before you get what you get, you need two plans: (1) a best-case scenario plan for what you'll do with them if they're in great condition and well made and (2) a back-up plan for when they're not "ideal." Be prepared to re-sell what you're not pleased with, and to toss some items entirely.

Are they actual quilts or tops? If they're just tops, I wouldn't wash them. If they are quilts, I think first I'd just air them out really good. Then, if that doesn't do it, I'd go ahead & wash them.