Purchasing from a Quilt Show
 

Has anyone purchased a machine from a quilting show? Are the savings substantial? Also, do they keep inventory so you can bring it home right away? Do they also sell the floor models?

I'll be going with my sister and she is considering a mid arm purchase.

Thanks!

I got my Sweet Sixteen at a quilt show and felt it was a good deal. It was one of the machines used in a class at the show so not available for pickup till the show ended.

Thank you. Do you need to purchase the demos early? or is it possible to still get a deal on the last day of the show?

Quilt show is good place to buy machines. Be careful about service and support and classes if you want them. Some dealers don't honor these things unless machine is purchases from them. Otherwise excellent prices

I bought my Elna at a show--dealer was local, so they had me pick it up at the store so I'd get a lesson or two and also so they could give me the cover, etc that went with it. But some shows will let you buy the class machines and are prepared to have you take them home at end of show. Yes--I got $500 of mine and know from other shows that the savings are pretty great. Especially class machines which can no longer be considered "new".

I don't know the answer to this. I bought my machine the day before the show ended. We picked it up a few days later at the dealer who sold it. An instruction class is required by Handiquilter (for warranty purposes) and I went to the dealer for that.

I think that most of the machines at shows are demos and so they don't let you take them until after the show. I know the local Bernina dealer here used to have most of the demo machines spoken for before the show started but they did offer show specials. I'm not sure how that works though. I've only been to Houston Quilt Festival. It doesn't seem like there is enough room for them to keep an inventory of machines at the show.

I bought a demo Sweet 16 at the Chicago show. It was $1500 off retail, included the bobbin winder, and they shipped it to my house for free.

I went to a quilt show last year with my sister and the vendors had specials but not one had a take home machine available which probably was a good thing because the machines are not light weight! My sister was looking at the mid arms as well. The price that the reps were offering were decent. I remember that one of the machines we looked at was the Block Rocket (I think that is the name) and the price was not reduced and she had to wait 6 weeks for delivery. The best thing about the show is that she can try out the different types.

Sweet deal!