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starting my etsy shop

Before I really get started with my etsy shop I was hoping I could start getting bolts of fabric for wholesale. I have no idea how to go about doing this though. I've tried to google wholesale fabric but am having no luck. Any suggestions?

Replies to This Post

Permalink Reply by southernskirts on July 3, 2009 at 10:40am

I've just started doing this so I am a novice, but so far it's working. I started first by looking at the selvage on my favorite and best-selling fabrics. The company who makes the fabric is usually printed there, sometimes with a web address. Most of the big fabric companies have regional sales representatives, with contact information found on the company's website. One of my favorite fabrics is Koto, and the selvage says it was made by Alexander Henry. So I googled them, got their website, and found my way to their wholesale info page, which had the listings of regional sales reps. I sent an email to the rep designated for my area and just started asking questions - what paperwork is required for purchasing wholesale, what are the minimum orders, and where can I see what's for sale. Their minimum happened to be 20 yards (which is roughly a bolt) but some other companies had minimums of 100 yds. or more. And you are required to have a reseller's license from your state - sometimes called the tax exempt form or something like that, because it means you don't have to pay sales tax on what you're purchasing. Good luck - hope this helps!

Permalink Reply by amy wagner on July 3, 2009 at 5:19pm

You could also join a co-op. You can join a group of other buyers who want the same things and you make a purchase a group. This is especially helpful if you are unable to purchase the minumum requirement on your own. Just be sure to join an established group with people who are happy with the moderator/organizer. After all, you will likely need to send that person your money for your portion of the group purchase in advance and rely on their honesty to send you the things you paid for. I belong to a co-op that buys notions and supplies (like interfacing, zippers, magnetic snaps) as well as fabric.

Permalink Reply by Bayou Dreamer on July 3, 2009 at 6:32pm

Hi Amy,
I am interested in knowing more about your co-op. Is it online or local only? I only use small amounts of yardage for my products but I do use the same notions over and over again so I'd love to get a better deal than my local (50 miles one way) fabric store.

Thanks for any information you send me.

Karen Elizabeth
kehalbrook@centurytel.net

Permalink Reply by Bayou Dreamer on July 3, 2009 at 6:28pm

One fabric wholesaler who is friendly to small businesses is Foust Textiles. http://www.fousttextiles.com/ My friend has a small quilting shop and her representative from Foust is very responsive to her even though she only buys a few bolts of fabric at one time. The have a decent selection of fabrics, though I am sure you will want to open accounts with other textile companies as well to broaden your spectrum.

I love http://www.ladybuttonfabrics.com though they are not wholesale -- I'd like to find out where they source their beautiful fabrics from.

This is one I have had in my bookmarks but I haven't purchased from them yet, http://www.fabricdirect.com/acatalog/apparel_cottons_by_the_bolt.html , the things I make are so small that it is not worth it to me to purchase yardage by the bolt.

Also, try googling using the phrase textiles instead of fabric. I discovered that all kinds of things are considered 'fabric' including building materials.

Hope this helps.

Karen Elizabeth

Permalink Reply by Forest on July 17, 2009 at 11:54pm

Cheryl, I haven't sold my stuff in a long time but am looking at starting up again. I still sew and do get some great bargains from different places. One place that I have had good luck is Ebay. I have several stores that I buy from regularly. www.syfabrics.com is one that has a web site and sells on ebay. For a lot of my notions I use Bee Lee supply out of Texas. They don't have a website but they do have an 800 number and will send out a catalog if you call them. For snaps, buttons and some of my zippers I can't beat them. They cary everything from baby snaps all the way to auto snaps for putting on convertable tops. They have quanity pricing and I don't ever have a problem using a gross of jean buttons. LOL Like some of the others I could probally sew for years on my stash, but what fun is that must feed the disease of fabricholism...

I will look for some of the other sites that I have used for wholesale products. I know that a lot of the mills are in the Carolinas and so are some of the stores. Good luck

Permalink Reply by Maria on July 18, 2009 at 2:04am

Try fabricfinders.com., checker distributors, Nashville cottons, farm house fabrics.
This should keep you busy for about 2 hours. LOL
What are you exactly looking for ie what are you sewing? This may help to get you going in the right direction.

Permalink Reply by Connie Foster on August 11, 2009 at 12:55pm

To buy wholesale the first step is to get your license from the state. All places require a copy of it to let you buy wholesale. A good place I like is Marshall's Dry Goods in Batesville, AR. You can send them your license and then either travel there or order by phone. There prices are very reasonalble and they carry name brand fabrics that the fabric companies have left from the previous season. They may not have all of a line because a few of the designs have sold out. The only down side is that they only have their retail lines on the web. They have too much fabric to put the wholesale on the web. (At least that is what the salesman told me.) The miinimum is one bolt (15 yed) or you can buy a bundle of flat folds. These bundles usually have theme like: color, calicos, super heroes, Winnie the Poo etc. You have to be careful about copy right with themed fabrics for resale but there is enough not copy righted fabric. Mostly they have quilting fabric, but they occasionally have other types of fabric.

Another thing I buy from them is there fabric with flaws. I can usually cut around the flaw, or in the case of flannel that I use instead of batting, it won't be seen. It is as cheap as $.50/ yed. I use the flannel inside placemats, purses and other items I want low loft quilting. I also really like Foust.

I

Permalink Reply by sherrie Goff on August 11, 2009 at 6:47pm

I now by all my fabric wholesale from Michael Miller, Alexander Herny , Timeless Treasurers, Kaufman, Moda, Windham/Baum Textiles, Warm Company (batting), Exclusively Quilters. All of these wholesalers have websites and you can either get contact information from their sites or you can register for an account on-line. You need either a state tax ID or a Federal Tax ID number.

While these companies are not the least expensive fabrics out there, they are the best and they are manufacturers, not jobers, some of whom are manufacturing in the US. As manufacturers they all have minimum order requirements and you do purchase by the bolt. Hope this helps. Sherrie

Permalink Reply by Connie Foster on March 2, 2010 at 1:38pm

The main thing you need to do to order wholesale is get a tax id number from your state. Then any wholeseller will work with you. A lot of them don't require you to have a minimum order, but if you have a larger order you may get free shipping or a reduced wholesale price. The only thing is that you can only order by the bolt (15 yds.) I use so many different ones, it would be hard to list them all.

Get your tax id number and put in any brand name fabric and you can order from them directly. There are places like Foust, Brewers and Marshall's Dry Goods that sell several brands. Some will take credit cards, but a few like Checkers won't. You have to open an account with them and they bill you. I personally prefer to deal with debit cards so my accounts don't accumulate. That way I don't go on big buying sprees.

Permalink Reply by Judy Dziadosz on April 6, 2010 at 5:12pm

you need to contact each major distributor of quilting fabrics ie Westminster/Freespirit, Michael Miller, Timeless Treasures and apply for a wholesale account. You will need a State Tax ID # which you can purchase usually on line via your state's Department of Taxation. You will be needing a reseller's tax ID. Also, you need a store be it online or a storefront and the web address associate with it.

All manufacturers have minimums for your first order so be prepared to spend a lot of money in the beginning. They rarely allow net until you have place at least one order with them, sometimes it is a few months.

hope this helps
Jmillie (fabric shop)

Permalink Reply by Judy Dziadosz on April 6, 2010 at 5:20pm

Also as noted above a yahoo fabric coop might be a good source if your sewing needs are moderate. Do ask around about a coop you are interested in as they can have issues or changes of mods/owners. Most are honest workers who simply want to share a bolt. I have a fabric shop and a coop.

Jmillie

Permalink Reply by Jen O on February 15, 2011 at 9:53am