Don't Buy Upholstery Fabrics Retail: 9 Cost-Cutting Tips

When you are looking to buy upholstery fabrics, the chances are that the first place you will think about visiting is your local upholstery retailer. There are many alternatives to buying upholstery fabrics and you can make some significant savings if you know the right places to purchase them.

Tip 1 - Wholesalers

A wholesaler is usually a factory outlet or similar establishment that sells bulk or discounted goods. Your local Yellow Pages will have a list of wholesalers in your area where you can go and view the upholstery that you need. You can still buy fabric by the yard but you will pay less for it than you would with a retailer. You may have to purchase a certain yardage to make further savings.

Tip 2 – Liquidation Stock

A great place to find low-cost fabrics is through liquidation stock. Usually, liquidation stock is sold because the company has gone out of business and the liquidator will sell all their items at heavily discounted prices to close the sale quicker.

Tip 3 – Online Auctions

There are lots of online auctions where fabrics can be found. You can look at these auctions for the type of fabric you require and bid up to the cash amount you have available. Again, buying a larger or bulk amount will usually lead to some decent savings. However, one word of caution should be applied on this type of buying; shipping costs will most likely apply so make sure that any savings you make are not overridden by the cost of shipping and handling.

Tip 4 – Live Auctions

Visiting a local auction room might also bring up some bargains if they deal with fabrics. Specialist auctions might be the best place to look and this will be where wholesalers buy their merchandise too.

Tip 5 – Garage Sales

Local garage sales are a wonderful place to find bargains. You could find some real fabric gems but the downside of this is that you could be traveling from garage sale to garage sale without finding any fabric at all. These are not always a guaranteed place to find fabric but you will get a good price if you do find any.

Tip 7 – Online Wholesalers

Looking online to find lesser-known wholesalers who sell upholstery fabrics. As with online auctions, it is worth being cautious about the costs of shipping and handling. Some will offer free delivery by a courier service and others will use regular mail services but be aware of any hidden charges that could knock up the price.

Tip 8 – Going Out of Business

This is not the same as liquidation stock. Usually, businesses that are moving to new premises or closing down altogether will have sales with some huge reductions. The stock is usually still active because the owners of the business are simply changing location or their method of trading.

Tip 9 - General Sales

Retailers and wholesalers will usually have a sale at some point during the year. These are usually organized in order to clear discontinued stock to make way for the ‘new season’ lines. Look out in your local paper or classifieds for advertisements.