There are some great ideas here. But some important questions are...How long has the fabric been on the shelves with that fluorescent light shining on it? Are you a smoker? Are there pets? Is the fabric faded at the folds? These are things I would want to know. I have quite a large stash too, but mine is behind closed doors or in metal file drawers.

You can get about 5-6 yards of fabric in a $5.00 one rate envelope. This is a reasonable way to mail fabric. If people here pm you and agree to pay in advance a fair price per yard plus shipping fee I think that would be a way to solve your problem and also to help others who would like to increase their stash.

Just a thought, not written in stone.

Longarm

And I thought I had a decent stash. You put me to shame. Why not contact local quilt quilds and ask to put an adversment in their newsletter.

If you decide to have people pay you for the shipping, don't use Paypal. They are now holding any money that you get through paypal for 21 days before you can get it.

Wow! I don't have more than one shelf units worth and I think mine is bad.
You need to do more quilting.
I agree with the person who said to bundle it and sell it on here. If you deal with paypal it is easy and you can use the post office envelopes and boxes.

I have been noticing more and more fabric and fat qtrs for sale at consignment and antique stores. I have bought some in the past..even bought some applique blocks. I would do that before craigs list. I for one do not want strangers coming to my house and have no desire to sit in a parking lot somewhere waiting for someone to show up. The prices for fat qtrs are the same as the LQS but...fabrics that you can no longer buy. Love it...good luck.

Contact your local 4-H clubs. The kids are certainly trustworthy people to come look at your stash, and their parents would welcome good prices on fabric. the quilt work 4-H do inspires me. I love seeing people carrying on old traditions.

wow! it would take a LOT of pictures to even show it here on the board to show each pc, it's number and price. so I have to agree the bulk would sell faster if you go thru a guild and maybe some to the board and maybe a consignment shop and friends. I have 4 rubbermaid tubs now and was feeling guilty! haha good luck to you.

OH My!!! And I thought I had a lot. I would ask your guild to have a sell.This is where everyone sits up tables and sell their wares. Mine has one every July. Don't do a yard sale. I did this didn't get out even half of what I paid for fabric.

I have had great success selling on Craig's List. I used to be a cop, and I am all about safety, but I find my buyers through my quilt guild and others in the area. Generally speaking they are "safe" - or have your husband home and have people come in the evening. Set all the fabric up in a front room, closest to the door. Have the fabric pre-measured and pinned on. Buyers are going to want to know how much fabric is in a "piece."

If you have a "sale" - you could have it when it is warmer and have in your Garage. People are going to want to closely look at the fabric before buying. If you send out some e-mails to the local quilt guild newsletter people or guild president's (do a Google search on the guild name - easy to find info). I ran mine this way on 2 Saturdays in early May. Sold. $3,000.00 worth of stuff. Plus, you can promote your longarm business (If that is what I see in the photo) Good luck

I live in Iowa and will drive over! :)

I agree, I would not have strangers coming to your house. My husband never would let me have a yard sale for that reason.

How about checking with any local Quilt Guilds? Perhaps you could sell it at meetups? Better than Craigslist, as someone said, do you want strangers coming to your house?

I just went to a garage sale that was posted in the local paper. Ad started out "Quilters Dream"
They had tables set up in the garage with fabric. books etc. Because of the wording of ad only quilters
came. When asked about the price the answer was what ever we felt comfortable paying. They wanted
it to be fun and it was. Sure wished I lived in Iowa. Good luck

What a wonderful stash! We all wish to have such a stash. Give me directions and I'll drive up next week. LOL
I would think selling it in lot colors would be the best, all reds, or all greens, maybe lots of 5 yards.
No matter where you sell it, you are going to have to pkg it up and get it to the post office.
5 yards fits in one of those small flat boxes, if it fits it ships. Good luck.

Flat rate shipping would be the way to go and like others have said the post office would pick it up at the house. Guilds are another way if you know someone who is a member as usually they wont let an outsider in but soesnt hurt to ask.

Having been a vendor at a quilt show, I can tell you that some shows allow only a % of your goods to be below market value in order to protect the other vendors who are selling at retail (or close to it). I think contacting quilt guilds within a reasonable distance and asking if you could have a sale would be the best way to go. You could "grease their palms" by
offering them 10% of your sales, or fabric that doesn't sell, to aid in charitable work that they might participate in. Good Luck!

no long ago there was an article about a prison that inmates were on a waiting list to make quilts for charity. Maybe you could google this and see if they would be interested in purchasing or if tax exempt give you a receipt for your taxes to write off the donation. A local church, nursing home, quilting group may also be interested. I haved given a lot of my stash to local churches for them to raise money because I know I will never be able to use all before I get called to the other world. Good Luck

Do you do any piecing or just buying??????Just kidding.......I should talk, but you beat me hands down!!!!!
A few years ago, a prolific quilter in the next town passed and two friends organized a quilter's garage sale. The fabric was sold by the lb., unfortunately I don't remember the price per......but it was easier for the organizers to do it that way than try to price each piece/bundle...she had probably more than you do.........So we all just grbbed andf they put it on a scale.....it was not a bathroom one, sort of the kind that you see at the stores, or the old fashioned baby scale....nevertheless, it worked and they were wiped out in no time.........and I still have some of it I bought at the time.........

Looking at your stash made me feel so good. My stash is in boxes and every time I think about sorting it out it makes me tired and I leave it for another day.

That is some stash ! I don't know if I would want people I don't know coming into my home . That is something you have to decide. What i do know that their are many groups who accept donated fabric to make charity qyuilts etc and they would love to have tsome of this. Our guild accepts donations as do many others and so does Project Linus. I would think about donating some. The other option may be a consignment shop

I had a quilters garage sale. I advertised it in quild newsletters and by word of mouth. Newpaper ads were made clear that I was NOT selling quilts. Quilt stores are not much of an option for help.The real work is before you open the door. You need to measurre each piece and mark its length. I then made a sign that stated the prices of 1/2 yds, FQ, etc. If there was an inch or so over, I still put it in the 1/2 yd and did't mess with charging extra. I put each group in a marked box of size and set them out on tables. I had books and other stuff priced and on display. Magazines were free. The books and leftover magazines went to the library book sale. There was some fabric left over and I either kept it or donated it to churches, Linus groups, etc. and took it off taxes. I held it in my garage, put up a note there was "no potty", and got some friends to help. I was surprised at the turnout and how much stuff I got rid of. I marked the prices reasonably and while I didn't make too much money, I did not do too bad. Hope this helps

I only live 425 miles away lol, is that to far to drive?

You would most certainly win ... the person who dies with the most fabric, wins! I wish I lived close so I could "shop" in your stash. I definitely like the idea of contacting a guild in your area. Most of them do charity quilts and the upside is you would have strangers, but nice strangers in your home. I have also been to some shows that have a "sale" room and the members are allowed to batch and sell fabric, etc. at the quilt show. My stash might fill several of your shelves, if I "fluffed" it up. I tend not to buy a lot of fabric, buy only for the project at hand and I use any leftover fabric from the project to put on the back so I have fewer leftovers. That being said, I LOVE doing scrap quilts and am always on the hunt. Some of my best finds have been at garage sales and most quilters know the value of fabric and are pretty agreeable with the prices posted as long as they aren't outrageous.

I'll send you some of those if it fits it ships boxes and you can send me some! What a great problem to have. I probably have 1/1000th of what you have. Our church quilting group, who make quilts for charity, could certainly use some too! Good luck!

Hold a quilt retreat with your best friends at your house. Charge them a fee....XX amount includes XX number of yards of fabric.
Or have the local quilt guild hold a retreat like that for you.

Use it! Take a month's vacation and sew your heart's content. Sell the tops and buy some more stash!

You can get free shipping boxes from the Post Office and the boxes have a set costs for each size box. Your mailman will pick them up too. Just include the cost of shipping in your price.

For some of your material you may consider donating to a charity project like "Linus". They can always use material. Sometimes a guild will make a quilt to donate for a raffel. As the other ladies said contact a guild. You should measure & mark if you plan to sell. It will be a little time & work but you will do better money wise. Good luck I hope you can get some for your efforts.:thumbup: Rowena101

I would either donate it to a church who does blankets, etc....or I would group by colors, designs, or sets (those that match for a project) and sell on this site...if I were doing something to downsize, I would want those who receive the items to appreciate them....as others, wish I was close, so I could use your downsize to upsize my poor little stash....Blessings

Our local sewing and quilt guilds has opportunity for sales of items. They would need to be bagged and priced, but it's a great deal for both the sellers and buyers.

Good luck on downsizing!!

Rats! I was across the river last week in Omaha. could have lightened your load a little!!

Australia is a bit far away but I would love to be your new best friend.
Good luck with the sale.

You do have a lot.. Think it would scare me..
What about donating it, and taking a tax deduction?
barri

Flea Market is a great place lots traffic,yard sale.

Man, I'm in Illinois and that is so tempting. I agree, when you sell here, wait till money is received and then ship. Is it because of transportation to ship? Maybe a friend can help.

Wow, that is a lot of fabric. We had one gal in our guild who rented a table in our quilt show and sold her stash that way. She enjoyed talking with everyone and she sold a lot of her stash. I think our tables went for $20 or $40 for two days. My guild also had a yardage sale, we had the fabrics wrapped up in bundles on 1/4 yd 1/2 yd 1 yd 2 yd and wrapped each bundle with a piece of yard to signify the cost. It was labor intensive but really made it easy at our sale. We made about $650 and plan on doing another one next month!!

Oh how I wish you could sale & ship some, I only started quilting this past November, and could use a bunch and I would be willing to pay the shipping. Please give it some thought, and PM me if you do decide to sale & ship. Thanks Donna

I suggest start sewing like mad!!!!! lol

you can dontate some to the centers that have quilting classes or the rescue i make dog pillows and send them in i have to use my own material and batting so there are plenty of places you can give you material to and it would go to good use as far as selling maybe a church flea market fill some clear bags and put a price on it there are still people that sew