The recent topic of do you pay over x amount has gotten me to thinking.
09-10-2010, 07:05 PM
#112
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Westerville, Ohio
Posts: 711
Ladies overseas, let me take your side right now. American quilters are extremely lucky with fabric prices. When I visited my son in England 2 years ago, I was astounded at the price of fabric there and these ladies are right, they have no other choice. If they order from the states, the "Queen" adds on her taxes to the price so she can live in the luxury she is accustomed to. The first box I sent to my son for his first Christmas there cost me over $75.00 to ship and it was not a large box. If I send now, it is in small boxes with a cost below $25 so the Queen cannot put a tax on it. But mostly, my son buys when he visits America and puts it inbetween his clothes in his suitcase to go home. We went to a LQS near him when I was there and the owner and customers could not believe I , an American was buying fabric over there instead of here in the states. Comparable---a $10.00 per yard batik over here is about $22.00 (american money) over there.
09-10-2010, 08:07 PM
#114
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: nw washington
Posts: 488
Originally Posted by quilter on the eastern edge
Canada reporting in! I can go to my LQS and buy good quality quilting cotton for $12 - $16 a metre (batiks are more expensive). Or I can go to Wally World and buy crapola for $5.00 - $7.00 a metre, which is what they sell here. I feel that if I am going to make a quilt and spend all of that time and energy on it, I want the materials to be of high quality. So I use very good quality fabric, thread (Mettler's silk-finish 100% cotton), batting and backing. I don't mind paying the $$$$ for quality materials but, that being said, I don't make very many large quilts because it is cost-prohibitive.
I also order online quite a bit because I can get good prices, a much wider selection of good quality, brand name fabrics, and I have access to full collections of co-ordinating fabrics (Hancock's of Paducah and Over the Rainbow are my favourites). So I have that option available to me if I choose to use it.
I don't feel like I am being gouged or anything - that's just the way it is, with fabric as with anything else. Everything cost more here on the Eastern Edge than it does in the US (actually most things cost more here than in most other parts of Canada :cry: ).
So, no, don't send tea bags. I can buy them here ( for about $4.00 for a box of 72!) ;-)
I also order online quite a bit because I can get good prices, a much wider selection of good quality, brand name fabrics, and I have access to full collections of co-ordinating fabrics (Hancock's of Paducah and Over the Rainbow are my favourites). So I have that option available to me if I choose to use it.
I don't feel like I am being gouged or anything - that's just the way it is, with fabric as with anything else. Everything cost more here on the Eastern Edge than it does in the US (actually most things cost more here than in most other parts of Canada :cry: ).
So, no, don't send tea bags. I can buy them here ( for about $4.00 for a box of 72!) ;-)
09-11-2010, 02:14 AM
#115
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Queensland Australia
Posts: 1,388
Originally Posted by Mirabelle
Yes we pay far too much for fabric in Australia, yes we all understand about buying local and all that but I recently wanted to purchase some Robert Kaufmann Fusions from my local quilt shop and the price was $26 per meter
(which is 39 inches). So home I come and get on the ole computer and ordered what I wanted over the internet. Landed in Australia only cost me $11 per yard...
Most of us are on limited income or self funded retirees so we have to careful how much we spend on our addiction er sorry hobby :-)
(which is 39 inches). So home I come and get on the ole computer and ordered what I wanted over the internet. Landed in Australia only cost me $11 per yard...
Most of us are on limited income or self funded retirees so we have to careful how much we spend on our addiction er sorry hobby :-)
09-11-2010, 05:42 AM
#116
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 486
Originally Posted by galvestonangel
If I came over with fabric for my friends, would that be taxable? If I am bringing it for myself, is that taxable?
We have not decided which country we will be flying into, but do all countries (England, Ireland, France) tax things I, a US citizen, would bring in for my personal use or for gifts for my quilter friends. Is there an amount you can bring in without being taxed. In the US you can bring back $600 worth of merchandie without being taxed.
I am asking a lot of questions because I don't see how they can tax me on personal property I'm bringing in. This may be a quilting vacation for me.
This upsets me that a few yards are likely to be taxed.
We have not decided which country we will be flying into, but do all countries (England, Ireland, France) tax things I, a US citizen, would bring in for my personal use or for gifts for my quilter friends. Is there an amount you can bring in without being taxed. In the US you can bring back $600 worth of merchandie without being taxed.
I am asking a lot of questions because I don't see how they can tax me on personal property I'm bringing in. This may be a quilting vacation for me.
This upsets me that a few yards are likely to be taxed.
You can see from this that there shouldn't be any issues for you at all. Fortunately customs here in Dublin always seemed more concerned with smuggling and money laundering and agricultural issues than purchases/gifts being brought home. The man who had 40 iPhones in his suitcase some years back wasn't so lucky though, LOL!!
09-11-2010, 07:27 PM
#119
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 327
Originally Posted by 2livesdown7togo
Reading some of this, makes one wonder whether we ought to gripe so much about taxes.
If we don't gripe, then likely they'll raise the taxes more. Griping makes them realize it isn't in there best interest.
09-14-2010, 01:27 PM
#120
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Bangor North Wales
Posts: 353
Originally Posted by BellaBoo
I'm just guessing here but it seems that someone overseas could order lots of fabric from say Hancock's of Paducah as a customer sell it for $2 over the cost per yard over what it cost them and sell it out of their home and make a profit. Travel to guilds/groups in the area and sell it to sewers.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ILoveToQuilt
Main
64
07-13-2014 05:12 AM
quiltingbee12
Member Swaps and Round/Row Robins
510
09-09-2010 07:30 PM
Flying_V_Goddess
Main
36
09-27-2008 07:00 PM
