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Things You Don't See Anymore Part 3
- Thread starter Richland123
- Start date
I went to the closest one with my bff on Saturday and it was a little busy, like we ran into a few people every few isles, but not nearly packed, especially for a weekend afternoon. Surprisingly they had TONS Of fabric, though there were some isles of craft stuff that were a bit picked clean. It was clear to see why they were so stocked up on all their fabric though, because the "sales" were like 10% off, minimum 2 yards, with a scant few items up to 30%. A lot of stuff wasn't even discounted and wasn't at a very good price, and not their exclusive brands either. The deals weren't even up to the level of a good sale, let alone going out of business sale.
I did end up getting a tiny frame for like a dollar off, just to do a craft project with, but most of the stuff I came in looking for was at or above everyday prices at my local Michael's. My friend went in looking for lots of fabric and yarn to hold onto for projects and just ended up getting a few brushes and pens, and taking pics of tags of a few fabrics to find cheaper online or look for other color options.
Interesting. Joann has usually been a step above Michael's in prices anyway (at least around here), so that doesn't surprise me.
I may be within striking distance of one some time next week. If so, I may pop in just to satisfy my own gawk-at-the-carnage impulse, but I don't have much in the way of expectations.
Thanks for the report, in any case.
Yep, my friend the quilter was talking about the guild she belongs to and the worry and uncertainty among members about future availability of fabrics and notions.
There are still a handful of big box independent fabric retailers, but it’s going to require min road trips for a lot of folks who used to be able to make a quick run to the local Joanne.
Aren't there some Ducks still around? They were used in WWII and are essentially a larger version of the jeep. After the war they were used for sightseeing trips on rivers and lakes, until a few of them sank with a load of tourists on board.
Some friends of ours own a quilting and sewing machine shop nearby. While fabric sales are a small part of what they do, they mentioned to us they are getting more and more customers coming in now that the JoAnn Fabrics in this area closed.
It made such an impact on them that they went to that store before it closed and made a deal to purchase some fixtures and displays for pennies on the dollar so they can expand their fabric offerings as well as other sewing items, like zippers and such, to accommodate those in the area looking for those items.
-Mike
There’s some right here in Boston used for tours of the city. These are the larger ones, of course, not the Jeeps.
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,165
- 256,835
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Joanns is a different store than Michael's- a lot more fabric (don't laugh, making 19th century chest protectors is part of my business).Interesting. Joann has usually been a step above Michael's in prices anyway (at least around here), so that doesn't surprise me.
I may be within striking distance of one some time next week. If so, I may pop in just to satisfy my own gawk-at-the-carnage impulse, but I don't have much in the way of expectations.
Thanks for the report, in any case.
I stopped in last week - a few things 40% off, most 20%. I'll drop in again at the very end if deals get better.
Yes, that's part of why it's so bad that they're going under.
Hopefully the deals get much deeper, if they truly are going for good. If so though, it's definitely a big loss for anyone that shops for fabric for DIY projects.
Shopping online is convenient for a lot of things, but for fabric and yarn you really need to see it in person and touch it to know if it's what you actually want. I mostly go to Michael's, because I primarily do crafts and it's closer to me, but it's a huge loss to my two closest friends who are there monthly to weekly to look for fabric and/or yarn. Usually they have a list of items they looked up online and are there to see if it's actually what they were expecting. Every time I tag along with my bff on one of those runs, she's giving the running commentary "huh, this looked more vibrant in pics...I thought this would be more purple than reddish...oh no, that texture is no good, feel this!" and I can see exactly what the benefit of shopping in person for fabric is.
Shopping online is convenient for a lot of things, but for fabric and yarn you really need to see it in person and touch it to know if it's what you actually want. I mostly go to Michael's, because I primarily do crafts and it's closer to me, but it's a huge loss to my two closest friends who are there monthly to weekly to look for fabric and/or yarn. Usually they have a list of items they looked up online and are there to see if it's actually what they were expecting. Every time I tag along with my bff on one of those runs, she's giving the running commentary "huh, this looked more vibrant in pics...I thought this would be more purple than reddish...oh no, that texture is no good, feel this!" and I can see exactly what the benefit of shopping in person for fabric is.
Might have been a mid-west thing. Back when I was a teen (late 60s, early 70s), they used to be around here in Columbus, Ohio. WOW! They had great fish & chips!
Google says they got up to 800 locations at one point.
Google says they got up to 800 locations at one point.
No Ducks in Philly/Camden after one tragically sunk in a ship wake.
The upholstery racks are an area the smaller craft stores can't (and don't even try) to equal.
Nothing from Michaels, H.Lob, etc would have been right to make my amp's slip cover:
* Also "something you don't see any more," since I got this idea from the slip covers that came with Peavey amps in the '70s.
We did one of those tours. It was cool and quite informative, lots of historical facts shared which I enjoyed. They even let me drive the thing while it was in the water.
-Mike
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,165
- 256,835
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
The upholstery racks are an area the smaller craft stores can't (and don't even try) to equal.
Nothing from Michaels, H.Lob, etc would have been right to make my amp's slip cover:
* Also "something you don't see any more," since I got this idea from the slip covers that came with Peavey amps in the '70s.
The amp slip covers are one I genuinely don't see anymore and genuinely should come back and are useful. Every 70's amp I ever owned had one and it sat in the closet, while the amp got dusty in my bedroom, garage, storage space, warehouse, whatever. My amps get sooo dusty at home, I have microfiber cloth just for wiping them down every couple weeks. If they just had a little cloth backed vinyl slip cover, I'd be all set and I'd get a little unveiling every time I play lol
I was quite pleased with how that little project turned out. It was the last thing my early-'70s Singer sewing machine did. Driving a needle through layers of that heavy vinyl absolutely killed its gears. The repair shop guy could only shake his head and say that not only were new repair parts no longer to be found, even the stock of pull-off junker parts had long been depleted.
Not my pic, but it was this model:
So, that metal-body machine went into the metal recycling bin with all the thunderous crash of the boat anchor it was.
But I had a proper slip cover for my amp, and I got to go machine shopping too!
