Fabrics for Furniture Reupholstery Business

[baileyuph]

Furniture fabric samples to market your business, mind listing the distributor(s) available? 

My business is in the midwest and the number of distributors, who provided samples has significantly decreased.


The problem from having too many seems to have moved to perhaps not enough.

Doyle

[kodydog]

A lot of the suppliers show their samples on line and send a swatch as requested.  If your customer is tech savvy they can view the samples at their leisure and order it from you. Only problem is sometimes the computer screen doesn't show the true colors. Greenhouse fabrics has a good user friendly site. I'll get a list together of my current venders.

[sofadoc]

I don't really like to direct my customers to my supplier's online sites. Because they start pokin' around and pretty soon they've ordered directly from another site, and cut me out.
Greenhouse sends me about 20 new books a year. The rep from Charlotte Fabrics still calls on me twice a year, and leaves several new books.
Some of the others that send me books are:
Barrow
Leon's
Masco
Robert Alan

Some that still call on me (and bring new books) are:
Neo Fabrics
Oklahoma Supply
A&A Fabrics

Some Texas-based independents that call on me (free delivery truck for supplies):
Foam Products of Tyler
R.U.S.H.
Charlie's Little Bit

[kodydog]

To add to Sofas list

C&S fabrics & supplies out of Savannah Ga.
Scott
Derby in Kentucky
John L. Brown in Arkansas
And don't forget Mike at Miami Corp

Seeing our shop is at our house we ask venders not to call on us. When a customer chooses a fabric we have to call to see if they still stock it. PITA but the privacy is worth it.

Some people may think its crazy for Sofa and I to give out the names of covenanted fabric suppliers but I think the more we support them the more likely they will stay in business. And less likely to run into DB's problem.

[sofadoc]

Hey Kody, aren't Leons, and C&S one and the same? Leon's is one of my favorites, although I still sell more from Greenhouse. I think John L Brown went out of business.
Back in the day, several suppliers, such as Kirsch Fabrics, Burch, Peachtree, and a few Dallas based suppliers called on us monthly. It was nothing for 2 salesmen to be in our shop at the same time. Now they may come 2 or 3 times a year at most.
A couple others that I buy from are National, and Pacific Hide & Leather.

[kodydog]

I knew C&S was bought out by another company but didn't know it was Leon. They still operate under C&S out of Savannah. Good line of vinyls too.

Didn't know Brown was out of business. I still have a couple of there books. That's what happens when you don't have suppliers come to your shop.

When we lived in Charleston we had a salesman from Wynn & Graff come by 3 or 4 times a year. He said Charleston was his favorite city and would take us out to dinner every time he stopped.

[sofadoc]

When we lived in Charleston we had a salesman from Wynn & Graff come by 3 or 4 times a year. He said Charleston was his favorite city and would take us out to dinner every time he stopped.

Ahh yes. There was a time when I actually got "wined and dined" by fabric salesmen. Now, I'm lucky to get a calendar.

[beauxdara]

to have accounts with these many of these companies, you have to provide trade references, correct?

[kodydog]

If by trade references you mean that your a legit business then yes. Usually a tax number will do.

[beauxdara]

the only fabric supplier i have found that does not require trade references is greenhouse.  however i am baffled by wholesale prices.  you can find the exact same fabric for cheaper by buying retail.  and when i say cheaper, i mean like $5-10.  it makes no sense to me.  it also makes no cents, he he!  but really, what gives?

[kodydog]

Great question Beauxdra. And one that's been asked many times "cents" I've been posting on the board. The folks at Greenhouse will tell you the cheaper priced fabric are seconds and full of flaws. But I've found most (not all) outlet fabric to have the same amount of flaws as theirs.

And a lot of the outlet prices are half my wholesale. So even if there is a flaw that runs all the way up one side of the bolt. The customer can order 4 extra yards for a chair and still be ahead.

Selling fabric out of the books is for customers that don't want to be bothered with the hassle of running all over town to all the different outlets. And for the customer who wants the upholsterer and fabric supplier to stand behind their product. Something that can't be done with COM's.