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- 1). Contact textile mills at the beginning of your collection's season. As an established business, you will be able to request a sales representative as your constant contact. It is important to establish a business relationship with the representative. He or she will have factory information as to when designers have produced excess fabric. This usually happens when special fabrics--such as prints, patterns, stripes or novelties--are produced and sample yardage is requested for approval prior to the production run. Factories do not want excess inventory. You can negotiate a discount cost with the factory directly for any available yardage.
- 2). Contact the designer's manufacturing office and ask if they have any fabric inventory. Most design houses have excess fabric toward the end of the collection season that was purchased while developing the line. Although many can seem reluctant to sell, offer to purchase any fabric rolls they have left. The design house will not cut the fabric and allow you to purchase a few yards. Negotiate the cost below market value. Most manufacturers do not want to have carryover fabric inventory from the last season. As a high-end design house, they will not be able to use the same fabric for the next collection.
- 3). Contact "fabric jobbers." This is an industry term for firms that purchase excess inventory, closeouts or end lots at deep discount prices. "Closeouts" is a term used for goods that will not be produced any longer; usually the manufacturer was unable to sell the merchandise produced. This happens frequently when designers develop fabric for specific styles and are unable to sell the garments to the retailers. "End lots" is a term that relates to excess fabric produced. Although jobbers receive the goods at extremely low costs, they generally have to purchase everything within an inventory list, even if the goods are damaged or discolored.
- 4). Contact your local fabric shop, which will purchase designer "end runs." This is an industry term for excess fabric produced during sample production. The shops are able to purchase the fabric from textile mills directly, and sample runs are generally not damaged. The textile mill relies on the sample runs for approval in order to secure a fabric production order. You will be able to negotiate deep discount prices if you purchase a sufficient amount of fabric yardage. The longer the fabric does not sell, the deeper the discount price you will be able to negotiate.
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