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Handmade Quilts, Wall Hangings,
Crafts, and more from the Amish
and Craftsmen of Lancaster Co, PA
Show Schedule Products Amish? FAQ Contact Us Feedback About Us
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  1. Q) Why aren’t there any Amish at the sale?
    A)     Most of the Amish that we get merchandise from live on dairy farms and it is not feasible for them to be away from the farms for an extended period of time. We also fly to the sales, which the Amish are not allowed to do. We do have an Amish couple that helps at some of our sales that are within driving distance of Lancaster.

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  2. Q) How and when did you start your business?
    A)     I first started my business in 1985 with a mail order catalog. I wanted a business of my own, and the idea of selling Amish made items grew out of our friendships with the Amish. I also liked the idea of a cottage type industry. Although I did sell some items from the catalog, I decided that it would be better if the customers could see the items firsthand. We held our first sale on Long Island in 1987.

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  3. Q) Are you Amish?
    A)     No, I am not Amish.

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  4. Q) Are all of the items at the sale made by Amish?
    A)     Most of the items at the sale are made by the Plain Sects (Amish and Mennonite) of Lancaster County, PA. We do carry other items (many made in Lancaster County) to complement our selection that are not Plain made. We mark these items with a blue or red ticket. The focus of our business continues to be the Plain People of Lancaster County, PA.

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  5. Q) Why are the Amish dolls faceless?
    A)     The Amish consider a doll with a face on it to be a graven image. This is the same reason the Amish do not like their photos taken. Today some Amish children do play with other dolls.

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  6. Q) How long does it take to make a quilt?
    A)     This varies greatly on the quilt. A typical pieced quilt will take approximately 200 hours. An appliquéd quilt will take at least 300 hours.

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  7. Q) Are the quilts completely hand sewn?
    A)     Amish quilts are pieced with a machine (powered by compressed air or a treadle. Mennonites may use electricity). All of the quilting and appliquéing is done by hand.

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  8. Q) Why are the quilts and wall hangings made in colors and patterns other than traditional?
    A)     Traditional Amish quilts are made from the solid fabrics. The Amish are supplementing their incomes by making quilts. They realize that the traditional colors and patterns do not fit into many people’s decorating schemes. Therefore, they use modern print fabrics so that their quilts will sell. Quilt making is also an artistic outlet, and they like to try new patterns.

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  9. Q) Where is your store located in Lancaster?
    A)     We do not have a store in Lancaster. We sell only at our series of sales around the country.

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  10. Q) What areas do you have sales in and how many sales do you do in a year?
    A)     Our schedule is posted on the web site. We usually do 12 to 14 sales a year.

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  11. Q) Can I custom order a quilt?
    A)     We do not do custom orders. You can usually find a quilt for your size bed (we carry twin, full, queen, and king quilts) and decor at our sale.

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  12. Q) How do you get all the merchandise to the sale?
    A)     We have a 53-foot trailer that brings our merchandise to the sales. Over the years, we have become very good at packing the truck. When you see all of the merchandise at our sale it is sometimes hard to believe it all comes out of the truck, but it does.

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  13. Q) Why aren’t you open for sales on Sunday?
    A)     Out of respect for our Amish suppliers, we do not sell on Sundays.

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  14. Q) How many different craftspeople make your items?
    A)     We represent well over 100 craftspeople.

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  15. Q) Do you have a catalog or sell on-line?
    A)     We do not have a catalog. We may soon start selling a limited number of items over the Web. Keep checking.

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  16. Q) How do you set your prices for your items?
    A)     All of our suppliers set their price to us. We do not dictate prices to them. Once they have set their price, we add our markup to that. We feel that that is fair for all of our suppliers.

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  17. Q) Why don’t you charge admission to your sales?
    A)     We have always tried not to charge admission to our sales. We realize that this is very unusual, and that customers are used to paying to attend a craft sale. The costs of holding a sale keep increasing, and this puts pressure on us to charge an admission fee. We have always preferred that our customers use the money they would spend on admission to buy our suppliers’ merchandise.