How do I check a tailor’s fabric and notions stock before buying?

Visit the workroom with the list. Pull out fabric by roll and look at the condition. Check for fading, moth damage, creases that will not release and dye lots that cannot be matched again. Count the notions in drawers and boxes, and note how many are mixed or incomplete. Take photos during the count and keep a copy of the list you were given, so any disagreement at closing can be settled against something both sides have seen.

Ask who owns what. In a tailor’s shop, cloth often belongs to a customer who has brought it in for a suit or alteration. That is not part of the inventory you are buying, and it should not appear in the stock total. Ask the seller how customer goods are marked and stored.

Look at usage. Compare what is on the shelf with what the shop actually sold or used lately. Large stocks of special fabrics bought for one client, or notions that match a style no longer in demand, are slow-moving and may not be worth carrying. Finally, agree in writing which items are included and how the count will be confirmed near closing. Your accountant can say how to treat what is old or unusable.

Key takeaways

• Count and inspect the stock yourself against the list.
• Exclude customer-owned fabric from any inventory total.
• Compare shelf stock with what the shop actually uses.