Where can I sell Jacob fleeces? Does anyone have an idea? It's just a hobby. Just 8 sheep that are loved. I understand spinners love the fleece but I would like suggestions as to how to sell the fleeces? Thanks.

-- Judy Harper (pigcatputz@yahoo.com), January 05, 2002

Answers

Hi, Judy. I'm a spinner/knitter and beginning weaver and I know a bit about buying fleeces.

A lot depends on what condition your fleeces are in. Are they very, very dirty? Do they have lots of sticks, twigs, straw, etc in them? How experienced was the person who sheared the sheep? Are there many second cuts in the fleeces? Are the fleeces skirted? How much does the fleece weigh? How long are the locks? How much crimp is in the locks? Are they all white or do you have some naturally colored fleeces?

Naturally colored fleeces bring more money, as do fairly clean ones. By clean, I don't mean washed. I buy raw fleece, straight off the sheep and it has dirt, sticks, straw and all the other things found around a barnyard. It looks dirty and smells bad. BUT! After washing and drying, I end up with heaps and piles of wonderfully soft wool and I really like that. I'm buying Corriedale fleeces, heavily skirted to remove all wool that's heavily soiled with manure and gland secretions, weighing 10 to 12 pounds, for around $20 per fleece. I pick out the big pieces of straw, etc, then wash it, dry it, comb the top and then card the rest into rovings.

If you are willing to skirt it, pick out the biggest sticks and twigs, wash it and dry it, you can sell it for more.

To get an idea of how wool, raw and washed, are selling for, go to Ebay. Choose Toys & Hobbies and just keep choosing Hobbies until you finally get to the Spinners section. Lots, and lots, and lots of wool for sale there and of all different sheep breeds.

Warning! This spinners section can be a place very damaging to the credit cards/checkbook for those of us who love to spin. I know. I have two fleeces living in the trunk of my car, waiting to be washed. I have 15 pounds of wonderful cotton/flax roving. I have a pound of hackled and dressed flax. I have 3 1/2 pounds of Superwash wool. I have 3 pounds of lovely alpaca. I have 1/4 pound of silk caps. And I have another 40 pounds of various wool. I've had to promise the Love of My Life that I will NOT bid on one more thing in that Ebay spinners section until I've spun at least half of what I now have stockpiled. Should take me quite a while not only to spin all this, but to knit or weave it also. Can't begin to tell you just how much fun I'm having with all this!!!

-- Carol - in Virginia (carollm@rockbridge.net), January 05, 2002.

Go here, it will help you get started... http://members.aol.com/rubbersoup/links.htm

-- M & M (amazinggraze@valkyrie.net), January 05, 2002.

Here is another great link to advertise on ..... http://homepages.together.net/~kbruce/kbbspin.html

-- M & M (amazinggraze@valkyrie.net), January 05, 2002.