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Went to a vintage fabric shop in Portland and got totally ignored by the owner
I walked into this spot off Hawthorne last Saturday, looking for some 70s polyester prints for a retro dress design. The owner barely looked up from his phone for 10 minutes, just grunted when I asked about yardage. Like, I get you run a curated space but don't act like I'm bothering you by existing. Has anyone else dealt with rude sellers at fabric stores or was this just a one-off bad day?
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lewis.charlie1mo ago
That same thing happened to me at a place on Alberta Street a few years back. I walked in looking for some mid-century barkcloth for a client's reupholstery project, and the woman running the shop just stared at her laptop the whole time. I had to clear my throat three times just to ask if she took credit cards. She finally shoved a card reader at me, no smile at all. The fabric selection was good, but it left such a sour taste I haven't been back since. I figure some of these vintage shop owners get this idea that they're running a gallery instead of a store, and customers are just a distraction from their important curating work. It's a shame because Portland has so many great fabric spots, but one rude owner can really kill the whole vibe of a neighborhood shopping trip.
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maxm631mo ago
Right, because nothing says "welcome to my shop" like a death glare over a laptop screen. Guess customer service is just too distracting from the very important work of... scrolling Etsy, I assume.
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