Fabric Swatches for Sale?

[Bag Lady]

Hi TB Friends,
As a newbie to Tom Bihn Bags (converted August 2009) I wondered if TB ever offered fabric swatches for sale. I'm looking at the colors like Plum, Punch and Indigo and have to wonder if my monitor is depicting the colors accurately. I'd pay up to $10 dollars for a swatch of their current Cordura fabrics. The ballistics fabrics, since they're fewer in number, could sell for $5?

The fabric swatches would be so helpful in ordering, and would cut down on the expense of returning a bag because the color wasn't what the buyer expected. For instance, for my first order I ordered three Cafe Bags in all different sizes and color combinations. While I don't want to offend anybody, the Linen was too light for my palette and skintone, while the Cocoa was warmer than the cooler browns that I prefer. I was however, pleasantly surprised at the Olive, hey, different strokes for different folks! (I know many of you love your Cocoa and Linen Cordura, and that's awesome.)

Just wondering if anyone here feels the same way.

[ex machina]

Hi Bag Lady,

The best swatch collection is pouches! I use my pouches as a swatch collection as well as their intended use. Works great. I have a Kit on order now and I chose Indigo as the color in part because I don't have anything in that color and I want to see it first hand before I choose my Empire/Zephyr build.

I have one of the Packing Cube Shoulder Bags in Solar (last batch, get 'em while you can) on order, and I know what the fabric will look like because I have a Large Organizer Pouch with a Solar back. All my padded pouches at present are the older black ones, so I will have to order some new ones eventually to have that style on hand too.

[gmanedit]

Hi, Bag Lady. Swatches are a great idea. Often, vendors of yard goods and knitting yarns sell sample cards and deduct the price from the cost of the next order. That seems fair.

Ex (may I call you ex?), I bought the Kit in Indigo. It's not the indigo we're used to in blue jeans, but more a reddish ultramarine, highly saturated, bright; it might be overwhelming in a large item like luggage.

[ex machina]

Ex (may I call you ex?), I bought the Kit in Indigo. It's not the indigo we're used to in blue jeans, but more a reddish ultramarine, highly saturated, bright; it might be overwhelming in a large item like luggage.

Hi gmanedit; ex is fine.

I really like the Steel Ballistic in my Imago, so I am leaning toward that, but I want to make an informed decision so I decided on the Indigo for the kit, because it looks like such a nice color and I want to see it in person as a candidate for my bag order in March. (Yes, I have one pending now - shipping soon - and I am already planning my next order!)

I have noticed that the web pictures often don't capture just how nice the colors and fabrics are in person. I think its a limitation of the medium. Variations in monitors, cameras, etc. make it tough to show what things look like dead on. The Indigo in pictures looks brightish to me, but in a softened black light way if that makes sense to you. I like the look as I see it in the pictures but I will most likely go with Steel for the outside panel. I do regret I didn't order in time to get the Cayenne lining. I have that in my Imago and my Medium Cafe Bag and its great.