There are several sources for buying online such as Etsy and Facebook groups. When buying online, make sure to use a payment with buyer protection such as PayPal. The seller should furnish the breed, overall quality, price/lb., total weight and price, amount of vegetable matter (VM) and skirting, staple length, estimated shipping, and accurate photos. Do not buy a fleece that has heavy VM, kemp, scurf, lice (more common in mohair), lots of second cuts, breaks / weak spots, has a short staple length, or is not skirted at all. Bargain fleeces take more time than they are worth, so I wouldn't bother. It's OK to ask how much VM there is and how heavily skirted the fleece is.
Check the seller’s return policy and reputation before purchasing. Although I have many friends who are growers, and I respect the amount of work and care they put into their farms, sometimes online transactions don’t go as planned. Some growers are not handspinners or don't understand the difference between fleece that's best sent to a mill vs. hand processed. Most of it has to do with communication and fiber education (or lack thereof). You should expect to receive your purchase in a timely manner and for the appearance and weight quoted. Open the package immediately because wool absorbs moisture and anything packed in plastic can mildew quickly. It can also felt in the bag where there is humidity, heat, and getting jostled around in transit (this also goes for roving or any loose wool fiber). Inspect the fleece and remove any undesirables before storing. Because wool absorbs moisture, it can vary a bit from the shipped weight but if you notice a huge difference, let the seller know. Check the weight using a postal scale and write down the seller, breed, weight, and price paid for future reference and keep it with the fleece. I always quarantine raw fleece to make sure I don’t bring any moths inside and try to wash it as soon as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the seller directly and provide a description of the issue and photos if necessary. Keep original packaging in case you need to file a claim. If you have a bad experience, don't give up! Just take a note of the issue so you can avoid it in the future. In my years of buying fleece and fiber you can expect a few duds, but it's very rewarding to process fiber by hand and a great way to learn about wool and different breeds.
Try to get the best fleece for your budget, but only spend only what you are comfortable with. Fleeces can be relatively expensive because the cost of feeding and caring for the animal while it grows the precious wool is not insignificant. The value comes from knowing the source of your raw materials and supporting small local businesses. If you budget ahead of time and do your homework you will make a good choice.
How much will you pay? First, look at “comps” for other similar fleece either online, at a fleece sale, or ask someone with experience. There's a wide range from $25-$350 depending on type of animal, breed, size, quality, cleanliness, scarcity, and locality.
Most raw handspinning fleece is priced per pound and sold as an entire fleece. Sometimes you can split a fleece with another buyer. If you have a shopping buddy you can ask them, or if buying online you can ask if the seller will split it. Not all sellers will, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. I've split fleeces before, and it's a great way to sample without going all in.
Fleece sizes can vary greatly. You can expect to lose around 20-30% of the raw weight after washing and some some fine / greasy fleeces can lose more than half, so you will likely have far less yield than you started with. If you have a specific project in mind, think about the desired finished weight and add 10% on top of that to your yield after washing.
Raw fleece is just that - it has been sheared off the animal, rolled up as a whole, and put in a bag. Wool will have grease, dirt, vegetable matter (VM), and sometimes insects and unidentified gunk in it. Most show fleeces have been lightly skirted, which is the process of removing any dung tags, heavily soiled areas, or second cuts.
When you get home, you will need to unroll it outside to pick through it and then scour it with wool-specific detergent like Unicorn Power Scour. If it’s your first time washing raw fleece, I highly recommend starting with a medium to long wool breed with a limited amount of grease. It’s very easy to felt fine, greasy fleece, so wait until you’ve had some practice before jumping in. Follow the directions and wash only small amounts at a time (8 oz or less). Pick a good detergent - do not use soap, bleach, oxy-clean, shampoo, hair conditioner, or any other cleaning agents that do not have the correct pH to remove dirt safely without damaging the fiber.
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