patterns on the cheap

[greenwitch]

What are everyone's best recommendations for finding cheap patterns? I know that some big box stores (Joann's, Hancock Fabrics) run $.99 sales every once in a while, but unfortunately I don't live near enough to just run in and check weekly whether or not a particular brand is on sale. Do you sign up for marketing e-mails on official sites? (I just signed up for Vogue and McCalls, and they've posted a few ~$5 sales.) Ebay? Do local independent stores near you sell them for any cheaper than list price? I'm still new at sewing, and tend to mess up a lot, so paying $10+/pattern at my local shop is a little tough, even though it would be great to support the local independent business.

I'm not really looking for a specific place to get them (although if you do know of a place, that's great), more of what everyone's strategies are. Thanks for any help!

Comments

[auntruth]

http://www.joann.com/joann/home/home.jsp lets you look directly at their current flyers, without killing trees. Somewhere in there is a signup for their email newsletter, which also includes printable coupons (some only useable online, but most okay both online and in local stores.)

(If you do subscribe to the mailers, you can use the web-distributed coupon as well as the print coupon, they have different bar codes)

Hancocks has similar deal: email newsletter, and online display of the monthly flyers at http://www.hancockfabrics.com/index.htm

I keep a list of the patterns I'm interested in, by manufacturer, and scoop up several at a time when they do on sale.

cheers