BUT I WANT 1000 THREAD COUNT!

Actually, you don’t. In technical terms, thread count simply refers to the number of horizontal and vertical threads that are woven in one square inch of fabric.

When using a good quality long-staple cotton fibre, the most thread you can actually fit in a square inch of fabric is about 500.

If however, you use low-quality/inferior cotton fibres, you can cheat the thread count system by twisting thinner/weaker fibres together and claiming double or triple the thread count (and sell more sheets!). 

It's a very clever marketing trick, but the truth is, it's actually impossible to have good quality cotton beyond 500 thread count, so what you're really buying are sheets that will feel stiff, heavy, scratchy and actually won't last very long.

So if someone is claiming their sheets go beyond 500 thread count, you can now shake your head and casually walk away...