Black Otter Trading Post

Archive for the ‘Bead Related Articles’ Category

As I have traveled over the years looking for trade beads and new importer contacts, I thought I would share some tips for you. I want to mention some business contacts where you can look for old African trade beads that are brought into our country.

The first I would mention would be Quartzsite Arizona, they have a rock and gem show the the African traders attend each year and it is there that you may find a good contact or two where you may find  some nice purchases on trade beads. I have bought from the traders who attend there, and still have some of those beads in my collection. There is a large selection of items from all over, turquoise beads, turquoise both raw and stabilized. You may find all kinds of new bead contacts as many people from around the world attend this show every year.

I have found business contacts and have ordered from these folks and still do. Finding an actual bead importer is like pulling teeth, it may be a rare find, but very worth it in the long run. I have contacts going back decades and still save those old bead catalogs even to this day.

I have had some great visits with bead importers when I decide to visit in person and do my jobber level shopping . Buying in bulk is the only way to go. Buying beads by the kilo and mass is the best way to get real value for your investment. You can resell some of the stock and keep some of it for your own personal collection. This way, the beads you keep are actually free in a way. I usually sell most of what I get in these places and only keep a small sample of each for future reference. Some bead types may actually go out of production, and this may be short term or long term. If a bead goes out fo production, a positive side of keeping a sample means you can comapre dye lots of beads.

This method is important to those who bead for a living like we used to do. We always kept a few ounces or hanks of a bead color for comparison. I find that once a bead goes out of production, bringing back that exact color is going to be very difficult. I found myself keeping whole kilos of certain bead colors on the more expensive and rare colors. Some of these I kept for over a decade. It pays to be able to save some beads, you can decide for yourself what amounts to save.

The antique beads I have kept for many years is like an investment, they never lose their value and actually appreciate in value most of the time. I know of collectors who have bead collections going back 40 years or more. Some of these beads were very common in the 1960′s in the peace movement, the old hippies I know would love to have those beads back today. Some of them are worth several hundred dollars a string. They probably bought them for dirt cheap.

There are bead makers today who have done a good job in reproducing the old bead making methods. I have a collection or string of new made Lewis and Clark beads. I prize these very much even though they are reproductions. The artist adhered to strict detail and method. I am glad I was in the right place at the right time when those beads came up for sale.

I will try and add some nice scanned photos of some of these beads for you to see. I know you will like them as much as I do. I will have to dig them out and try to scan them instead of a photo. They usually come out better that way. Here is a tip for you who do eBay auctions, there are good digital cameras out there, but if you have a quality scanner, sometimes this will do well.

I will post with photos soon I hope, glad you stopped by to visit.

Jim

Product Description
JESSE JAMES-Dress It Up Semi-Precious Beads. This collection consists of minerals and rocks taken from the seas formulated into perfect matching jewelry grade pieces and they can be used to create a stunning one of a kind creation. This package contains approximately 17.5 grams. Size; shape; color and number of pieces vary by design. Imported.

Dress It Up Semi-Precious Beads 17.5 Grams/Pkg – Tiger Eye 1

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Frida Kahlo, any way you want her
Hedy Weiss: Chicago’s Luna Negra Dance Theater invariably takes you across borders. And that certainly was the case Saturday night at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance as the company presented its spring concert, a program designed as part of the citywide Mexico 2010 celebrations honoring the 200th anniversary of the start of the Mexican War of Independence.

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• Czech glass round beads available in opaque, translucent, opal, swirl and metallic finishes.
• 8mm Czech glass rounds are small enough earrings, yet bold enough for necklaces.
• Ideal as accent beads on necklaces and bracelets and incorporated into seed bead/sculptural jewelry.
• Beads are packed loose, ready to use.
• Size and pack specifications: Beads are 8mm in diameter. Approximately 30 beads per pack.

Product Description
Czech glass round beads in lots of beautiful colors. Each bead is 8mm round. 8mm is approximately one third of an inch. These bold glass beads are fabulous for sculptural seed beadwork, great for chokers and necklaces, and lightweight enough for earrings. Sold in a convenient pack of approximately 30 beads per color and finish. Due to the manufacturing process of these beads, slight color variations are to be expected between the different sizes.

Amethyst Purple White Opaque Swirl Czech Glass Round Beads 8mm

i love to work with various kinds of beads like glass ,wood silver ,terracotta etc.