The puzzle of vintage seed beads

For some time I have been selling vintage Italian seed beads. When I bought them, I was told they were from the twenties/thirties. About 75% of it was still in its original kilo packages (which included yellowed slips of paper with instructions in Italian on how to complain if you didn't like the quality ). There was a bin with a huge cluster of hanks, all in a big pile.

Well, I've been putting off sorting the cluster of hanks for some time. I've been opening the kilo packages and bagging the beads by the hank instead. There were three colors on the labels, yellow, pink, and blue. Within a few packages, I could see that the color was not uniform from package to package. Some of the blue kilos were bluer than others; most of the pink packages were actually peach. Most of the yellow was a bright yellow with a hint of green, but there were a few hanks that were pale yellow with a hint of green.

Yesterday I tackled most of the bin with the tangled hanks. The threads are old, so it's a challenge to separate them, and often the merest touch will break a strand, sending seed beads everywhere. However, I was delighted to find a group of true pink hanks, and a few pale yellow hanks, both colors I'd thought I'd sold out of.

I also discovered a small set of necklaces made with these seed beads, all labeled with tags that read "Laguna." I did a quick Google search and found that the Laguna jewelry company came into being in New York in 1944, and produced jewelry until the eighties.

An interesting puzzle! Upon looking at the packaging again, I believe I have an answer. The beads are definitely Italian, and the packaging is old. I have a feeling that Laguna purchased these seed beads, and then eventually they fell into disuse and were stored in a warehouse somewhere on the east coast until the vintage bead resurgence in the eighties, whereupon they were purchased by someone and sold at bead shows before my source purchased them. At the very least these beads are from the forties; I think they are older, though, from the twenties or thirties.

I'm very glad to be able to put these beads into my store, and to offer a few of the more unusual variations!

Italian seed beads in the Laurel Moon eBay store

Flashy scarabs are invading!

I love getting new merchandise. I especially love getting new old merchandise. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but I'm just referring to buying vintage that I haven't had before--it's new to me, even though the beads are vintage.

I had the great fortune to find these amazing foilback scarabs recently:

These are small but really stunning scarab cabochons in some great bright colors. I love the detail and the deep flash. These are really great flatbacks and I've already seen them flying out of my Laurel Moon eBay store and my Laurel Moon Etsy shop.

I also found more beaaaaaaaaaaads. Yum. Who doesn't want more beads? I found opalino beads with aventurine:

I'm not sure that I can adequately convey my delight. You see, opalino glass, a semi-translucent white glass, is awesome. And aventurine glass, which contains specks of copper for amazing sparklage, is awesome. Together, they are so exponentially beyond awesome that, as I said, it's difficult to convey the actual awesomeness of said beads, because they kind of short-circuit my ability to describe their vast awesomenitude.

I picked up some great little baroque filler beads in tanzanite and montana glass. You know, the kind of bead you always need to finish a design.

And I haven't even started talking about the numerous porcelain bead lots I've listed! It's been a busy couple weeks here. Stay tuned--I'll have more scarab lots up soon!

Goodbye to Buddha

I love vintage beads and cabochons. I probably love them a little too much, in fact. I have a stash overflowing with lovely treasures.

I've been selling vintage on eBay for a few years, and it's been a great experience. I love it when customers send me photos of what they've done with their beads. I enjoy sharing vintage and sending these pretty little gems out into the world.

There's one sadness, though, and that is when I get to the end of of a particular bead or cab. Today, for example, I set up my last listing of these beautiful green marble glass Buddha cabochons:

Sometimes I find a few more of a bead or cab, but usually once I sell out, that's it. It's not just that it reduces the variety in my eBay store; it's the sadness of not being able to share more of them.

The good news is that I have found more of several different small matte glass leaf cabs such as these matte topaz leaf cabs:

Farewell, lovely Buddha cabs, you will be missed!

Northern beading

Recently, I visited one of my favorite bead stores: Nawbin Beads in Traverse City!

I've known the family for ages. I remember seeing Tom and Julie at the Gem & Lapidary shows in metro Detroit, and they'd bring me a little bag of cherries. It was always wonderful to talk about vintage and antique beads with them and their kids, Karl and Kathryn--they're incredibly knowledgeable, and always fun!

Their store is located in an old general store in Traverse City, and it's absolutely jam-packed with amazing treasures. They have an eclectic mix of lovely beads and beading supplies.

One of the things I love best about them is that they carry semiprecious stone from Michigan such as Petoskey stone (a form of fossil coral) and Leland blue.  They also carry Fordite, made from discarded bits of paint from Detroit automobile paint factories. And if you want to polish your own Petoskey stones, you can purchase "Professor Nawbin's Petoskey Stone Polishing Kit!"

They have incredible taste in beads.  Giant chunks of copal, a fantastic array of seed beads, and even finished jewelry grace every inch of display space possible.  They've carried African trading beads for ages and they have a wonderful collection of vintage and antique beads.

I love a store with a touch of the past, and the beautiful ceiling and antique cash register are wonderful details.

If you're ever in Traverse City, you should stop by Nawbin Beads.  You won't regret it! 


Nawbin Beads is located at 925 East Front Street in Traverse City, MI, 49686. You can reach them at (231)932-9514 or by email.  You can also visit the Nawbin Etsy shop and the Nawbin Facebook fanpage.

A sneak preview of an awesome auction

Tonight I'm putting one of my very favorite beads on auction. They're vintage Japanese beads from Occupied Japan (1946-1951) in the most amazing dark cherry red color. I have sold a lot of these in periwinkle blue, but the dark cherry red I usually hoard. Every so often, though, I decide to put a few up for auction.

If you're interested in these, they'll be on auction starting tonight at around 8:30 pm EST. Check out my Laurel Moon eBay store later on and they should be listed! Good luck!

What's up? MY WEBSITE, THAT'S WHAT

I'm sorry to shout, but I am extremely excited.

Finally! After much work (and only a moderate amount of wine) my website is finally live! I am doing a dance here, let me tell you. A dance that only slightly looks like a tipsy walrus. A very giddy tipsy walrus. No, I am not going to upload it to YouTube. You'll just have to use your imagination.

The old site looked like this:



I think the new site looks a little cleaner and prettier:



Beads, cabochons, gems, and findings! The website is full of all sorts of great treasures. If you're interested, clicky here: Laurel Moon Jewelry & Beads

Visions of the past

I just passed my 200th post on this blog! Hard to believe, honestly!

One of the other treasures I brought home from my trip was something I've been eyeballing for a long time.



Did you guess what they are?

They're boot buttons. Actual Victorian-era boot buttons. They're made out of shell, and they're tiny. I fell in love with the color and the look first, and then when I heard the history, they became irresistible. They're just so intriguing to hold in my hand.

Fashion is an interesting beast. It changes from day to day. One day we're wearing high laced boots with tens of fiddly little buttons; the next, slip-on clogs. I love seeing the bits and bobs of things that were left by the wayside as we progressed to the next trend. That's part of the reason vintage beads and cabochons intrigue me so much. I get to see the colors that used to be the Must Have. The shapes of yesteryear.

I can't wait to use these in a design. In fact, I might save some just for myself, and add in a few Mercury dimes from my hoard. I think they'd look great together.

More lovely vintage packaging

I almost hate to open old packages of beads. They're so beautiful, in their own way. For example:



This box contains these:



which are one of my favorite beads ever. They're wrapped in yellowed tissue paper, five sets of 30 beads in each box, and then the box is tied shut with twine. I love finding the old boxes. Some of them use staples instead of glue, or beautiful metal pieces that fit over the sides and are kept in place with tiny nails. Every time I open one of these boxes, I get sad. They're such a piece of history.

Still, it's worth it, especially when there are beads this pretty within.

Vintage bead woes

One of the saddest things about selling vintage beads is that once I sell out of them, I usually can't ever get them again. Whenever I go through my scans folder and delete pictures, I often pause for a second and mourn the cool beads that I once sold.

Right now the last of a set of pendants is up for sale:



It's just such a unique and beautiful pendant. I believe they were originally made for lampshades, and the woman on the pendant is inspired by Isadora Duncan, the famous dancer. I'll be so sad to sell this last one. At least I know it'll go to a good home!

Whew! Lots of new items!

I've been cropping and editing and putting together lots of new listings! Check out my eBay store or my Etsy shop for all sorts of new items.

These are really unique; they're large hole vintage Japanese glass beads. They have delicate murrine slices melted onto their surface. It's so nice to find vintage beads with large holes--these are nearly three millimeters wide!



I've also bought some really lovely charms and two-hole pendants made from sterling silver set with vintage Japanese glass cabochons. They're beautiful and versatile!

Why I love glass

I can't tell you how many times I've been to a show and had a customer pick up a strand of beads, ask what they're made of, and then drop them like a hot potato when they find out they're "just glass."

Glass has a long history. The Romans made beautiful glass objects, and made many innovations in the shaping and working of hot glass, including blown glass, mold-blown glass, cane glass, and mineral additions to create new colors of glass.

The Italians took glass to new heights, creating intricate layered beads and aventurine glass, in which copper is suspended within the glass to create a sparkly look.

Glass is available in many colors, which are created by altering the mix slightly, and adding mineral elements. Red, for example, is the most costly glass color to create, as it involves adding gold.

Creating glass colors is just as much an art as creating glass objects. Each color requires a "recipe" of sorts and experimentation as well. I have bought many beads that contain two-tone German glass from the fifties and sixties, and often it is impossible to recreate these colors nowadays. Either the recipe has been lost or the two colors that need to combined have different coefficients of expansion, meaning that they expand and contract at different rates and will not form a stable finished product.

This color is very nearly what is referred to as a "moonglow" color, which has clear and pastel opaque glass mixed together and appears to glow:



Here is another beautiful color combination of light pink and beige (these are modern flower beads made with vintage glass in a vintage mold):



Swarovski, which is incredibly popular right now, is glass with lead added to increase the clarity and create lots of sparkle when faceted.

These are tiny lampwork beads, barely a quarter of an inch long, that were created on mandrels with a handle at the end. The hot glass would be "wound" around the mandrel, which is why they are commonly called wound beads. It's almost impossible to find lampwork beads this small today. These are vintage Japanese from the late forties/early fifties.



I have long had a passion for glass. Glass beads can be a thing of beauty. In the end, it's the look and feel that matter most. Whether glass, semi-precious stone, pearl, paper, brass...it's all in how you use it, and whether it speaks to you.

Those special beads that are dear to one's heart

A few years ago I purchased a huge lot of vintage Czech crystal as a closeout. At the time, I was quite worried about the purchase. In general, I like to diversify, and I like to buy little pinches of things first to see if they'll sell before I commit to buying it all. However, this was before I started that buying philosophy, so I bought it and then thought, "What have I done?"

I've been listing four lots of them each week on eBay for the past three years. I originally had five containers of them; four containers of beads on strands, and one container of loose beads.

Earlier this year I transferred the container of loose beads into a smaller box.

This week I sorted everything in the box and ended up emptying it. I've divided the last of it into lots for eBay, and bagged the rest for my dollar bags at shows.

It's kind of bittersweet, really. These beads are from a different time. They're vintage Czech, hand faceted, in opaque pastel colors, some with AB coatings. I only have two shapes, rounds and bicones.

Here's an example of the pretty robin's egg blue:



Another example

Yes, some of them are faceted a little wonky, and some of them are chipped or have bubbles or other imperfections. But I've really grown to love them over the years, and I was a little sad as I bagged up the last bag. They're very special beads and they've definitely resonated with a lot of my customers. I'll miss them very much when they're gone. That's the bittersweet nature of vintage beads--once they're gone, they're gone.

Buying at bead shows--a quick guide

Seeing the Bead & Button show again made me realize just how large and overwhelming it can be. Even as a "veteran" of shows, I still have moments where it's hard to take it all in. It's such an enormous show, and so highly bead-focused, that you can find your head spinning after just an aisle or two.

So I thought I'd put down a few thoughts on shows in general, and how to maximize your shopping and your comfort.

• Dress in layers. Places where they hold shows are notorious for being unable to hold a comfortable temperature. If you're going to be at a show all day, you might want to think about wearing layers so you'll stay comfortable. And remember to wear comfy footgear--your feet will be grateful. You might also want to bring a bottle of water and some sort of snack in case the show doesn't provide food or the lines are too long. Some venues charge as much as $4 for a small bottle of water.


• Have a budget in mind. Sure, you'll probably go past it. I know how easy it is to buy beads! Still, it can be a good idea to keep in mind how much you're spending while you're shopping. In fact, bringing a calculator along is a really great idea--it's really helpful to add prices up while you're grabbing all the pretties, and then you won't have invoice shock at the end.


• Have a shopping list. This is partly related to the budget idea. If you have in mind what you really, really need, then you can get that first.


• Have a look first. Walk around the entire show first, if you can, and make a little list of the interesting places. Make notes of the items that are on your list, and make a notation of different prices. I was once told a story by a friend who was looking for a specific stone. He found it at a booth and was overjoyed and bought about $500 worth. He took his bag and left, and at the next booth he found the same stone at exactly half the price. Sometimes just a little extra legwork will make a big difference.


• Know what you want to do with what you're buying. Sure, there are times where that impulse purchase ends up being something really amazing. But a lot of times you'll buy a seafoam-colored bead and get home and realize that most of your palette is navy blue, and then what do you do? I used to buy anything that caught my eye, but then I ended up with a lot of unrelated beads. Try to stick to a few color ranges, and really think about the bead before you buy it. Can you see it in a design? It's okay if you can't, and you still want to get it, but having a plan sometimes really does help you weed out beads you might regret later.


• Look over the beads before you buy. Most vendors have quality beads, but sometimes the color can range from bead to bead, or the hole placement could vary. If the beads are on a strand, hold the strand up horizontally to see how the beads sit on the strand. If they are uneven, that might be how they'll look when you string them. Also, watch for misshapen silver beads, and loose beads whose holes are plugged. Avoid beads whose holes are rough or cracked, which is especially common with semi-precious beads. When buying pearls, try to find pearls with a nice, even luster. When buying glass beads, watch out for cracks or chips. Especially watch out for the placement of the hole on loose beads--horizontally drilled beads are worlds away from offset and vertically drilled beads. A little detective work at the booth can save you frustration later, especially if you're buying expensive beads.


• Get more than you think you'll need. Even with the best quality beads, you are sure to find a few that are a little wonky. And who knows--you might end up making a matching bracelet, or maybe your aunt will want the same thing for herself! One of the most frustrating things in the world is to go back and try to find a bead you've bought before. Even with production items like Czech pressed glass beads the "dye lot" may vary and you might find that it doesn't match quite as nicely as you'd hoped.


• Educate yourself about beads. I can't count the number of times I've been at a booth where they sell German-made beads or vintage beads and heard someone dismissively refer to them as "Czech" and walk off, complaining loudly about how overpriced the beads are. The point is, German-made glass beads, and vintage beads, can often be more expensive than Czech for a reason. The quality, the colors of the glass, the molds that are used--all of this contributes to the price of a bead, and if you want a certain look, you might have to pay a higher price to get it.


• Educate yourself about common bead terms. Don't know what a hank is? Aren't certain what the difference is between an agate and a jasper? You can always Google these things or check look them up on Wikipedia.


• Vintage vs. antique. Two of the most common questions I hear about vintage beads are, "What does vintage mean?" and "Did you take apart old jewelry to get these vintage beads?" Antique is a federally-defined term meaning 100 years old or older. Vintage is a very vague term. It can mean anything from "fifty years old" to "last year's t-shirt." There were a few beading booms in the past hundred years, such as the French jet boom during the turn of the century, the Czechoslovakian boom from the pre-fifties, the German bead boom during the fifties and sixties, and the Occupied Japan bead boom from 1946-1951. Hopefully the vendor you're purchasing from can give you a decade. As far as taking apart old jewelry goes, it generally isn't necessary! Warehouses on the coasts stocked tons and tons of beads, many of them custom-made, for their jewelry designs. Not only was there not really a loose bead market for the beads and cabochons at the time, but they would not have wanted to sell these beads because the competition might have bought them. So they hoarded the extra in their basements or backrooms, and eventually began to sell them during the nineties and now. Unfortunately, at this point there is very little left that hasn't been picked over by others; most vintage that's left is in crazy shapes or colors that don't really resonate with today's beaders.


• Ask before you pull. Vendors often sell beads on strands, and those strands are bundled together in a "hank." Some vendors don't mind if you pull out the individual strands; some vendors do, usually because if you pull out the strand then they have no idea what the price is when you get to the counter to be rung up. Find out their policy before you pull.


• Find bead charities for your old, unused beads. After a few years of beading, and especially after a few years of going to shows, you'll have some leftover beads that you never used or that you ended up not liking. Often there are groups who work with children or senior citizens who would love those big beads you no longer like. Or have a bead swamp with your friends--one woman's bead of regret is another woman's bead of choice!

And a special list for those of us who have businesses:

• Bring your tax ID number/resale certificate/proof of business. It doesn't matter if you live in a state with no tax--if you are in a state that charges tax, you will need some proof of business. You must have the form with you. Not a number written on a piece of scrap paper or a business card. And it should be your form, not your friend's salon license.


• Pay tax according to the law. The entire point of the tax deferment is that it is a deferment. Someone must pay tax on those goods eventually. If you are buying beads so that you can put them into jewelry and sell them, then when you actually sell that piece of jewelry, the end consumer will pay the sales tax for you. If you are buying a book for your own library, or a tool for your tool box, then you must pay tax. You can pay use tax instead of sales tax, but the point is, you must still pay tax at some point. If you are buying a single jewelry kit to make a necklace for your mom for her birthday, then who, if not you, is going to pay the tax on that item?


• A business license is not a coupon. It does not entitle you to a discount at every booth you stop at. It does identify you as a potential wholesale customer, but you'll notice that every booth does wholesale pricing a little bit differently than the next.


• Wholesale pricing is different at every booth.In order to get wholesale pricing from a vendor, you will need to comply with their policies. It may seem ridiculous that they want you to spend over $400 at their booth, but once you've been in business long enough, you'll see that they are trying to protect their wholesale customers from unnecessary competition. And there are many booths who do not sell wholesale at all.


• Volume discounts are for volume purchases. Wholesale pricing is often called "volume discounting" for a reason--you are getting a better price because you are buying more than the average customer. It is not a good idea to ask for wholesale pricing on a single bead because that is not a volume purchase. Most vendors will extend some sort of discount at the $200 or $300 level. If the beads in your hand are less than $20, then you probably want to skip that question. Yes, I know the adage, "It never hurts to ask," but still, among the vendors I know, it ranks at the top for most annoying question.


• Be discreet. Most vendors would rather not discuss wholesale pricing in front of retail customers. It can be very off-putting for the retail customers.


• Check their payment policy. I've had a few very embarrassing situations occur because I neglected to find out if the vendor took charge cards before I picked out a large selection of merchandise.


• Pay attention to their units of quantity. Some vendors can sell wholesale by the bead. Some sell by the strand. Some sell by the hank or bag. Finding out first can save you a lot of trouble. I've witnessed people who pick up large packages of beads and point to a single bead in the package and want wholesale pricing. If it's in a bag, chances are that it's in there for a reason. You might have to get the whole bag to get a price break. If you don't know some of the terms like strand or hank then you will have problems figuring out the discounts. (A strand of beads is a length of string with a number of beads strung on it. A hank is a gathering of several strands of beads.)


• Try to visit the source. If you like Czech glass, try to find the people with the largest selection. Often they'll have the best advice about what to buy and the widest variety. Sometimes they'll have the best price, as well. Keep in mind, though, that sometimes you'll find vendors with only a handful of something, and if you don't think you'll see it again and you need it, you might have to pay the higher price.


• Beware of haggling. There are a few vendors who will expect you to haggle, but the rest won't. Especially bead artists. These are people who have poured their time, energy, and creative focus into making small, beautiful works of art. Many of them will not be able to sell wholesale, and their work (and their prices!) should be respected.

First and foremost, of course, you should have fun at a bead show! That's what it's all about--looking at great beads and enjoying yourself. Hope this guide helped!