In a bizarre case of cosmic irony, I have witnessed firsthand the hunting and gathering of beads and honestly, I don’t get it. This is an odd statement from someone who creates with the pretty baubles.
As a jewelry designer, I have attended a variety of bead and gem type events. These events have helped me to determine those suppliers with the selection and pricing that works for me and my business. They are also an endless source of entertainment, let me explain why.
Imagine if you will and entire conference center filled with purveyors of jewelry making stuffs. Booths filled with tables and tables filled with hundreds of strands of beads. Easily hundreds of thousands of beads are for sale. Are they unique? Sometimes. More often they are the same vendors with the same offerings show after show. They compete on price hope that their relationships will bring you back for repeat business.
Yet, altercations can occur. Customer’s claw and fight for positions at the tables, snatching strands out from under the hands of the person next to them. They clutch their trays filled with goodies as if their families depended on their successful haul of riches. They argue with the vendors over prices and terms, and the quality of their wares. In short, it is ridiculous. The bead strands they are fighting for? There are a hundred more at the next table!
It all makes me wonder about the value of beads. Maybe their value is ingrained in our history, harking back to the days when they were used as currency. Beads were used to trade for items such as food, clothing, even companionship. Empires were built using beads as monetary units. Hey, they don’t spoil; they store well, and can be worn around your neck. Still, the whole ordeal of the shows is making me think I will source my things online, from the commotion of my very own desk.
What things do you value and collect? Would you fight for them?
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