Jun 11, 2008

Vintage Glass Beads



since i started making jewelry, i have come to covet vintage beads. at first, i searched mainly, for vintage glass. but, i have discovered that there are a lot of really great vintage lucite beads too. it's amazing how some of the lucite beads look like glass, wood, or crystal. i also really like that they are seamless.

my experience with my local beads shops is that i pay way too much for beads. i also have not found any local shop that has any vintage beads. so, i have come to enjoy shopping online for beads. i have my seller's permit, so when i can, i like to pay wholesale prices rather than retail. most places require a minimum order amount in order to be able to pay the wholesale prices. beadin path is one bead source that i am able to buy from at wholesale without a minimum purchase. this is rare, so i have made quite a few purchase from them. they have a fairly good selection of vintage beads, both glass and lucite, and also a fabulous selection of vintage swarovski.

even at retail prices, there are not very many online shops that carry good vintage beads. i am always on the hunt for new shops, and get so excited when i discover a good one that i haven't seen yet. i always check ebay for great vintage beads because you never know what you'll find there. today i was browsing their vintage jewelry section, which i have never done. i was pleasantly surprised by the number of finished pieces that were made of fabulous beads. the price for a lot of the necklaces i saw was far better than what i would pay for loose beads. plus a necklace usually has a whole lot more beads on it. i am bidding on a few great finds now. the auctions aren't over yet, but i am hopeful. even if i am outbid, there are plenty more necklaces to bid on next. i had never thought to look for vintage finished pieces that i can take apart for the beads. i am pretty excited now and hope to find lots more great beads this way.

here are some of the pieces i found that hopefully will be mine soon. not really nice as is, but once i un-string them ... yummy!








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