Lampwork vs scuptural beads

I was looking at a site today that has starting prices for just under $2.00. Or is this a situation that they start out low and because of the bids that

*may* come in the price will go up? Wouldn't you want to at least start the price out at the minimum of the materials? Maybe leaving out the time involved to start?>

a. are they really US lampwork (i.e. not chinese imports)

b. is this a beginner - ???

c. how BIG are they - (I have beads under $2 als- but they are small)

d. yes - they are probably underselling their cost of production - if it isn't import stuff.

AS for sculptural being "more difficult" that's hard to say - sometimes yes (definitely when I make a Venus pendant - it is much more difficult)

sometimes no -- it probably is technically not much different (i.e. technically difficult) or more time consuming to make a good "seafan" pendant or to make one of my "Heart's Desire" beads. Though the hearts require more glass......

I think there is no easy answer to the question whether sculptural beads are more difficult than "regular" beads. If you are just making spacers -- yeah -- that's a LOT easier... LOL

Cheryl last semester of lawschool! yipee! DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

What Cheryl said.

It would be a lot easier to comment if we could see the beads in question. But $2???? Seems way to low to me for anything other than spacers. (Color me greedy LOL)

KarenK

Like Cheryl said we probably need more information on where they were made, size, etc.

As for sculptural being harder than rounds...sometimes yes and sometimes no. I can make a sculptural flower just as fast as I can make some of my round beads. Some of my rounds beads have a lot of decoration and take more time than a sculptural. It's all in the skill level of the designer and complexity of the bead.

Yes, generally, any bead that is shaped other than round is harder to make, and sculptural lampwork often takes much more time than regular round beads. Can you show us who is selling sculptural stuff for that cheap? I would wonder about that, too....

Or just a low opening bid, like the 99cent opening bid beads that go for $50.

Tina

What do you mean by sculptural? I've seen random blobs be called "freeform sculpture", and I have wonderful sculptural flowers and human figures. I do think some people enjoy the predictability and balance of symetry and and repetition to be comfortable, and that regular shapes and patterns are easier for them, and that other people prefer the constance flux and rebalancing of sculpture.

Tina

That's what I'm thinking. I tried to find the link to the auction but of course I can't find it.