where to get beads from?

ANYWHERE is better than Michael's or JoAnn's!

Okay, be prepared. Chain craft stores sell cheap junk beads at not-so-cheap prices. You can get a much better quality-to-price ratio elsewhere, but you're also talking about making a HUGE jump in the quality of the beads you want to buy, so your expenses are probably still going to go up somewhat.

The Intergem show calendar is at

Either the San Mateo or Santa Monica show is probably in your area (sorry, I'm unfamiliar with CA geography). This is a very good place to go to buy the kind of beads you want, in person, for decent prices. Aside from that, take Sooz up on her offer of assistance! Celine

I figured one of them had to be for LA and the other for SF, but I didn't know which was which!

Celine

It is perfectly respectable to start at Michael's and JoAnn's when those are you most available sources. But I think you can trust internet sources for quite a few things if you get direct feedback about quality from those who have tried your sources before you. Color is a different question. What your eyes tell you and what your monitor tells you may be too different for comfort.

This group is a great source of honest feedback about quality and customer service of lots of internet vendors.

General Bead sounds like a good place to start when it comes to 'hands on' buying. Their selection and variety are awesome. And apart from a quirky web-interface, I have not heard any complaints about quality or service. A visit might be a good way to expand your horizons beyond the limited selection at craft stores.

Deirdre

And she can go there in person. Get there easily on BART (transport).

Tina

I do!! Kaytee "Simplexities" on

GB's main problem-- at least at the SD store, is being out of stock for 25-50% of the items I go in to get. Service is slow, too-- and unless all you are getting are the close-out bulk packs, you have to have somebody go to the back and pull items, then come back to let you know what is oos before you repeat the process for possible substitutes-- if you have time to wait. I never seem to get out of there in under an hour-- no matter that I go in with the order already written out, ready to hand to a staff member.... And.. . the SD store no longer has a "close out board"..... Kaytee "Simplexities" on

Hmm. Well, now I have heard complaints. I've never been there in person, but the oddities of the web interface kinda bug me. But even with these objections, I'd say it was better than a general purpose craft store, isn't it? At least in terms of the quality and variety they carry.

I am with you on the frustration of having samples visible, but no actual stock. That gets your mouth watering without allowing you to get a bite of what you're salivating for.

Deirdre

Because of their web interaction, you could go in, get what you can in person, and also order the rest through there web site, using the same order form you fill out for them to get your beads from the stock in the store. If I'm not mistaken.

And of course, I write from the point of view of someone who doesn't have easy access to this sort of variety in person. Which is true of lots of other non-city dwellers too.

Tina

Yup, that's an accurate description of General Beads.

Tina

Man - I *so* loved my one visit to that place. It was in January, the heat was off (or was non existent) and the kid who was monitoring the upper level was freezing. It turned out he was not only a musician but knew one of our sons. I was wearing a pair of stretch mittens and insisted he take them. When I got back to my friend's home where I was visiting I started to go through my huge bag of goodies and found all sorts of things I know I didn't add - or pay for. I still have one pkg of amber coloured beads I will never use - but cannot part with as they are gorgeous.

I did try to get back to give them more money, but they were closed and I had to leave the next day.

It's a fantastic place!

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 0:32:48 -0400, Cheri2Star wrote (in message ):

Ah, yes they do. Check the Monthly Sale and Weekly Sale buttons on the site. What Willis said is that they cannot count on their suppliers to give them consistent supplies to carry in the catalog, so they're going to feature them in the monthly sales flyers instead. They'll still sell the pearl grab bags

- I asked.

Kathy N-V

They don't advertise -specific- pearls in their main catalog, because what they get in from their suppliers is too variable. But they always have *lots* of pearls.

They just advertise them in their monthly flier rather than the catalog, because that is something they can keep up to date more readily.

Take a peek at the Monthly Flier link on their web page, and you'll find the Grab Bag specials I mentioned, and a lot of other pearlie deals.

Deirdre

Should have read ahead again ...

Deirdre :-)

That only applies(-ed) to their "close out" packets. Bulk packs of whatever are cheaper than multiple "retail" packs of hte same item, of course, but there are no further discounts for "quantity". Kaytee "Simplexities" on