Bead Show - Treasure Trove of Goodies

Bead shows are a treasure trove

For those of us who create handmade beaded jewelry, we look forward to bead shows with great anticipation.  I use beads for all my beaded lanyards and chain lanyards, so I am always on the lookout for new beads of good quality at an economical price.

Rings & Things Bead shows

Did you know that Rings & Things travels all over the United States to display their wares?  They offer wholesale prices minus an additional 15% off to those who have a valid sales tax number.  Last week they were in Denver.  It was a 60+ mile drive for me, and one that I willingly made.  After all my dear husband, Bill, served as the chauffeur to and from the event, and he also sat in a chair in the lobby and waited for me to do all my shopping.

Shopping took me two plus hours at this show.  Am I spoiled or what?  They have their full schedule of all cities for 2014 at their website.

Rings & Things has all kinds of beads.  Most of those strands at the show were semi-precious stones in all shapes and sizes.  Many of the strands were $25.00 or less retail, which means they were about $10.63 or less per strand at the final mark down price.

They also had Austrian glass pearls at the same type of discount.  I am partial to these fine glass pearls.

In addition to the semi-precious stones and Austrian pearls, there was a wide variety of pearls from very inexpensive to the pricier variations.  Towards the back of the bead show were the bargain tables where you could find Chinese crystals, Czech glass beads, and some other things of which I don't remember the names because they did not interest me.  I purchased about 20 short strands of Czech glass beads, but did not get any Chinese crystals.  I have lots of those, and the ones there did not grab my attention.

My final stash from the bead show had lots of goodies.

I already pulled out the crazy lace dyed purple puff oval beads, the faceted opalite round beads, some of the small Austrian pearls to make a beaded lanyard.  It is available for sale in my shop.

If you like to go to bead shows, please share your favorites in the comments section.  There are many all over the country.