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Vintage Lucite Bicone Beads |
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Written by Jan Parker
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Thursday, 06 September 2007 |
 In the 14 years that I have been in the bead business, I’ve seen thousands and thousands of beads. I often think that someday I will have seen them all! I don’t think that will ever happen and the more beads I see, the more convinced I am of it. So, even though I’m a lover of things antique and vintage every day I see new beads that I just love! These are beads that I squirrel away thinking that some day they will stop making them (and in my experience, they usually do). One of the things Heather and I share is the desire that someday our heirs will be going through our jewelry and beads saying “Wow! I’m so glad she collected these!” “You can’t get these anymore!” Kind of a morbid thought I guess but hey, it’s a fact that it happens to us all and if we’re lucky, we have loved ones sorting through our things. We might as well make some of it fun for them.
 So, here are some links to beads and colors that I love, that you can get now, and that are worth collecting! One of my top favorites would have to be Swarovski’s Article 5040 in my favorite color padparadsha! Anything Swarovski makes in this color is a favorite of mine. Try the 6040... soooo pretty! Of course I don’t know what to do with these, I’d just buy them and put them in my bead cabinet waiting for inspiration or retirement, whichever comes first.
Cosmo Jet is another Swarovski color I loved the moment I saw it! So classy! I tried to find them on our website so I could put in a link here and they aren’t there anymore! I asked Heather who knows all things Swarovski and she said they stopped making them! She is going to check to see if she can ferret some out (is that a politically incorrect phrase now? Am I offending ferret lovers here?) If she finds them, they’ll be on the website shortly so do a search for “Cosmo Jet” and see.
While I was looking for the Cosmo Jet, I found something I didn’t know was on our website! If you go to the Swarovski index page and read the top blurb, it has a link to a reference guide. Click on the words “reference guide” and see what’s there! It’s been hard to find a guide to Swarovski vintage shapes so our bead gurus have put one together. It’s very cool but sad too as so many of these beads have gone away! I should have squirreled away more! Especially with Swarovski beads, when you see it, buy it!
 Here are some more links to colors and beads I especially like and think are worth going into my personal bead stash. I love these Czech glass milky pink rounds. No doubt you’ll see that pink, cranberry and two color beads are some of my favorites before this blog is done. To my dismay though, I can’t wear pink beads! I am pink myself you see (my English and Swedish heritage makes for very pink skin). They disappear on me!
Of course, cranberry beads have always been a collectible color for anything glass. I love these flower oval beads and these German two-hole beads in any color! Mmmm... these vintage lampwork beads are yummy too! I think I’ll scoop up some of these while I can!
It’s kind of a joke around the store that every few months or so, Jan goes “shopping.” I take my little bag and just stroll around the store and see what we have! Heck, I’m in the office all the time! I don’t see the beads, I just pay for them. It’s not really stealing since I own them anyway (or at least ½ own them) and I’m really just moving them to a different spot in the building (my office bead cabinet). Every once in a while Heather will make a comment or two, but then I open the drawers to the cabinet and she is very grateful that so many of the beads that we no longer have are in there. Maybe someday we’ll sell it, cabinet and all, and help pay for Max or Alex (Heather’s sons and therefore, my grandbabies) to go to college, or at least for a few books! I’ll let you know if that happens!
Here are this week's auction links!
eBay Auction
Rare Vintage 1940's Lampwork
Rust & Grey Swirled Beads
eBay Auction
Vintage Lucite Fuchsia
Faceted Chunky Bicone Beads
eBay Auction
Vintage German Pink Opal
Crackle Glass Beads |
