Any Beaders here?

[CarolAnn]

I think I have a problem.
I keep buying BEADS! More than making them into jewelry, I just like having them. I get them cheap on ebay, from yard sales, Goodwill, estate sales, auctions - this is getting out of hand! I think I'm up to 7 or 8 divided storage boxes now, and really could use a couple more so everything is sorted and out where I can look it over.

Anyone else here feel like Scrooge McDuck slavering over his stash of gold (pretty beads)? :wink:

[kammisue]

I think you have an EXCELLENT problem!!! A wonderful problem!!! I wish I had that problem!!! I use up my beads way tooooooo fast... and then I want to make something new so I take apart things I've already made just so I can make something new!!! Until a month ago I didn't have a credit card.. paypal... or any other way to buy things online... I finally bought one of those prepaid visa cards and put a couple hundred dollars on it so I can buy things online... (my Mother was really getting tired of the phone calls where I begged just once more for her to buy me a book.. promising of course to put the check in the mail that very day... lol)
So NOW!!! thank you very much!!! I'm headed off to ebay to buy some beads!!!!!!

[CarolAnn]

Make sure you filter the search with "free shipping" - you'll be amazed at how many excellent beads you can get shipped from china with free shipping for $.99! You also need to be careful to look at the SIZE and calculate mm to inches unless you're prolific in metric. I've still gotten stung twice - the photo showed a string of nice large beads and they were almost microscopic when they arrived. I forgot to check the size and photos can be very misleading!

Here's another tip for a good deal. Find a seller who has the kind of stuff you like, then click on "see seller's other items" - and then sort by "time ending soonest." You can jump on something when there's only a minute or two left and get it! If you bid while the listing has days on it, someone else will almost always raise the price!

I also don't often bid more than the minimum next bid unless I REALLY want the beads, because if it's starting out at $.06 (YEP! six CENTS!) - someone may have put in a higher amount but it will only show a starting bid at six cents. Then you bid $.10 and it says you've been outbid, bid at least $.20. You do that and it says you've been outbid again. Well, that just means the first person put in a higher amount and the "steps" between bids were set at small amounts. It's better to bid the minimum amount and creep up on the highest existing bid than to jump way over it. That causes the next bid increments to be larger! (Of course, if there's only a minute left, bid the maximum amount you'd consider paying because there won't be TIME to mess around creeping up on the highest bid to keep your end price down!)

[kammisue]

Make sure you filter the search with "free shipping" - you'll be amazed at how many excellent beads you can get shipped from china with free shipping for $.99! You also need to be careful to look at the SIZE and calculate mm to inches unless you're prolific in metric. I've still gotten stung twice - the photo showed a string of nice large beads and they were almost microscopic when they arrived. I forgot to check the size and photos can be very misleading!

Here's another tip for a good deal. Find a seller who has the kind of stuff you like, then click on "see seller's other items" - and then sort by "time ending soonest." You can jump on something when there's only a minute or two left and get it! If you bid while the listing has days on it, someone else will almost always raise the price!

I also don't often bid more than the minimum next bid unless I REALLY want the beads, because if it's starting out at $.06 (YEP! six CENTS!) - someone may have put in a higher amount but it will only show a starting bid at six cents. Then you bid $.10 and it says you've been outbid, bid at least $.20. You do that and it says you've been outbid again. Well, that just means the first person put in a higher amount and the "steps" between bids were set at small amounts. It's better to bid the minimum amount and creep up on the highest existing bid than to jump way over it. That causes the next bid increments to be larger! (Of course, if there's only a minute left, bid the maximum amount you'd consider paying because there won't be TIME to mess around creeping up on the highest bid to keep your end price down!)


Thanks for that info :girl_wacko: There are so many listings it is a bit overwhelming.... the free shipping filter is very smart... I noticed a lot of the beads that were reasonably priced became outrageous when you added shipping... again THANK YOU :yes4:

[Sage]

Beadaholic here too!

[rAcErRicK]

Used to do a bit of native American beadwork and crafts with boys in BSA, "order of the arrow". Don't know how the prices compare but these folk do a huge business in that arena.

http://www.eaglefeathertrading.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=EFTP&Category_Code=2004Crow