I put up some ideas on getting wholesale prices on jewelry making supplies. It’s pretty easy nowadays for the average person to get some great prices on jewelry supplies what with the internet and Ebay. Some of the things talked about are: buying jewelry online, buying in bulk, buying at jewelry shows and wholesale shops, and getting a resale tax ID.
Whee! This past Sunday we got to attend the annual Rings & Things Bead Show 2005. The one we went to was located at the Holiday Inn in Costa Mesa, CA. Each show is only 4 hours long. Ours started at 1pm and lasted until 5pm. We got their at around 2:30 but stayed until past closing!
So, you might be wondering, “What’s the big deal about going to a show when I can just order easily online or off their catalog?” Well, there are 2 things. The first is, that the prices of the items at the show have tags that show the RETAIL price. However, the sale for the show is 50% off the retail price and then an additional 15% off of that! So, even though I believe that their catalog prices are less than retail (by how much, I’m not sure). They are certainly not an additional 15% off of half price!
Secondly, it can make a huge difference to look at a stone in real life than in a catalog or on a website. The catalog picture on the website may cover up flaws, may be different in color, or it just might be something different than you pictured. There’s no way that can happen when you’re holding the stone in your hand. What you get is what you get!
Unfortunately, I forgot to bring our camera to take some pics of the actual show tables, so you will have to do with a picture of the stuff we ended up buying. Last year, we ended up with mostly “fall” colored stones and crystals in red, brown and yellow. This year we got a veritable rainbow of colors! Among the items we picked out were Amazonite, Amethyst, Cherry Quartz, Pearls, Crackle Glass, and various crystals.
In case you’ve never been to one of these things, the shows are held in a medium sized meeting room. They lay out the strands of stones, gems and crystals on many tables. I think there were about 30-40 large tables just filled with stuff. In back they also have a few tables with findings, jewelry tools, and large size pendants. They give you a large tray and then set you loose. It was pretty crazy at the beginning with tons of people all grabbing at stuff.
For the past two years, Sue and Kathleen have organized the Renegade Craft Fair a festival of sorts in Chicago that featured DIY crafters and their creations. This year they’ve gone “on tour” for the first time and are planning a Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn in addition to their usual Chicago event. Note that they are no longer accepting applications for the New York event so jewelry makers will have to either wait until next year to apply or try out for the one in Chicago which is taking place in September 2005.
Continue reading “Renegade Craft Fair” …
Rings & Things annual Bead Show Tour schedule has started up! It kicked off in Tucson, AZ with the big Gem and Lapidary Wholesalers show. In the Southern California area, the following two shows are coming up:
| San Bernadino, CA Saturday, April 30 10am-2pm Hilton San Bernadino 285 E. Hospitality Lane San Bernadino, CA 92408 909-889-0133 |
Costa Mesa, CA Sunday May 1, 1pm-5pm Holiday Inn Costa Mesa 3131 Bristol Street Costa Mesa, Ca 92626 714-557-3000 |
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