Beadfest 2010 review

My wallet’s still recovering…

Had a nice time at BeadFest Philadelphia this past weekend. Decided to head down Thursday this time around, and it was  the best idea. Gave me an evening to relax before the madness of the bazaar on Friday. Thurday is MetalMania at the show–a day of metal-smithing classes from beginner to advanced. Since that’s not my thing I couldn’t say if they went well or not.

The Scanticon and Radisson hotels are the main spots for the attendees. Unless you have a car, they are really the only places to stay. The hotels are connected to the convention hall, so one doesn’t need to go outside. Perfect when the weather is a little too hot. The Scanticon Hotel is the older of the two. And it’s time for a refurbishment. The rooms are huge and kept immaculately, but wear and tear are evident. The friendly staff makes the stay enjoyable, from check in to check out. (Room service is a little expensive however. If you can get an outside restaurant to deliver, go for it.)

Anyhow, photography was forbidden except outside the bazaar, or if you were Interweave Press staff, so no crowd shots–sorry.  Saturday is traditionally the busiest day of the show. Most shoppers come in on Saturday morning. This year Friday seemed “hot”. By 11am, the crowd made its way to the lower level, and vendors were selling.

Tools for Beadfest: Good sneakers and socks

I personally prefer purchasing as many supplies as possible at the show. For me,  paying retail at the show is less than mail order or the local bead store.  Funny thing is, one of my best deals was from a vendor based in Manhattan. Duh! Made a point to have his card for my next trip to Midtown.

Some of my favorite vendors from last year didn’t come this time. However I found a few new ones that could make my “Best of” list at the end of the year.

The best news is I found some wonderful items for a men’s line. Not posting any photos yet, but I’m very excited about them and feel they’ll do well. Also discovered some new materials and tools.

Just a hint at what I found this year

Again this year I took a class, Char Jorgensen’s “Sidewinder” wire wrap. (Last year was Margie Deeb’s class) Char is very friendly and made sure everyone got the hang of her instructions. She is a visual learner (like yours truly) so her focus was on showing more than telling.  Considering her class was sold out, if you have a chance to take the workshop, grab it. Char teaches advanced classes also, check her website:

www.wirewrapper.com for more information. Here’s my effort:

I need practice, but it looks nice

Overall, had a great time, met some nice folks and went a little over budget. 🙂 Well worth the trip.

It’s Cheap for a Reason-Part 2

Welcome Back! Thanks to everyone who commented, emailed, and chimed in at LinkedIn regarding Part 1. It seems educating the customer is the best method. This time around, I’d like to show that low cost does NOT mean low quality.

This past weekend was BeadFest in Valley Forge Pennsylvania. It’s my yearly pilgrimage for supplies and to check out new stuff for the jewelry maker.  But more about that in a separate post. I found a vendor based in Maryland selling stretch bracelets similar to the cheap ones from Part 1. However, there was a huge difference in the quality.

Clear beads, not a scratch

The crystals are not fading, the silver spacers are not peeling, and the stretch cord is sturdy. The poorly made bracelets I bought at the street fair were $3 each. This one was $4. Yep, only $1 difference, yet this one won’t break off your wrist.  Here’s another look:

Another look.

Usually at street fairs and flea markets, customers expect “rock bottom” prices.  Obviously we can’t give away our work, especially items that take several hours, or even days to create. But one can offer low cost fun “little things” like this bracelet to introduce people to your store.

Make sure they are from a reputable vendor.

Try it on.

Take a few moments and look closely at the material.

If you wouldn’t wear it yourself, don’t offer it.

Thanks again for all the feedback, and now I move on to my Beadfest review…