FAQ
Our retail store is located in beautiful downtown Oberlin, Ohio. Since 1987 our focus has always been on quality and variety, and we have tons of modern Czech seed and bugle beads in all sizes, Japanese Miyuki and Toho beads in all the current shapes and colors, gembstone beads, pendants, briolettes, and carvings cut in India, Hong Kong, and Afghanistan, and a full selection of modern and antique Swarovski beads, pendants, sew-ons, rivolis, pearls, and roses montees. We carry all the lates trends in sterling silver beads, findings, and chain from Bali, Turkey, India, and Thailand. We stock a wealth of antique copper and brass findings and chain as well as a full selection of oxidized sterling silver beads and findings.
Our stringing products are vast, and we have a fine selection of Greek, Indian, and American leathers, satings, rubber, nylon, silk, pearl cotton, ribbons, and sinew. We carry vintage Belgian sequins from the 1920’s, as well as vintage German Lucite from the 1960’s and 70’s. We have tons of freshwater pearls in the rice, potato, keishi, biwa, and stick shapes, in all ranges of quality and price. Our "naturals" department puts others to shame! We have seed, nuts, shells, wood antler, mastadon and walrus fossilized ivory, bone, quills, dried fruits, and carvings. We sell the full gamut of tools, books, and magazines including a variety of pliers, cutters, tin snips, jeweler’s saws and blades, anvils, steel blocks, dapping blocks, hammers, wire jigs, and countless other tools of the trade. To see our selection is to believe it! If you can possibly come to see our store in person, that is truly the best way to shop. We hope to bring more and more to the web, as our site grows. Enjoy!
- Old beads are varied, and often have some flaws or signs of wear. Please be aware that these items can vary in size and condition. Some items may be rare and possibly irreplaceable. If we are out of stock, we will attempt to get an item again, but occasionally old beads are not available anymore.
- The term African Trade Beads refers to the glass beads that were traded primarily in West Africa by European merchants who traveled by ship beginning as early as the 1600’s. These merchant traded beads and other European goods with African peoples for palm oil, spices, precious stones, gold, and slaves. These same glass beads were traded in the Americas and in Asia, but the majority of the beads made from 1600 – 1900 were traded in West Africa. These beads are purchased today by “African Traders” in West Africa and then brought to the United States to sell to collectors, designers, and store owners. Many of these traders are from The Gambia, from the relatively small Sarahule Tribe, traditionally merchants and devout Muslims. Their job is to travel to remote areas, gathering these old beads one by one, or sometimes in strand form. The beads are then strung on a natural grass which grows in abundance in West Africa.
- COIN SILVER means approximately 80% silver. Some newer ethnic metals are “silver color” which means no silver content.
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