TrollbeadsFest Trollfest 2010

YEAH, I know. I love TrollbeadsGallery.com. They are my absolute favorite online Trollbeads seller. They've always treated me very well, and I've gotten some extraordinarily beautiful beads from them. Great, friendly people there, too! So ...

I've been reading a bunch about TrollbeadsFest Trollfest 2010, and it is in complete high gear and coming soon!! October 15, 2010!! I worry about those who are not members of TrollbeadsGallery.com's Forum, and for those who might not have had yet had a chance to learn about the event, so I've decided to add my own little "notice" here. The more the merrier!

I've seen that there are going to be some fabulously great events and activities ... and bunches of goodies, too! Including a raffle for a GOLD Wine Harvest Bead (with proceeds benefiting a local youth art education program); learning and sharing "stations" including "Ultimate Fantasy," "Lovin' Leather," "No More Fearing the Earring," "Unique Boutique" (you KNOW we all love the UNIQUE BEADS!); a Book signing (Suzanne Hopping!), charity Raffles (including a large and beautiful Aqua and Yellow Smiley Bead (with an Original Tag!); a "Trollbeads Swap Meet" styled event ... so bring your beads with you, friends! You could emerge with some real finds. Yay!!!!

If you want to read more about it, there are plenty of places to learn more. There's a website that has been created just for the event, or you can find more about it at the TrollbeadsGallery.com forum. To help get the word out a little bit, below, I've copied (and paraphrased!) from the "registration section" of the website. Are you going??

There's also a FULL AGENDA posted here!

So ... read on!

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Scheduled for October 15-16, 2010 in beautiful Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, this is an event that Louise Rogers, from TrollbeadsGallery.com (and also her brick-and-mortar store, Surroundings-Rogers Gallery), has really worked hard to pull together. She arranged an amazing schedule of events and activities for Trollbeads Fans!

The main event ticket includes ticket includes admission to TrollbeadsFest 2010 at Fairfield Inn & Suites, Friday night opening reception at Surroundings-Rogers Gallery, transportation to the Friday night reception (limited availability), Saturday light breakfast and lunch, and a special Trollbeads TrollFest 2010 Gift bag.

Friday, October 15 (day): If you are arriving for TrollbeadsFest early on October 15th, you can visit Surroundings-Rogers Gallery in Mattapoisett and join them for a light lunch and to (gasp and oh-so-fun!!), check out the art and Trollbeads, too!

Friday, October 15 (night): In the evening hours of Friday, October 15th, there is a "welcome reception," wine tasting and the "Grand Opening" of the Trollbeads Museum! Meet new and old friends, enjoy some fine wine and lots of Trollbeads companionship. Can we ever get too much of Trollbeads? Naw.

Friday, October 15 (night): Suzanne Hopping, the very first People's Bead Winner/Designer is coming ALL THE WAY FROM Australia and will be in the store and will be signing copies of the coffee table book "Icon in Jewelry Design, Trollbeads" by Ehrhorn Hummerston. Suzanne won for her "Pax" bead in 2009. This beautiful coffee table book is a must-have for any Trollbeads collector. If you want to purchase a book that Suzanne will personally sign for you at TrollbeadsFest! 2010, you will need to notify them ahead of time, because there are limited quantities available.

Saturday, October 16 (day): OOOPS!!! ALREADY SOLD OUT!!!! But, Louise is currently working on making arrangements for an additional group!! [As an additional bit of fun and excitement, Louise has also arranged a cruise on Saturday for those who want a bit of sightseeing in the local area! It's a "New Bedford Harbor Sunset Cruise!" Before the Trollbeads Fest 2010 dinner at The Waterfront Grille, you can experience the hidden jewel of the South Coast of Massachusetts, where whaling history comes alive! Sail the same waters as Herman Melville and Joshua Slocum. See a real working waterfront. Again, please sign up soon because, there is limited space availability.]

Saturday, October 16 (night): On October 16th, there will be a dinner at Waterfront Grille, New Bedford, MA. Join your fellow Trollbeads fans for a dinner at one of the area's finest restaurants, The Waterfront Grille.

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I encourage ANYONE who loves Trollbeads to check this out. Read about the entire event here at the TrollbeadsFest Website or at the TrollbeadsGallery.com Forum. :-)

eBay - The Greatest Thing for Trollbead Hunters, But Use Caution

I’ve read many stories lately that seem to focus on the evil side of buying and selling Trollbeads on eBay. It certainly appears to be a pretty hot topic. And rather contentious, at that. As fans of the brand, we are all aware that there is an open and thriving market for “off-retail” beads. In fact, quite often, this is the only way that we can have direct access to the most beautiful and special of all beads: referred to in different places as OOAKs, Unique or Limited Edition (among other things!).

Now fraud doesn’t happen only to the Trollbeads brand. And eBay can be a breeding ground for those nasty individuals who are just looking to make a quick buck off of unsuspecting collectors by riding on the coat-tails of a major brand, like Trollbeads, that is extremely popular and doing very well. In fact, eBay is nearly notorious for how the unscrupulous sellers hide behind the anonymity of the Internet, thriving and passing off frauds of name brands such as “Coach,” “Dooney & Bourke,” “Louis Vuitton” and many countless others. But eBay is also doing a good job of taking a stronger stance against the frauds.

So. What can you do? How can you tell the “real” ones from the “fake” ones? If the imposters are good, it can be nearly impossible to get to the truth.

That might be enough to scare you away from eBay, but I am seriously against trying to do that. What I do offer is a bit of constructive advice, some caution, and suggest a bit of common sense.

So, before you jump in, know and understand the brand, the trademark (or not) stamps that are included in and on the item, the history, the descriptions. Understand what the item is, where it came from, and what the personal history is. Was it “pre-owned” or “worn?” Is it in “unused” condition? Is it considered “collectible?” Is it considered “new?” In the case of Trollbeads, they began stamping the SILVER cores of their Trollbeads just a couple of years back … so the older beads might not be stamped. That does not mean the bead is either authentic or fraud … but that particular understanding can save you heartache. If you buy an old “Silver Python Trollbead” on eBay, don’t be expecting it to show up with an “LAA” and “925” stamp on the core. It won’t be there. Or at least it SHOULDN’T be there!

Also you need to READ the WORDS in the auction. Does it say “fits,” “for” or “compatible” instead of “genuine,” “authentic,” or “original?” Now, don’t get me wrong. People can easily misrepresent their items, so that doesn’t mean every word posted is 100% accurate, but at least pay attention to those details.

Evaluate the auction. Do you know the seller? How is the feedback rating? Do you see some IDs for familiar BUYERs? People that you believe would “know” what they are doing? That can be a good indication. Look to see if those people have purchased a lot of Trollbeads.

READ the feedback. If it’s full of generic comments, you might want to stop and wonder if they might be padding their own feedback. If you see a lot of personal, encouraging comments, you can feel a bit more relaxed.

Still, if you don’t know the person, you could try dropping a note through eBay’s “contact seller” system and asking a few simple questions, just to put yourself at ease. Now, you need to understand that it might be a bit offensive to some people if you write and immediately say “is your Trollbead genuine and authentic?” That could pretty immediately put someone off … but the truth is, if the person has nothing to hide, they will be happy to respond to honest and legitimate questions.

eBay often is the absolute best and ONLY way for us serious collectors to acquire some very rare and RETIRED Trollbeads. Oh wow, have I found some amazing Trollbeads there – some absolute and stunning finds!!! Speaking directly about RETIRED and GOLD Trollbeads, for a lot of people this can be a scary area because the prices (even at auction) are generally higher than a typical unique or OOAK. HOWEVER, you really can find some GREAT deals there. Been looking for a special Retired Bead or looking to start your GOLD Trollbeads collection? Yes, eBay can be quite helpful with that.

FOR ME, if I discover a Trollbead that I want, if it’s a seller I don’t know, I will look at the feedback, look at the buyers, look at their feedback … and try to view it as a type of “cyber paper-trail” to see what the patterns are.

Do I buy RETIRED Trollbeads on eBay? YES. Do I buy GOLD Trollbeads on eBay? YES. Do I trust who I am buying from …? Nearly always, 100%. You just have to do the legwork, the homework. Make yourself comfortable, accept what you are looking at, understand the seller, the auction, the pricing, the shipping … AND ASK FOR INSURANCE with shipping.

eBay offers some great deals – and quite frankly there are a LOT of absolutely WONDERFUL and HONEST Trollbeads resellers there on eBay. I have purchased COUNTLESS numbers of my absolute FAVORITE Trollbeads from some of the greatest sellers on eBay; and these are sellers that I continue to buy from over and over.

As with most things in life, eBay can basically be a “gut instinct” type of situation. You have to know what you are feeling and be in touch with it. If your personal “alarms” go off, don’t do it. If it’s a bead you are dying to have and the price is good … just do the research. But don’t jump head-first into the shallow end: understand your seller.

Do they seem nearly as obsessive about Trollbeads as you are? You can probably believe that those who market their items with love and care really do care as much as you do.

The bottom line is this: eBay has Trollbeads you want. I hate to see so many people be completely SCARED OFF of eBay just because of the fear and threat of fraud. There’s fraud everywhere – it can’t be completely avoided, but it can be watched, learned from and, if you act properly, you can avoid it more often than not.

I have been thinking of starting to publish the eBay IDs of trusted sellers. (Not looking to post full IDs of “bad” sellers … that’s a complicated gray area and I don’t really feel comfortable there, but I’d be interested to hear your experiences anyway.)

So what do you think? Is it something that you would like to see and share? To try to help your fellow eBay Trollbeads Hunters? If yes, drop me a note, share the eBay IDs of some sellers with who you have had good experiences … or BAD. I’d really be interested in hearing about your experiences.

And maybe I’ll start posting some … but I want to make one thing extremely clear: Just because you submit an eBay ID to me, it does NOT mean I will automatically add them to the “safe” list. I’d have to do a bit of research, because I wouldn’t want to offer any information that I didn’t look into first. Right now, I know of at least ten that I would easily post as having been found to be legitimate (by my experience).

Perhaps we can help to clean up eBay’s Trollbead trust by policing ourselves just a little bit.

Let me know what you think. :-)

Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! (Did I Mention GOLD?)

Ah, the whimsy and joy of Trollbeads. If this game is played properly - with respect for the people who BUY the products - Trollbeads can be the great jewelry find of our lifetimes. Such fabulous opportunities for self-expression, such glorious colors, amazing designs, so .... shiny!! However, if they turn the cards down in glee, shooting for a win with a full-house, all the while trouncing on the customers that got them where they are now, that fragile house of cards could crumble all around the corporate infrastructure that calls itself "Trollbeads."

Here's the deal: have you ever wanted Troll's Gold? Now's the time. (By the way, Troll's Gold is nothing at all like "Fools Gold." Troll's Gold actually has great value - and beauty! And it's shiny!)

As I alluded to previously, prices are going up. "Going up?" you say? "Yeah, yeah, I hear you." Well, I'm not so sure that I've really gotten the point across about the actual degree that it needs to be heard. Here's what "Going UP" actually means when I'm talking about Troll's Gold: 40%. "Did you hear that, Lucy?" "Yes, Ethel, you said 40%."

If you have ever had a taste for, a burning yearning for, Troll's Gold ... now is the time. And if you fear that you might be in line to catch a good case of "Troll's Gold Fever" - or that it's even got potential for EVER landing in your life - I suggest you take out a second mortgage and grab some Troll's Gold. If you wait, you might need to sell your husband and the kids (but always keep the dog) to afford the purchase of even one piece. Come to think of it, keep the kids and the dog, but sell the husband anyway. Trollbead Gold is more fun!

Now, listen up. I am a firm believer in paying the piper. (In this case, the piper is "Trollbeads, Inc.") Trollbeads created these things I obsess over, and they deserve to reap the rewards of their creations' successes. However, running through the fields and chopping the knees of those of us who have helped to lift them to their current (and rather lofty) status is not good. We earned the right to speak up a bit if we are about to be whacked with a 40% increase.

But, don't worry. Too much. Everything that is under the Trollbeads umbrella is not going up 40%. Take heart! It appears that the glass beads will only increase a mere 20%. (By the way, that "only" is said with tongue planted in cheek). So, let's see ... that means that glass Trollbeads will be going up ... to about $25.00. That's about what I predicted.

The announcement on the GOLD prices however, still has me in complete and total $ticker $hock.

Changes in the Troll Universe

Wow. News! News! News!!

Here's some long-awaited news for those of us who have been waiting! Read on, but please realize that I am NOT a bona fide "in-the-know" Trollbeadie, but I am a serious Trollbead fan, who is simply sharing news that I have heard. Whether it's true - or even how true - remains to be seen. Soon.

Big news orbiting the Trollbead Universe!

Some good (new beads, new ways to wear Trollbeads!), some bad (price increases, retired pieces), and some that aren't really all that much of a big deal (some kits will no longer be offered as "kits"). Of course, it's all about personal opinion on whether the you think the news is good, bad, irrelevant or ugly.

At this point, I am only aware of one retiree. BUT. That does not mean that there aren't more. That's just the only one I've heard about. :-(

Unfortunately, there also appear to be a lot of price Increases on the horizon. And that horizon is getting closer - very fast (mid-February or March 2008). I've already discovered news of price increases for glass and silver ... and one just has to assume there will also be significant prices for the gold beads, as well.

REMEMBER: this is not being reported as 100% fact, but is strictly the result of my persistent digging for news. As far as the dollar amount of the increase, my best guess is that the price increase for glass beads and/or silver beads is going to be about $5.00-$10.00 US dollars each (for standard beads).

->New Releases

• 22 New Glass Beads
• 2 New Silver Beads
• 3 New Gold Beads (yay!)
• 2 New Silver and Gold Beads
• 1 New Silver and Gold Lock

->New Wearables

• Leather bracelets (I am so excited about this!)
• Leather necklaces
• 12 Trollbead rings (Hmmmm. holding my opinion on this until I see ...)

->Changes

• Glass kits. Retirement for some - as kits. Beige and Designer Glass Kits are no longer going to be offered as kits.
• Glass beads from Brown, Blue, Red and Blue/Green Kits are going to be sold only as single items.

->Retired/Discontinued (Bye Bye Buys)

• Spacers/blocker beads (Oh no! I usually use at least four of these on every bracelet!)

So, Trollies, take the news and run with it. If you have beads you have been saving for ... buy them now!!!!

Or, on the other hand, save your money for the new beads ... :-)

OMG! Retired Trollbeads!!!!

As usual, I am up late, browsing around on the Internet, looking for Trollbeads ... and I just found that TrollbeadsGallery.com now has RETIRED TROLLBEADS listed for sale!! I have no idea how long they have been there, but I did just check around and it seems their prices are really good (as usual!) and are under the prices that I find at the few other places where I know retired Trollbeads are listed.

(I've got a thing for GREEN,in case you hadn't noticed, so anytime I have a choice, I pretty much will always choose the greeen!) :-)

I suggest that, if you are missing something that has become really hard for you to find, something retired, something special ... you might want to go for a visit!

Nighty night!

PS: Make sure to take a look at my new bracelet pictures on the right side. Some are really amazing! Those Unique/OOAK beads - (especially when mixed in with the GOLD that I got for my birthday!) - create amazing combinations!!

.. More ... More ... More !!

Never enough, but ...

... once again, I just discovered more Unique/OOAK (One-of-a-Kind) beads over at TrollbeadsGallery! Look here and here! Ican't keep up with them (not that I mind!). Some really great ones posted there. The ones I didn't already get, that is. (Yes, it's true - I'm into the green ones. Could you tell?)

Sometimes it seems that they have a never-ending supply - which, at least as far as I'm concerned, is a GREAT thing!

They do a great job at keeping their listings fresh and showing new beads all the time. Actually, looking at the "already sold" section, you can see they sell a lot of them ... very quickly! No wonder I feel the need to visit several times a day. Geez!

Next Topic: eBay and Trollbeads

... or What I will lovingly call "The Good, The Bad, and The Snuggly"

Do you sell Trollbeads on eBay? Do you buy Trollbeads on eBay? Do you think you might be "the good," "the bad" ... or ... "the snuggly?" How do you rate yourself? How do you rate others? And, maybe even more importantly, how do your experiences help others when they are choosing who to "do business" with?

I'm going to share a bit about my own eBay experiences -- both with purchasing (or selling!) Trollbeads on eBay; and what I've learned along th eway.

As anyone would expect - there are good sellers, and ones that you might consider otherwise. That, however, is to be expected anywhere, whether it be online retailers, brick-and-mortar storefront sellers, or off of the back of a truck sellers. I won't be naming names, but I might just offer a bit of advice about who you might trust and what you could use as a yardstick when measuring any transaction.

Consider this just as a "teaser" to get the curiousity going. Maybe that's my curiosity, maybe yours. Check back later for a full-fledged "how-to" course on my own view and experiences on eBay.

New Unique/OOAK Beads at Trollbeads Gallery

Okay, so I did my standard "what's new check" of my favorite Trollbead sites a few minutes ago and I found something awesome! Of course, I thought about keeping the news to myself, but us Trollies have to stick together.

When I visited TrollbeadsGallery, I found that Santa must have been working really hard overnight! There are a whole bunch of new Unique/OOAK beads in both their Holiday section AND in the regular Unique/OOAK section!

Go check! Some are really really awesome! I'll race you there!

Cheers and happy shopping!!

Tricky Christmas Trolls!

I got an email from Trollbeads.com and it had a link that directed me to a section of their website to view stuff about their little "Tricky Christmas Trolls!"If you subscribe to and receive Trollbeads' newsletter, you probably got this email, too.

They have a movie that explains what they are, but they also have "downloadable" Christmas Trolls for you to print and use for yur own "Holiday" decorating. I always find it interesting to learn about the experiences of cultures other than my own, and I think it's great that put together this handout and move so that everyone could share in part of their Holiday celecbration.

It's always nice to share and to take the opportunity to learn from other people. We could all benefit from understanding one another a bit more.

- Download a printable PDF of Tricky Christmas Trolls; and/or
- View the Trollbeads' Movie About Tricky Christmas Trolls!

----> Still no mention of the Winter 2007 release of Trollbeads, tho! Darn! I continue my wait with breathless anticipation!

Winter 2007 Beads

As is normal for me, I've been spending a majority of my time thinking about ... Trollbeads! So, a question crossed my mind.

Has anyone heard anything about the Winter 2007 beads? They have to be due out at any moment!! Somehow it always seems that they are able to keep them a secret until they suddenly spring them on us. Not that i don't kike surprises. :-)

And while I'm on that thought (Trollbeads, again), has anyone else seen the little Trolls that have been added to Trollbeads main site? Interesting ... in a somewhat startling kind of way!

Let's Start Talking About Trollbeads!

Trollbeads!!! I just responded to a blog posting that was talking about Trollbeads, and I decided that I needed to start my own -- since I have a STRONG obsession with Trollbeads!

I love Trollbeads! I’ve found a great website for purchasing Trollbeads – www.trollbeadsgallery.com. The prices are perfect and they have FREE SHIPPING! It's my favorite place to buy from – they are very friendly, helpful and provide incredibly quick shipping! I’ve bought from a lot of places, but nothing matches their level of communication and customer support. At www.trollbeadsgallery.com/ I can have my treasures in hand within a few days! They are even supported and sanctioned by Lund/TrollbeadsUS (the US distributor) and are shown on the Lund/TrollbeadsUS as one of the top sellers in the US. I can see why, because they treat their customers VERY courteously!

Trollbeads really are remarkable, beautifully-created, and wonderful charms/beads - that take art of creating a bead or charm bracelet so much fun! Not only is it fun, but you can quickly and easily change your bracelet with every whim of desire, or to match any outfit you might wear ANY day! I can't count the times I’ve been asked "WOW! Did you know your bracelet matches your outfit PERFECTLY? How did you do that!?”

It always amuses me. Every time.

Trollbeads are generally inexpensive when purchased bead by bead (unless you go for the 18K gold!) and are a great way to inspire anticipation for your next "purchase!" Besides that, it's a fabulous thing to share with friends and family who are always asking what you want for a birthday or Christmas. Just give them your Trollbead wish list and they can always get you something that would make you undeniably happy; and for a VERY affordable price (they generally run $21 for a glass bead and start at around $19 for silver beads).

I, too, highly recommend Trollbeads!! Visit http://www.trollbeadsgallery.com/ or even venture to eBay - great prices are there, too, if you can stand the anxiety and suspense of auctions!