Bead & Button show 2007

Lois · #1 2007-06-13, 11:18am

I am just back from the Bead & Button show as both a vendor and shopper. I am interested in hearing what anyone thought of the show, the vendors, the classes, the lampworkers and ? Comments anyone? Are you goingback next year? Lois

McDuck · #2 2007-06-13, 7:28pm

Otay, my 2cents...thursday for me was slow. This is due to the majority of shoppers buying from specific bead artists in my opinion. Friday was nap day. only needed at most 2 in the booth. Saturday and sunday all 3 of us needed to stay in the booth. omg it was so busy! I was very happy sunday was not fathers day, it just totally ruins the day. I mean not many men wanna go bead shopping on fathers day.

AS for being a shopper, I didnt get to shop but did get glass from arrowsprings and frantz. that was about it.

I had the best help, Daphne my daughter and Julz my good friend. They are the absolute BEST! Couldnt have done it without them.

I have never taken a class, but next year, yes I will be backnext year, I am setting up a day early!

Oops I forgot to add, I think the customer #'s were way down especially friday. It was a bit of a ghost town. Too many vendors and not enough customers. I think they need to start to limit vendors. Dont refill spots, its gotten tooo large.

Lois · #3 2007-06-13, 9:39pm

Hi Mary, I think there are also too many vendors and it did seem that numbers of people were down. I wonder if all the classes filled? I think they should limit how many booths people/vendors can have at a show. with 2 local shops having 20 booths (?!) each, or so I heard, they were big booths; I thought the show looked a little mega mall. Plus all the stuff from China and India seemed duplicated. I had a good show but not as good as last year which was fabulous. I will be back too. Lois

McDuck · #4 2007-06-14, 1:57am

HI Lois,
I missed the huge booths, but it also hurts us that classes seem to be run the whole time during the trade floor. Yes I know they are in the business to make money, but i think they have hit the proverbial wall and need to rethink some strategies.
Cheers,
Mary

debkauz · #5 2007-06-14, 8:08am

Hey, did anyone hear the buzz about Eclectica? I don't want to start any rumours but if anyone knows anything...

Lois · #6 2007-06-14, 10:03am

What buzzzz about Electica? I only heard or saw that their lines were not as long this year.Lois

AlivELampworK · #7 2007-06-14, 1:26pm

bead and button was fun. i just got home. it was my first time going/selling. so i don't have anything to compare it to. i had fun seeing people and selling.

Julz · #8 2007-06-14, 5:08pm

It was great getting to meet you too Ali! And Mary is absolutely the best to work for!

debkauz · #9 2007-06-14, 8:43pm

I wonder what's going on with it? I am really disappointed in them. I've bought a lot from them before but if they are doing this, I just won't do it again. How COULD they?

Lois · #10 2007-06-14, 10:05pm

I've heard this about Electica before and I was also mislead by them on their " antique " or vintage beads. I have not bought from them now for over a year. I think that it is totally dishonest to reproduce someone's work overseas to make a fast, cheap buck. Really bad karma here and contirbutes to a bad business rep.

debkauz · #11 2007-06-15, 8:06am

F*ckers. I am going to send them an email and tell them exactly WHY I won't be ordering from them again. Hope the word gets out to everyone.

Lois · #12 2007-06-15, 10:02am

I think I will send them a nice long letter in actual writing, too. I still rely on Karma though as what goes around comes around. Also Irina Meinch ( spelling here ? ) is an owner of Electica and writes books on PMC. I wouldn't buy her books either and I will not stock them in my shop. They should clean up what they are doing after owning up to it and making apologies and amends. Sheesh...Lois

ziggys · #13 2007-06-21, 10:38pm

Thsnks for the heads up about Electica. I didn't know who they were or what they did so now when I see something related to them like books, or beads, I am forwarned!
Angela

debkauz · #14 2007-06-24, 9:06am

About Eclectica...I talked to Marlene Vail, the show manager. What I was told by her is that there's a lampworker (not someone here) who comes to her every year complaining that they are doing this. He is always trying to get the other lampworkers to join in with him, but apparently none really do. Marlene has told him that to do anything other than listen to him rave about it she needs some proof. Seems that's something that never gets provided to her. As she says...'Can't do anything with hearsay.'
I don't know if anything will ever be proved or not but as of this point it IS just hearsay.

Lois · #15 2007-06-25, 4:52pm

Man this would be hard! What is someone to do - go to China, find the factory, photograph the invoices? I think the biggest mistake the Bead & Button show is doing now is allowing one vendor to tie up so many booths. Didn't Electica among others have like 20 booths? Maybe it is time for B&B to limit the number of booths a seller could have and bring in some new vendors at the show. More american lampworkers might inspire more customers to purchase lampwork beads from a nice, large selection of non chinese made beads.

debkauz · #16 2007-06-26, 10:54am

Lois, I think that John pretty much photographs everything he makes. If he could take photos and get beads from anywhere that look just like them he might have a case. I don't really know. I guess that I also have the attitude that the Chinese beads are never going to be as good as an artesian bead and that it keeps us raising the bar on them.
My big beef with Eclectica is that they have the stupidest way of doing things of anyone there. You stand in line for 45 minutes without moving! I haven't ever bought anything from them at the show because of that. Dumb way of doing things for sure!

Lois · #17 2007-06-29, 9:15am

Quote:

Originally Posted by debkauz

Lois, I think that John pretty much photographs everything he makes. If he could take photos and get beads from anywhere that look just like them he might have a case. I don't really know. I guess that I also have the attitude that the Chinese beads are never going to be as good as an artesian bead and that it keeps us raising the bar on them.
My big beef with Eclectica is that they have the stupidest way of doing things of anyone there. You stand in line for 45 minutes without moving! I haven't ever bought anything from them at the show because of that. Dumb way of doing things for sure!

I also don't think that the chinese beads will be as nice as artisan made lampwork beads but a lot of times for my customers it comes down to price point. While I don't sell chinese lampwork in my shop; my customers often come in to match the beads they have bought and they are thrilled that they purchased a " handmade " bead for so little!

I could go on and on here about consumers shopping by only considering price point but then you can launch into Sprawl Marts and the american consumer psyche but...

Electica is shooting itself a bit in the foot. Waiting in line for 45 minutes? A customer has to be nuts?!! It must be the herd mentality, " if everyone is waiting here then the sale MUST be good! " Electica misleads its' customers and I still think no vendor at B&B should have more than 4 booths. That show needs some fresh artisans!

I really like this debate - Lois

acmegirl · #18 2007-07-01, 7:51am

Ecclectica has several stores within a 1/2 hours drive from the show....For them it's probably a great chance to move inventory. I haven't ever heard any of those rumors. Bead and Button/BeadStyle Magazine is published in a suburb of Milwaukee as well.

I always have a great time at the show. To me Sunday seemed as though there was more traffic. 2 years ago it was crazy busy.....last year much slower....this year-maybe a bit busier than last year. I'm signed up for next year's show again. I love it.....

debkauz · #19 2007-07-01, 2:00pm

Yeah, I can't wait til next year already. I always have a wonderful time.

Lois · #20 2007-07-02, 8:26am

I am signed up for next year too and I love the energy from the attendees and students. I hope that the show sponsors cut down on the # of booths a vendor has though so new people can exhibit. If electica wants to move inventory they can do it in their shop(s). I love the finished work exhibits and only hope that the food vendors selling at the show add some CHOCOLATE to their wares! Lois