Trollbeads information that can inspire your creativity with your own Trollbeads collection. Share your thoughts, be involved and please leave comments!

The Time is Here!!

If you are a long term collector of Trollbeads you probably know the time has arrived to kick off the People's Bead contest and this year has, I think anyway, the most fun challenge ever!

For the fifth year in a row, Trollbeads is offering you the unique chance to become a Trollbeads designer. Each year thousands of entrys are submitted and the final choices are always voted on by the "people".  Everyone has an equal chance This is your chance to have your bead added to a new Traditional Sayings Collection, and again this year we will have multiple winners!

Now you may be thinking why does Louise think this is the most fun challenge yet? Because when you look around and think of some of the "traditional" sayings they can be quite funny. Culturally it shows the character of your country's history or the character of all the origination of these sayings.  There are so many that come from authors, poets and the pop world from which we can draw inspiration.  Some sayings we may never know where many of them come from and that is fun in itself.  So many traditional sayings have been verbally passed down through the years and through the generations and that's another great thing about this topic!  It offers us a thread that will lead us to even more connections through Trollbeads and afterall that's what they are all about.

 Theme: Traditional Sayings

What: Illustrate your favorite traditional saying in a bead and share it with us!
When: March 18, 2013 – April 10, 2013
How: Upload your design on Trollbeads Universe

Different cultures have different sayings, and we are excited to see which saying means a lot to you and to see how you translate it into the shape of a bead.  Of all submitted designs, 100 beads will be chosen for the final vote and presented on Trollbeads Universe.

At Rogers Gallery/Trollbeads Gallery we have been honored to have 3 of the past Peopel's Bead Award winners join us at Trollbeads Fest.  During Trollbeads Fest! 2010 we had the first winner, Suzanne Hopping from Australia join us along with Kristi Denning from Maryland!  We have been most fortunate to have Kristy live so close to us and she has been to all three Trollbeads Fest.  Suzanne won for her Pax Trollbead (shown above) and Kristi won for her Ice Bear.  The Fest was actually right after Kristi learned she had won the contest and she was able to bring the model she has sent to Trollbeads. Look at the image below and see how she created the bead in 3-D. Trollbeads had suggested you can send your ideas and designs in any format worthy of your design. Try folded paper! Try sculpting clay or whatever you feel most comfortable with!

One of the Third Peoples Bead Winner, Maria Af Rolen also from the US, West Virginia via Stockhlom Sweden joined us during Trollbeads Fest! 2012.  Maria won for her spirituality themed bead "Stay Postive". I have just receive a note from Maria and we have her 2013 entry to show you!  Her Theme is "Man's Best Friend"!

Below I am showing the "Stay Positive" bead and the "World Within" bead which is also a 2012 People's Bead winner by Linda Karuso of Australia.  We are very fortunate to have all 3 Trollbead People's Bead Designers as members on Trollbeads Gallery Forum.

So my dear Trollbeads Friends get out your clay and sharpen your pencils the contest is on! You have only a couple of weeks so "shake a leg" and "get a move on it" and don't forget to vote when the time comes!

Here is a link to a great list of sayings to help you along! Old Sayings Collection

WATCH VIDEO HERE

Good luck to all! 

Louise Rogers

Friday, March 8th Trollbeads released it's second Limited Edition Easter Egg Release!  Last year Trollbeads released the Easter Eggs with polka dots in pastel colors.  They were so well recieved that they have created a second limited edition release with glass eggs and this time the eggs have thinly applied stripes wrapping around the egg with each egg being one color and the stripes another color.  The drop bead has become very popular in the past year with the very popular Christmas Ornaments, the heart Drops for Valentine's Day and now the second edition of the eggs for Easter. It shows you that people love the drop Trollbeads! What a great way to enjoy the holidays!  All of the colors, as again, are suitable for your Easter jewelry designs.  I think the original popularity for the dangle style Trollbeads came out when Trollbeads created a very limited edition of unique dangle beads for the Netherlands year ago.  We have seen a few come up in photographs on the forum from time to time and we always drool.  I am very lucky to have a very pretty one in my Trollbeads Museum.

The Limited Editions are the releases that keep collectors searching for just the right colors and us retailers busy trying to find you all just what you want.  With the Easter Egg releases there have been 8 basic colors offered but then there are always a change of tones or stripes to make some more unique than others and last year with the polka dot Easter Eggs the dots were unique and that made some of last year's Eggs more unique than others.

Below you can see a use for the Orange Easter Egg that makes it quite unlike Easter but you can see the many uses beyond what the holiday usually calls for.  Adding the Egg to a Bangle bracelet adds so much to the design and it adds movement that the Bangle wouldn't have otherwise!

 Saint Patick's Day!

Another holiday to celebrate with you Trollbeads is coming up before Easter and that is...St.Patrick's Day!  So hunt for your favorite green beads and dress-up for the luck of the Irish.  What are your favorite green Trollbeads? Green Wave? Forest Anenome? Forest Flowers?  Don't forget all the wonderful green unique beads we always have listed too!  You can always find treats there if you need something unique and special! Green Unique Beads.

If you are an ardent Trollbeads collector and follow our Trollbeads Gallery website and receive our emails then you are well aware of the three new Trollbeads that were released just last week for Mother's Day.  A truly beautiful group of beads with such meaning...well of course they are Trollbeads after all.

The Messenger bead is my favorite and if you are a member of Trollbeads Gallery Forum (if you aren't please join by clicking on link) or if you follow us on Pinterest (if you don't join us by clicking on link)you have seen the variety of ways people are wearing it.  I have just heard from one of my Rogers Gallery's customers that is can be worn on a bracelet or the bangle with a prism on either side and the prisms holds the bead and the petals in place.  So if you are finding it slip put on a couple prisms and you will find that lovely flower smiling up at you!  Thank you for the tip Cheryl!

The Mom's Bouquet is a beauty too with flowers and leaves and I adore leaves!  If you are working with the Bangle bracelet a lot you will want to see how it pairs up with the Elderflowers bead as it is a nice but not too perfect pair.  Us artsy folks don't want anything too perfect! There are other ho-hum bead brands for that!

The Ruby Rock has had an outstanding reception!  In all of its looks and in all of it's tones as we all love the stones that have variety. In design I equate it to choosing a granite for a counter or a fireplace surround.  Why choose a granite that is the same all over? Find one with veins and little imperfections your eyes can be drawn to and those you can reflect on. As I said in the previous paragraph we don't want total perfection...what can our eyes search for and get lost in?  You know the feeling!  The Ruby Rock has a combination of stones found within it's composition.  It is found exclusively in New Zealand's South Island and is composed of 3 stones. Ruby, Sapphire, and Tourmaline crystals in green Fuchsite. Every bead is different and will surely become one of our most favored stones. I have added other "looks" of the bead to Trollbeads Gallery so you can see what there is.  I think it will also be a great bead to sell through our "Trollbeads With A Twist".

Are you asking yourself what is "Trollbeads With A Twist"?  If you are you haven't yet discovered this wonderful opportunity for on-line shoppers to see the actual bead they are purchasing. First and foremost it is a category I created to offer you standard Trollbeads that have a twist to them or something that makes them unlike others of their kind.  Wow, this seems to be the theme to this article!  I love things that are different or wonky and here I offer beads that are just a bit unique. One example would be the Azure Bubbles bead whose next number will be over 80!  That means I have sold over 80 unique Azure Bubble beads from this category.  For Wild Cat I am into the 30's!  The Golden Cave, Silver Mountain and Milky Way are great beads for this category as they are always unique! The second reason I list beads here is because it is a perfect example of what the bead was meant to be so in other words it is just nice to see what you are buying. Below is a small selection of beads I have or have had on the Twist page for a variety of reasons.  Just know that there are beads that come in wide variations and I also include the retired beads that do too. I have a very hard time keeping beads here so check back often!  I am the only one that does all the photography and image processing so do have patience. 

Shown below is Takma, Issy, Green Armadillo, Glass Stone, Grey Wolf (all retired), Whitecap.

Twins and Trios!

At Trollbeads Gallery we've been selling unique Trollbeads for so long and in so many formats and in so many ways and I thought it would be fun to come up with just one more way to make choosing and purchasing unique Trollbeads easier for the collectors. Even prior to this I added one more unique selection for Valentine's day but now that is behind us we are releasing this new category today, February 15th.  Being snowed in helped with this creative endeavor and while I am starting out with about 70 kits I promise to be adding more in the near future.  Like you all my creative juices get flowing but instead of creating bracelets I like creating even more alluring ways to show you Trollbeads. Yes, the Trollbeads Devil lives in breathes within me! Let this be a warning for those who get weak in the knees around unique Trollbeads. 

Starting before the new year I have been saving (perhaps hoarding is more like it) and matching beads and setting them aside in either groups of two identical beads as in "twins" or in groups of three beads that would match each other.  The "trios" kits I have offered before from time to time but the twins is a new format which was brought about by the need to have a balanced design on the new Bangle Bracelet. Yes, I have been listening to your requests! I have had collectors wanting matched uniques in times past but the need was more for a necklace design but now with the Bangle there is even a greater need.  The Trollbeads Bangle below is a quick design using twin unique beads.

One surprize for those of you who have been seeking out the "Small and Beautiful" beads in a rather relentless fashion (and those of you know of whom I speak) will find I am showing the same designs but in a larger bead as these new beads have come in with the Universal core.  Judging from the style and the colors of these beads I am guessing they are coming from the Malawi bead makers but as I said this is just an educated guess. Below is a Bangle made with beads also found on the "Small and Beautiful" kits.

When listing these new "Twins and Trios" Kits I will make a mention in the description area as to whether the cores are Universal or Classic and from what I am gathering many of you are really buying your beads based on the style and less on the size of the core and this makes finding what you want so much easier!  But just in case you are holding out just for the classic core I will have the size core mentioned in the description. 

Our Valentine's Trunk show was a success-even with the blizzard and I wanted to thank everyone who had to wait through our loss of internet and power.  Another reminder is that our special pricing on Gold Trollbeads over $500 and Gold/Silver Trollbeads over $250 is an everyday deal now.  That was a little confusing over the Trunk show but now that the trunk show is over and the special prices remain...it will be more clear.

Post Script:  I just released these maybe an hour or 2 ago and the response has been wonderful.  I'm not referring to the sales but to the emails, calls and mentions. It seems like many of you have wanted something like this to make choosing matches more easily and I will promise to add more next week!

I have been very remiss in not writing a blog about the most outstanding Trollbeads release ever!  January is a busy time for retailers from the various trade shows and add the many  Trollbeads releases from unique hearts to pendants, beads, the exciting new leather bracelets  I've had no extra time to share my thoughts and information on the new release!  That's one reason for not writing but the other reason is that I am overwhelmed by the entire group of new items and I know it will take a long time to go through each of them and give them all the consideration due.
So for now let's just say they are phenomenal. Look above at Soren's new "Big Butterfly"!  This pendant has the ability to move from leather bracelet to leather necklace to silver chain and to the bangle bracelet with such ease I can't decide where I enjoy it the best.  There is no other pendant that is as versatile at this one and none as large and the size is important when it comes to creating statement pieces and anyone who collects Trollbeads loves to make a statement! If you look closely above you'll see the new Yellow Leather Bracelet. The new Rocky Beach Kit has out sold all Group 1 kits ever released for Trollbeads Gallery in so short a time that is remarkable.  All the beads in this kit are stunning and they all work so well together that buying it in kit form makes perfect sense...especially if you save $31.00 because you always get a free bead if you buy the Group 1 glass beads in a kit. The beauty of the Rocky Beach Kit is that the beads all vary widely from one kit to another or one style bead will be different from a bead in the same style.

The second Glass 1 Kit of beads is the Happy Summer Kit.  I can see these beads being hot as August sand come summer!  We've used the beads in the bracelet below...just look at how happy the bracelet is below! I love it!

I will continue my thoughts on the new 2013 Spring Trollbeads in my next blog but look below to see the 2 new Valentine Love drop beads. I adore the silver heart on top of each drop! Click on these links to see!  Valentine Love, Red and Valentine Love,Purple.

Valentine's Trollbeads Category New For Trollbeads Gallery!

I am so fond of Valentine's Day that I have a whole new category for it and with the many heart themed beads, appropriate color glass beads and of course all the many brand new Heart Unique beads.  It's been a very busy category!  So check it out even if it's just to get you in the mood!  We have our Valentine Trunk Show coming up this next weekend on February 7,8 and 9 so you can take advantage of the specials and get some of the Valentine beads and some of the new Spring beads.

Trollbeads Gallery Valentine Trunk Show!

February 7,8,9 2013

Purchase 3 Trollbeads and receive the 4th bead free! The free bead has to be equal to or less than the lowest price bead in your group of 3! 

To order your Trunk Show order:

1.Place it on line and in the "notes" section write what you would like for your free bead(s)!  So easy!

2.Call our Toll Free Number on the 7th, 8th or 9th.

Gifts With Purchase!

Gifts With Purchase!

If you spend:

$100   

Trollbeads Polishing cloth and a TBG Trollbeads Bumper sticker!

$250 Choose one from:

A Trollbeads Memory Book (No longer available through Trollbeads!) OR

A Klimt Porcelain Trinket Box (With Trollbeads Logo on bottom) (below)

A Trollbeads Candle

$500 Choose one from:

A Trollbeads Coffee Table Book or

A Trollbeads 3 Tiered Black Tray (New!) Below but with 3 trays!

A Trollbeads Jewelry Box

Prices Lowered on Our Gold and Silver/Gold Trollbeads!

Other advantageous Trunk Show Specials we offered at past trunk shows are now everyday specials!  All of our 18K Gold and 18K Gold/Silver beads have adjusted discounted prices on our website.  Please click on the links to see the specials!  It's our hope and Trollbeads hope that in a market with gold prices being as high as they are these adjusted prices will help our collectors in affording these outrageously beautiful beads.  A little bit of gold goes a long way on a Trollbeads bracelet!

Thank you so much for reading and please leave a comment!  Your comments show up after a bit so don't worry of it doesn't show immediately!!

Update! The World Tour Trollbeads In a Nutshell

I've seen many new Trollbeads enthusiasts and collectors join our ranks this year and with the new collectors come a lot of questions about past releases and one of the releases that has garnered most of the questions has been the World Tour Trollbeads.  What are they? Why are some not available?  Are they limited editions?  So forth and so on.  I'd like to make a brief description to bring the newbies up to date while not giving too much info in case this becomes boring for the more informed. I am writing this now because as I was doing the year end inventory I discovered that some of the World Tour beads are very low in inventory and I ran out of a few before Christmas. I thought giving a fair warning would be helpful for those of you who are waiting for the right time to purchase...now is it!  The whole collection was done in a small scale limited edition and was originally only created to be sold in each of the country's the beads represented. When the tour was completed we were treated with the news that every dealer in every country would have a small window of opportunity to purchase the kits from all countries.  Even though I purchased many (I always over do it) I am already finding myself running out of some and running low on others.

The World Tour is a group of 12 kits of Trollbeads, 4 beads to a kit, with each kit representing the 12 countries Trollbeads is most well known and appreciated in.  Through out the tour which lasted many months a new kit would be introduced every few months.  The beads were designed to best celebrate the culture and history if each of the 12 countries.  What a great tribute and one that was appreciated by collectors everywhere.

The first release was appropriately Denmark and the Danish Kit was kicked off at a World Tour Celebration event in Copenhagen.  The Danish beads were the Viking Ship (my favorite for the Denmark set), Design Troll (sold out) and the Runes -a beautiful Amber bead.  Amber had been hard to get as of late and the Runes amber bead was sold out for months but we now have a good quantity available. The markings on the side of the bead is Denmark engraved in Runes.  The glass bead of the kit was Anemones, a very pretty green flower bead.  This bead is one of the beads low in stock.  The World Tour glass beads while being limited were very well priced at $31.00.

Following Denmark we saw the World Tour Kits from Germany and the Netherlands released with such perfect beads!! Two of my favorites was from Germany, the Beetle and the Frog Prince.  It is shown below with a crowned from sitting on his green thrown!The Netherlands Van Gogh bead is a beauty with sculptured Sunflowers in an interesting rounded shape which celebrated one of the many artists to come from the Netherlands, Van Gogh.  See below!

The World Tour Kit release from the Baltic States was exciting as it gave us another Amber bead, Baltic Amber, shown below, which people loved because of its facets that dance in the sun and it is only $43. The Baltic Amber bead was out of stock at TBG for awhile and then we got some back in stock late fall.  The kit also gave us another silver and glass bead, the Iron Wolf.  The sweet Mushroom Family, shown below was a favorite of many cooks! At Trollbeads Gallery we still have a few of these.  A great bead at $28.

As you can well imagine there are so many other beads to talk about from the World Tour and as I am limited to space here on the blog please take the link to our website and look through  all the beads to see the grand tribute Trollbeads created for each of the countries they are represented by.  I have left the images of the sold-out beads visible on the site so you can see them close up.  Below is a list of just some of our favorites at Trollbeads Gallery but not mentioned above!  Follow the link at the bottom of the blog and enjoy the designs!

Japan- Blooming Sakura Beauty of a glass bead! (Far below left)

Switzerland- Edelweiss (sold out) A beautiful flower. (lower right)

Austria- Amadeus  (almost sold out) Great for all Musicians! (lower left)

Italy- Love Locks

Hong Kong- Chinese Auspicious  (Shown below upper right)

UK-Tea Party- (Shown below upper left)

 The World Tour collection is another aspect of Trollbeads that sets it apart from the other bead brands on the market.  The carefully executed release of each of the countries beads as far of sense of timing and the overall plan shows the amount of forethought that typically goes into every major or minor Trollbeads release. The depth of this artistic line is so much more complex in design and in meaning than any other brand and this is why Trollbeads has continued to evolve and continued to inspire other bead brands for over 35 years. If you are new to Trollbeads one other thing to remember is this line is family owned and operated and manages to hold it's own in a world of huge mega conglomerate bead brands so spread your love of Trollbeads to help support the original brand! 

See the Whole World Tour Here!

I don't think there has ever been a year as active with Trollbeads releases as there was in 2012.  Every time we turned around there was new beads and it was so exciting and for dealers it was so exhausting!  You know of course I say that with a smile. What a year and what a dynamic year for meeting new collectors and for staying close to our long time collectors.

We had all the regularly timed releases from the 2012 January, the Chinese Zodiac Limited Edition beads shown below, Spring, Autumn Shades and the large Christmas release but we also had surprise releases such as the Limited edition Easter Eggs, the Malawi Unique beads, the limited edition Dice beads,the Big World bead, the Bavaria Bead and the Asian Hearts bead. In the fall we had the "Joy and Luck Starter Bracelets" release. Even writing this and checking my website I am sure I am overlooking something!

In early October we were so excited at Trollbeads Fest 2012 to introduce the three new   Halloween Trollbeads.  The  Pumpkin was the biggest seller next to the Inner Glow which as most of us know glows in the dark!!  How cool is that??   The Spider is a favorite of mine but many people have a strong aversion to spiders so was not as strong a seller as the other two spooky releases.  It was fun to have silver beads to go along with our traditional Halloween Unique offerings!  We had dozens of orange and orange with black unique beads in our selection this year and I am already saving up for Halloween 2013!

Of course we were all thrilled when dealers everywhere were able to purchase all the World Tour Trollbeads!! Trollbeads Gallery is still well stocked on all of the bead with only a few exceptions being sold out.  Check your beads and check what remains as what remains we are getting very low on!  The kit below is the African Kit with the most glorious Lion ever created in silver, called African Pride! We still have a few left!  A bead that had a timely yet very quiet release at this time was the Big World bead.  It's a wonderful bead with a caging beneath the atlas design of the world. A great center bead when used on a necklace.

Another larger then usual release was the People's Bead Award winners.  What used to be one bead ended up to about a dozen new beads as we all chose the top Spirituality beads.  We had many favorites in that group and we had two of those created for Trollbeads Gallery in the 18K Gold!  In the photo at the top of the blog we have the Prayer Bead, the Stay Positive below that and nestled in the Prayer bead is the Spirit Light one of the two new glass beads from the Spirituality collection.  The second glass bead is the Chakra Colors bead which is shown blow along with the Rosary Bead.

Besides all the many new releases it was a great and very dramatic year for Unique bead advances.  The Unique beads as you know are always changing and in 2012 we saw some phenomenal advances and surprises.  Trollbeads Gallery got in some exquisite heart Unique beads and I auctioned them off on our Facebook Page where 100% of the proceeds went to Homes for our Troops.  This is a non profit that raises money to build homes for the severely wounded.  We raised $1500 and were sent a thank you certificate.   Thank you all who participated in this endeavor. This fall we had some fun Turtle beads that we auctioned off for the Sandy Relief effort and raised over $1000 for the Red Cross. It makes us all feel like we are in a  win-win-win effort!  Other unique beads from new glitter beads, critter beads such as fish and birds.  They haven't been plentiful but they've all been fun to see.  The Unique beads we received for Trollbeads Fest 2012 were stunning but I have to admit I didn't get to see many of them as they were purchased before I could see them!  They arrived from New Jersey just prior to the event! I did see some beauties though. I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store for us as far as the unique beads go!

Shortly after that the collection of "Starter Bracelets" came out in a great variety if colors each with their own meaning.  They have continued to do well and I know at the holidays many sold as gifts and made many people happy!  I've had many seasoned collectors pick them up also as who can pass up sensational polka dots?  See the image below!

Personally for us at Trollbeads Gallery we enjoyed fast a paced year as you can imagine with all the bead releases and with the Trunk shows.  We work very hard to offer you new unique beads selections everyday and to offer the best customer service we can manage!  We have a very small office and it is actually JUST Penni and myself that carry the load but we love Trollbeads and we love our customers so we are indeed very lucky. 

In June of this year we were honored with the Trollbeads Hero Award (click to see video) and we were treated to a trip to Las Vegas along with many other Trollbeads dealers and heros from all around country.  In July Rogers Gallery was visited by both the Danish and the US CEO's.  Jan  from Copenhagen and Michael from Princeton came and their visit coincided with a visit from Kate and Jeff  from our Forum and from New York.  Kate had built a memorable bracelet honoring and celebrating Jeff's service for our country.  To honor of Kate's Trollbeads bracelet they were given a very special bead in a touching and informal ceremony.  In October we had our 3rd Annual Trollbeads Fest where we hosted a hundred plus of the country's most ardent collectors and it was a blast.  Our dear friend Soren Nielsen came over from Denmark to be with us and we were also joined by Micheal Belleveau, Trollbeads United States CEO who helped sell unique beads!  It was another wild event and as hard as we try we still have lines at the Unique tables but do hope in time to conquer that problem!  Thank you for all of you for joining us from the Netherlands, Wales, Denmark and all across the U.S. who made it to our event.  We always include a special gift bead in out Trollbeads Fest bag and this year Lise was very kind and made available a very limited quantity of "Sea Blue Agate" beads that had never been released.  Our Trollfest attendees were thrilled.  We are now offering the remaining Sea Blue Agate beads on our site.  Click on the link above.

One last mention goes to Lise Aagaard.  Lise has succeeded, yet again, in creating the best Christmas kits ever!  Another very quick sell-out and I only wish I had purchased more! That's not something I can say often as I over buy everything but both kits were glorious.  The addtion of the new Bangle Bracelets has been a tremendous addition.  If you have somehow missed these check them out!  You can wear them without any beads or wear them with one bead or many!  Always remember you will need two stoppers when you wear them with beads. The photo below shows the bangle with the Flying Geese bead and with two of Linda Karuso's "World Within" beads in the 18K Gold!

SO here's to 2013 and from what I've seen of the extensive group of beads coming out in late January we have a lot to look forward to! 

Thank you Trollbeads and a huge thank you to all of our Trollbeads collectors around the globe.

Happy and Healthy New Year!

Warm regards, Louise Rogers

I believe the most interesting, challenging and totally addictive product from Trollbeads are the glass Unique beads.  If you are a collector of these beads you know what I'm talking about.  Unique Trollbeads are a focus of mine and of my website Trollbeads Gallery.  In June of 2011 we opened the newest version of our website and I started numbering the unique beads on this new site at 1001. I list new beads everyday and today I was working on 5980. If you add in the 1 and half years of July 4th Unique beads, Halloween Unique beads, the Christmas Unique beads and the all the Amber Unique beads (all not included in the 5980) it means I have listed at least 6500 Unique beads in that amount of time.  Besides being an unusually high quantity of beads for any one person to photograph and process can you then imagine writing 6500 individual descriptions for each bead? Talk about being obsessed with Unique beads!   Sometimes I show two to 4 photos if the bead is different on the other side or if it is a kit.  Our latest website is great not only because  I can show multiple photos but there is also a magnifier to look closely at the beads.  That's good and bad.  I can't tell you how many times I have to re-shoot beads because of dust.  I keep a clean studio but I think the lighting I use creates static electricity and sucks every free floating piece of dust to the bead!  So if you have seen the dust on any of my beads let this be a blanket apology.  I guess you're getting the idea that Unique beads are time consuming for me but they're no doubt also a huge labor of love. I hope no one is under the impression I am boasting because it certainly isn't that. It's almost embarrassing that I have been so completely absorbed by unique beads but I guess many of us can say that but just in different ways. 

I've been selling unique Trollbeads for seven years and I still remember some of the older beads and love seeing the photos still hanging around on my computer.  Initially, as I have understood it, the unique beads were considered one of a kind or OOAK because they pretty much were but not all the time.  If a standard glass bead did not meet the set standards as it went through inspection it was put into a pool of beads that the glass artists would then add designs to and by doing that created a unique bead to sell as just that.  Trollbeads never named them OOAK and the US Distributor at the time disallowed the name because they could make more than one and believed the term to be misleading, which it was. Trollbeads Gallery chose the word Unique back when we first started posting them on our site.  When the popularity of the beads grew and grew Trollbeads saw the need to create Unique beads as a category they could offer on a full time basis to their retailers.  The Unique glass beads created by artists in different studios that have been trained to create Unique beads and they keep getting better and better. The two studios I know about are both part of Trollbeads humanitarian involvement one being the Malawi group and the other being with the Tibetan refugees in India.  The recent beads coming from these two studios have been some of the most artistic and some of the most beautiful beads I have ever seen.  Below is a sampling of some of the more creative new endeavors.

In years past we have all been able to see a progression of talent and designs and although you would think a consistency is more desirable ... it is not.  We LOVE seeing the glass artists challenge themselves and we love the different effects they have grown to create.  I know one of the groups I just got in was from the Malawi studio because there was one bead we had with the Malawi beads this summer and the exact bead came in with the smaller core. All of the beads above were the same size as the Malawi classic core and they were all outstanding.   To see the advancement the artists have made from June when the original Malawi beads were released to this group it's astounding.

There are some drawbacks when it comes to in handling the inventory of these beads and I would like to discuss this because many people, especially newer collectors, may not understand the process by which the retailers buy Unique beads.  I've visited some Trollbeads collector Facebook pages and read some negative comments concerning pricing so I would like to explain the situation to defend retailers. It's a hard thing to grasp and even some retailers don't get it at first.   When we buy unique beads we have to purchase them sight unseen in kits of 6 and we pay for the 6 beads. We don't have the option to return them and we don't have an option to choose only the more desirable beads, we have to keep all of them.  It's basic survivor math and we have to charge more for the best beads to help cover the cost of the other beads that may never sell.  One collector wrote something about how retailers were gouging the consumer when it came to the critter beads and armadillos and I have to say that is not the case. I've already talked about how many beads I have sold in a year and a half but what that doesn't tell you are the hundreds of beads I have in inventory many of which may never sell.  It's just basic business.  In order to restock we have to be able to sell what we have or sell the definite sellers for a bit more to cover the future purchases.  I know there are retailers that don't bother with them because of this issue but for me it's what I love and it's what my collectors love. It's because we want to continue to offer them that we charge a bit more for the sought after beads to cover the beads that hang around for awhile, sometimes forever!

To see many of the Unique Styles please visit our Unique Trollbeads Glossary!  It is a very special source for everyone to research and enjoy.  Share it with your friends! We have many more to add in early January!

(Scales Beads from the Glossary of Unique Beads)

It was just in my latest blog post where I wrote about how exciting the new Trollbeads Starter Bracelets were for sharing the Trollbeads word and how great the bracelets were to give as holiday gifts.  If you didn't read that post and want to before moving forward reading this post here is the link: Trollbeads Starter Bracelets. Trollbeads U.S. has just announced they have partnered with the very successful Bed,Bath and Beyond company and created an on-line only strategy to share the Starter Bracelets with the millions of young woman on their new and very popular wedding registry. Incredibly this wedding registry is the largest in the United States. 

This is hands down a brilliant way to get the word out to smart young American women!  If you know me you know that I am always researching and imlementing social media as a way of spreading the word of Trollbeads and I am always challenging myself to promote this incredible brand.  I have dedicated myself to share my Trollbeads images and ideas on Pinterest, on Twitter, on Facebook, on this blog and on my Trolbeads Gallery Forum and this is all well and good but only Trollbeads collectors will look for my enthusiastic endeavors and as hard as we have all tried to reach out for new collectors it's hard to accomplish without reaching out to a whole new community with a whole fresh group of young, eager consumers.  Think about it, it's a win-win decision.  Bed, Bath and Beyond has had huge success with the wedding registry and has wisely taken it further to offer jewelry.  They are only selecting brands they have researched and recognize as a strong choices for their continued rocketing success.

I've written and spoken about the need for Trollbeads to expand their collector base for a while now. You've heard me talk about it.  Michael Belleveau, TrollbeadsUS CEO who has deep knowledge and vast experience in the fine jewelry industry wrote the following in an email to his retail partners.

"Our wish is to expose the Trollbeads name/products to many more women, so they can appreciate it as we do, and become collectors.  We need more of them urgently…..We are too small to advertise our way to prosperity in this regard, so we must make bold yet measured tactical moves to familiarize people with Trollbeads." 

Now tell you how I feel and why this partnership with Bed, Bath and Beyond is brilliant. There is something I have believed this from the first day I saw Trollbeads eight years ago and while it may not very politic for me to say this I can't hold back.  Trollbeads is the ultimate jewelry brand because it has always maintained its inner values to create artful beads, it stays true to its mantra and it involves itself with humanitarian efforts in the creation of its products.  When I look at the brands that have copied the Trollbeads concept, grown and been purchased by huge conglomerates I am perplexed as to their success because the beads are inferior when compared on all standards until I see how it happened and then my perplexity turns to sadness.  I see the average consumer as someone who doesn't know about Trollbeads and while enjoying the original concept they haven't seen Trollbeads to compare. It's a shame based on how the market works and it's time to change this trend and it's time to start beautifying the wrists of more American woman.  It's time to share the beauty of the beads and it's time to share the brand we have been fortunate enough to have found. 

I know when the word first went out on Friday there was fear expressed by collectors but by rethinking the reasons behind the decision we should embrace it.  My research into Bed, Bath and Beyond business history led me to the Bloomberg Business Week website where it lists Nordstroms as one of BBB's competitors.  As a retailer for 36 years I recognize this as a monumental compliment to this new retail partner of Trollbeads and to Trollbeads for making this decision.

Respectfully,

Louise Rogers

A Great Christmas Gift Idea - one that keeps on giving!

The new starter bracelets are so exciting and we have many in stock just waiting for you to jump in on the action and become involved with this awesome Trollbeads endeavor! It's up to you, the true collector so continue reading and do your part! 

  Have you read about Trollbeads "Joy and Luck" Starter Bracelets or seen them anywhere? If not you will want to read this blog. Each one of the six colors have special meanings and who doesn't love polka-dots? 

 Each Starter Bracelet is priced at $99 you save $60! Included is a chain, a clasp, a Lucky Knot silver bead and a glass bead! Now that is one amazing deal!

These new Starter Bracelets have been designed and specially priced to introduce new collectors to the Trollbeads collection!

As many of you know Trollbeads was the original bead brand and came into being 36 years ago. Today the company remains true to their mantra and continues to maintain a level of artistry not seen in any of the other bead brands that have come into being utilizing the Trollbeads concept. Trollbeads works with the best materials available and maintains a level of doing business that demonstrates their core of high standards. Their humanitarian efforts are deep and committed by creating jobs in parts of the world desperate for gainful employment and giving these people in need individual purpose. How have they managed to stay at this optimal level?  They've done it by being a family owned business and it's this aspect that keeps Trollbeads so special. It's the owners commitment to their company and their people that makes this brand so special. It's this closeness that trickles down to all of the collectors through out the world that puts this brand so far above the competition.  It's not about volume and it's not about trying to be the biggest.  It's about connection and the stuff that keeps people together.  Think of yourself as the chain and and as you collect your beads you are  collecting those near and dear to you to become a part of your Trollbeads collection. Think about it - how many of your beads represent a loved one in your life? So many times I see photos on Trollbeads Gallery Forum of people from all over the world getting together through a friendship they have formed through Trollbeads alone. I see it during Trollbeads Fest and am always awed by it. It's a remarkable connection.

If you are reading this blog then you are a Trollbeads collector and please ask yourself who can I share this with?  Why not share what you love and bring joy and luck to your friends by either telling them about this deal or by purchasing one for them giving them the most thoughtful holiday gift ever?  Not only are you opening your heart but you are opening their world to something you enjoy and love. It will strengthen the connection you already have and it could add a depth not there before. Life is all about connection.  If it is more appropriate for you to go in with a friend then find another friend who loves Trollbeads to share the cost with! 

A quick list of ideas of who you can give the starter bracelet to (to get you thinking):

1.Go in with friends at work to give one to a co-worker or start a Trollbeads club at work!

2.Your Mother or Mother in law- then your family will always have gift ideas!

3.Your sister -just imagine the fun you can have traveling buying Trollbeads together!

4.Your daughter-no matter how young starting a collection now to offer later is meaningful.

5.Your husband or brother-we have many men collecting and wearing Trollbeads.

6.Your hairdresser-you can compare and talk beads with each haircut!

7. Your child's teacher-make this a group gift!

8. A sick friend -just imagine the joy this could bring them!

If you have other suggestions please let me know! I will add to this list and it will be fun to see the ideas!

There's no better feeling at the holidays then sharing so I would like to take it one step further and include Trollbeads gifts to be sent with the bracelet when you buy one for a friend AND for following up on this challenge we have a gift for you of a $10 TBG Gift Certificate. Please help us share the incomparable history and beauty of Trollbeads to others. To qualify for this extra group of gifts the Starter Bracelet must be sent directly to the recipient and we will gift wrap it and enclose a note from you.  Along with this bracelet they will receive the following:

1. Trollbeads Mood Book ($5.00 Value)

2. Trollbeads Memory Book ($15.00 Value and TBUS is sold out)

3. Trollbeads Catalog and Inspiration Brochures

4. Trollbeads Bumper Sticker (a TBG original)

Click here to order!  Trollbeads Starter Bracelets