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The Trollbeads 2013 Autumn Collection

If you have the Aurora Bangle you probably have come to understand why Trollbeads released it alone on the Bangle.  It has an inner glow no other beads, until this release has ever had.  It outshines all others...well at least until now that is. We still have some Aurora Bangles available!

Native Elements Kit

This kit offers us so many brand new "elements".  We have 2 groups of beads with similar looks that are all ground breaking and exciting.  The Pod beads are a incredible addition to the line and they are designed by a new glass bead artist, Gail Crossman Moore from the U.S.  Like the "Rocky Beach Kit" designed by Scott Bouwens from the U.S. they offer us a very artistic look.  The really cool "Aqua Edge" beads are a tryptic of colors that challenge my descriptive ability. If you follow my listings on Trollbeads Gallery you know that I have listed over 10,000+ unique beads ALL with individual descriptions so that is saying something.Beyond the Group 1 glass bead we have 2 new styles of beads in the Group 2 beads.  The Group 2 beads are $43.00 versus the $31.00 of Group 1 but they are worth it.  Both new design introductions are outrageously cool.  Let me mention here if you think I am being overly effusive...this release deserves every calorie these sweet descriptions contain.  Have you ever heard me this overwhealmed?  Both the Faceted Beads and the Engraved Beads bread even further ground.  Take a look and I am sure you'll agree!

Now the new Silver Trollbeads would take another whole blog but let me just tell you that the Flowers of the Month will be making you wish you had a reason for buying every month.  The way I look at it I'm good with getting my 2 grandsons months but my sons are both January, oh but then there is the two daughter-in-laws, mine and my husbands so I guess I am half way there! Really, they are all glorious in their sculptural beauty.  Each flower holds a pearl.Two are shown below on a Fantasy Necklace design.  There are roughly two sizes as there are two prices depending on the size, $53 and $56.

     We are finally honored to accept a delightful Skeleton to the line and he is wonderful.  Thank you Soren! This is a work of art and for many of us a wait well worth it. Skeleton Spirit is shown below sitting next to Saffron Facet Bead and the new Prince and Princess bead.

 One more mention!  The I Luv You bead is subtle and sweet with a touch of a contemporary flair.  I have created a collage below so you can see all 3 sides of it! 

Nicolas Aagaard has delighted us with the many colors of leather bracelets and now he has offered us two more!  A sophisticated Black and Grey Leather Bracelet and a Light and Dark Brown Bracelet is now available. Thanks Nicolas!I know, I know...I have left the best for last.  A new faceted Precious Stone Bead...the Sapphire.  It comes in many tones so one will never be enough!  But then again I have always felt that way about sapphires.

A heartfelt thanks to the Aagaard family and everyone at Trollbeads for once again showing us why this brand is the best bead brand on the market. The original and the most artistic bar none.  Thank you for exhibiting the phenomenal talent and professionalism with which you manage this business.  Having owned a gallery for as long as Trollbeads has been in business I am in awe on how you balance artistry and business because it's one of the most challenging combinations of two opposing worlds.

Thank you for reading my blog and please leave comments!  Louise Rogers

I know it's hard to hear but by now most Trollbeads collectors know there is a price increase coming on January 27th. This is true but the fact is 2/3rds of the line has remained the same. Unfortunately since the beginning of business, as we know it, price increases are a fact of life.  When an increase happens, no matter the business, it sparks anger and disappoval from all those who will be affected by it.  As in past price increases with Trollbeads this increase has set the fans complaining and asking why and while some of it is negative and not productive, it is very good to ask why. In the age of the internet we are given tools to create a dialog with the people at the head of companies we would not normally be able to easily communicate with. So I am suggesting if you keep your comments to more of an inquisitive nature you may in fact get some answers.  I don't know anything more than you do on this increase but I am guessing if an insult is a part of your comment I don't think it's should get a response but that is just my opinion.

One comment I thought deserved some attention was made by an astute collector who pointed out that Pandora raised prices and has lost a lot of business and Trollbeads should pay attention to their competitors and reconsider the price increase.  This is a constructive comment and I understand the source.  I have been very fortunate this year to become close enough to observe some of the management of the company and I can assure you that they have adept skills at monitoring the market in respect to the bead/charm segment and know fully who they are within it.  A lot of consideration goes into any decision and the price increase is no exception. It's a very challenging and disruptive thing to decide upon but to maintain the business at the present level of quality I am sure it was a decision they had to make.  As for the Pandora situation I know through reading articles and business papers published internationally that Pandora's problems go a lot deeper than any price increase can take the blame for.  Pandora is owned by a international multi-conglomerate that makes decisions based on what the board and investors want.  Their IPO in Denmark was presented on facts and numbers not quite accurate and the stock has reached the lowest ever and has hurt all of the initial investors.  In contrast Trollbeads is privately owned and the owners are the decision makers armed with industry and financial knowledge not many other small companies possess.  Owners are always much more responsible to their customers where in contrast the conglomerates or publicly held companies such as Pandora all decisions are based with the profit for the stock holders in mind.

Many other comments on this price increase mention the current price of silver being down over last year's price but it is not to see the prices see below. The price of raw metals is an important factor but just one of many costs incurred to create, produce and market a product. Running a jewelry line today is like walking a tight rope never knowing what the market is going to do and there was a time when raw goods were more stable as was pricing. I personally know how the cost of doing business has increased straight across the board and more so in the last 10 years than ever before.  Year after year I watch as bank charges have increased, the cost of offering payment by credit cards has skyrocketed, insurance costs which include health, casualty, autos, disability have all gone through the roof and this is just the obvious costs. For example our disposal costs for our retail stores have increased to over double what they were 6 years ago. These mounting costs go right down the line from management to the distributing companies to the representatives and finally to the store.

Silver per ounce

Oct 2010: 23

Oct 2011: 32

Jan 2012: 29

And gold:

Oct 2010: 1350

Oct 2011: 1680

Jan 2012: 1610

In processing all of the factors that goes into pricing I think we can consider the path taken by Trollbeads to be the lesser of two evils.  Increase prices and continue on the same successful path or stay at the same prices and end up having to lower the quality or the size of the beads or the production.  In the end we know it is your choice to buy Trollbeads just as it is the choice of Trollbeads to risk losing some of its collectors in order to stay true to its mantra and true to a large portion of its collectors.

The Trollbeads photograph above was taken by my friend and professional photograher Celia Pearson.  Celia is well known for her many years as a professional photographer and whose work has been published in many books, magazines and journals and I always feel honored when she starts working with my Trollbeads.

I'm proud to call Celia a close friend and our friendship all began in 2006 with a gallery exhibition she had at Rogers Gallery (our gallery) displaying her images of sea glass which had just been published in the book "Pure Sea Glass". Pearson illustrated the award winning book written by Richard LaMotte and to this day it is the foremost informational text on sea glass.  As with the glass she photographed for the book, Celia's handling of the subtle tones in glass Trollbeads is just as sensitive.

Each year Celia stays with us on her trips north and we pass our time together compatibly while she works her camera shooting our sea glass and I work mine shooting unique beads for my Trollbeads Gallery.  It's a balanced and symbiotic relationship because she shares my love of glass. Whether it's my sea glass or the seductive colors of Trollbeads she'll shoot while she's here, it's a favorite subject for Celia and her camera.

The small photograph above is one Celia took of my sea glass on one of her visits. I remember it was this time she took the photograph for the header bracelet of Trollbeads Forum, the image of the light blues and black bracelet.

Visit Celia's site to see her phenomenal work including her museum installations, exhibits or all of the other work she publishes. http://celiapearson.com/

Guest Blogger Anna Teresa gets creative on funding $$ sources for buying Trollbeads!

I have seen the new Autumn Trollbeads release and I can tell you: it is breathtaking. Unlike the two last releases this time there are SO many beads I want to buy. Glass, stone,silver, gold. I think this time I really get bankrupt. But, as a mother of three cute little sons and with quite some responsibility I have to think of something else than going crazy with all these gorgeous beads. And because I think there are quite a few of you who think just like me, I will share some ways to get bead money.

1. Check your closets and attic and sell everything you don’t need or use anymore at the flea market. Books, toys, clothes. There are always other people who want to pay a few pennies for it. 2. Do you have gold jewelry you don’t wear?  Not that special ring you got from your grandmother, but old out dated, old fashioned items that just lay around? The gold price is very high, so if you exchange it, you will get a good sum. It is always good to ask two jewelers for a bid to choose the best one. 3. Travel to work or school on your bike, don’t spend money on gasoline, spend it on beads. 4. Give your husband a massage in exchange for a new bead.

So, now you have money to buy beads. Can you feel it burn in your pocket? You just have to spend it. But do you have a good reason to buy a bead? Let me help you with those too. A good reason to buy a Trollbeads is: To celebrate that you are happy and healthy. When you are moody and need to cheer up. When you have a new home for your beads but some rooms are still vacant. Are you on a diet: a bead for every two pounds you have lost, will do. You need new beads to make a combination for that wedding or Fest that is coming up!

Oh well, we can all think of hundred other reasons to buy a bead, can’t we? Just remember one thing: love what you already have and don’t be sad about all the things you can’t have. So when the new release comes out at the end of the week: see, feel, compare and buy those that you love the most.

Anna Teresa is a guest blogger and a professional writer from Holland. She was here in Massachusetts for Trollbeads Fest! 2010.

Our guest blogger has once again written a personal and engaging article about her Trollbeads. Anna Teresa is from the Netherlands and is an active member of Trollbeads Gallery Forum.

We are thrilled to hear more from her!

Making bracelets that go with my mood and outfit, that is what I do. There are combinations that I have worn only once or twice in the almost two years that I collect Trollbeads. And the thought of having a bracelet that I would not take apart anymore didn’t cross my mind.
Although I have seen many beautiful bracelets from other collector that were gorgeous and meant to stay the way they were. Sometimes with a greyhound lock, so that they could not be taken apart anymore.
But when I got more and more beads and I had more than one bracelet I thought it would be easy to have a lovely ‘permanent’ bracelet with a serene, classy look that I could were every day. So when I was in a hurry in the morning I just had to grab that one and I would be looking great.

And so I made one as pretty as I could and it stayed that way a few weeks. Because permanent is not really permanent for me. So now and then I just have to change a bead or two. Not that I am not satisfied with the combination at the time, but because I buy a great other bead or because the time of the year changes. In the winter I tend to wear other colors than in spring or summer.
And so it happened that my ‘classy’ bracelet which I started in oktober 2010 has had a few different looks until now. The base is the same every time. Deep bubbles, khaki stripe, pink desert and retired Julian. But the other beads can vary: labradorite, peacock pearls, kimono and today I put  gemstones on it.

The past month there were a few other combinations that I didn’t take apart anymore. For practical reasons. But I discovered that being practical kills my creativity. Because I didn’t make new combinations anymore. Keeping a particular bead in a combination means that I cannot use it for something else.
So last night I did something liberating. I took all the beads of my bracelets (three silver and two leather) and my two necklaces and put them in my boxes. Then I sat down on the couch and as a kid in the candy store I just started from scratch making new combinations. That was so much fun that I decided that I do that much more often. In an hour I had made about five new combinations and realized I don’t need new beads every week to make something new. I just need to start everyday with a fresh start.

My love for Trollbeads is everlasting, but my tenability of my bracelets is not!

Ps. Don’t want to forget which combinations you made? Take pictures!!

For a clear and easy lesson on how to photograph your Trollbeads go to Trollbeads Gallery Forum "Groups" and join the Photography group.

This week Trollbeads United States published a list of their top selling beads for the last 30 days.  As expected the list is dominated by new beads but it's fun to see what has made it to the top 15! I have created a link to make it easy for you to see the beads. Just click on the bead's name and it will take you to the bead.

As someone who works with Trollbeads everyday my favorite new bead is White Cap, pictured below! Each White Cap Trollbead is very different, much like the Azure Bubbles Trollbead is different.  Some have darker blue or light green running through the bead and some even have stripes of subtle red running near the base.

Both new Kits, the Flower Kit and the Bead Kit have made it to the top 15 as this is the first time North America has been offered the glass beads in Kits. The benefit is saving money because you pay for 5 beads but you get 6! 

Shown to the left is the Beach Kit!

The List!!!

#61424 Pastel Flower

#61421 White Petals

#11149 Cherry Blossom

#63037 Flower Kit

#61415 Conch

#63036 Beach Kit

#61417 Beach

#64605 Kimono Kit

#61418 Sea Urchin

#61422 Grandma's Favorite

#11405 Double Heart

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