(Joyful is shown on the left)
It has been a very interesting few weeks in the Trollbeads world. If you don't know what I'm talking about drop down to the blog discussion prior to this and read the commentaries. We definitely have 2 camps of thought but there is news from Trollbeads and it concerns a decision that no more retired beads will be re-released. I know that this will sadden those of you who were hoping for a Crane or the Old Fruit but the old beads will remain what they are-old and hard to find Trollbeads. This will make many older collectors ecstatic.
For quite a few years I have been involved with the retired beads and it's something I am known for. When someone wants to sell they come to me and if someone is interested in buying they come to my site Trollbeads Gallery and find the retired bead section. I have been fortunate to be able to offer the price to pay the collectors have been asking but they have come to the value by searching other websites and auction ending prices. The internet has a wealth of knowledge and history about many sales of items from clean fill to Trollbeads. If anyone has done the research you will find the prices for older retired Trollbeads to be very high. Trollbeads dealers have close to nothing to do with this as we price the beads and for the most part we only add enough for overhead and for the cost of selling the bead. This includes the 3-4.5% we are charged by our credit card processor or Paypal. This means the prices of the older beads are legitimately the price they are. If there is high demand and few beads we know what the value will be. Another issue in the retired Trollbead world is the fact that in the earlier releases compared to the last 6 or 7 years Trollbeads production was much more limited. Think about when they made beads just for Denmark, as they did in the beginning. The numbers were low and that's why beads like "Big Fruit" and the set of Monkeys or any of the really early beads are so valuable. There just were not many made. Move up a few years with Trollbeads selling in 60 countries and the bead production has to sustain this and they produce the quantity for the collectors they now have. This means the recent retirements, meaning 2008,2010 and 2012 will never reach the value of the original beads because of the large numbers they made.
Imagine you have been a collector for 5-10 years and you've been focused on attaining the "Chicken in the Egg", the "Joyful" and others all at the current going rate of $800 plus. You have bid on autions all over the world, stayed up all hours watching the price go up and up until you bid well beyond your limit to win that elusive bead. It's not just ownership that gives pleasure, it's the passion of the pursuit and the pride of the total collection that pushes your buttons. It isn't just a collection when you are in the high stakes with this kind of puchase and for some, investment. It's the whole picture including all of what Trollbeads are about and what the company is about. You have put all your faith into this company and you know they would not do anything to hurt the value of your collection. Are you still with me here? You look at your collection and you see the amount of passion and money you have expended without an ounce of regret...that is until you hear that there are plans to recreate these same beads in huge numbers so everyone can share the bead. The re-release of Joyful was an emotional event for long time collectors and for those of you who are newer collectors and could not understand this I hope you can now see it from their point of view. Yes indeed it is nice that Joyful can be in everyone's collection but there are so many other wonderful new beads that can accomplish a very similar look, such as the Silver Whorl.
The great news is Trollbeads did in fact hear the pain so many of you felt and expressed and will not reissue any retired bead. Think of that. Can you think of any other company that actually listened to the wishes of their customers this directly? As I began this discussion there are 2 camps here and for those of you who were hoping for a "Crane" or a "Big Fruit" take joy in the fact that so many great beads are introduced each year and enjoy the new ones as I know I do as I personally don't have the older beads except in the museum. If you do want some retired beads many recently retired beads are still available at your local Trollbeads dealers or if not there, try through our retired beads section on Trollbeads Gallery.
Additional thoughts: I should say "for the immediate future" all plans have ceased as far as making any more old beads over again. As for the distant future...well you know business. Decisions in the business world are changed all the time so I think I'll leave it open to what may happen a few years out.
