Citrine Surprise!

A lovely surprise arrived this week for the 9 finalists in the People's Bead 2010 contest. A beautiful Citrine gemstone bead! How wonderful of Lise & her Trollbeads to send out this extra present to the runner-ups in the contest to brighten their Christmas!

Previously creamy Citrines were found in a very limited number a year or two ago in Denmark shops - around 50 or so. You may have seen these on ebay and on some collectors bracelets. The Citrines received by the finalists, (at least the two I have seen photos of,) are clear & sparkly.

Have a lemony-wonderful Christmas Eve everyone!

We've Been Scrooged!!!

Is Trollbeads HQ in Denmark ...falling out of love with us?

In the past, Trollbeads has offered great contests every summer & at Christmas time for their customers to win beads (silver, glass, yes even GOLD) & other goodies. Think Summer Photo contests, The Summer Movie contest, Share a Christmas Card, Pakke Calendar, Be Original...

This year they are not running a new Christmas contest & have lunched a GOTA gallery of past submissions from past contests and further added salt to the wound by producing "postcards" with these images for distribution. Um... what? Completely uninteresting & seems like a bit of a cop-out, considering the lavish gifts & fun contests they have bestowed upon us in the past. Regurgitating past images provided by customers must be very cost effective. (eyeroll)

The People's Bead 2009 gave every entrant a free PAX bead (OK maybe too generous there), and the Top 10 that didn't win received a lovely thank-you email and an additional prize of a Sapphire bead to console them. This year, they awarded the Top 100 with a silver chain, plain lock & Ice Bear, and nothing additional to the Top 10 losers, not even an email or a sneeze.

OK - it's not like we are entitled, or that we expect. But we do. After setting a consistent standard of contests & great prizes, it seems maybe Trollbeads HQ in Denmark is falling out of love with it's customers. Oh yes, they have a Facebook competition, comment on your fave Winter bead & they'll draw a winner each Monday. So 3 free beads??? Whoohoo. I'm confused as to why a company approaching a record high in sales figures would choose now to withdraw from their customer base?

These contests offer Trollbeads a huge marketing opportunity, the ever coveted "BUZZ", and lots of word of mouth recommendations (the best kind there is.) It's every company's dream to be able to ignite thousands of worldwide customers into a shopping frenzy over a simple, low cost contest like the People's Bead, or Chrismas Photos. So it is sad to see the rewards decreasing while the free benefits for TBs increases.

So TBs, if you are listening, please bring back our fun contests. They are the salve to the wounds we are carrying from the latest round of price increases. ;)

Dubai

I was researching the Dubai World Tour rumours. Came across this...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/puksdesign/4440803626/

My guess? The set of the Trollbeads promo movie for the Dubai release. (On one German brochure one model was wearing a Falcon pendant with Amethyst stone - when queried TBs claimed it was for the Dubai release.)

The last TB distributor for the UAE seems to be shut down, but perhaps a new distributor is taking over... so maybe these beads will come out after all.

South Africa: World Tour

If you haven't heard yet, the next country on deck for the Trollbeads' World Tour is South Africa. According to the Trollbeads Universe website, the beads will not be released until sometime in February 2011.

As Trollbeads HQ takes a short hiatus from the World Tour releases, I hope the momentum of the tour doesn't slow down. Perhaps they are giving collectors time to catch up, but more than likely I think they may have some other goodies or competitions hiding up their sleeves. After all, that leaves the remainder of November, December, & January for no new releases. Last year the Spring collection was released on Feb. 1st, so we can possibly expect to see it around that time this year too.

So settle in, we may be in for a long, cold, & quiet winter.

Dutch World Tour!

The beads are up on the Forums now! http://www.trollbeadssociety.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=17355&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Windmill, Sunflower, Wooden Shoes, & sparkly Orange glass.

Diamond Bead, Pink

The new Diamond Bead, Pink is a stunning addition to Trollbeads' Winter collection. I'm sure it will be on many of our wishlists for the holidays. One tip if you must order on-line: the base color of the bead varies from a lighter rosy pink to the deep cherry pink of the pink Silver Trace bead. If you have a good relationship with your on-line dealer, make sure you request the shade you would prefer.

World Tour, The Netherlands

One - more - night... hopefully soon we will see the emails from Trollbeads about the Netherlands beads!!! So excited, I have no idea what they will be...

UPDATE: Nothing this morning. :(

Denmark was end of Aug, Germany 15th Sept, Italy 15th of Oct, so one would assume...

World Tour Beads - Where to Buy?

I'd love to be able to travel the world and buy the World Tour beads in person. But realistically I have to let my virtual fingers do the walking and find the beads on-line. Three sets have been released so far and if you haven't been able to secure any here are some helpful suggestions.

Denmark - http://www.diamonds4ever.dk/ ships worldwide. Check Trollbeads > Ltd Editions category.

Germany - German shops are permitted to sell on ebay at regular retail prices. Search the following seller IDs to find the beads in stock: sternchen1062, schmuck-domizil, dezaru

Italy - Italy also permits ebay sales, so search seller IDs: pesco-clock or rcanone-rcanone

Next on the World Tour stop is the Netherlands, I can't wait to see what this release will be!!!

Happy shopping!

OOAK Hunting Tip

I'm always on the lookout for a trustworthy place to buy regular priced OOAK beads. One of my favorite is this German based shop. They do speak English & reply promptly to emails. Those outside of the EU are also usually refunded the 19% VAT tax. :) Have fun shopping!

http://www.sternchen1062.de/index.php

Yes I know...

... you've already seen them. But here they are anyway. :P

Christmas in Hawaii & Christmas in Australia Ltd Edition Glass Kits, not sure which is which:

And the Christmas collection:

You Will Be DROWNING in Beads...

Are you ready? Get set for some prolific releases from Trollbeads this holiday season. Rumored release dates:

1) Christmas Collection on November 12th - not as tight with the secrecy this time around, keen trollies have had a few peeps at the new beads already. A Rose Pink Diamond bead joins the ranks, and 2 new glass sets (we are talking 12 beads with some RED in there) are rumored to be released too. A snowball silver and some other winter themed silvers will round out the collection. We've heard hearts & love and all of the other stuff that is to be expected. This is a surprise, as winter releases from TB's are traditionally quite small. This could explain why the Fall release was so tiny this year.

2) World Tour Netherlands on November 15th - Well I've heard nothing. Anyone who's seen them isn't talking although many are bemoaning the thought of Windmills & Wooden Clogs. Boring to those living there, exotic for those far away. I've got my fingers crossed for another glass bead, the World Tour silvers really outnumber the glass so far and for those doing a bracelet more glass would be welcome.

If you aren't on Facebook you need to join. Trollbeads HQ runs regular competitions to win free beads and most country distributors do the same. So start here to join in the fun:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/trollbeadsofficial

Free Speak about Trollbeads!

If you are looking to join a new collector ran Trollbeads forum, please check out:

http://s4.zetaboards.com/TrollbeadsChat/index/

Because it is a free forum ran by collectors, you can post your bracelet photos with beads that are non-troll, speak freely about upcoming Trollbeads releases that you have heard about, and post pics of beads that you may have bought before "official" release dates.

It might be a nice supplement to your existing Forum habit. If you don't have one, just Google Trollbeads Forum and a few results should come up. Most are sponsored by a real brick & mortar store and have restrictions on posting, but it is a great way to meet other collectors, hear about TB news, see design inspirations, & enrich your collector's knowledge.

New Release???

We know, well most of us who spend too much time on Trollbeads Forums know, that the Picasso Japsers are to be released in the US Nov. 1st - and are already in shops in Germany & Netherlands. BUT - on Trollbeads Australia's page on Facebook they have written this tantalizing clue on October 17th:

"Trollbeads Australia Trollbeads will have a new release of beads and
charms. We will share this with you shortly. We absolutely love the new
collection."

What could this mean??????????

People's Bead 2010

Congratulations to People's Bead winner Kristi Denning from USA on winning the 2010 design competition. Her concept was brilliant and obviously spoke to the voters. Look for her Ice Bear design to be release with the Christmas collection. I know this bead will be on my list of gift ideas for family & friends. See her design here:
http://www.trollbeadsuniverse.com/global/en-us/events/people's-bead-2010/peoples-bead-2010-winner

In the meantime, keep dreaming up bead submissions for the 2011 competition, I know I will be.

World Tour!

The Trollbeads World Tour has started!

http://www.trollbeadsuniverse.com/global/en-us/world-tour

Each month 4 beads will be introduced into one lucky country. First Denmark with the lovely Viking Ship, Designer Troll, Anemone glass, & Runes amber. Next is Germany!

Isn't this exactly why we love Trollbeads????

p.s. I may be eating my words about the US etc not being included! Apologies in advance. :)

Shock & Awe

US trollies will be reeling in horror this morning once discovering the new US prices. Glass 1 beads have increased from $25US to $29US, and if you'd like to enjoy your breakfast don't even think of checking out the new gold prices. You can see the new prices on: www.trollbeads.com

The new glass 1 & precious stone prices are showing on some online retailers, I'm assuming it will take them a day to two to update... so order now if you, like me, believe that the rest of their prices will be following TB.com's.... :(

Fall 2010 Release

The Fall 2010 Trollbeads release is only days away, and the new collection is stunning. Those who have seen it are commenting that it is the best release from Troll in a long time and I have to agree. There are two new glass kits, one dabbling in dappled patterns and primary colors and the other in rich Fall shades of deep purple and golden browns with some new textures. To compliment, a Tiger's Eye and faceted bronze colored Quartz are among the precious stones, as well as a round pale blue Chalcedony.

The 12 Zodiacs are reworked in stunning, artistic and fresh sculptures. There will be no accusations of "cutesy-ness" or "they look like that other brand" this time. Troll has dug deep into it's talent pool and produced silvers that are going to be very, very popular. Three other silvers, neat plays on shape & symmetry, are also introduced and perhaps some are also released in gold but I haven't had it confirmed.

Here is a teaser photo, the rest (if you haven't seen them already), you should be able to enjoy on Monday. :)

Release Date & Hot OOAK Tip

For my followers: www.diamonds4ever.dk just uploaded some lovely 6 for 5 ooak kits, there are some Armadillos, Bubbles, & Scales beads in the mix. Get there fast...

New Fall release date is Monday, August 16th. This will coincide with a price increase in Germany & possible some other countries (UK?, Denmark?...)

"W" - Just thinking...

I was pondering what the "W" code word for the new release could mean... and I wonder if it is for "World", as in Ltd beads for different parts of the world. Wouldn't it be cool if on Sept 15th Trollbeads released special silver beads, not just for the Nordic countries & Germany, but for other areas as well? Australia, North America, Japan.... hmmm....

Copenhagen

If you can get to Copenhagen for the "W" collection release party on August 26th you will have a chance to buy a Ltd Edition Fantasy Necklace designed by Lise Aagaard especially for the event and you will probably suddenly have 12 new "best" friends on your chosen TB Forum. You'll also have a chance to buy the Ltd "Nordic" beads before anyone else can, they aren't supposed to be released into the shops in their corresponding countries until Sept. 15th. I have no idea how many Viking themed Nordic beads there will be, all lips are sealed and the collection codename is "W": everyone is tight lipped about what it contains. I believe the beads will be released in Denmark & the Netherlands for this Nordic group, but don't quote me on that.

I have heard from a German shop that there will be 4 silver Ltd Edition beads just for Germany in shops Sept. 15. This makes me want to take a crash course in both German and Danish. I've heard nothing about special beads for North America or the UK, so prepare to be skunked once again if you hail from these places. I HOPE I'm wrong, but with Lund's history of non-participation it would not surprise me in the least.

A dealer email also came out today suggesting that the regular Fall release will be announced August 15th, a month before the Ltd Editions. Not sure about that, as I'd expect the Release Party to have both the Ltd Nordic beads and the Fall collection, but only Lise really knows. (That is my favorite new TB mantra.)

So, if you are blessed and can attend the Copenhagen event, you can learn more here:

http://www.trollbeadsuniverse.com/denmark/da-dk

Updates...

Here is the response from Fable on the rumored retirements:

"The Daisy bead has not been retired and we have ample stock, if you would like to order this lovely bead please contact your local retailer.Thank you for taking the time to contact Fable Trading."

So the rumors are squashed!

And it seems the prices I mentioned for the Earring line were wholesale, not retail, so they are pretty much double of what I thought. So I take back what I said... they are a bit pricey!!!

The official announcement for the Summer 2010 Trollbeads release can be viewed here:

http://www.trollbeadsuniverse.com/global/en-us/news/summer-2010_earrings

UK Retirement Rumours!

There seems to be some (mis?)information in the UK about Baby Dragon Fantasy Necklace splitter bead, gold & silver Daisy bead, and the silver Angel pendant not being available to order anymore, thus fuelling retirement rumours for these beads. Since TB did their big 2 year retirement at the beginning of 2010, it seems unlikely. BUT they did retire/replace the Red-Pink prism last year and the UK was the first to know about it.

The beads are still showing on the UK distributor's website: http://www.trollbeads.co.uk/

So, what to believe??? I will keep digging.

Trollbeads: June 2010 Earring Release

Oooooo! Trollbeads continues to surprise us! The June release earrings are comprised of hook style earrings that you can add your own mini-trollbeads. They are very cool & very uber troll styling. Earrings are available in silver or gold, and mini-beads in precious stones, silver, and a couple gold plated. UPDATED: basic silver hooks starting at $24US and silver mini-beads at the $43, $54, & $60 price points. Precious stones are $64US. Here is a sneak peek.

Earrings & Interchangable Discs??

Another tidbit off of a well-known US Dealers Twitter, posted today:

"New for Trollbeads!! Beautiful earrings and very cool interchangeable discs and charms to collect! Coming out soon!"

Gold Heartbeat Bead

I'm lurking around the Trollbeads world, trying to find out more about the June release. On the Netherlands TB site they have this bead listed as a Limited Edition. Could this possibly be one of the beads in the new release??? This bead was originally released on the 30th Anniversary Bracelet in 2006, then re-released with Diamonds, Rubies, or Pink Sapphires set into it last year.

As for dates I'm hearing June 11th, or June 15th. Will keep trolling....

Ltd Edition Country Beads???

There are rumours out there that the Limited Edition Trollbeads release for June 2010 will be country specific beads. I'm guessing these will be silver, but glass is possible too. No pictures have surfaced just vague references... Time will tell, let's keep our fingers crossed!

Silver Earth

The winner of the Retired Bead event is... Earth by Nicolas Aagaard-Svend Nielsen! A huge surprise & a huge bead. You can read more here: http://www.trollbeadsuniverse.com/global/en-us/events/trollbeads-museum---winner-announced! The best part is there is a hint about the new collection release date: You'll find Earth, along with the Autumn Collection, at your local retailer from August 2010

Surely Trollbeads won't make us suffer THAT long until something new is released!!! The last release was Ltd Spring flower beads on March 19th. Ack!!!

Retired Trollbeads... VOTE!

You have until May 31st to vote for your favorite retired trollbead to be reintroduced into the collection. If you've signed up for emails from www.trollbeads.com, you should have gotten a newsletter inviting you to http://www.trollbeadsuniverse.com/global/en-us. Create a profile to vote for your favorite retired beads. It's great fun & I'm guessing that the winning bead will be released sometime in June.

I've been asked if I have a link to new releases for Trollbeads. Sadly I'm just as much in the dark as anyone. In the past new releases were leaked early usually through dealers in Denmark who knew first, but things have now tightened up and TBs is getting quite good at keeping things secret until the big day. Rumors are that the next release of new beads will be mid-June. Since the Ltd Spring Flowers was released over 2 months ago, we are due for something new.

There's a bit of a mix-up in the UK where some dealers are saying that the Angel Pendant & the Baby Dragon Fantasy splitter are retired, but there hasn't been anything official on this yet. I can't see it, but one never knows...

In the meantime entertain yourself by browsing the 2010 or 2009 Inspiration bracelets from the US Distributor's website: http://www.trollbeadsus.com/braceletbuilder-Inspiration.aspx# Safari is shown above, I just love this one.

Coffee Table Book

The Trollbeads Coffee Table book was released earlier this year in a variety of languages. Check out this blogger's review:

http://www.cathryncook.co.uk/blog/category/trollbeads/

If you are still looking for a copy, it is sold out at the publisher's webshop and at Amazon. You can try some local shops. Some have a copy that you can look at, not everyone may want to buy it. :)

For collectors within North America, or who have a friends in North America, the book can be ordered from:

http://www.trollbeadsgallery.com/product/An-Icon-in-Jewellery-Design-=-Trollbeads.aspx

but hurry as supplies are limited.

Silence

There are no rumours about a Mother's Day release for 2010. Trollbeads is either getting better at keeping secrets or perhaps there will be nothing new before May 9th. There is a little talk about a Summer 2010 release and Ltd Edition (no idea what) that should have ample suppy to satisfy collectors (unlike the Valentine's Agate release), but nothing concrete. It is so quiet it is almost spooky!!!

Debut bracelets have changed in the UK. They are releasing new combos with 2 glass beads, chain, & lock for a discounted price. You can check them out on Fable Trading's facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Trollbeads/339012497799?ref=ts They are due out this week. Fable is also releasing Ready Made Style bracelets, "Hearts & Pink Flowers" is pictured above. This makes a great gift & still leaves room to add more beads.

In Australia they are also having a new starter bracelet promotion. The Flower Pearl lock, chain, and one of the Pink Empowerment beads (previously released in the US) for a discounted price is being released especially for Mother's Day and will be limited in supply. Some of the proceeds will be going to Breast Cancer charity.

Until then we'll have to satisfy ourselves with catching up on the current production beads, and there certainly is enough of those beautiful beads to keep us busy for a while. :)

Spring Flowers Kits

Oh yes, I've been lazy all of March. I didn't post about the Ltd Editon Agates or the Empowerment Haiti beads. But there was so much buzz about them most people knew & they sold or are selling out quickly. But this is NEW: Europe has just released 2 Ltd Edition Spring Flower kits, one with a pink theme and the other a blue-green theme. I've heard rumours they are to be released in North America this week. Here are some pictures if you've missed them.

Price Increases

There are nasty tidbits floating around about price increases in the US. Australia just had a huge increase, especially in the silver categories. There are 2 rumours, one that only Silver Group 2 & 3 will increase by a few dollars, and the second that a large price increase will happen across the entire line of TBs. The d-date is February 15th, so we will have to watch and see which prices increase.

The Valentine's Limited Edition Crazy Lace Agates are flowing into stores quickly and out again just as fast. Europe has received smooth ones while North America facted ones. Shop around as prices vary, and don't wait too long as they are selling out quickly.

More New Beads...

That gorgeous Amazonite is in the new release! How exciting, it will make a great spring bead. I have a spot for it ready on my Fantasy Necklace. Speaking of, they have also adapted the Butterfly pendant to work on the Fantasy too. I'm guessing there will also be some gold beads released, but no word on those yet. Only 12 more days until release day (according to the European dealers...) Can't wait!

2010 Spring Release

The new spring release is set to come out February 1st. If rumors are true (wink, wink) the release will consist of 6 Glass 1 beads (those of you who liked the Ltd Denmark Charity release will be pleased), 3 Glass 2 beads in rocking pastel colors, 2 very wearable & restyled pendants to replace the recently retired ones, a new very graceful lock, a dichroic silver bead, 2 stone-(amber?) beads, and 8 new silvers to love.

If pictures are accurate, one looks to be a rework of the recently retired Sparrow bead. There were many complaints that this bead was not balanced well and always flipped upside down, so it will be interesting to see what this bead's story really is.

I don't want to compromise TB's lovely new release, it will be here soon enough. But of course I've included one picture of the most beautiful beads that I'm sure will be a best seller.

All I can say about this release is my bank account will be suffering!

Trollbeads.com has a new look!

Trollbeads.com - the HQ in Denmark, has updated their website with a new look. Check it out:
http://www.trollbeads.com