Dec 9th Rumored Releases

If you haven't found that perfect gift for the Trollbeads collecting family or friends yet, hang tight! On December 9th Trollbeads is releasing Maternity & Paternity in an affordable silver version. These are great beads with a universal message and will make the perfect stocking stuffer. (Hubby if you are reading this I'm sorry, but I still want the gold silver version. :P )

A rumored set of 12 Chinese Zodiac beads are also scheduled to be released. These are similar in design & will complement with the Ltd China silvers. Before you make your list of zodiac signs, make sure you realize that the Chinese New Year does not start on Jan 1, which means your Zodiac may not be what you think it is if you go only by birth year. Google should be able to retrieve a Zodiac calculator for you to find your & your families signs.

If you are shopping for the girl that has too many beads, or you are like my husband and can't tell one bead from the next, consider getting her some Trollbeads earrings. The basic silver hooks and a set of earring "dangles" cost under $100. Here is my pick for the season, the Snowflake. You can shop online @ www.trollbeads.com - they ship worldwide, gift wrap, AND all you need is two finger typing skills & your credit cards. C'mon, you can do it!

***I have had a request for the retirement list as the link published has been disabled. I will post this later this week.

2012 Retirement List

The 2012 Retirement List has been released here: http://www.trollbeads.co.uk/jewellery/charm-beads/retired-trollbeads/retiring-trollbeads.html

I will compile a list later and repost, but until them start making a list of your must haves & order them soon!!!

Where to Order WT Austria

Where to buy? Why not here:

http://www.trollbeads-online.at/Trollbeads-Laenderbeads/WorldTourAustria/

World Tour Austria!

The pictures are up & they are awesome! I know what will be on my Christmas wishlist!!! Check them out on this Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10150410085668151.383098.194359808150&type=1

OOAK Shopping Tidbit of the Day

Trollbeads Gallery has some beautiful Uniques up today, and prices are now quite competitive, even for the rarer dillo ooaks. Check them out, maybe you can cross someone off your Holiday Shopping list.

http://www.trollbeadsgallery.com/categories/All-Unique-Beads/Glass-Unique-Beads/

Santa Baby: Naughty Sneak Peek

Shhhhhhhhhhhh!

10 Things Trollbeads Needs To Do

For four years, I've been soujourning in the world of Trollbeads. Too many hours frittered away on the forums & thinking & pondering these little beads have birthed a few - well ten actually, - things that I think Trollbeads really needs to do.

1) Introduce some Rose Gold into their beads - Why? Well, to be frank, there are only so many 18k gold beads a girl can buy before the color becomes stagnant. Rose gold would introduce a new color element into the collection, and onto our bracelets. It's already been done masterfully in the UK by Clogau's Milestone line of beads (http://www.clogau.co.uk/promotions/beadcharms.aspx#choose_your_charms), and the effects are stunning. Contrast between gold, silver, and rose gold... the possiblities are endless and may recharge the sales & desirability of the gold and gold combination beads.

2) We need a new BIG lock! Like Fish or Flower size - I've heard this over & over from collectors. Many who prefer the flat design or who have dexterity challenges and can't open the smaller locks easily have been wishing & wishing for one of these. It's way overdue! Trollbeads, are you listening? My arthritic hands are waiting...

3) Align Release Dates more Carefully - I think we all appreciate that one of TB's successes is allowing each countries distributor to market the product in a way that they think will see the best success in their country & culture. BUT. And this is a huge on-going knot in collector's panties - is that releases come out in a random, un-coordinated fashion. The thing is, the hard core collectors who spend the big money buy where they can, when they can. Which means our LD's and countries miss out on sales because we all just shop overseas on-line. Release dates for Ltd Editions & special TB items (like the Trollcoin) need to be better organized. Which leads into...

4) Ltd Editions Need to be Universally Accessible - Trollbeads is now worldwide, yet they don't sell consistently worldwide, which is really, really frustrating & opens up inflated unfair prices on eBay which also makes "have" individuals quite a tidy profit off the geographically unfortunate "have-nots". Case in point: The Ltd Edition Gemstones - first release in the UK, NL, and Belgium (methinks) and now appearing in Italy. Did anyone see those faceted Blue Gold Stone beads going for $400 US? That is insane!!! And it makes collectors really, really mad, and breeds feelings of TBs playing "favorites" with some countries, or ignoring other countries rarely included in the mix. And quite frankly, it is a tad unethical for TBHQ to sit quietly ignoring the fact that someone, somewhere, just got hosed on a bead that probably cost about $5 to produce.... :( Seriously, if we want to throw money away let's choose a better cause.

5) Do More Charity Work - You've seen them, Pandora's 5 page ad in InStyle magazine explaining which beads benefit which causes, or Chamilia's campaign for "Be the Match" Bone Marrow series, or their Autism, Boy-Girl beads. Specific beads dedicated to specific causes. Troll really falls behind in this area, allowing distributors to randomly run fundraisings on certain beads for charities. But I think this could be done in a much more effective & consistent manner. Specific beads, specific charities, with no time-limit or confusion on proceeds. There are many International Human Aid organizations or Funds that could benefit...

6) Disclosure: Are Trollbeads made Ethically? - One of the first thing every new collector eventually posts on the forums is: "Are my beads made in China??? OMG! PRC stands for People's Republic of China???!!!" People need to know what work Trollbeads is doing to ensure that our beads are being produced in places that are paying workers a fair wage and supplying them with proper working conditions. We'd all sleep a little better at night having some PR on these subjects. China has a bad reputation, why not shed a little light on the manufacturing????

7) Open more Concept Stores - Oh yes, I know many of us hate the thought of being parted from our Mom & Pop shop local dealers. But when I walk through one of the biggest Malls in the world, which is an International shopping place for visitors, (Yes Brad & Angie have even been there), I see a Pandora Concept store, a knock your socks off Thomas Sabo shop, ... and... well, no Trollbeads. No Original. In locations like these I'd love to see a TB only shop with big displays, showing the possibilities & enough stock so that I could riffle through 5 or so of each glass to find the perfect one. So many shops have a rack of TBs, but not even a complete bracelet on display. People just don't know what they are, what they can be when put together in a stunning combination.

8) Keep Retired beads Retired - No explanation needed on that one. ;)

9) Keep the TB Size Core - Don't make everything Universally sized. The smaller core is what has made TBs trollbeads, according to the collectors on the forums. Universals are great, but keep the small core for everything else... and where have our small core OOAKs gone??? The minions have spoken.

And the final thought....

10) Keep Doing What they are Doing - Trollbeads does it so excellently, and so trollishly well.

Christmas Trollbeads!

Well, I've been brooding lately & not keeping up with the latest & greatest news on here. So here is what you need to know for the next few weeks:

LTD Edition Christmas Glass Sets - retailing at Glass 2 prices (EEEEEK! That, my friends, is either the sound of your car breaks screeching, or your heart nearly stopping, depending.)

Two sets of 6 beads, one in red/green and one in blue/white. One bead in each set has the lovely aventurine frit in it, making the sparkley "glitter" patterns that we all love so much. If you frequent the "BT" forum, you might see a sneak peek.

Silver & Gold, Diamonds, & Gemstone - An intricate "Mistletoe" (Holly?) bead is making an appearance in silver and in gold (two beads, not a silver & gold bead). Also a winter style Teddy Bear in silver. A Midnight Blue Diamond bead and a Faceted Red Tiger's Eye are also coming. Each compliment the Ltd Kits very well. (Why another Teddy Bear after Fall's new bear bead?? Not sure either.... but there has got to be a reason.)

New Gold & Silver Lock - We all wait breathlessly for a new lock. This time it is a love it or hate it proposition: A silver lock with a gold heart. Personally, I love the simplicity and universal symbolism of this one and think it will be a big seller in the fresh market, maybe not so big amongst established & hardcore collectors who prefer the "trollish" soul to be in their beads.

Release Date for the above is rumored to be November 11th, 2011, as per the TB US Facebook page.

Also the Ltd Gemstone Kits were released in Italy last week. You can find Italian sellers happily ebaying & auctioning the finest away, although the prices on the more desireable beads are down from the UK release. If you must have one, check out Pesco-Clock and rcanone-rcanone, two brick and mortar shops that sell for retail prices & offer good service.

Trollhand Video

TROLLHAND

You can watch the video for yourself on You Tube now. It's crazy!!!

Trollhand

"Trollhand" starts October 3rd, according to the post on the TB US Facebook page. But what is it? Sneaky little trolls....

Zurich Film Fest + Trollbeads

Trollbeads & Zurich Film Fest have paired up and issued a Ltd glass bead in celebration of this year's fest. Read all about it here:

http://www.marburger.ch/

Japan World Tour

A quick reference of where to order your Japan World Tour beads:

http://mangabeads.shop.multilingualcart.com/goods_en_jpy_6.html

US Charity Release

Strength, Courage, Wisdom Ring

Here is a link revealing the details of the Old Pink Prism release in the U.S. scheduled for October 1st, 2011. The prism will be combined with the Strength, Courage, Wisdom ring for purchase @ $225, with $22 going to a Breast Cancer Charity. Read the official details here:

http://www.giftshopmag.com/press_release/2011/08/strength_courage_wisdom

I must commend the new Trollbeads US and Peter Aagaard for their openess in discussing our beloved Trollbeads. I have really enjoyed the articles & interviews lately. It is a breath of fresh air in contrast with the secrecy & non-response of the past regime. :) I like being an educated buyer, as I think you all do too.

Harlequin & Columbine Remakes on D4E

Columbine

Harlequin

Some beautiful Columbine & Harlequin remakes by the designer Paula Radke are up for sale again on Diamonds4Ever.dk. $45US, make sure you click the Exclude VAT button for overseas orders. The Harlequin colors can vary, from purple/blue to green/gold even pinkish - make sure to request what shade you'd prefer in your order notes.

http://www.diamonds4ever.dk/system/applications/products_new.php?currency=USD

Coinage!

Thank-you to a kind trollie who has allowed this picture to be posted of the 35th Anniversary Trollbeads Charity "Coin" bead. :) I love it on a necklace like this.

Link to Interview with Peter Aagaard

Some lovely reading for this quiet Monday evening. Well, Tuesday morning for some of you.

http://www.jckonline.com/blogs/cutting-remarks/2011/08/26/interview-new-leadership-trollbeads-us

35th Anniversary Bead!!!

Yes you people who have been loitering on the Forums already know that on September 1st Trollbeads will do a World Wide release of a 35th Anniversary bead! Rumor has it that some proceeds will go to a charity... but that is all I know on that. I haven't been nosy enough lately to really go digging about for specifics, and quite frankly I live in a barren wasteland as far as Trollbeads are concerned.

The bead will be a silver one, in the shape of a coin with the chain going through the middle. The Troll "coat of arms" is on one side, with the world & a heart on the other. If you are clever you can find a sneak peek picture on one of the non-dealer sponsored forums in cyberland.

Red Armadillo

Did you know, that the retired Red Armadillo bead had a bright Tomato Red glass over a pale PINK cream glass? Much like the current Blue Armadillo is on a pale blue cream glass. Yes, it is true - the scales are not white, nor the glass raspberry color. Those are just OOAKs.

To be sure, make sure the core is not stamped LAA 925S - the retired Red Dillo was pre-hallmarking days.

Just saying.... ;) Be careful when you are shopping out there.

One more sleep...

One more day until the masses can infiltrate their LD's (local dealers) to fill their shopping bags with the new beads. Many of you have already seen them IRL or in photos, but here is a last minute sneak peek if you haven't. Yes that is a Purple Dillo!

For those in North America: If you want to have some eye-candy & partial to the Universal Uniques, check out: http://www.ordertrollbeads.com/

There is a wonderful selection of large core uniques and they are priced reasonably, all at $48, only $5 above the suggested retail pricing.

Old Pink Prisms, New Again!

The new OPPs are out in Australia at Glass 1 pricing!!!!!!!!! The cores are stamped, as I wrote previously and shown in the new release photo. Not all dealers have them yet, but if you have a LD you Aussies better be checking in with them. <3

I guess my "rumors" aren't so off, hey trollies??? :P

Fall 2011 Release Dates

Just in case you haven't been keeping up with the forums...

People's Bead release - August 19th
Fall 2011 Production release - August 26th
Rumored Old Pink Prism rerelease - August 26th (possibly Australia & the U.S.), now hearing Glass 1 pricing for these beads...
Japan World Tour release date - September 16th

Fall release should have a new lock, two Glass 1 kits (12 beads in total), two new Glass 2 beads, 2 silver/gold (possibly), 1 new gold bead, 7 silvers, a new semi-precious stone bead and a ton of excitement!!! I have been told that this is one of the best releases from Troll "ever", so hopes are high.

Old Pink Prism Warning

If you've noticed some on-line retailers suddenly putting a "sale" on their stock of retired Old Pink Prisms, that may be because rumor has it that the Old Pink Prism will be re-released in Limited numbers. If you are keen of eye, you will notice that the picture circulating shows the "LAA" mark on the core, and the genuine OPP was not stamped. You are seeing the picture of the new re-release, which suggests quite clearly that the dealers do know that their retired OPP are about to be devalued.

The last few Old Pink Prisms on ebay have only fetched about $130-180US, so also the claim that they sell for close to $450 on ebay is not accurate. The prices have been quite consistent on ebay for the past 2 years, there has been no recent drop. I personally have owned 4 of the retired Pink Prisms, so it is one of my old friends. ;) You can also Google "Trollbeads Retired Pink Prism Ebay" and you should be able to find some old auctions (if you dig around enough) and see the closing values for yourself.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280714453641&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

My recommendation is to wait so you don't pay too much, or buy feeling well-informed & prepared. I am not sure of the geography, but the release is said to be Australia only. Dealer contact info is only a "Google" away, and I'm sure overseas dealers will be quite happy to hear from you. You can also then be assured of a new & undamaged bead. The re-release is rumored to be priced somewhere around 150 Euro - $215US, but no one really knows.

Summer!

Summer is here. I've been enticed outside by the sunshine & beauty of this season. Equally as beautiful were the Swiss World Tour beads, which I am sure most of you have by now. The US beads are perhaps not so popular, but still lovely in their own way. Now we have a bit of a wait until September until the World Tour stops in Japan. I think we all have high expectations for that release.

The Fall release (which includes the 2011 People's Bead) may make an appearance in August, so save a little cash just in case. Meanwhile the Universal Unique beads have began to appear in Europe. I've seen them in online German & Italian shops. Some of the designs are intriguing, but the beads tend on the larger size so be prepared if you are ordering online.

For the UK gals there seem to be some summer sales on TBs, so check the forums & Facebook groups if you haven't lately for the shop names. Steffan's also recently had some nice treats. If you missed out perhaps you can find a friend who didn't who might like to share their good luck with you. ;)

Troll on people!!!

Facebook Teaser

Teaser photo from www.trollbeads.ch on Facebook.

Manga

Most of you have already heard about Manga. He has returned to raise funds for the Japanese Red Cross to help those in need as a result of the Tsunami and Earthquake. I have ordered myself, and despite the challenges of the language barrier, have found the responses to be courteous & helpful. A few friends have received their Manga beads already, so I feel confident that I can share this link with you now.

ttp://www.trollbeads.jp/manga_english.html

The on-line shop is here, and it takes a little fiddling with the options to make sure you add your Overseas Country option so that appropriate shipping charges are added before you pay. They accept Paypal payments.

http://mangabeads.shop.multilingualcart.com/

Two more days until the Swiss World Tour beads are released! You can probably see them here on this Swiss webshop first. I have not found any information on what the beads actually are.

http://www.beads4you.ch/trollbeads-worldtour.html

Cat & Mouse

It's always a game of cleverness with Trollbeads HQ. They plan new releases. We try to find them. Especially pictures of them. A sneak peak of a new release before it's officially announced is enough to send any Trollie into euphoria, which is almost as good as.... - ahem - chocolate. ;)

Switzerland - apparently they are not releasing pictures to dealers until almost release day. They really want to keep this quiet - what fun!

USA - there is discussion that US dealers will be able to place orders for their World Tour beads beginning June 15th ish. This doesn't mean that they will know in advance what the beads will be, but it does look favorably upon the rumored July 4th release date.

I have seen pictures of some of the new Universal Uniques. There are some really stunning designs & colors in the mix, beautiful enough that I think you will quickly forget the $43US price tag. Well at least once or twice!

If you are in the market for a beautiful Old Antique Flower (one of my personal addictions), there are at least 5 on ebay at the moment. Make sure you tick of the WORLDWIDE option in your search to make sure you see them all. And since I have no interesting pictures, I leave you with a photo of my own OAF bracelet.

June News

The Universal Uniques are coming out this month. For those that remember the Haiti beads, they are basically Haiti beads without the Haiti. For newbies, they are OOAK glass Trollbeads that sport a larger silver core size so that they can fit on competing brand bracelets, like Pandora, Chamilia etc etc. So now is your chance to get some Troll onto the bracelets of all of your misguided friends, relatives, and co-workers who might be clinging onto their non-troll ways. ;)

Opinions are divided on the larger core size. Larger core can mean larger glass size, and for some collectors the smaller core size of Troll is one of it's endearing hallmarks. For Troll's marketshare, it may open up opportunities to creep onto the wrists of new customers. And most of us know that once you have Troll glass you really can't go back to the other brands. Clever of them, and if you think it isn't clever then you still have the option of staying with your small core beads.

Sometime in June the next World Tour release will come out, this time featuring Switzerland. I have not come across any sneak peaks, leaks, or rumors about what they might be. I'm sure The Baltic States release will be a hard act to follow.

One last tidbit: http://www.diamonds4ever.dk/ has a special running this week on Trollbeads. Check out their website & log-in to see the details.

Quick Update: Shopping Tips

Where to buy the Baltic World Tour
1) http://www.diamonds4ever.dk/ - be quick, they usually have Ltd stock
2) http://www.trollbeads-shop.lt/lang-en/25-visos-naujos-trollbeads-prekes - This is a Lithuanian dealer, they offer Paypal and people have received good service from them so far. Prices perhaps a little better than D4E.
3) www.beadsensation.com - You can buy all of the World Tour beads here, not an authorized seller but very reputable and prices on the WT are close to original pricing.

Diamond Flower Kits
People are recommending shopping for these in person if you can as sizes, colors, & widths vary greatly. The Violet Flower & Desert Flower beads seem to be the most popular & are selling more quickly, so buy sooner than later if you are after one of these. At Glass 2 pricing they will have you scraping the pennies out of your couch I am sure. But they are gorgeous, and well worth it if you like some sparkle as I do ;)

More Baltic....

I haven't found a place for international orders yet, but when I do I will share here.

Baltic Sneak Peek

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

You know you waaaaant some!

Ltd Zirconia Flower Kits

Yes, yes, yes! There is a rumor of a special Ltd glass kit release for May. Six existing Flower beads enhanced with 3 cubic zirconias floating amongst the flowers! The lucky beads are said to be: Violet Flower (shown), Antique Flower, White Flower, Pale Rose Flower, Blue Flower, and Desert Flower. As I'm a huge fan of the Flower beads, this is lovely news.

Correction - World Tour

Now on TB Universe the next World Tour stop reads: "The Baltic States" instead of Lithuania.

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

Interesting...

Important Dates

I try to compile all of the important news & dates on here for everyone who isn't able to read the Forums regularly due to things like life, work, & family. So here are some important upcoming dates to remember that are rumored to be coming:

May 9th - People's Bead 2011 Winner Announced
May ? - Lithuania World Tour Beads released
June 18th - Switzerland World Tour Beads released
July 4th - USA World Tour Beads released

And diamonds4ever has posted a plethora of new OOAK beads today.

http://www.diamonds4ever.dk/system/applications/products_new.php

Voting is Open

Lise has posted the FB page that they have removed the 2 designs in question from the Top 10 and the voting is open. I'm a little surprised, as it seems sad that two other people could have had a chance for their designs to make it to the Top 10.

So. Log-in to Trollbeads Universe and place your vote. I just checked and yes indeed there are VOTE buttons within the design descriptions.

People's Bead Revisions

Trollbeads HQ is working hard to review the finalists & semi-finalists to resolve any copyright infringements in submitted designs. I'm looking forwards to seeing the revised list for the Finalists & Semi-finalists. I still think this will evolve into a great competition & we will end up with a lovely and original People's Bead for 2011.

And judging by the comments & discussions on the social media (Twitter, Facebook, and the Trollbead fan forums), people are nothing if not passionate about their Trollbeads & protecting the brands integrity!

http://www.trollbeadsuniverse.com/global/en-us/events/peoples-bead-2011/__finalists

http://www.trollbeadsuniverse.com/global/en-us/events/peoples-bead-2011/__semifinalists

Unofficial Controversy

Although the links to the People's Bead 2011 finalists show unconfirmed finalists & semi-finalists, there is already controversy raised on a couple of the designs. First the "Star" submission is a photo of a ring from Sylvie Meis' jewellery collection, that ironically enough, was released in the Netherlands (corrected from: Denmark.)

http://sieraden-tassen-uiterlijk.marktplaats.nl/ringen/420764254-orgineel-zilver-nieuw-pure-ringen-van-silvie-meis.html

The picture may have been borrowed, but the design is already owned by Sylvie it seems. More about Sylvie can be found on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvie_van_der_Vaart

And a poster did an interesting comparison on FB of the Acorn submission to the "Ohm" brand silver Acorn bead. The similarities are startling. But, decide for yourself.

Photo source: http://i55.tinypic.com/357oms5.jpg























Check the discussions out yourself on Trollbeads - The Official Page, on Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/trollbeadsofficial

2011 Semi-finalists

Some familiar names in here... congratulations all! (Note: these are unconfirmed.)

http://www.trollbeadsuniverse.com/global/en-us/events/peoples-bead-2011/__semifinalists

What is this???

Sad, So Sad!

Chamilia's Limited "Royal Engagement Bead"

I have the saddest news for anyone who's been hoping for a Royal Wedding bead like Chamilia and Pandora have put out to mark the occasion of Prince William and Catherine Middleton's wedding in April. It's rather embarassing actually, I don't really want to tell you about it. Trollbeads - (and/or Trollbeads UK, not sure) mustered up a heart engraving on the old Scroll bead, with initials & wedding date. That's it.

Its a sad day because Chamilia came out with a rather stunning design with zirconia in Sapphire Blue and clear, and Pandora reworked a heart but also put a lovely Sapphire zirconia in the middle with initials on the back. Would have been a great opportunity for Troll to put out something fresh, non-cliche & collectable. I think they've really missed the boat on this one and allowed the other brands to fill the niche in the hearts of the hopeless romantic bead collectors out there.

With their international market reaching out to many Commonwealth countries including United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia to name a few, I hoped that a little more attention would have been paid to the event. Maybe it was too quick for them to design & manufacture a bead, or maybe they didn't want to set a precedent of celebrating this type of event. Maybe People's Bead takes over in importance, which I can agree with, and if that is the reason, then I can forgive the overlook easily.

People's Bead 2011! My favorite time of year!!!

Hooray! The People's Bead competition for 2011 has started!!! You have until April 26th to submit your idea for a bead design. Follow the link below to read the rules & deadlines for the contest. One important note for those in North America, (or anywhere else behind the Denmark timezone), make sure you leave plenty of time for your entry to be submitted just in case you have problems uploading your photos & ideas. It's nice to have an extra day in case that is the moment your internet connection misbehaves.

http://www.trollbeadsuniverse.com/global/en-us/events/people

There is only 2 more painful days- wait, just 1 more now in most places - to find out just what lovely beads lie in store for us with the UK World Tour release. OK, OK, OK. I must confess I have seen microscopic blurry pictures of the beads & at first glance I think most people will be quite pleased with most of them. If not, don't worry, I'm sure they will grow on you like most of these beads seem to do. Then they almost magically appear in our beadboxes whilst we scratch our heads wondering just what the heck happened???

And for your daily inspiration, a photo of what I did with my new South Africa World Tour beads. 2 of the "Africa" glass and the "Drum Beat" silver.

UK World Tour - April 6th Release

The UK Trollbeads distributor has finally posted on Facebook that the big release day for the UK World Tour beads will be April 6th. As a bonus, they are posting a "polaroid" picture that will give a clue as to what the beads may be on their website for each day of the countdown. Follow the links to see for yourself by clicking the picture link above, or the ones below.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyTrollbeads?ref=ts

On the web: http://www.trollbeads.co.uk/

April 2011

April will be busy - if the rumours are all true. The UK World Tour beads are set to be released. No official release date or sneak peeks of the beads have leaked out yet. Speculation is thick though that the April date may tie into a Royal Wedding bead??? The jury is out on this one, as I'd imagine that the bead designs & production would have been completed long before the engagement was announced. But stranger things have happened.

Strange, like the Europe OOAK mystery, for example. After the recent price increase the OOAK glass price when up to 39Euro from 28. Then, back down to 28. Now the 2010 OOAKs are to be 28, but the "new" 2011 OOAKs will be 39. But, so far the "new" OOAKs have not appeared to be any different than the old. And then someone threw the idea in that the new OOAKS would have "universal" size cores, larger to fit other brands. So now we don't know just what the heck is going on. Will there really be "new" OOAKs so different & wonderful that we won't mind the 39 Euro price? Or will it just be more of the same? Will they all have larger core size? Gaaa! I'm going to leave this one alone for now. I'll believe it when I see it.

However the US now has access to the same beautiful OOAKs from TB Denmark that Europe has traditionally had. Which should mean more stable prices & more desirable beads. I don't know about you, but if any more uglies turn up the message really has to be sent to TB HQ to make the types & colors of beads the customers love & will buy instead of forcing the customers to collectively pay for unsold ones. Why punish the collectors? Nuff said on that topic.

Final tidbit - I have heard whispers that the People's Bead contest will begin in April of this year. I would look forwards to this change in the hopes that it would bring forth a different season of bead ideas and less of the "holiday season - winter - frigid cold" types of entries.

Oh, and later this year Trollbeads has their 35th Anniversary. In November 2006 they released the Anniversary Bracelet to celebrate 30 years of Troll. Let's hope they may have a little treat for us to celebrate this new milestone!!!

Rebuttal on OOAK pricing

A rebuttal, of sorts, was posted regarding my opinions on pricing of OOAK beads in the US. Here is the link for the curious. Everyone is free to post comments on here too using the comment link. I welcome open discussion & debate, as my uncensored title indicates.

http://blog.trollbeadsgallery.com/

I still stand by my opinion on pricing. The majority of sellers in Germany, Denmark, UK, and Netherlands maintain the suggested retail pricing of OOAKs irregardless of perceived beauty and they have sold OOAKs for many years and continue to do so, online & in store. If they can manage it, then others can too. Indeed I myself have about 125 OOAK beads purchased from overseas at regular Glass 1 pricing in their respective countries, and many of them are very desirable colors & patterns, dillos, scales, waves etc. I have none of the "old style uglies". So it is very possible for the average collector to obtain them without paying a premium.

Cheers!

Pigs Do Fly

After a successful appeal by collectors to Trollbeads through Facebook and other social media, it seems the distributor in German has listened to the people and the price of the OOAK glass have been reduced from 39 Euro back to 28! At least for now, not sure if this is permanent.

We are just waiting to see if the UK will follow suit and change the price back from the new 35 GPB back to 26 - which is standard Glass 1 pricing.

Japan

It's been hard to write anything about beads when my mind has been preoccupied with the gravity of the situation in Japan. Art & culture are sobered by these events, the very events that define a culture & how they respond to the world around them.

So I'd like to applaud Fable Trading, distributor of Trollbeads in the UK, for stepping forwards and making a donation to the Japanese relief through each sale of the recently released Kimono beads. https://www.facebook.com/notes/my-trollbeads/kimono-beads-to-support-victims-of-japanese-tsunami/205291846148880

A quote from their post: "...a donation of 50p from the sale of each ... Kimono bead will be made towards helping victims of the Japanese disaster." Donations will be made retroactively as well for the Kimono beads that have already been sold. Thank you Fable, let us hope that other distributors can step forwards and show their support as well.

A few other notes for this week: Rumor has it that there will be a price decrease in Canada on the glass beads to bring them closer in line to the US pricing. This change has come about most likely from the elimination of the middleman distributor system that Trendy Group & Lund Trading had in the past. The new distributor, Allura IBB, has been announced on Trollbeads.com and hails from Vancouver. They have a long history of distributing to the Canadian market and we hope to see some positive changes.

OOAKs have increased from 28 Euro to 39 Euro overseas. So if you see any at the old price that you love you had better get them now. There is also talk of preventing Europe from selling OOAK beads to the North American market. I think this would be a bad move for the simple reason that the logistics & shopping habits of collectors in North America are much different than overseas. The US and Canada are huge countries where many collectors rely on the internet to purchase beads. Geographically people may not have a dealer within driving distance at all. If the online market is controlled it opens up the opportunity for US dealer websites to abuse the prices putting them at a premium or for the ebay speculators to buy from European shops at regular price and then auction them on ebay for retarded prices. (Excuse my politically incorrect wording.)

Now I can guess WHICH U.S. dealers are probably lobbying for this. So can you if you do online shopping in the States. Several online dealers have had a history of jacking OOAK prices to unfair amounts. But if they'd just provide the beads & price them fairly the U.S collectors will come into the local shops. So I'm hoping this is just their talk and that TB New Jersey has the foresight to keep a free flow of beads worldwide. This is the global fun of collecting. A free exchange of beads worldwide.

Where to Buy Your S. Africa World Tour Beads

Are you all hyperventilating over the Kimono beads??? Only a few hours left until their official unveiling! A few trollies on the Forums have already been able to see the beads IRL. That is what happens when you grab your local shop person by the collar and scream, "I can't take it any more! SHOW ME THE BEADS!!!"

In the meantime I am going to share with you a shop in South Africa that is willing to sell the South Africa Tour beads individually and is accepting payments by our every-trusty PayPal. You have your choice of shipment options and are provided with a tracking number.

Alexandra @ preciousmetalsmith@yahoo.com

Tarquin Precious Metalsmiths
http://www.preciousmetalsmiths.com/

I have checked on the South African distributor's website and verified that they are an authorized dealer in the Kwa-Zulu Natal region. (You have to click on the region to see the anuthorized shops.)

http://www.trollbeadsza.co.za/RetailersPage.aspx?pid=4

Please account for the time difference when emailing, it may take a day or so for them to reply but I found them to be courteous & efficient. :) Happy shopping!

New OOAK beads on D4E

www.diamonds4ever.dk has just uploaded a plethora of colorful unique glass beads. Lots there so take a peek to see if there are any color "holes" in your glass collection that might be filled.

http://www.diamonds4ever.dk/system/applications/products_new.php

Ltd Edition Kimono Japanese beads

I have seen a photo of these new beads. Only one thing to say... I think, I THINK... that they are matte like the old Donna bead was. A sneak peek of my favorite color in the 6 beads.

If you haven't already, you must see the South Africa release video. It's awesome! Music is pretty good too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xJQGZBVinic

The UK is next up on the World Tour for March.

Sneaky Peeky

I've seen the South Africa World Tour beads and they are amazing! The designs are really inventive and not what you would expect. I think everyone will be very pleased! Official pictures come out on Friday, but I've posted a very tiny teaser of my personal favorite.

On March 4th a new Ltd Edition glass kit of 6 beads are rumored to be released. The beads are said to be designed by a Japanese designer & somebody mentioned the word "Kimono" as the inspiration. Most likely this will be a Worldwide release, and with spring just around the corner I'm sure they will be beautiful and offer a unique look for your spring bracelet designs.

In the US beautiful OOAKs have also arrived concurrent with the arrival of our favorite Viking family, the Aagaards. Stay away from the big on-line dealers if you want to avoid being overcharged. My recommendation is to encourage your local dealer to order a set of OOAK glass from the new Trollbeads distributor and then arrange to see them ASAP on arrival.

Ltd Gemstones, South Africa, & OOAKs

There are many broken-hearted collectors out there today. The Ltd Gemstone kits that first surfaced last month in the Netherlands & Belgium (?) appeared in the UK last week too. Select dealers that visted the Trollbeads booth at a certain jewellery show were able to buy these lovelies. You can read the story from Fable Trading's website, the UK distributor:
http://www.trollbeads.co.uk/gemstones-kit.html

If you want one and are willing to pay to make another collector rich, a few have been auctioned on Ebay or BeadSensation - just Google that one. But after seeing a faceted Snowflake Obsidian sell for almost $200US, my advice would be to wait & see. Tell Trollbeads how much you liked this Ltd Edition and maybe they will make more or release to other countries in the future. My favorite was the Blue Goldstone faceted beads, they seem to be really popular and super rare. I think this would bea a great addition to the regular Trollbeads line, as do other people I have chatted with.

The South Africa World Tour beads are to be released on February 25th, which is a Friday. Seems like an odd day of the week to me, but it was posted on the SA distributor's Facebook page so it must be true. I am very curious to see what the beads will be.

Rumors are still swirling about regarding the change in prices & possible "new designs" that will be coming for the OOAK beads. What is true is that OOAK prices have risen from 28Euros to 39 Euros in the EU countries, (from Glass 1 pricing to Glass 2), although some shops are holding the old stock OOAKs at the 28 Euro pricing and only marking up the new arrivals. We've not seen anything spectacular in the new shipments, so the jury is still out on this.

I have two theories. Well guesses. One is that TBs is perhaps having a hard time meeting the OOAK demand and by rising the prices this will control how many sell & make them more prized among collectors. Or two: there really are going to be some fabulous new designs coming out that perhaps cost more to produce. But one message is resounding clearly across the forums, collectors expect excellent quality control on the OOAKs. No more cracked glass, chips near cores, and poorly cored beads. I have to agree, as I purchased three stunning "new style" OOAKs from the UK and 1 had a glass crack, and the other two had chips near the core from the coring process. In all of my 300 other glass beads, I've only had 1 or 2 beads that were ever cracked or chipped like that when purchased new.

If you have had experiences, thoughts, or suggestions on changes you've noticed in the glass quality please leave a comment. It's a great way to get the message out to our friends at TBHQ.

Lund Update

For those interested in the ongoing Lund - TB Denmark story:

http://www.jckonline.com/2011/02/07/trollbeads-legal-fight-may-shift-to-denmark

Valentine's Day 2011

Less than 8 days until Valentine's Day and there is nothing sweeter than receiving a bead from a loved one. If your boyfriend/husband/ significant other has not clued into this yet, then you should email them the link to this blog post & I will fill them in.

My top 5 picks for Valentines this year:

1) Most Unconventional: "Kiss" bead - often overlooked, but the story says it all, "Every great love story begins with a single kiss."

2) Most Romantic: The newly released Double Heart. It's amazing! It really comes apart into 2 separate hearts that join together.

3) Sure Fire Pick: Boys listen up! The Pink Diamond bead. If you missed out getting your gal this for Christmas, now is your chance to redeem yourself.

4) Best Not Pink: Understated & soft, a faceted or smooth Rose Quartz says dreamy love without being too bright for the girl who likes to be low-key.

5) Most Spoiled: Gold Heart. Just do it boys, she's worth every penny.

And a post is never complete without eye candy & inspiration. For Valentine's I've married my China Ltd silvers with the Crazy Lace Agates & grey Jaspers. What will your Heart Day combo look like?

Lund Defeated

This update on the Trollbeads HQ vs Lund Trading case has just been released.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/federal-district-court-reinstates-trollbeads-direct-control-of-companys-north-american-distribution-115192984.html

I am very happy for the new Trollbeads US (Lise Aagaard Copenhagen A/S), welcome & we look forwards to all of the exciting changes we know you will bring to the North American market.

I think I need to go out & celebrate by buying a new Trollbead!!!

Goodness!

You people have been busy! I logged on this morning and peeped at my favorite on-line haunts and found that the Ltd Agates are disappearing like hotcakes! The Turquoise Striped are obviously in the lead as I can hardly find one anywhere. Still lots of pinks around. Make sure you check out the online shops I have mentioned previously on my posts - many are posting individual agates & I'm sure they will be loading more in the days to come.

One though - if you'd like an agate or two but don't have the cash, see if you can pair up with a friend or two & split a kit.

No Woman is an Island...

A snippet of the Trollbeads stock photo - visit www.trollbeads.com - the BEST in the world!!!

Finally! At last! We can afford our own personal private desert Islands!!!

Well at least in Trollbeads form anyway. :) I'm fascinated with the concept of this new pendant style bead that has been floating around the Internet (in the little ads for the new TB release next week.) The idea of the palm on the sand fading into the deep ocean of glass below is clever & amazing. I'm looking forwards to choosing one in person, as I think this and the other Beach theme glass will lend themselves well to variety in individual beads. And variety is exactly what sends collectors on the hunt for that "perfect" glass bead.

I am just really, really thankful that the Ltd Edition Skeleton did not appear in miniature on this bead at the base of the palm tree. I definately want my own island and I'm very happy to NOT share it with Skelly!!! Hope that gave you a laugh.

Happy Trolling everyone.

Spring Beads - Preorder in US

http://http//www.totallytrollbeads.com/cgi-bin/store.cgi?keyword=New+Spring+2011+Release&action=search

UPDATE: It's been taken down now. Hope those who caught it now have their shopping lists prepared!!!!

World Tour & New OOAKs

Some of the World Tour beads are now on Diamonds4ever.dk - Germany, Netherlands, & Italy as well as the Denmark ones. This is really great because for some collectors it is impossible to find secure ways to buy & D4E comes highly recommended and has great customer service.

www.diamonds4ever.dk/troll_beads_world_tour_beads-c-369_752.html

Also they've just uploaded some nice individual OOAKs today.

www.diamonds4ever.dk/system/applications/products_new.php

Phew! I'm tired, busy Trollbeads day.

Praise the Heavens! TB HQ finally dumps LUND!!!

**POST REVISED**

Unconfirmed rumour has it: Trollbeads in Denmark is not renewing Lund Trading's distributorship & will be establishing a head office in the USA as of February 1st.

Thank the heavens! This is what so many of us have been hoping for!

Hopefully now the North American market will be able to have access to all promotions, OOAKs, Limited Editions and other things that Trollbeads has to offer.

Maybe the small town local shops can have equal status & not be discriminated against for serving a small population versus a major mall location in a large city. Maybe our shops can order new releases to have in stock on release day ?

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you Trollbeads for listening to all of the avid collectors in the US & Canada that have emailed & expressed our desires!!!!

More thoughts to come, I'm off to celebrate!!! WE LOVE YOU LISE!

Get ready for the Beach!

I've seen some sneaky peaks of the new release. All I can say is I really, really love the colors & themes. I think this Spring 2011 release will blow you off of your feet!

There are 2 glass sets - one a Beach theme and the other a Flower theme (as suggested by the Lavender flower bead TB HQ posted on their FB page.) But today I wanted to discuss the Ltd release of Agates. There will be 4 sets: Turquoise, Turquoise Striped, Pink, & Pink Striped. Hues of turquoisey & pink with brown & white stripes - so pretty!

I am assuming these beads are dyed, so think carefully when purchasing as some of the past dyed beads (China jades & Hot pink agates from the 2010 releases) have had fading problems especially when exposed to sunlight for long periods of time. I'm not saying don't buy them, just make sure you really love them & will enjoy them even if their appearance alters slightly over time.

Here is your eye candy for today. Tomorrow I'll discuss the Palm Tree Pendant - a great statement piece that reminds me of the Thomas Sabo statement charms but in Uber Troll style.