Friday Guest Post - The Beadin' Path's Heather & Her Phenominal Stash of Vintage Lucite!

The wonderful Heather DeSimone whose Twitter bio says: "Mama. Wife. Bead Store Owner. Lover of vintage and Lucite Maven." Has given me permission to reprint one of her blog posts from The Beadin' Path blog "What's In Store with Heather" in place of an original piece of my own today, as I am still a little too blue to be creative.

One of these days (maybe when she's not wiped out from moving her entire store!) I will see if I can wrangle her into being the subject of a Thursday interview post. Until then, I offer you a post from last summer she wrote that simply fascinated me. It's an inside peek into the bead store owner's world and a simply wonderful tale! It's the story of how they acquired their huge supply (over 40,000 lbs!) of vintage Lucite as well as information about its provenance and how it has been used.

Learn Where We Got Our Vintage Lucite Beads
by Heather DeSimone
Friday, 18 July 2008

Want to know where our vintage Lucite beads all came from? One of the most frequently asked questions when a shopper enters our store or shops with us online is "Where did you get all of those fabulous vintage Lucite beads?"

It could be because when one walks into our store at The Beadin' Path, they're greeted with a 18 foot wall full of it. It's colorized from left to right and spans almost the entire back wall of one room in our store. We try to merchandise our entire store & our website in color blocks so that each room or page is a virtual palette of beads. I think those who ask, expect a quick or secret answer. However, there's a much longer & more interesting story to how we acquired over 40,000 lbs of vintage Lucite.

We were approached 2 years ago in the early Summer by the manager of a plastics company in Rhode Island via. email. (You've got to love that world-wide-web). They did a search for vintage Lucite & saw on www.BeadinPath.com that we stocked and LOVED vintage Lucite beads. They were looking for a buyer to come and clean out a couple of rooms in their very large warehouse. We get approached all the time by exporters, manufacturers or companies that are liquidating jewelry components. Yet this contact really intrigued us. You see this company had not manufactured beads or jewelry components since the late 1970's and early 1980's. They simply had a 10,000 + square foot room stocked floor to ceiling with these pesky beads and hoops and cabochons that were just in their way.

Currently the company (Plastic Development) is one of the leaders in the industry for manufacturing earring cards & other plastic-based merchandising for jewelry and accessories. When you order these from many well-known companies that distribute them, chances are they're made by these folks in R.I. Because they had the need to expand their business and move some of their less physically-able employees to the first floor space, currently housing all of 'those beads,' they needed them moved out and moved out fast.

My mother Jan & I decided it would be worth a trek down I-95 South to at least check this stock out. And if it was a wash, we'd head on over to Providence Place & do some shopping (they have an H&M and a Restoration Hardware there!). Well we never made it to the mall! When we met with the manager of the company we learned more about vintage Lucite than we had ever known before. He had worked at the same company for over 30 years and was there when they had actually made these great beads & parts.

They had been commissioned by well-known companies such as Avon, Coro, and Trifari to custom-create colors and shapes for their seasonal lines of jewelry. The quality of these 'plastic' beads was just unmatched. (Yes, I too used to be a 'plastic-bead-snob'!) He explained to us a little about the process where the beads are actually made in a relief process or 'carved' from a rod or cane of Lucite. They were not press-molded like many plastics that show seams and are lighter-weight. So, when they had overstock, slightly off-color beads from the special order, or simply orders that were not picked up, they stashed them in 'the bead room.'

After some research and much number crunching [we] decided to bring a group of helpers down to Rhode Island the following week with 2 20' UHaul trucks. Wow! We had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into. We worked a 12 hour day with 10 people we brought down as well as many of the warehouse workers who chipped in to help us.

Sure there were lots of us 'bead girls', but our group also included many big burly guys, all bagging, packing boxes, stacking boxes, wrapping and loading palettes. We finally got the 2 trucks loaded to the ceilings. But we had only packed up about 1/3 of the stock! There was still a whole room of beads & parts: it almost looked as if we hadn't even been there.

A week or so later, Jen our store manager came to me and told me that her Uncle was a licensed trucker and could drive a big old, not sure what they're technically called, 'semi' type truck. And her dynamo of a mother Sue, who also worked for us was inspired to ride down there with him and get the semi loaded up if we could get down there in the days before & get the rest of the warehouse packed up. We were so overwhelmed by the first trip that (and I can't even believe this now) we had been contemplating just leaving the rest of the stock down there and having a rubbish company come & remove it. It was costly to move beads! So with Sue's encouragement, we made another trip down to RI and packed & boxed & stacked our little hearts out once again. Sue & her brother drove the 'semi' down a day later & filled it from front to back!

…and that's how it all happened. That's how we acquired over 40,000 lbs of vintage Lucite beads & parts. Surprisingly, two years later we have sold almost half of the stock. When we first brought it home to Maine, I made the comment that I would be that little old lady at 80 years old with a barn full of rotting boxes full of beautiful beads. I guess I was wrong… nah, I'll be that old lady who dies with the most beads yet.

For the last couple of years, a really fun gal named Danielle has been purchasing lots of our vintage Lucite stock for her very funky & successful line of jewelry. She has a great business and sells her wares mostly over in Europe (smart chic, considering the plight of the US Dollar right now). Anyway, this lady knows her plastics. She was teaching me a thing or two about our very own stock. And as we'd discuss the differences between Lucite and other vintage plastics, she kept using the term 'Best New England Warehouse of Vintage BeadsPlastics' to describe where our beads had been made.

I kept thinking "What is she talking about?" but I didn't say anything because I was afraid that maybe she'd misheard something that I said or maybe I'd misheard her. After all: the company we purchased the beads from was called Plastic Development in Warwick, Rhode Island. And Norm, the man who sold them to me had worked for that company for the last 45 years and knew his stuff. He told us all about making the beads himself back in the 70's and 80's. So for the first couple of conversations I didn't say anything to Danielle.

Finally, when I KNEW that I had heard her say very clearly "…and the beads that came from Best Plastics in Providence…" I interrupted. "What a sec, WHAT are you talking about? You keep dropping this name and I thought I was hearing things. I've never heard this name before. As far as I know, these Lucite beads were made by Plastic Development in Warwick, not Providence." There's always this veiled mystery that many vendors like to perpetuate. She was buying a lot of beads from us and I didn't want her to think I had anything to hide about where they were from and where we got them. Danielle's answer was "Geez, I don't know. I thought YOU told me about Best Plastics." I said "I'd never heard the name until you mentioned it." And we moved on.

Fast forward a few more weeks. I was at one of our favorite job lot warehouses where I had not been for over 2 years! And evidently I've missed out in the last 2 years too because we didn't find a whole lot. Between being pregnant and having a newborn, it's hard to travel a few hours each way, dig through dirty boxes that are 15 feet in the air, etc etc to do your buying. So we've been doing a lot of buying via our manufacturers overseas lately, because I can simply send an email from home and viola! Beads!

Anyway, I was talking to Anthony who has been in business in the Rhode Island area for many, many years and his business was handed down to him from his Father-In-Law so he knows the industry. I mentioned Best Plastics and asked him if he'd heard of it. He said "Yeah, that's that warehouse you bought out!" I nearly fell on the floor. I said "But that company was called Plastic Development…" And now you're about to hear a thing of fables… bead myths from years past.

Best Plastics had been manufacturing beads for years, right across the street from Anthony's warehouse in Rhode Island. In the early 1980's, Best decided to shift their focus to manufacturing pressed plastic earring cards and other merchandisers. You know the type: when you go into WalMart and you see tacky earrings on a rounder, they're hanging on these grey plastic earring cards with a patch of velvet on them that read "Fashion New England Warehouse of Vintage Beads Earrings."

No matter what part of the world you're in, when you see these, they're probably made by Plastic Development in Rhode Island. Anyway, when they decided to shift their focus, they moved their company from a warehouse in Providence to a warehouse in Warwick and you guessed it, changed their name to Plastic Development. Anthony said "you know, they offered me that lot of beads and I just had too much plastic." We purchased over 40,000 lbs so I can only imagine how many thousands of pounds they had offered him.

So, thanks to Danielle, I learned the real name of our beads' manufacturer. And thanks to Anthony, we have thousands and thousands of pounds of Lucite beads to sell. These are the things that intrigue me still after all these years in this business: the lore of the beads. The history. Sometimes you hear these things from vendors and you think "They must have made that up to get me to buy this strand of beads, but it's cool." But the great thing about buying anything vintage, is that it has history. And the most mundane story can seem so riveting when it's told in the context of something you love. Like beads.

Post and pictures courtesy of, and with permission from, The Beadin' Path - Learn Where We Got Our Vintage Lucite Beads (11 June 2009)

One final thing - last Friday I wrote about "Follow Friday" for bead/jewelry artist bloggers - here's the link. I didn't get any comments last week, but perhaps if I remind you, you'll have some ideas this week?

Getting to Know: Tish from Just A Tish Designs

I'm going to try to do a regular "Getting to Know" post where I cajole some of the talented people I've met online to answer a few questions about themselves and their art. My first interview is with Tish from Just A Tish Designs.

#1 - Were you always crafty? What childhood crafts did you like doing most?

I wanna say I was always crafty, but my memories are a big foggy. I like that word , “crafty”. It encompasses so much. As a kid, I think sewing I think was one of my favorites. I have a lot of fun and warm memories helping my g’ma quilt.

#2 - I read in your bio "...family heritage of people whose lives were rich in art, design, music, and crafting." Can you share a tid-bit or two about the kinds of art, design, music or crafting you grew up with?

I grew up in a home that rivaled any vaudeville family. We were always on. We were always encouraged to do our own thing, think our own thoughts. We were never pressured to fit in or keep up with the neighbors. Maybe it was due to not being ‘privileged’ or maybe it was because we didn’t have much need of material things, we were so rich with talent, all we needed was a stage and a reason. Some of my earliest memories were of me being perched up on top of the piano, pulling a scarf thru my hands and singing at the top of my lungs, “Let me entertain you” while my brother pounded out the tune. My dad lives his music and is still out playing every weekend at age 75! He has played with a lot of bands over the years, Jefferson Airplane, Ike and Tina Turner, and Big Twist to name a few. My mother and grandmother sewed like fiends there was nothing they couldn’t make. My mom had a knack of looking at something and being able to sit down and make it. I had the BEST Halloween costumes hands down J My dad – again with my dad, he sewed his own ‘dungarees’ he called them. I remember seeing him take a pair of his jeans apart, and lay them out on some denim fabric, cut them out and sew them up. There ain’t nothing he can’t do. Both of my brother’s are accomplished singers. My oldest brother writes music and is an artist. His paintings have been exhibited around the country.

#3 - Your designs are fun and show a sense of whimsy and humor, can you elaborate on how that's important to you?

I can’t take much serious. The times we live in are serious enuff. I need a break. My designs reflect my mood and my skew’d view of life around me. My goal is to make people smile, and have at least one moment of their day tolerable. My designs do that. they make a statement. A statement that is not apologietic for being bold and being brassy. They allow you to stand out in a crowd and be noticed. You are an individual, not a mass marketed cookie cutout of what is perceived to be fashion.

#4 - Did you have any goals or hopes for your blog when you started? Has that changed? How?

I like to think I am funny and my approach to blogging about my work may help someone and make them smile. I like to share my knowledge. I remember when I first started how hard it was to find information about making jewelry. It took a lot of searching and a lot of question asking to know what I know now. That is a lot of work, so if I can make someone else’s life easier by posting up what I know, then I have done my job, and can hold my head high.

#5 - If I were just starting to think about getting into making my own crafty jewelry but was on a hugely limited budge what "must have's" would you suggest starting with?

*think* *think* tuff one.

So much can be repurposed, and it is a lot of fun to create from the chaos around you. If you pop a necklace, use that beading wire for your next bracelet. That is how my mind works, but if I had to have that must have, I would say - Side nippers - If I was told that I would have to trade in my kid for my next pair, I would have to think about it for a sec, no kidding.

#6 - Sort of a "desert island" kind of question - you're going away somewhere and you can't buy any supplies while you're gone. You can only take a small tote full of stuff to work with to keep you sane, but you can also use anything you might find in your hotel, as well as your tote stuff to craft with. I'll be kind and let you come back to the world in one week :-) What is in your tote? What do you think you could find to use?

A bottle of eye-be-pro-fin.

Side nippers, chain nose and needle nose pliers.

An assortment of stone donuts, cabs and pocket stones

20 ga square half hard wire

24 ga round half hard wire

Random handful of small beads, bi cone crystals, glass.

I am drawing a complete blank on what I may find in the hotel.

#7 - Do you have crafters who inspire you?

The world inspires me. Seriously everything does. I love to ooohh and awww over other ppls work, I am blown away everyday by someones work. I have favorites that I love oogle over but I can’t say that it is just crafters. Painters, sculptors, poets, sketchers, photographers, they all are a source of inspiration.

#8 - You can buy $500 worth of only one type of stone or bead to use in your jewelry - what would you pick and why?

Fancy jasper hands down. That stone naturally comes in a varity of warm tones. I love it.

#9 - Is there a craft from the past you wish were popular again? (I was a macrame nut in my teens)

Do you remember god’s eyes? Wrapping yarn around sticks? I loved that.

#10 - You've blogged about some shows recently - would you share your thoughts/feelings about being in shows and the value of participation?

When you speak of shows are you speaking of exhibits? It is nerve wracking. Let me tell you.

Getting up the nerve to go and show your stuff to a gallery or exhibit center takes some guts. What sets you apart? What makes me different from any other stringer out there. I guess it is my drive that keeps me going and keeps me out there. what is it they say – for every 10 no’s you get one yes. I am blessed in that area. I just don’t stop.

If you are talking show’s as in craft fairs – there is a lot to that too.

Keep in mind – This. Is. A . Business. I treat it as such. All the things I do to choose my shows, are the same things that are done when a new business decides to set up shop in a new town. When I hunt down the show schedule there are a few things to consider. What type of show, where is the show (demographically), what is the cost, what is the show attendance, how far of a drive is it….

It may appear cold but I have to put all of this into consideration. What type of show – is it full of food vendors, and rides? That is not a good show for my craft. Families will show up, spend all their money on food and ride tickets and not spend it on a bauble.

Where is the show, I actually do a census check on the location of the show. What is the employment rate, what is the mean wage, what is the major employer in that area. Lets face it. I am doing a show to make money. I have a craft that is a luxury, if the demographic does not fit, I can’t afford to go.

What is the cost? I have to triple the amount of my application fee to make my money. So cost is a big one. This includes my gas, if I eat out or take a lunch and will I actually have to spend the night.

What is the show attendance – if over the years there has been an average of 20K ppl flood into the show, I am so there. if the show averages 6k, I am gonna give it a long thought before applying.

Thank you so much, Tish for agreeing to be my first interview! I have really enjoyed getting to know you better.

Tish has a facebook fan page – Just A Tish Jewely Designs (yes it is spelled "jewely" on purpose). It would be wonderful if you'd become a fan, friend her blog, follow her on Twitter and, of course, look at her beautiful work and maybe buy some, too!