Bead Fairs and Shows
If you're in the UK, please visit us for a MrBead bag & a free gift at one of our bead fairs during May & June.
Visit us today, Sunday 11th May 2014 at the George Hotel, Arlington Lane, Norwich NR2 2DA - for details click here. All our 2014 fairs here.For Free Shipping off anything enter NORWICH in the box at checkout, and click "Redeem Coupon". Use
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Bead Shows & Fairs
There’s no business like show business - bead shows are a blast! But they can also be treacherous territory for first timers, compulsive shoppers, and anyone who hasn’t been working out at the gym.
Wholesale
In the UK, wholesale and retail bead fairs are
combined, so anyone can buy wholesale. In the US, there are two kinds of
bead shows: wholesale and retail. You will need the right credentials to
get into the wholesale shows, where really big bead vendors and importers
exhibit. In the States, make sure you bring photo ID and at least one copy
of your resale license so you can register for wholesale.
Retail
UK
and American retail
shows are made up of mostly smaller exhibitors, typically very varied.
Selling loose and strand beads, one-of-a-kind readymade jewellery, antique,
and other specialty items like bead books, storage boxes, and accessories.
Most shows will charge a small entrance fee, usually reduced or free for
toddlers.
Energetic
If you haven’t been to the gym lately, drink a mocha
espresso latte before you go. You’ll need the energy to walk the entire floor!
It’s also a good idea to take some sort of trolley bag so you don’t get
tired huffing bags of heavy beads around all day.
You’ll also need a pen and paper for notes.
Grab a map or list of exhibiters before
you go in, you will need this to organize the best places to buy from.
Some buyers like to bring some of their own beads to match colours and shapes.
It's easy to imagine a design if you can get the colours right, and you may even
get a few new ideas to use.
Take
Time
When
you enter the show you’ll see rows and rows of bead vendors, all sitting next to
one another in little booths or behind tables. Some of the larger exhibitors
rent many booths making a huge presence - but don’t miss out on the little
sellers, they often feature handmade items you won’t find anywhere else.
You’ll probably be overwhelmed at the variety of things to buy.
So walk the entire show before you get
anything.
Each exhibitor has name or a number which you can write down so you can revisit. Use a pen to circle those vendors you know you don’t want to miss and later beeline to them first. If you're with a friend, it’s a good idea to walk the show solo so you don’t waste time lingering at booths you’re not interested with – you can meet up for a drink later, compare the bargains found, and scope out items you may have missed. Keep moving to stay focused and get through the show faster. After seeing all the stalls, sit down and go through your list. Get yourself some lunch and a drink.
Money
If
you’re a compulsive shopper:
review your stash and make a list of things you need before you go. This
prevents getting home to find you’ve spent good money on something you already
have. Bring cash, as many
exhibitors won’t take credit cards and you are less likely to get carried away
with “real money”! Give yourself a
budget and withdraw small notes, as many vendors run out of change. Stop
spending when you run out. For those
expensive must-have items, a check book is useful with a check guarantee card.
Most sellers will accept this payment and you are less likely to
overspend than with a card.
If you intend to buy a lot of beads at a fair, it’s a good idea to call your credit card companies to let them know, especially if you are going to a show in another country. This saves the inconvenience of having payments declined. When there are charges on your card from many different cities and/or countries in a short amount of time it looks like fraud. If you are going to another country, make sure you bring a calculator to convert prices to the currency you understand best.
Chat
Talk to the vendors to educate yourself.
It will help you make better choices, curbing your natural tendency to
buy on impulse. Some sellers with
online stores may offer discount codes to use on their website within a few days
of the show - these are always worthwhile making a note, plus you can choose
leisurely when you get home. Keep exhibiters business cards and leaflets
together in one bag so they don't get lost - or if you buy, keep in the bag with
the purchase.
Many
shows offer beading classes. These
workshops are a great way to learn techniques and projects you might not
encounter in your home town. Bead
fairs are also a great place to stock up on bead books, threads, boxes, and
other bead accessories which are hard to find elsewhere.
You can find where the shows are by Googling in your area - key “bead
fair” or bead shows” + your location over say 100-miles.
However, be prepared to travel, as the best shows are likely to be miles
away. Especially in Britain where
there is a shortage of bead shows, although more are being organized every year.
If you can't find a bead-only show, then go to a craft fair with bead
exhibiters.
Record
Keep receipts
in the same bag as the beads you buy, so you know how much they cost when you
get home. It’s also a good idea to
take a large felt-tip pen to write the price directly on the bag yourself – this
is especially useful if you are in a country where you don’t understand the
writing. If you are flying home
and are worried about being overweight, bring a lot as hand luggage.
Wholesale beads will be very heavy, but not bulky: carry-on bags don’t
get weighed at the airport! We
sometimes carry over 18 kgs (40lbs) on the plane in a pilot’s bag with wheels.
In the US
One last tip: If you are buying wholesale in the US, get
your resale number printed on business cards with all your contact information
to leave with merchants so you don’t have to wait while they copying everything
down. To make sure you always have a copy of your resale license, shrink a copy
down to a size that can fit in your wallet, and have it laminated.
Best
Shows
The
largest bead show in the world is in Tucson, Arizona, every February.
In the UK the largest bead show is
The Big Bead Show at Sandown Park, West London. For the best list of British
bead fairs click UK Bead
Shows.
See Us In the UK For a Free Gift!
After being shut away in a little office answering e-mails, we love to see customers!
Visit us in the UK and say you're a MrBead Newsletter reader, and we'll give you a MrBead bag & a free gift!
Sunday 11th May 2014 - Norwich MrBead Bead Show with The
Bead Queen - George Hotel, Arlington Lane, Norwich NR2 2DA
Saturday 17th
May 2014 - The Luton MrBead Bead Show - Stockwood Hotel, Stockwood Crescent,
Luton LU1 3SS
Sunday 18th May 2013 - The North East Bead Show - Holiday
Inn, Great North Road, Seaton Burn, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE13 3BP
Sunday
1st June 2013 - Cheshire Bead Fair - Nantwich Civic Hall CW5 5D
Sat & Sun
7th-8th June 2014 - Gem 'n' Bead Fair, Kempton Park Racecourse, Sunbury,
London TW16 5A
We will
also be calling at some beading groups. If you would like us to call on your
group, please e-mail or tweet Nigel, or phone
after 24th April 07576134264.
For details of all our 2014 bead fairs
click
here
See a video of some of our past bead fairs
&
RRead about the man
behind MrBead and watch him make a fool of himself.
See his new site at /span>NigelHayMckay.com and read his blog on views of the
Nigel's blog is now fully
functional at NigelHayMckay.com/blog
- please join in & comment!
For Free Shipping
off anything enter NORWICH in the box at checkout, and click "Redeem
Coupon". Use
For all What's New
click MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk
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