Yuck! Just watched the Moraccan bead maker video on you tube! Ok that did it! I'm never going to look at these awful plastic beads again. There are actually a couple of African trade bead vendors who appear at local bead shows.. They have a few (terribly overpriced) good Venetian glass , shell and coral strands mixed in with reproductions. But today's young beader is confused by the whole situation. To me, most of the genuine trade beads have been imitated, infiltrated or otherwise corrupted at this point. Maddening to a jewelry designer who uses the real thing because the average buyer is clueless. I'm going to pull in the oars and save my good beads until the dust settles.. (if that's even a possibility?)