I envy bead collectors who can roam the world. Such a life is not possible for me. It is the blessing of the internet that has enabled me to find a few of my bead collecting goals. The way I search is tedious and boring. I do so because of other super-collectors who seem to outbid me on everything. They are always there, sometimes announcing their presence with first bids, sometime lurking quietly until the end. So often I am runner-up, and sometimes my bid does not show at all.

My means are very limited. I pay with time spent searching. I must find the small pathways through the internet to hunt my quarry. The highway of treasures is occupied by more aggressive collectors.