I have been through the issues of speaking to African bead sellers to help them understand what may be happening. Usually, I am raked and told I "don't know anything about beads" (this in spite of having demonstrated my familiarity with the rest of their merchandise).

Way back in 1976, I tried to civilly tell an African that all of his "amber" beads were really plastic. In fact it happened a few times. But it doesn't take very many times to realize that a closed mind is not open to new information. Of course, the exact same thing has happened many times with many other folks as well. These days, I try to advise people who want help. The rest I leave to themselves, or to someone they can believe who may be informed.

What your friend is going to do to continue to make a living is to learn about the bead market, and make better choices. It can be a hard-won battle, sometimes.

Jamey