I usually look for pairs or small groups of matched beads when I shop. I also buy the occasional mixed lot or special single bead. Most of these beads came to me mixed with other beads.

The long oval with the gold foil and pale blue dots is my first collectible bead and is the bead that started the whole thing. I found it in an open box in the old funky Goodwill store. The box contained broken jewelry bits for 5 and 10 cents apiece. I put together the beginnings of a jewelry making kit by picking through the box for findings and loose beads. It drew me back to the store again and again over the years until a fire closed the store. Goodwill did not come back for another 6 years, and then in corporate guise with high prices, and certainly with no open boxes of junk jewelry.

Anyway, back to the dotted golden bead... I've seen only one other strand online, a necklace at auction which went for far more than I can afford, and those were round beads, not long ovals.

I think the green/gold oval with white core is Venetian. Please correct if I'm mistaken.

Two of those wed cakes go together, different sizes, just noticed it in the photo.

I've not seen another like the round yellow/red/green millie.