Fred - and others - what are other BCN members doing about their collections as they/we face the inevitable "estate planning" part of life? Since there are basically no more bead museums left (with the exception of Picards) what are your thoughts regarding disposal of your beads when the appropriate time comes? My remaining family member has no interest, and would be overpowered trying to dispose of such a complex collection. Do you suggest an auctioneer? Do you just name a charity you like and let them deal with the disposal? I am betting some of you are also considering this, and would really like to hear your thoughts.
Thanks Paul

My daughter will inherit my beads and most likely sell them off for well below what I paid for them, or when I retire and need the money I will sell them off for well below what I have paid for them. Either way someone will get a great deal and hopefully enjoy them as much as I have.
Wayne

Thanks Wayne
Unfortunately, my only potential heir definitely doesn't want anything to do with the collection. I guess one approach is to start selling them off well before the "last day", if only someone could tell me when that last day will be. Paul

Being just temporary custodians of these artifacts, we all must think about that...I've nothing in writing yet. But I am motivated lately to try to string everything possible to wear and enjoy...that will take awhile. I'm also trying to "destash" (an etsy term, I think) of what I haven't used in ages. There is a big pile of that category. Hard to move it on since the economy has tanked and creative types seem to be at home in front of their computers rather than going to flea markets anymore. At least in this area. Don't really wish to invest 1/2 hour per auction in stuff that will sell for 10.00, and much of it is not the sort of bead stuff that folks here on bcn would be into. I hope to take a small pile to our N. Ca. Bead Society members sale 8/26 and see if anyone besides Rosanna, Fred, Jaret and myself show up.

Anyway, I am planning not to pass on until the main pile is dispersed, leaving a few strands of fancies to throw into the incinerator with me when I'm cremated, and the best chevrons, agate, coral and chalcedony for Colin to enjoy. At age 3, when I was readying a strand of beads to put on eBay, he expressed interest...he said he'd like to have one...I gave him a chipped one I'd culled off the strand...his response..." I don't want THAT one, it's chipped!"

I think it was Dick Hughes who commented that anyone who buys and sells rubies has a safe with a little box of unsaleable "learning experiences" in the back.

The article in the attached link is a priceless read.

For me, collecting beads was a good investment. Granted, I had about thirty plus years worth of collecting in my collection and was glad I did. When I lost a "job" I had during the worst time of un-employment selling my beads kept me afloat for a whole year. However, I have always had a knack for turning hobbies into profitable businesses.

I am JUST beginning, as in just became fully interested 2 months ago. Before that I had my hands full learning about all the rocks and crystals nature gives. I am hoping it WILL BE a good investment for me. Basically, I make a modest living but spare no expense with materials for my business (real business people would laugh at my "margins"as they call them....I like to use the best of everything I can find). I needed a hobby that I could also have as a tax write off. Falling in love with antique beads works for that perfectly. I am adding these treasures to the necklaces and wire wrapped crystals I make. But I get to hold them, play with them, learn about them and maybe wear a few of them for myself :) They are certainly things of incredible beauty, powerful history, and they just carry an energy of largeness- hard for me to put into words. Old things, beads- books- fabrics, they feel different to me- very peaceful and large. Wish me luck that I don't go broke learning ;)

When I asked my pa if my home would be a good investment he replied "buy a house because you want to live there." I bead because it is my obsession. This obsession affords me an expansion to understanding our roots, an education in history, and an interaction with cool people!... Also, I'd say, my beads have been a good investment.....................................................My latest acquisition:

That bead is GORGEOUS! Look at the shimmering iridescent patina! Is it one of those older Islamic glass eye beads that people often pair with the Djenne dig beads I am in love with?

I was up late last night, like 3 am sitting in bed with my stash of 'Roman' Bactrain Kingdom glass, using brass brushes, pins and other knick knacks to carefully scrape away the ugly part of the patina and reveal all the gorgeous iridescent stuff underneath :) I was covered in sparkles when I was done and the pieces were glowing with rainbows! That iridescent stuff is magical...its pixie dust! ;)

I just received the bead, shipped from Jerusalem. I guess it to be from the expansive era referred to as Roman period. I wish I could watch a fast forward video of its life.

Nice to meet you, hope you find the utmost enjoyment from this site.

Jake

Thanks Jake, yes it is the kind of bead I was thinking of, as can be seen here only yours has really amazing iridescence compared to these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400082478675?
ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_500wt_923

Nice to meet you too :) Stay happy!

When I started selling beads in 1990 I did it for a living. I was introduced to the collectors bead world by Bully Jawara. I still remember the first strand of real good beads he ever showed me, a full strand of large multi-color millefiori tabular ovals (didn’t buy it but wish I had). Over the years I have had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people through the common bond of the love of beads and have seen and handled some amazing beads. By the time I closed my store in 2002 financially I did not have anything to show for it. But I did have a lot of beads and Bully told me as long as I have beads I will have money. Over that last decade I have embarked on 2 different careers not bead related but beads have been a constant in my life and have become pure hobby for me and a great joy. I sell when I feel like it and I buy when I see something I like and feel the price is reasonable. I love communicating with other bead people and seeing their beads and hearing their stories, it is a great community to be a part of. So when I look back at what I have spent on beads over the years and compare it to what I have gained both tangible and non-tangible I see it as a worthwhile investment.
Wayne

Beads are a fun adventure in culture and history. They can take you where you might normally never be able to go. They are fun too look at, great to touch, create wonderful discussions with fellow bead lovers and even total strangers. I believe beads are an investment in life. But if you plan on buying beads with hopes of making money, that is alwyas a gamble. So do not buy beads just for that reason. Love them and if need be, let some go. Sell a few to make up for the ones you wish to keep or hold on to for awhile.

I saw Fred’s comments regarding the collecting of beads and had to put some of my thoughts in the thread.

Back in 1977 just prior to Suzi and I bailing out of California we were at a mall (closest mall now is a 260 mile round trip) just looking around and having fun. We walked by a store that had a going out of business sign so we decided to have a look. The store was a bead store with all kinds of different beads, on a table near the entrance there were boxes of mixed beads, one of the boxes had many beads from the African trade, it was plenty cheap so we bought it, well this started us down the long road to many wonderful beads since.

We never looked at beads as an investment to make money more an investment in having wonderful things to fondle and share, surly some of the beads we purchased over the past 35 years have become rare and valuable which is nice but still we buy (eye candy) and if this candy pleases us that is all that matters.

Right now I am in the process of redoing a 100 square foot room in the house that will be our first bead room, we have never had our entire collection out on display so we could enjoy it every day, needless to say both of us are quite excited. I expect the room to be done in the near future and then the fun begins .......... We get to unpack all the beads stashed in various places. I am sure we will have some surprises while sorting through the many thousands of beads and also many smiles when we remember past adventures.

Every year at Tucson beads have been purchased and brought to their new home, whenever we have trader friends visit almost always new beads end up here. Must be an addiction but as most of you know its hard to pass up a cooooool bead.

Below is an image of a bead that was in the box on the table, I wore this bead for quite a few years daily and believe me that it is still one of my favorites. Also a top view of one of our bead stashes. Once the bead room is set up I will post a few images of it for all to see.

All my best ............. Danny

I don't even want to think of it!

I love reading everyone's thoughts, and I agree with everybody!

Bead sales replaced my straight job quite nicely for a couple of years when our son was young. That was a great help while it lasted.

In the years this forum has been on line, not only have I acquired more great beads, but many great Bead Friends! Over the whole world! This forum IS an Extremely active global bead society. It's amazing. So thanks, everyone! Thanks so much for letting me have endless conversations, on BCN, live, telephone, and via email where I don't have to feel like I have to think or talk about anything but beads! It's where the addiction itself becomes the medicine, or is it vice-versa?!

Whenever I tell my customers that they have enough beads and may as well stop collecting: they disagree and kind of laugh about it...I feel convinced that "it is the process and not the product."...You all add to my enjoyment every day. Thank you.

I don't quite know how it happened, but it seems as though beads have taken over my life, including my time, my house and my holidays.
And I love it!

I have made money from beads a few years ago, but not with collectible beads. I would import beads from for example China and India and make them into sets that people could subscribe to for a monthly 'bead fix'. It would always include instructions on how to make jewelry with them. It was something I did besides a 'day job' but it was pretty succesful. I quit doing this when I started my new job that would take more of my time. No regrets, it was fun while it lasted. And, it paid for a whole lot of bead knowledge and my first trip to Tucson.

There are a few beads that I bought at a price that was probably too high. And in the last few years there have been quite a few bargains that I managed to get my hands on. I guess that my collection by now will be pretty valuable, but it's the value to me personally that is the great treat. Every bead brings back memories of trips or of people, or is part of a greater history.

At times, I am pleased that I do not have to look at beads commercially. It is all about what I like, what I can learn from, or beads I can make something out of. I'm not saying I'll never sell beads again, but it is not why I collect.

Currently I am educating myself in beadwork, both the history and the techniques. t is a completely new field for me. I am using for example old glass reflectors and beautiful cabochons from my Jablonec trip to bezel with beads as part of my own beadworking experiments.

To me, that is collecting at it's best: going travelling, finding cool stuff, learning new things and making something interesting. And sharing what you find and learn on this great forum!

I think about this more and more as I get older...

I collect not only beads, but dabble in native artifacts as well. On another forum related to such, similar threads to this have popped up, asking "What do I want to happen to my collection when I pass? My kids couldn't care less."

Native artifacts (lithics), even with good provenance, are not wanted by most museums. Too may times, "Grandpa's arrowheads" donated in good faith to a museum, end up gathering dust in a warehouse, go to someones private collection, or are simply destroyed. Good examples can be extremely expensive, but only to the right buyer. Beads are a very similar situation.

I'm starting to think that the "nightmare" scenario that some envision (OMG, my stuff might end up in a garage sale somewhere!) might be the best case scenario. So...someone "discovers" my beads for a few dollars at a garage sale. How exciting is that? Someone picks up a ready-made collection of arrowheads at an auction for cheap...how can that be a bad thing? A young person, excited by a newfound hobby, gathering knowledge as they go...how else can someone with limited resources enter this hobby? When I began, it was precisly because it was a relatively CHEAP way to own a bit of the past. That has changed, and it's a shame, really.

Perhaps a person should think about how their collection can best be used to stimulate interest in younger people, make them think, inspire them to research...and enrich their lives.

Can't take it with you...

I like the thought behind this last message! I guess that's because I've always hoped I would be able to sell (& profit, yes) my collection of antique tribal jewelry/silver & beads before I left this earth. But the positivity behind your message is so inspiring, since what I have always loved about my pieces is the fact that they did mean so much to their past owners! Knowing that my beads or my amulet was in someone's hands, many years ago, bringing them power, blessings, safety & even just happiness is the best part of this love of mine. So, I now too feel okay with the fact that if my pieces are not sold to a "real" collector for a profitable amount, that they will end up in someone else's hands who really just loved them, if even for just a few coins! Thank you for that inspiration!! Lynne

You're welcome, I'm sure!

My own interest in beads was inspired by the gift of a single Blue Russian from a total stranger. I was entranced. For years I struggled to find items to add to my collection, combing flea markets and questioning people, meeting so many interesting individuals... the beads became almost secondary to the quest.

With the advent of the internet and eBay, it became a simple case of "how much money do you want to spend".

It was a lot more fun when it was cheaper and more challenging. ;)

I'm not a philanthropist, Lynne, and I've done my share of selling on eBay...profits are not evil. But as I get older, the more pleasure I derive from seeing beautiful and cherised objects go to "the right person". You'll see; that person always comes along eventually. And you'll know that something you thought you owned...you were only holding for them.

Beads can be a great investment.....luck, skill, timing, connections, knowledge, detachment and available funds are all factors that determine if a bead deal can be a good investment or just an expensive addition to a collection. After many years of bead hunting and collecting and some selling, I can positively state that SOME of my buys were GREAT investments. I feel the big problem with collectors is WHEN do we let go of the "Keepers"?
An investment in a particular bead "for investment purposes" is only good if it brings a profit when we let it go. An investment in our knowledge is only good if use what we learn.
I collect beads for the story they hold and I only hope that whoever ends up with my "keepers" will enjoy them as much as I

Some really great comments here - I am reminded of the relatively recent (March - Sept 2010) auctions of the James Lewis collection. Something like 600 lots of beads were auctioned. I bought about 10 of these lots. I felt I got a good deal financially, but I also appreciated very much seeing what Mr. Lewis had collected, and how he had created necklaces to show off some of the best beads. One of the lots I won was a pile of brass and other metal beads and findings, which also proved to be of interest as I started to pay more attention to the various metal beads made in Africa, both new and antique. I learned a lot from handling most of the beads during the preview sessions as well.

I think the family was happy with the proceeds, and I know the auction house was very pleased with the results as well. Was the "retail" value of this huge collection realized? Not by a long shot, despite very active bidding on a few special items. However this wonderful collection has now passed into the hands of other collectors who, if I may speak for them, are very appreciative of the effort that Mr. Lewis put into collecting fine (and many not-so-fine) examples of African trade beads. His collection is now being enjoyed by many, who will then pass along the passion and interest in the beads to their next owners by the very act of keeping great beads together, thereby showing the art and design of the beads to their best advantage.

I think we can only hope to do as well with our own collections!

there are collectors that buy anything and everything within their interest,,,the good the bad and the ugly, and then there are those that only buy specifics, this sort of collector, a bead collector for example, would just buy italian beads, and then there are those that would buy only old italian beads, and then there are some that only buy the rarest of the old italian beads,,,but when its all said and done, collectors are collectors

Hope to never feel forced to recover money from beads. I'd be poor :(

Time is money and I have spent countless hours just fishing and not catching any.... but it is still rewarding.

I enjoy bead hunting, collecting and letting a very few go from time to time. My kids will have to deal with the "burden of the beads" when I'm gone, period.
But ya know, the thing about beads is they hardly take up any space, so keeping a box or two of beautiful little collectibles for my youngsters to paw through is an easy decision for me.

On another note, I find this was very easy to do and have taken pictures with prices I have paid for the beads. I printed the pictures too! This will serve as a real visual bead/price guide if they do decide to seek out buyers later on.

Bead are a good investment, that is if you invest in the ones I am selling. Cheers!