Re: Trollbeads glass for Pandora?

by trollmoll Sat Jul 16, 2011 5:30 pm

Brightonbelle wrote:....and maybe cost the same as UUs??

........and the silver???

THAT would bother me more than the size of the cores. Maybe I'm going against the prevailing opinions here but as long as the beads are not significantly bigger, the larger core is not an issue for me. I can see the upshot here, that some Pandora folks will take a second look at TB and move over. Perhaps it is a purely financial bottom-line decision, but in these competitive times, with cheap mass produced beads flooding the market, who can blame TB for trying to stay in the game? Artistically, TB is way ahead of the game, IMO, but outside of the Trollfans here, the reality is that other bracelet owners are simply not going to give TB a chance if they cannot use the beads on their bracelets. As for the Universal Uniques, I am so glad that they are available to all dealers, not just premier ones. Dealers with other lines can now stock them knowing that they will be able to sell them more widely. I used to have to spend half a day getting to a dealer with any OOAKs, which meant that I rarely got any. Now a silver dealer within 25 miles has the UUs and I look forward to visiting the store whenever they get new ones in. Some may have been a bit bigger, but not significantly so. To be honest, if diehard Trollies are not rushing out to get the UUs, at least I will have a shot at the choice ones!

by Fuzzyfeet Sat Jul 16, 2011 6:06 pm

Has anyone considered the possibility that all the glass in the new August release will have the larger cores?
.

I was just worrying about that Crying or Very sad

by plumbun Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:03 pm

Trolldog wrote:... I "might" have been able to tolerate an occasional universal unique, if it was just spectacular, but I am afraid this is just the beginning to the end....I hope I change my mind. I will buy artisian glass and drill my own stones. May have to buy the silvers. ....

Thank goodness we have TD's beautiful stones!! (Have my "good" eye on one right now!)

by Katzenmaiers Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:57 pm

back again after the movement of my store and some private trouble.

I also wanna say something because of the big cored UUs.
I get these UUs (see pics above) at thursday from my trollbeads representative. he opened the package at my store - he has not seen these UUs before and we both were wondering what's going on....UUs which look like Beads from the "normal" collection??!! we make a call to Trollbeads Germany....they are waiting for a statement of the HQ.

I am sure TB will not change the core size from the "normal" beads.
If I get more informations I will be back and let you know what they told me.

by Balaenanun Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:13 pm

Are the non-unique universal beads more expensive than the small core ones? Then it's wayyy too expensive for tiny glass stuff Sad

by Katzenmaiers Sat Jul 16, 2011 9:28 pm

there are still some normal-cored ooaks for 28 € (retailers must declare them with "2010 ooaks")
all new normal-cored ooaks will cost 39 €

UU's big-cored: 39 €

by Brightonbelle Sat Jul 16, 2011 9:39 pm

Are there interesting looking 28 Euro OOAKs or are all they all the dulerl types?

by workerB4troll Sat Jul 16, 2011 9:43 pm

Smaug wrote:From the real estate market we learned that Pandora is looking to open shops in 5 major Dutch towns... it is a big jump forward towards expansion in the Netherlands. Maybe Trollbeads is jumping on that wagon too.
Article: http://www.vastgoedmarkt.nl/nieuws/2011/07/12/Juwelenhuis-Pandora-zoekt-vijf-winkels

Are Pandora owners purists like many Trollbeads collectors are? Would they buy Trolbleads glass for their Pandora bracelets?

My experience is that most of them are not purest, they will buy what will fit on the bracelet!! A girl today was going to buy a UU but then her mother"thought" her bracelet should be silver and she bought a loon bead(in silver)

by Anita Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:59 pm

I've been an avid collector for five years but I'm really turned off by the latest thinking from Trollbeads. That, together with all the politics of distribution and the evermore frequent price increases, will in time, I feel, kill the brand. Either the Aagards are getting greedy or they are being very badly advised. I am looking more and more to unusual, quality artisan products where the makers actually care about what they produce.

by Balaenanun Sun Jul 17, 2011 12:00 am

Anita wrote:I am looking more and more to unusual, quality artisan products where the makers actually care about what they produce.

I understand you, I'm a new collector and I'm already starting to think like this. 39 euros is too much.

(post edited to keep only the sentence I wanted to quote)

by ZAKLINZ Sun Jul 17, 2011 1:30 am

I find a lot of this a little worrisome. I understand that for all intents and purposes Trollbeads are just jewelery, and TB is a company. I do feel however that TB beads are little works of art, and I feel as passionate about them as any avid art collector would about the works that they love. I have only been collecting for a short time but have invested a lot of time and money into a pretty sizable collection. All of the time doing so I have been thinking that it will be something that I can continue with for years to come.

I have always had a penchant for things that were a little against the norm. That is why I really fell in love with Trollbeads. They appeared to be much more unique, imaginative, more artistic, not-to-cute or "blingy".
I too, am hoping that TB is not deciding to conform to the boring and "designed for mass appeal" look of some of the other brands. I also don't like my glass beads to be terribly big (although I will use the larger ones on pendants) so am hoping that the core size stays small on the rest of the collection.

I feel that if the UUs are to remain just "crossover beads", and that is where the change will stop, then it might be a smart tactic to attract other brand collectors. But, if TB is planning on conforming to what the other brands have to offer, than what is left of their appeal to those of us so passionate about what they were before? Why risk a successful business to compete in a marketplace already overflowing with brands that look just like the other guy's? I think if TB stays true to what they have been in the past, the trend buyers will eventually stop buying, and the companies that they buy from will fold. The true passionate collectors will keep collecting what they love and keep encouraging others to love them as well, just as long as they have something to be passionate about.

by rainyday Sun Jul 17, 2011 1:55 am

And then I wonder if the new silvers will all have larger cores too? Like how the China Ltd silvers have a big core size...

If so I may have to finish off my glass & silver wishlist in the small core option. I don't want to convert my entire collection to large core now. I do find the large core beads a bit more "floppy" on my bracelet and also the glass averages a larger size in MM.

by sakyubc Sun Jul 17, 2011 8:53 am

I wear a leather bracelet at least 1/3 of the time. I want to be able to wear beads on both the leather and the bracelet. The larger cores do not work on the leather. Yes, I have beads that do not work on the leather, but I want to limit those to give me more choice with what I put on either bracelet type.

I am also disappointed to see beads that are regular designs sold as Universal Uniques. It is going to be even more difficult to understand what you are really buying.

by kionee Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:29 am

rainyday wrote:And then I wonder if the new silvers will all have larger cores too? Like how the China Ltd silvers have a big core size...

I'm bothered by the large core glass beads, but not by large cored silver beads, as long as they are sparse. There are more large cored silvers like the jugend. If they were to make the jugend and the Chine LE's small cored that would mean beads that are more heavy, more silver used and thus more expensive.

But I have to admit if I see a UU spirograph bead or beautiful colored champagne bubbles, I think I won't be able to pass on them ... Embarassed

by Katzenmaiers Sun Jul 17, 2011 11:54 am

I removed the UUs! I don't wanna sell these beads. First I wanna have a statement from the HQ. The situation is confused to customers and also to me as a retailer.

by LindaJo Sun Jul 17, 2011 3:09 pm

Good for you, Nadia!
I wish I had a local dealer who cares like you.

by Brightonbelle Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:14 pm

Trollbeads Baden-Baden wrote:I removed the UUs! I don't wanna sell these beads. First I wanna have a statement from the HQ. The situation is confused to customers and also to me as a retailer.

Thanks.

I find the beads that Diamonds4Ever listed recently as 'Uniques' confusing too. They seemed to include a lot of Floating Seeds and Honey Dawns. I bought a couple of Dillos but they seemed to have normal cores.

by Kensington Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:31 pm

Okay ... now I am really confused. I have read elsewhere that the large core production beads are fake beads which are being made in China. So what is true (are they fake or are trollbeads switching to the larger cores)? Rolling Eyes

by Brightonbelle Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:33 pm

I think that Trollbeads are now made in China?

by Kensington Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:37 pm

Brightonbelle wrote:I think that Trollbeads are now made in China?

Yes you are correct, trollbeads have been made in China for a very long time. Lise designs them and then they are made in China then sent to Denmark for quality control before being distributed.
I have read somewhere other than here that the large core production beads that are being discussed in this thread are fake beads that are being made in China and then sold (maybe on ebay) as being authentic ... so my question is "which one is it" LOL

by Brightonbelle Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:40 pm

Kensington wrote:
Brightonbelle wrote:I think that Trollbeads are now made in China?
Yes you are correct, trollbeads have been made in China for a very long time. Lise designs them and then they are made in China then sent to Denmark for quality control before being distributed.
I have read somewhere other than here that the large core production beads that are being discussed in this thread are fake beads that are being made in China and then sold (maybe on ebay) as being authentic ... so my question is "which one is it" LOL

Both might be true. There could be large core production Trollbeads and fakes which would be terribly confusing. Laughing

by Kensington Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:49 pm

Brightonbelle wrote:
Kensington wrote:
Brightonbelle wrote:I think that Trollbeads are now made in China?
Yes you are correct, trollbeads have been made in China for a very long time. Lise designs them and then they are made in China then sent to Denmark for quality control before being distributed.
I have read somewhere other than here that the large core production beads that are being discussed in this thread are fake beads that are being made in China and then sold (maybe on ebay) as being authentic ... so my question is "which one is it" LOL
Both might be true. There could be large core production Trollbeads and fakes which would be terribly confusing.

Oh no .... it could be both affraid

I have sent an email to trollbeads to ask for clarification ... will have to wait to see what they say (if anything) Rolling Eyes

by **BeadThrilled** Sun Jul 17, 2011 7:11 pm

As far as I know the Trollbeads glass is produced in China and probably also some other places.

What is worrying me is that these Trollbeads UU/large core production glassbeads have a core size that meets the mainstream of glassbeads that is currently produced in China.

Who can tell the difference between a Trollbeads UU/large core production glassbead and a similar looking non-Trollbead with a core of the same size? I've found quite a few Trollbeads collection/production (look-a-like) beads at Chinese producers.

I'm also worried that at some point my LD will not be selling the original core size Trollbeads anymore since the UU will be easier to sell, also to non-Trollbeads wearers.

So if TB is continuing on the large core size glassbeads they should at least improve on hallmarking these beads. We know from Macrow's beads it is possible to have decent stamps on the silver cores.
And also knowing how little glass beads with a silver core... Shocked

(made in China) cost it should not have to reflect on the price of the glass beads.

by Tinka Sun Jul 17, 2011 7:57 pm

It's really time now TB HQ gives us some anwers. It's so confusing what is going on, I don't like it at all.
Big cores, big beads, it's not for me and never will be.

by LoopyLou Sun Jul 17, 2011 8:11 pm

Tinka wrote:It's really time now TB HQ gives us some anwers. It's so confusing what is going on, I don't like it at all.
Big cores, big beads, it's not for me and never will be.

Trouble is Tinka, we never get a straight answer from TB HQ. Crying or Very sad