cherrytreebeads.com

We are busy planning our next trip to China for September.  We normally try to go just after the Bead and Button Show in June but couldn’t work out the travel plans this year.  With the Olympics and the earthquake tragedy the flights got very expensive and the hotel accomodations were tight as well. 

Another new issue is the difficulty in getting business travel visas.  The Chinese government is now requiring an invitation letter stamped by the Chinese Ministry along with hotel reservations and a receipt of purchased airline flights before they will issue a visa.  We have everything in order now but have too many shows until September.

I usually travel with my friend David Whone from Bead Dreams of NY.  I feel much safer traveling with someone.  I will be traveling with David again this Fall.  In addition, I think we may have several other friends joining us.  Robert from C&S Beads has traveled with me before and may come along and David Sterling from Rare Earth has shown interest in visiting this year also.

We are going to be in Hong Kong during the September Jewelry Show this year.  I have not been to the show for 5 years but think it may be worth going back.  You can usually see the latest products at this show but the prices are not as good as those in Tucson.  In Tucson they are much more willing to sell a full lot, table or booth than in HK.  In HK they can just take it back to their factory or showroom without liquidating the stock.  A major drawback to traveling to China during the HK Jewelry Show is that the factories and showrooms are often closed because they are attending the show also.  This limits the number of locations we can visit.  We will overcome this by traveling further into China to visit more remote factories.

Please let Jenn or me know if you are looking for anything special for the Fall or Spring and I will try to source it for you.  I normally don’t receive the goods I contract for in the Fall until Tucson, so expect some delays unless I can find it in ready stock.

I hope to blog about the advantages/disadvantages of shopping in China vs. Tucson soon.  I have been going to China for 5 years now and think I have some valid input on the subject.  Keep an eye out for the article!

Hope you get a chance to check out our new items on the website (www.cherrytreebeads.com).  Hope to hear from you soon!

Bill

As I sit down here to write my first post to my blog, I’m taking a break from my preparations for the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee.  My daughter Beth will be traveling with me this year.  We will be heading out on Monday afternoon and will stopby our office in Asheville to visit Jenn and pick up Adriana.

We have some very nice new products for the show this year.  I have just received a large order from China which includes several new stones for us.  One of the most interesting is a new chrysocolla from Madagascar.  I found this stone in Tucson in the spring.  One of the reps from a Chinese factory had 2 hanks on their table.  It was only available in a nugget but even in this small shape I could see it was special.  We placed an order with the factory and received it just in time for the show.  I hope you get a chance to stop by the booth or look on the website (www.cherrytreebeads.com) to check it out.

Several other stones that we have received our full line of shapes are Brazilian Agate, Iron zebra jasper, gray agate, and sardonyx.

For those of you traveling to Bead and Button for the first time you are in for a treat.  I believe this is the best bead show of the year!  You get to see the premier bead suppliers all in one venue.  This is much different from Tucson where things are spread all over the city and many of the vendors are fly-by-night suppliers who only do the one show a year.  Many of the vendors at Bead and Button have been established for many years and are consistent suppliers year round.

You will find vendors at this show to meet almost any need.  We at Cherry Tree Beads specialize in gemstone beads and glass beads but you will find vendors who specialize in many other areas including clasps, findings, tools, silver, shell, pearls, seed beads, pendants, cabichons, buttons and everything else you can imagine.

I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends again!  I hope you can join us.

See you soon,

Bill