It is becoming a blur - and speeding by so fast. Monday, day 9 of the Gem Mall show. We survived the weekend with its hordes of local Tucson shoppers. Our booth was crowded and sales were brisk. Almost sold out of several different styles of product. Didn't bring enough.
Met last night with members of the Bead Collectors Network for dinner. Some are getting ready for leaving to go home.
Vendors from other shows are starting to come by the booth as their shows are over. Best Bead Show closed Sunday, as did To Be True Blue and Tucson Bead Show. Hopefully they will stop by to see us, tell us about their show experience, and if they made money buy some beads to restock.
We are now into the last 5 days of the show, and usually sales start to slow down. Most bead stores have come and gone. But with the weather that the East Coast and Mid West have been experiencing and with canceled or rescheduled flights many customers are still arriving. So it ain't over til its over!
We have been noticing that many large foreign booths are still heavily overstocked due to slow sales, so maybe the best deals are still to come as vendors lower prices to attract customers. J-Me is scared to leave the booth. (she might be tempted to spend money)
Monday, February 10, 2014
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Day 6 of the Tucson Gem Mall show.
Its Thursday, February 6th, and day 6 of our show at the Gem Mall (G&LW). By now, almost all the shows around town have opened.
The Whole Bead Show at the Vicount Suites
The Best Bead Show at the Kino Veterans Hall
To Bead True Blue at the DoubleTree
and The Tucson Bead Show at the Windmill.
The Holidome show opens today, also put on by G&LW, and traditionally empties all the other shows due to its huge draw. Luckily for us, everyone parks at the Gem Mall and walks or shuttles to the Holiday Inn which is 1 block away. Some customers will go immediately to the Holidome, then shop Gem Mall on the way back to their cars, others will shop Gem Mall first and then go on to Holidome when the morning crowds have subsided. Either way, we score!
Of course, all the other hotel shows along the I-10 freeway are open, some stay open until 11:30pm or even later, as long as customers are roaming around. Last night on our way back from dinner, we saw 3 vendors still selling in outside tents at Days Inn.
Lots of deals to be found, however, prices are higher than last year as China faces an economic slowdown and rising labor costs and environmental challenges. Same with India. Pearls seem to be very expensive. Hopefully as the show winds down prices will fall because the vendors want to sell and not ship their inventory back home or pay for storage.
Regardless of all that, new customers are flying in daily as cancelled flights from the East Coast and the Mid West are arriving, and it is good to see smiling, excited faces come by our booth to check out what we have to offer and scoop them up.
Our Show-
Feb. 1 - 14
Open Daily 10am to 6pm
G&LW Wholesale
Tucson Gem Show
Gem Mall Booth #1132
4475 South Country
Club Road
Tucson, AZ
Guy & J-ME will be at the ONE Location Together this year! Stop by and see our new look!
Special showing of
Paula Radke beads will be at our booth
The Whole Bead Show at the Vicount Suites
The Best Bead Show at the Kino Veterans Hall
To Bead True Blue at the DoubleTree
and The Tucson Bead Show at the Windmill.
The Holidome show opens today, also put on by G&LW, and traditionally empties all the other shows due to its huge draw. Luckily for us, everyone parks at the Gem Mall and walks or shuttles to the Holiday Inn which is 1 block away. Some customers will go immediately to the Holidome, then shop Gem Mall on the way back to their cars, others will shop Gem Mall first and then go on to Holidome when the morning crowds have subsided. Either way, we score!
Of course, all the other hotel shows along the I-10 freeway are open, some stay open until 11:30pm or even later, as long as customers are roaming around. Last night on our way back from dinner, we saw 3 vendors still selling in outside tents at Days Inn.
Lots of deals to be found, however, prices are higher than last year as China faces an economic slowdown and rising labor costs and environmental challenges. Same with India. Pearls seem to be very expensive. Hopefully as the show winds down prices will fall because the vendors want to sell and not ship their inventory back home or pay for storage.
Regardless of all that, new customers are flying in daily as cancelled flights from the East Coast and the Mid West are arriving, and it is good to see smiling, excited faces come by our booth to check out what we have to offer and scoop them up.
Our Show-
Feb. 1 - 14
Open Daily 10am to 6pm
G&LW Wholesale
Tucson Gem Show
Gem Mall Booth #1132
4475 South Country
Club Road
Tucson, AZ
Guy & J-ME will be at the ONE Location Together this year! Stop by and see our new look!
Special showing of
Paula Radke beads will be at our booth
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Tucson Gem Show at the Gem Mall 2014
Feb 2 thru Feb 4
The show is rocking, people are finding new goodies to take back to their stores and design with.
We have had little time to roam around the show, but while on trips to the rest room we were able to see some of the other vendor's booths and general activity at the show. Everyone seemed happy and busy; lots of new product on display and lots of excitement in the air. Gem Mall is the place to come shopping!
Everyday we see more customers rolling in and stopping by to say "Hi" and either begin shopping at our booth or saying they will be back later. Bead stashes begin to pile up under the back table.
By 4pm exhaustion begins to set in; by both us and our customers. Selling and buying beads is hard work. But think of all the great things you get to bring back to your customers....... it is endless.
Some of our new moon faces
Feb. 1 - 14
Open Daily 10am to 6pm
G&LW Wholesale
Tucson Gem Show
Gem Mall Booth #1132
4475 South Country
Club Road
Tucson, AZ
Guy & J-ME will be at the ONE Location Together this year! Stop by and see our new look!
Special showing of
Paula Radke beads will be at our booth
The show is rocking, people are finding new goodies to take back to their stores and design with.
We have had little time to roam around the show, but while on trips to the rest room we were able to see some of the other vendor's booths and general activity at the show. Everyone seemed happy and busy; lots of new product on display and lots of excitement in the air. Gem Mall is the place to come shopping!
Everyday we see more customers rolling in and stopping by to say "Hi" and either begin shopping at our booth or saying they will be back later. Bead stashes begin to pile up under the back table.
By 4pm exhaustion begins to set in; by both us and our customers. Selling and buying beads is hard work. But think of all the great things you get to bring back to your customers....... it is endless.
Some of our new moon faces
Open Daily 10am to 6pm
G&LW Wholesale
Tucson Gem Show
Gem Mall Booth #1132
4475 South Country
Club Road
Tucson, AZ
Guy & J-ME will be at the ONE Location Together this year! Stop by and see our new look!
Special showing of
Paula Radke beads will be at our booth
Then sunday we had a lovely dinner with many of our friends in the Bead Collectors group. They come from all over the world and meet in Tucson to share ideas, beads, and history of both ancient and new beads. We all love beads!!
On Wednesday February 5th, J-Me was roaming the Gem Mall and stumbled on a Booth run by an Afghani antique bead collector who had a small booth he was sharing with someone. She picked out 2 strands of 3,000 year old beads.
Then she told me to go look. BIG mistake! I picked out some absolutely fabulous silver Turkeman tribal beads and buttons that I just had to have. I'm not a bead collector. I'm not. Damn it!
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Tucson Gem Show - Jan 28, 29, 30, 31 and Feb 1.
January 28 and 29 we just relaxed around camp, BBQ'd, slept, met new friends, explored the lapidary shop and pottery shop on site. This campground is amazing! Besides the 2 shops I just mentioned, there is also a sewing shop, stained glass shop, woodworking shop, lapidary shop, library, coffee room with free coffee and tea, 2 swimming pools, 2 hot tubs, shuffle boat, laundry room, 3 halls for bingo, ballroom dancing and other events, and probably more. There is an amazing outdoor railroad set up for the toy train enthusiasts. The list goes on.
In the afternoon we drive around town and scope out other shows that are already open for business or still setting up but customers are milling around trying to scoop up early sales. Fun.
Then on Jan 30 and 31 we began setting up our booth at the Gem Mall, along with everyone else. Trucks, cars, trailers everywhere, all trying to get as close to their door into the tent as possible. Dollies, push carts, forklifts all wizzing around loaded with tubs, boxes, pallets of beads. People from China, India, The States (all 50 of them), Indonesia, Africa, Australia, everywhere.... milling around, talking, shouting, greeting old friends, giving orders to workers and husbands, spilling boxes on the ground and then madly picking up the contents. Uniformed police security walking around watching, customers sneaking in for early buying opportunities, workers going booth to booth looking for jobs. Madness, excitement, adrenaline pumping, chaos and organization all mixed into one. Back breaking work. More than once hearing and saying "I'm getting too old for this!"
Two guys we used as muscle helpers to unload!!
But by 7pm on the 31st we close up our booth and head home to the RV for dinner and last minute sign making, etc... the show opens in the morning! The reason we are all here.
Feb 1- day one of the show!! It was jamming and humming with so many people. They lined up to get signed in for their badges and all of a sudden, just 20 minutes before opening- the rain just pored down! People ran for cover, had books over their heads and some went to sit back in their cars.
As quickly as it started, the rain stopped. Customers came flooding in to go shopping!
Guy Showing off our lovely American Turquoise.
In the afternoon we drive around town and scope out other shows that are already open for business or still setting up but customers are milling around trying to scoop up early sales. Fun.
The sunset that evening was very nice.
Then on Jan 30 and 31 we began setting up our booth at the Gem Mall, along with everyone else. Trucks, cars, trailers everywhere, all trying to get as close to their door into the tent as possible. Dollies, push carts, forklifts all wizzing around loaded with tubs, boxes, pallets of beads. People from China, India, The States (all 50 of them), Indonesia, Africa, Australia, everywhere.... milling around, talking, shouting, greeting old friends, giving orders to workers and husbands, spilling boxes on the ground and then madly picking up the contents. Uniformed police security walking around watching, customers sneaking in for early buying opportunities, workers going booth to booth looking for jobs. Madness, excitement, adrenaline pumping, chaos and organization all mixed into one. Back breaking work. More than once hearing and saying "I'm getting too old for this!"
Two guys we used as muscle helpers to unload!! But by 7pm on the 31st we close up our booth and head home to the RV for dinner and last minute sign making, etc... the show opens in the morning! The reason we are all here.
Feb 1- day one of the show!! It was jamming and humming with so many people. They lined up to get signed in for their badges and all of a sudden, just 20 minutes before opening- the rain just pored down! People ran for cover, had books over their heads and some went to sit back in their cars.
As quickly as it started, the rain stopped. Customers came flooding in to go shopping!
Guy getting those last minutes items to put out on the tables.
We will be selling Paula Radke's beads at our booth!!!
Some of our amazing high end stone beads!
Guy Showing off our lovely American Turquoise.
The day went by wonderfully fast. Many people found beads, buttons, baskets and more at our booth. We made some very happy people today!
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