Trollbeads bracelet, sold at Swagger
Beyond Words charms, sold at Carolina Silver
The look began to disappear from the fashion scene during the early 1970s when disco and bare gold chains became the rage. By the mid-1980s, bracelets that had been out of circulation for decades were showing up in antique stores and flea markets – much to the delight of enthusiasts. and the boom in collectibles in the 1990s caused demand for vintage charms and charm bracelets to skyrocket. a gold charm purchased for $10 in 1950 now easily commanded $70-$80. vintage charms with moving parts often sold for over $100 apiece and were highly prized by serious collectors. Even with the advent of massive buying and selling arenas like eBay, prices for vintage gold charms remain strong and show no sign of decline. as recently as 2001, the fashion industry again discovered the lure of the charm bracelet with modular pieces that built on the success that ‘add a Bead’ necklaces had in the 80s. local jewelry aficionado melissa messer is a self-proclaimed Trollbeads addict. “For some people, it’s shoes or purses. For me, it’s my Trollbeads,” she says. The proud owner of two charm bracelets and a necklace, messer studies the catalogs to find pieces that are not only beautiful but have special significance. one of her favorites is the ‘pax’ bead featuring a dove with an olive branch in its mouth and its wings wrapped around the Earth. “That’s more than just your traditional peace sign,” she says, “and the colors of the glass beads speak to me.” as a nurse who has worked in pediatrics as well as labor and delivery, messer is also drawn to the ‘woman’ bead which illustrates the transformation through the different phases of womanhood. “From playing with dolls, to coming into your own, to having a baby – i understand how powerful women are in their own right. That bead spoke to me because it applies to events in my life,” she says.
u SWAGGER GIFTS Trollbeads “The Original since 1976.” It’s no coincidence that Trollbeads tagline is “Every story has a bead,” because every one of the beads has a story associated with it – from the ‘three siblings’ and ‘faith, hope and charity’ to the ‘forget me not.’ Each bracelet is unique and tells your story. For example, my husband and I recently moved out of the country. The day before I left, my mother gave me the ‘forget me not’ bead. Now, every time I look down at my bracelet I think of her and it makes me happy. We offer a variety of beads and believe people purchase the silver, gold, and silver/gold combinations for the story and the colorful Italian glass beads because of their beauty. Some shoppers start with a favorite color and continue with that theme, while others simply collect what they like and then switch beads to match a mood or attire. Swagger recently created a “What’s Your Story” scrapbook so customers can show off their bracelet, identify favorite beads, and reveal why their bracelet is special to them. It has been a lot of fun for us getting to know the Trollbead community.
Melissa Messer’s Trollbeads bracelet
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4/19/10 4:36:15 PM