Irene

We watch with dread as Irene lumbers northward along the East Coast. Many old and new customers from OBX to Cape Cod must face the worst the Nature has to offer. We offer hope for less destruction and damage than weather pundits predict.

Business is good . . .

OK, here's the simple explanation for the lack of activity on your blog. Wow! the reception for our beads was amazing. Even now we are just filling orders for Caribbean customers whose season commences soon. An interesting sidebar is that Troll's booth was across the aisle from ours and they seemed to spend more time watching our slide show and steady flow of customers than serving their own customers.

Until recently, we found it necessary to work overtime, doing at least 5 1/2 days a week and sometimes more. The demand put a heavy burden on your small crew, but we managed to weather the wonderful storm and have added many new customers.

If there is any drop-off in the demand for bead we are not witnessing it. Most of your in-season customers are adding inventory in anticipation of their Labor Day Weekend. Several customers are promoting their custom beads as Christmas presents by adding online purchasing, flyers in bags and email lists. The price point and variety of beads seems to be keeping them as a viable purchase. We chose to maintain our pricing despite Silver's increased cost. This pleased customers and it seems like it was the right thing to do considering the current economic outlooks.

Heading to JCK Las Vegas 2011

The preparation for JCK Las Vegas 2011 is done and we're on our way to the show. After twenty years it has moved. We faced this show with anxiety and positive anticipation.

Finding old friends is going to be an adventure. We have created a downloadable pdf map showing the way to our booth (B5273) in the "Fashion" section of the Bayside pavilion, but it may still come down to basic exploration.

You can download an 8 x 10 copy of the map here.

On the positive side is the warm reception our Charm Beads™ have received. Our line has broadened, both in our "generic" beads and in the custom work we do. Below are links for both our generic and custom beads.

Reller's Charm Beads

Reller Custom and Localized Beads

Of special importance to Bernard is our recently developed relationship with the Sea Turtle Conservancy. These fine people work worldwide to preserve Sea Turtle nesting sites and Reller, Inc. is contributing two dollars from the sale of each of its S.T.C. Hatching Turtle Beads to the Conservancy. The text of our recent Press Release appears below.

NEW SEA TURTLE JEWELRY COLLECTION SUPPORTS CONSERVATION RESEARCH

Hatching Sea Turtle Charm Bead™ Rounds Out Reller's Sea Life Collection

Sea Turtle populations are an important indication of the condition of our marine environment and turtle nesting grounds are being impacted by coastal development around the world. A new collection of Sea Turtle jewelry seeks to raise awareness of the plight of these endangered species and support the work of the international nonprofit Sea Turtle Conservancy.

Gainesville, Florida - A Baby Sea Turtle emerges from her shell in this latest addition to Bernard Reller's Nautical Charm Bead Collection.

Inscribed with the letters STC, this new Bead marks Reller's alliance with the Sea Turtle Conservancy, an international, non-profit organization established in 1959 by famed Conservationist and University of Florida Zoology Researcher, Dr. Archie Carr.

Reller donates STC branded jewelry  for sale on the Conservancy's website (http://www.conserveturtles.org) and at their educational center in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, a twenty mile stretch of protected sea turtle nesting habitat along Florida's Treasure Coast south of Melbourne Beach.

STC branded items are also available for sale by retailers. Reller donates a portion of the proceeds from sales to support the work of the Sea Turtle Conservancy.

An avid SCUBA diver and treasure hunter, Reller's designs have long reflected his love of the sea. His Turtle Collection alone depicts half a dozen anatomically correct species in exquisite detail in the form of Pendants, Earrings, Bracelets and, now, Beads!

Reller's new Charm Beads are compatible with all popular bead bracelets and celebrate critters and landmarks of local interest, perfect for the Charm and Bead Collectors of the planet. View this extensive collection at www.RellerGold.com. All items are crafted in the Reller Studio in Gainesville, Florida.

A copy of the Press Release is available by following this link.

Here are some pictures from our broad collection of Turtle Charms and Beads.

We'll let you know our impression of the new location for JCK Las Vegas and of the state of the industry upon our return.

Aviation too . . .

Beads continue to be "In" and our Localized, Customized, Specialized, Ever-Growing line keeps us busy being beadaholic. We are still in the business of making Fine Jewelry with a Nautical or Aviation flare. Thus, when the Space Shuttle Discovery completed its final mission (STS-133) we made a 7/8 inch replica to acknowledge NASA's efforts.

Both items are available on one of our Sister-Sites; Aero-Gold.com. The Pendant is #10576 and is available in 14K Yellow Gold for $297 and Sterling for $59, The Earrings (30854) are $599 in 14K Yellow Gold and $119 in Sterling Silver

So, to the men and woman of NASA, we say "Thanks!"

Too Cool!

Occasionally something too cool for words shows up and requires, absolutely REQUIRES, that the usual order of events be ignored. It has happened now with two pieces of Sterling measuring a total of 3 cm in length. Our new Horse and Carriage Bead (13539) is a two part bead; the team of horses is hinged so they move. Remarkably, the wheels turn also! It will be surprising if it is not a big hit in places like Savannah, Charleston and New Orleans. Retailing for about $90, it is a perfect reminder of enchanted nights. The pictures below suggest, but cannot adequately show the detailing of this newest cool bead! So . . . here it is in the Blog before it appears for official sale on our website.

 

Another design is headed to The Cedar Chest in Sanibel. Frequent inquiries about "the next Sanibel Bead" can be answered with either of our two additions to their growing number of choices. One, an Oval Bead (13543), displays the distinctive Sanibel script on one side and a frolicking Dolphin on the other. The second Bead is a Scallop (13542) also inscribed with the Sanibel script. Both capture the spirit and sights of the Gulf Coast vacation retreat.

The process of creating stories in miniature has energized our enterprise. We hope our customers will continue to push us to be even more creative so we can answer the always-present-question, "what will they do next?"

The Beads Knees

The market has changed. Big news? No, just a fact of life in the jewelry business. The economy and personal tastes have always been factors in industry trends, but maybe not nearly as much as recently. For us the beginning of a significant change began more than three years ago when we created our first "large hole bead." Pandora and other bead makers were becoming very well known so it seemed the right direction to go, despite some internal dissention. Now . . . well we are Bead-aholics. Beadiacs. Even the Beads Knees!

Like Tennis Bracelets of the past, Beads are a passion. Unlike Tennis Bracelets, Beads show no decrease in momentum. We have sought to fill a niche with our localized, collectible and whimsical collection of miniature images and stories. Retailers can create Beads to match their customers' tastes and herald local events and attractions without massive investments. The result has been exciting. A visit to our Bead pages shows the diversity of designs. On our Regional Bead page are the wide variety of localized and customized beads, many of which have been developed for the exclusive use of retailers.

Below are some of our most recent Bead additions.

The Hatching Turtle Bead (13523) is a tiny work of art, capturing the scramble of a tiny turtle ready to begin its life at sea. Available as a part of our Nautical Collection, the Bead can also be localized with the addition of a name etched into the shell's underside. The Sanibel Hatching Turtle Bead is available at The Cedar Chest on Sanibel Island.

Being able to match Local Attractions and Tourism is a key to successful marketing and our Apalachicola Oyster Boat (13522) does just that. The distinctive style of the boat used extensively throughout Apalachicola Bay makes this Bead a serious collectible for visitors to St. George Island where it is available exclusively at Madinger Jewelers.