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Beadazzled
2 reviews for Beadazzled
There are lots of reasons to give this place 5 stars, including:
- Perhaps the most amazing collection of semi-precious bulk and single beads I've ever seen... we are talking gemstones, pearls, glass, czech, cinnabar, bali silver, swarovski, the list goes on.
- The store is very well organized by color and, along the back wall, type.
- Also hosts a large selection of findings, wire, chains, tools, etc.
- Lots of pre-made jewelry to inspire or purchase, too!
- Beautiful selection and display that is inspiring and adventurous.
- In a fun part of town with decent street parking.
But, I can't give Beadazzled 5 stars because:
- The prices are a bit up there. Granted, the location is in downtown Baltimore, but still. (Which is why I so easily spent over $100 in one visit!)
- The staff seemed to look down on me. I guess my $100+ purchase was not good enough to get good customer service? Though the two ladies behind the counter technically helped me, they seemed to have an attitude and corrected half the stuff I said about the beads I was buying. Guess they never heard that the customer is always right (esp. one who has her own jewelry biz)?
- They wouldn't let me take a picture. I flat out asked and they flat out said no. I also praised the store to all the employees I spoke with and they could seem to care less that a customer, ie the one who pays their bills, liked their store. WTF?
That said, the pros really do outweigh the cons, though I can't let them get away unscathed. It's probably better that I do not live in Baltimore, as all my money would be lost in the sea that is this place.
I was randomly up in the Mt. Pleasant area for the Baltimore Book Festival and the sky was expressing its desire to prove books and water are a disastrous combination. My friend and I ducked into this shop to escape the downpour. I love bead stores, though rarely buy much because of the inflated prices. But here, the friendly salesgirls managed to talk me into spending $25 on a jade pendant stone shaped into a whale tail. Frankly, it was quite possibly the coolest bead in the entire store and I got caught up in the bead-euphoria.
Unlike other bead stores I had been in, this one was large and airy enough not to feel claustrophobic. They had a large collection of single loose beads but I was most impressed with their vast collection of focal beads, most of which were actually not too badly priced. This is definitely a store to remember next time I'm in the area, though I might have to leave the credit cards at home.