When entering Beads and Things, located in a small maroon house on Shafer Street, prepare to be greeted to by the smell of incense and the wail of classic blues wafting from the stereo. Shelves loaded with beads and curious press against the walls. Colorful beads dangle from racks in the center of the room, creating a crystalline rainbow. The store, a hidden gem of Athens, offers choices that can stymie even the most skilled beader.
Founded in 1990 by Joey Merkle and her partner Phil Berry, Beads and Things started in the living room of their house. Merkle and Berry set up shop because they felt that Athens needed a bead store. After getting everything together in six months, the pair sold seed beads and things from their travels. The collection grew and the store ended up taking over the ground floor.
Since the store opened, Merkle and Berry have traveled the world in search of products. The partners go on trips throughout the year to trade shows in New York and Detroit. Every winter, they go to a major trade show in Tucson, adding additional stops to favorite stores in the western part of the country. In lieu of the stops, the pair sometimes fly from Los Angeles to Asia.
When buying beads outside of the country, Merkle says you must establish a relationship with the people you are buying from.
“I remember buying skull beads in Bali,” says Merkle. “It took two days to break through [with the seller] and to start to talk to him about wanting to buy them.”
Other products besides beads are on sale throughout the store. Intricate African beadwork hangs from the walls. Feathers from an assortment of birds are lined up in jars while quartz the size of an apple sits on a shelf. If a customer ever has difficulty finding inspiration, they have to look no further then a wall adorned with necklaces from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Merkle and Berry have no system for picking the items. “We buy stuff because we like it,” says Merkle. “We’re not thinking in terms of unique.”
Busy a few days of the week and very popular with students, Berry said the store attracts a wide range of customers who are “just the best” and they bring their creativity with them. A few fishermen come to the store throughout the year to buy materials for their custom lures. Customers can expect a wide price range for the beads, starting anywhere from $.05 and going up to $20.
Kyla Schmalenberger, a junior at Ohio University, describes Beads and Things as “a great place to relax with some creative therapy. The people there are so willing to help and are genuinely interested in what you are working on.”
Merkle describes the atmosphere of the store as being “fun and relaxed. It’s like being inside of a treasure chest.”
For those overwhelmed at the thought of creating jewelry, the staff guides less experienced beaders; they teach the basics and offer free advice. The also offer customers interested in in-depth lessons classes by appointment for a fee in or outside the store. The staff comes to residences to teach complicated techniques requiring more time than what is available in the shop.
Whether passing time or learning a new skill, customers of Beads and Things find a unique shopping experience made better by a friendly staff and creative atmosphere. Beads and Things, located at 8 North Shafer Street, opens from 10 a.m. to-6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Ohio U chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.