CZECH GLASS BEADS

Today is Mardi Gras in Louisiana, especially in New Orleans.  A lot of great memories come to mind on this particular day.  One of them is when my grandmother would travel to New Orleans by bus for the Mardi Gras holidays  in the early and mid-’50s  to battle the crowds for trinkets for all of her grandchildren.  Because she had many grandchildren, she would spread all of the “stuff” on the kitchen table and let each one of us  pick out our favorites.  My favorite was the glass tube beads that were made in the Czech Republic or whatever it was called back then.    I remember that they were strung on very thin string and were very delicate.  Some of them were broken and could cut your hands in a heartbeat.  They were always tangled up in bunches and I would spend countless hours trying to get them apart.  In fact, those glass beads were outlawed in short order because of the dangers they posed.

A couple of days ago I got an e-mail from a dealer wanting to know if I was interested in some old glass tube beads from bygone days of Mardi Gras.   I couldn’t believe that any of these crazy glass strands survived.  So I decided to purchase a few strands for my own collection for a pretty penny.   I had forgotten how colorful and shiney they are.  Not only do they bring back fond memories but they also make a historical statement.  We seem to forget that oh-so-true statement of “nothing lasts forever.” 

So the moral of the story is old and antique beads are getting harder and harder to find!  And they are only going to get more expensive!    Collectors are popping up everywhere, excavation sites are becoming limited and depleted, and good quality is going to be the exception.    So if you take a liking to particular beads, amulets or gemstones,  you should scoop them right up.  They are not going to be with us forever!  

In retrospect, I wish had kept my little Mardi Gras treasure trove for a whole bunch of reasons.  Just remember — here today, gone tomorrow!