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Finders Keepers!
Listed under: Interviews
Published: Tuesday, December 02, 2008
What would you do if you discovered a basement packed full of vintage beads? Mattie Richardson of Bunyip Beads and Buttons shares her story
Lucky Charm
“It really was a very fortunate find,” Mattie exclaims. “I knew someone who was an antiques dealer at the time and one day she called me out of the blue saying she'd found an amazing stash of beads in a basement not too far from me. It was all very bizarre; we had no idea who they belonged to or where they had come from. We tried to find some clues and see if we could locate the owner, but the person they belonged to seemed to have disappeared without a trace. There are even some half-completed pieces in the collection. We think it must have been a jewellery designer who created commercial pieces because many of the designs are quite similar, but it seems unlikely we'll ever know the full story for certain. The beads themselves are absolutely stunning. Some are a real find and I just know we will never discover anything like them again in the future. There are so many beautiful designs, ranging from delicate glass components, to fluorescent 1960s-inspired pieces. “
Chain of Events
“We now sell the beads in our shop and the reaction has been wonderful,” she continues. “People are fascinated by the story behind them and are often quite surprised by their appearance. Some of the items are slightly unusual looking and many have little pins sticking out of them so people can loop the items themselves rather than having to headpin everything. The selection is really rather breathtaking; there are dusty pink pieces, white drop designs and little silver leaf shapes. The Art Deco items and clasps are stunning too. We get many customers asking about their background and I do wish we had more of a story to tell them, but at the end of the day we have done everything we can to trace the owner and if they don't want to be found that is their prerogative.
“The market is doing ok at the moment,” she says. “But I suspect the next six months are going to be difficult for everyone. Stocking the beads we found earlier this year has definitely given us an extra edge and, judging by the state of the economy at the moment, they really couldn't have come at a better time.”
“It really was a very fortunate find,” Mattie exclaims. “I knew someone who was an antiques dealer at the time and one day she called me out of the blue saying she'd found an amazing stash of beads in a basement not too far from me. It was all very bizarre; we had no idea who they belonged to or where they had come from. We tried to find some clues and see if we could locate the owner, but the person they belonged to seemed to have disappeared without a trace. There are even some half-completed pieces in the collection. We think it must have been a jewellery designer who created commercial pieces because many of the designs are quite similar, but it seems unlikely we'll ever know the full story for certain. The beads themselves are absolutely stunning. Some are a real find and I just know we will never discover anything like them again in the future. There are so many beautiful designs, ranging from delicate glass components, to fluorescent 1960s-inspired pieces. “
Chain of Events
“We now sell the beads in our shop and the reaction has been wonderful,” she continues. “People are fascinated by the story behind them and are often quite surprised by their appearance. Some of the items are slightly unusual looking and many have little pins sticking out of them so people can loop the items themselves rather than having to headpin everything. The selection is really rather breathtaking; there are dusty pink pieces, white drop designs and little silver leaf shapes. The Art Deco items and clasps are stunning too. We get many customers asking about their background and I do wish we had more of a story to tell them, but at the end of the day we have done everything we can to trace the owner and if they don't want to be found that is their prerogative.
“The market is doing ok at the moment,” she says. “But I suspect the next six months are going to be difficult for everyone. Stocking the beads we found earlier this year has definitely given us an extra edge and, judging by the state of the economy at the moment, they really couldn't have come at a better time.”
