eBay has some of the most talented lampwork bead artists in the world. As a jewelry designer, I like to start with the best materials. That means the finest beads. What I like about eBay is that you can find some high quality beads if you are willing to take the time to look. My FAVORITE category is lampwork US. Seems like I live in that category. And I have lucked up upon some incredible finds. I once bought some Marilyn Peraza sculptural florals for around $50. Each bead in the set--and there were several--was worth that much I'm sure. She's famous, and when I held her large elegant beads in my hands, I knew why.

I haven't yet won a set of Pati Walton beads, a lot I bid up to $400 or $500 ending up selling for something like $800. Some of her beads were signed, oh it would have been so nice to have one of those.

The best beads I ever saw on eBay were a set of jewel like ones Corina Tettinger offered about a year ago. I could never understand why her sets were routinely selling for hundreds until I saw her beads for myself. Each one more perfect than the next. Her color combinations and stringer control are the best I've ever seen. Worth twice as much as what I paid.

But I don't think you always have to spend the big bucks to get good beads on eBay, you just have to be patient. I won a set of Margie Wells' beads this week, just beautiful smooth lentils with colorful frit. Kiln annealed of course! So much better quality than the junk the Chinese sell (not to mention that they rip of Waimea Mist's floral designs). And I have won several of Margie's good sets that I've used in the bracelets I sell on eBay (see my Royal Garden bracelet for an example). And guess what, I've gotten them at great prices. Between $25 and $30 for around a dozen beads, heck, I can't make them for that! A few weeks ago a gorgeous set of Margie's Kalera press nuggets and crystal shaped beads with some blue spacers went for $2,300 to an experienced buyer and designer. She's bought from Margie before and so she knows her quality. Now I got outbid on the $2,300 set, but I was happy to win the other sets at very reasonable prices. So you can find beads at good prices by very talented artists if you just keep trying.

My best recent find was a woman in Alaska who makes lampwork. She doesn't offer many sets, I just stumbled upon her looking through the listings in my favorite category. I won the set, and it's a very good one, for less than $10! When I saw her beautiful transparent spacers and gorgeous decorated lentils I thought: "Wow, this artist really has an eye for color." I immediately used them in my jewelry and offered the pieces I made for a penny. As a jewelry designer, when I can find quality American handmade beads for those prices, well I'm just delighted. So I think the key is to just keep looking and bidding.

I also bid on orphan sets. I'm always happy with my finds, and I'll get beads in color combinations I might not have thought about working in before. Sometimes the orphan sets will include a great focal or two so that is always nice when you luck up on a whole bunch of good beads for a low price. I've often gotten focals that would sell, alone, for the price I paid for the whole random set of left over beads.

There are also young artists, up and coming ones, like Amy Rothstein, who sells fabulous sculptural beads. She still a teenager but you wouldn't know it from looking at her craftsmanship in the mermaid beads she makes which always sell like hotcakes.

I've found good beads, and purchased them, from more than 100 artists on eBay. A good bead can come from anywhere. I got some great ones from Israel this year, beautiful florals (and some chocolate candy inside the package!). And some of the glass artists in Germany and Australia are amazing as well. The Australian currency is not as strong as the dollar so sometimes if you shop on the eBay Australia site you can get good deals there too.

This week I won my first set from Rhapsody Fire, that's one talented artist. I think the key is to just keep looking, keep searching. There are many artists who still start their auctions at a penny or 99 cents and often you can get a deal if people aren't near their computers that day. It's hit and miss, but a good set, when it arrives, makes me feel like I've won the lottery. I have yet to win beads by Eric Rader or JC Herrell or Kandice Seeber, their sets usually fetch fabulous prices. So sometimes I have to search the lesser known artists to get really good deals. And believe me, they're out there! Good luck. And happy bead hunting.