Bead Source

I will go to ANY bead store anywhere else. To make a long story short: the surly, ill-​tempered manager and churlish employees make this a very unpleasant place to go. I will never set foot in this store again.

They were very helpful, convenient and I found right what I needed quickly. prices were good too.

The woman helped direct me to exactly what i wanted/​needed. I was in and out in 5 minutes and was able to complete my project :)

Stopped by here on a Sunday with my mom to find some beads for a small project. A cute little whole in the wall shop that’s definitely got a mom&pop feel to it.
Only downfall of this place is prices add up really quick! Know what your looking for and go in and snag it. If not you’ll end up buying knick knacks you don’t really need.
Would I go back again? Eh. I can just go to Joanns craft store and get more bang for my buck. They have unique beads for one of a kind pieces. But if you’re on a budget not the go to place.
PS. They’re not the most friendly of people either (the employees that is). Don’t expect being helped unless your handing the cashier your debit card.

I have been coming to Bead Source for at least 15 years. My review is long overdue. Bead Source has EVERYTHING: all the hock, fasteners, wires, and a zillion beads, strings of beads. The ladies in the shop are always attentive and they even generously offer tips and help for completing a certain project. And it feels so good to support an independently owned little store!

If I could rate them a zero star, I would! The rudest most inconsiderate employees (owner?) I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. Awful awful awful experience.

Love this store! The staff is very friendly and helpful! They always have everything I need. I would recommend getting the blue card. Every time you shop there you get 15% off your purchase.

I’m only sorry I wasted so much time/​money going here before buying online at a fraction of the cost. The selection is meh to sparse. The service is beyond rude, unhelpful and annoyed you’re there at all. Even after buying a discount card you may need to arm wrestle to get them to look it up to use. Strings of beads are obscenely pricy, as are the crystals, and unlabeled and/​or mislabeled. When labeled, it’s only 1 thing, like stone name but no price, or price but not the stone name or size. Like I said above, online there are tons of great suppliers with good service, great price and voluminous selection, don’t waste your time here– you can’t get it, or your self respect back.

I love this store! The staff are always accommodating and I especially like Denise, the main staff woman, she always goes out of her way to find me what I’m looking for– if it’s not at their store she will call around to the other stores to find it.
I instantly feel welcomed when I walk in the door.
The selection of the store is vast; the good stuff is behind the counter, in the case. They have finds from all over the world– great tribal beads.
My small handmade jewelry business, Golden Plume, has flourished from using their findings.
The ladies who work there truly like making jewelry, and are always pointing out new projects they are working on; and are eager to share how to create them, which I’m really grateful about– I actually used a few of their designs and recreated them as gifts, people love them!
All in all, Bead Source is a great place to shop. Be nice and the ladies will be nice right back. Commonsense ;)

I have been going to the bead source for years. Denise manages the store and is an expert jewelry artisan. I recently took a macramé class there and it was amazing — well organized and thought out and we were given individualized attention. I have learned over the years that Denise and her team offer up their skills and advice freely — every time I go there it is like taking a class. I see on here that there are some people who seem not to be pleased with the service. I have noted that at times it gets quite busy in the store, and there is not much that can be done. It is worth it to be patient, as when it is your turn, you will get the undivided attention of the staff person.
I;ve noticed the store has been adding some new items it did not carry previously, and it definitely carries the largest variety of chains of any store I have been to. I love this place!

I’m a supporter of all 6 of these shops! They have all the beads and tools I need to create my jewlery! posted some pictures of my samples.

I love this bead shop! Not sure why the reviews are not as good as they should be… I always have a good experience with the workers there. The store has a really big selection of beads, charms, stones, and supplies. Definitely recommend bead source if you like creating your own jewelry.

Lots and lots of charms to choose from, organized by theme to some degree, and the woman who helped us was super nice. Prices aren’t as low as downtown or ebay, but we found a lot of good quality charms — better quality than a lot of what we see — and it was worth paying a little more for the quality.
Amazing how many different charms they can fit in that store! Can’t wait to go back.

I will not come back, that’s for sure…
The place has a great selection of beads, charms, rhinestones and other supplies, which could make it a lovely store, but the staff is so unpleasant, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to come back, unless they had a «crafting emergency.»
After daring to ask one of the women working there a simple question (whether they had monogram beads made of metal, not wood), she simply shrugged, then turned away. Uhm, excuse me??? It was a yes or no question… Clearly, this person has no clue about customer service.
The other worker was a little more helpful, she actually stepped out from behind the counter to help me look, but she couldn’t find what I needed either. (Which is fine, but not even answering the question is ridiculous!)
I looked around in the store anyway and while turning a corner, I caught an eyeroll between the two of them. That was a first. Since when is helping a customer for a total of 2 minutes a big enough inconvenience to roll your eyes over? I tried telling myself that these two women’s unprofessional and rude behavior should not influence my buying decision, and with a heavy heart I chose a few items that were great for my project. I paid for it and thanked the second woman (who helped me) and she replied: «Mhmm.» Not a thank you, not a you’re welcome…
I walked out puzzled by their behavior and I definitely regret my decision to shop there. Thinking back, I should have said something, but judging by the rest of their reviews, this is just how they operate: treat the customer like an annoyance, an interruption of their day. Very odd!
I gave it 2 stars because they have a great selection, but their service is inexcusably horrible.

They made me feel invisible. Two staff focused on one client while I clearly needed help as I stood waiting. Plus I got the stink eye for having my kids with me –and they are not little.
Surely I can and will take my business elsewhere.

I will never come back to this bead source. Once a friendly place is now not so friendly. I walked in there to ask for help and I was told in a nasty way they don’t help. I will never be back

I never write reviews but I wanted to take the time to rave Bead Source on Pico. I have been going over a year now. And I think the women who work there are very helpful and friendly. They get a bad rep sometimes bc it’s a service business and some people are simply difficult to please. Then eager to complain about it. I have been in the store more than a couple of time and personally witness this. They do a great job trying to keep it an enjoyable experience by accommodating people as best as possible. I go there not just bc of the beads but bc of the women that work there.

I stopped by today and was totally blown away by the insane collection of charms, findings, crystals, beads, ribbons, chains, wire, etc etc etc. There was no cheesy lame stuff– the selection was quality and AMAZING.
The ladies that worked there were more than helpful yet weren’t overly helpful and annoying – which is how i like it! But if i had a question they answered it immediately and gave me some suggestions. I even had my two dogs with me and they were super nice and accommodating.
The prices are fair – some stuff a little higher than I’ve seen. But worth not having to drive downtown. The negative reviews don’t seem very fair. I really think people take their PMS out on Unilocal– because this place is a great «finding.» Bad joke. Great little store.

I can’t speak to the negative reviews on here mentioning service… because I personally was happy that I was left alone so I could browse in silence and drool over their expansive collection without being rushed. I did ask for help when I needed to look at something in the case and the employee was perfectly helpful. I am still astonished over the sheer selection of fixings and equipment, so I will definitely be back.
Beware of the ruthless parking police who frequent this street– I got a $ 63 dollar ticket while I was paying for my beads. My meter had just run out so I left the cashier, ran outside to put more money in and explain that this is my car and I’ll be leaving as soon as I’m done paying, and he said «too bad, so sad». Ouch.

— decent selection/​variety.
— easy street parking (surprise surprise, yes, even on Saturday!)
— inattentive staff (wasn’t greeted when I walked in, the entire 10 minutes I was browsing, I wasn’t asked if I needed help, was looking for anything in particular, etc, and I wasn’t noticed when I left either; call me conceited but I would like a little attention if I’m a paying customer.)
Sadly, I won’t be returning. =[