For the first time in Nina Designs history we’ll be exhibiting at two shows during Tucson 2012.

GLW Holidome Show
Booth: #727 – 733
Address: Holiday Inn, 4550 South Palo Verde Rd Tucson, AZ 85714
Date: Feb. 2 – Feb. 10
Description: Our booth will be filled with exciting new styles and all your favorites – charms, links, earrings findings, silk, leather, and more! You’ll also find our new bronze styles.

GJX Show, Downtown Tucson
Booth: #2309
Address: 198 South Granada Ave., Tucson AZ 85701
Date: Jan. 31 – Feb. 5
Description: At this booth you’ll find only sterling silver and gold vermeil styles, with a focus on higher end and pricier items, like fancy clasps, large gold veremil pendants, and handmade chain.

SHOW TIPS:
1 – Bring a few photocopies of your state resale license, or stickers with all your information on them.
2 – For California customers, we suggest bringing copies of your BOE-230.
3 – Check out our On The Road blog series for more handy shopping tips.

NOTICE: With most of our office staff in Tucson this year, there’s a potential for delay in order processing in the office, from Jan. 31 – Feb. 10, 2012. Our office will be open and taking orders, but there could be delays to our usual order processing times.

For more than 25 years, Nina Designs has been designing unique sterling silver charms and beads. But with the price of silver doubling in just one year, we know times are changing. We understand many of our customers want an alternative to sterling, and that as jewelry designers you’ve had to make some difficult business and financial decisions. We have done the same.

After much consideration and research, we developed Natural Bronze, Silver Plated Bronze, and Gold Plated Bronze as low cost alternatives to our sterling silver and gold vermeil. Our bronze is a high quality alloy of copper and tin we sourced from Italy. With our bronze collection you get it all: the beauty and quality you’ve come to expect from Nina Designs, and for a fraction of the cost of sterling silver!

Learn more about our bronze atBronze FAQs, and about how Nina Designs complies with laws regulating metal jewelry.

Discover what's new at Nina Designs!

All wholesale customers purchasing at California tradeshow are now required to fill out a Board of Equalization (BOE) form for every trade show purchase. This means even if you have filled this form out for us before at a prior show, and even if you’ve sent one in to our office, you will still have to fill one out for your current purchase, as I cannot check with the office to make sure we have a current copy filed.

Trade Shows are fun & checking out can be a breeze!

To make this process faster, download the BOE form, fill it out with your business info and your resale number. But do NOT sign it until you’re checking out because you’re required to sign and date it at the show. Bring this copy with you and just hand it to me when you are ready to checkout. Trust me, it will make everything easy-peasy.

If you are a retail customer, make sure you give us your e-mail and address so that we can add you to our mailing list so we can send you postcards with discounts for upcoming bead shows, and our newsletter. The newsletter is packed with great stuff like exciting new website features, new styles, new design ideas, sale items and more!

Take a look at the Tradeshow calendar to plan your next shopping trip. Looking forward to seeing you!

My special mission is to find a pair of turquoise “daggers” like Clara, our trade show guru, found a few months ago. I’ve been ogling them ever since and would like to design a pair of earrings with these powerful pieces dangling gracefully from our delicate Gold Vermeil Teardrop Link. For a hint of gold I’ll add a single Gold Vermeil Hill Tribe Spacer Bead above the dagger. These earrings have been dancing in my head for a few weeks now, so I just had to sketch them out onto paper! The only thing I’m missing is the turquoise daggers and from what I hear, if I look for it at Tucson, I’m sure to find it. Now I just need to draft my budget!

What’s on your Tucson shopping list?

Sketch of my Turquoise Dagger Earrings

Preparations for Tucson here in our office is in full swing. Clara and the crew are working hard gathering our latest new styles and our best sellers to make sure you have the best shopping experience possible. We will be in the same spot we’ve been in for years at the G&LW Show at the Holiday Inn Holidome, Booth 733, Feb. 3 – 11, 2011. We look forward to seeing you there!

15% DISCOUNT on all gold vermeil and silver jewelry findings at our Tucson 2011 tradeshow! Limited tradeshow quantities available so get there as early as possible. Also be sure to ask us how you can win a $250 SHOPPING SPREE at Nina Designs (for Tucson show shoppers only).

Gathering our New Styles for Tucson

A Peek into our Tucson Workshop!

1. I highly recommend you check out my earlier blog post titled Bead Show Survival Guide. Make sure you pay special attention to tips # 1, 3, and 5. Having your documents in order, your feet cozy and your energy levels stable will definitely make your shopping days more pleasant.
2. Plan for all kinds of weather in Tucson. It is usually chilly, but there often are days with full sun and days that are blustery and rainy. Pack an umbrella, a waterproof tote, and a raincoat.
3. You will need good shoes. I cannot emphasize this enough. I have ruined at least 3 pairs over the years walking through muddy gravel to get from the parking lots to the main entrance of the shows. If your weatherproof shoes aren’t very comfy, bring an extra pair to change into once you get inside.

We Love Dansko Shoes

4.  Do an inventory of your beads and supplies at home before leaving for Tucson. With the economic climate the way it is, you will want to maximize your purchasing power by making sure you don’t buy things you already have and so that you can buy things that will coordinate with your current inventory.

5.  Do a little pre-trip planning and make some dinner reservations at restaurants near your hotel. Most of the shows end at the same time and you don’t want to have to compete with hundreds of other hungry shoppers at the end of the day. Some of my favorites include Cup Cafe at the Hotel Congress, Wildflower (a little off the beaten path but delicious), or any of the delicious Mexican restaurants in town.

6.  Take a look at Tucson’s Online Show Guide and plan your shopping days and shuttles between hotels. There is a lot to see and you will have to plan your time – you can easily get lost in one show all day if you aren’t careful. When I get a day off I like to go to the Whole Bead Show, The Grant Inn and The Gem Mall.

7.  Make sure you pack a set of tools, some wire and a small selection of findings in case you find yourself so inspired by your treasures that you have to whip up a pair of earrings or necklace immediately.

8.  Take advantage of some of the other things Tucson has to offer and take a break. Visiting The Wildlife Museum, or even just a drive out in Saguaro National Park are great ways to get out of the hustle of the shows and wind down. Every year I tell myself that I am going to go to one of the great spas in the area and get a facial and a massage, but I always end up spending my spa money on beads. Maybe this will be the year I reward myself.

Trade Shows are Fun!

I have spent the last couple of weeks getting all of our jewelry supplies packed and ready for our fall trade shows. If you haven’t ever seen us at a show, I really recommend you stop by. Trade shows are the perfect opportunity to see our silver and vermeil style gold plate beads, charms, and findings in person without having to pay for shipping or meet any minimum purchase requirements. Plus, nothing beats seeing our charms, pendants, and clasps in person.

This fall is going to be a busy one. We have added two new shows that we are really excited about: Bead Fest in Arlington Texas and The Whole Bead Show in Rhode Island. I can’t wait to meet some great new customers and show off our wonderful silver and gold designs.

Mark your calendars, come by the booth to see our Best Sellers and Latest Styles, or just stop by to grab a piece of candy and say hi.

FALL 2010 Trade Show Schedule
* Aug. 20-22. Bead Fest Philadelphia, PA Retail/Wholesale with credentials. Click here for a Free Admission Pass.
* Sept. 10-12. Intergem San Mateo, CA. Wholesale Only.
* Sept. 16-19. Intergem Denver, CO. Wholesale Only.
* Sept. 24-26. Intergem Santa Monica, CA. Wholesale Only
* Oct. 1-3. Bead Fest Arlington, TX. Retail/Wholesale with credentials. Visit Beadfest online for a Free Admission Pass.
* Oct. 8-10. Whole Bead Show Providence, RI. Retail/Wholesale with credentials
* Oct 15-17. Whole Bead Show New York, NY. Retail/Wholesale with credentials.
* Nov. 13-14. BABE! Oakland, CA. Retail/Wholesale with credentials. Click here for a coupon for discounted admission.
* Nov. 26-28. Intergem San Mateo, CA. Wholesale Only
* Dec. 3-5. Intergem Santa Monica, CA. Wholesale Only.

For more details see our Trade Show Schedule.

Everywhere Nina and I go, we see something else to admire. “Oh, look at the curve of that lotus leaf!… Wouldn’t this frangipani flower make a great pendant? … Wow – can you believe the curls in this wood carving?… Look at how the dancer’s golden head dress quivers with each movement!…What do you think of the shape of the mandala on this offering?” Our creative wells have been filled to overflowing! Where do you look for inspiration?

Lotus blossoms along the rice terraces.

Tiny pebbles create a mosaic tree in the walkway.

Our reply is that nothing beats seeing our items in person! Artists are sensory – we like to see and touch our materials. To be able to pick up our mermaid pendant, to feel its heft and admire the intricate details on both the front and back; to unhook the safety catch on a box clasp, open and close it and hear the satisfying “click” when it snaps securely shut; to try on a stack of bangle bracelets and decide that four is the perfect number for a fulfilling cluster; to admire the intricate lines and painterly details in the gold batik pendants; these are just a few of the reasons to visit our tradeshow booth.

Additionally, the variety of different styles and items visible on our table often sparks new ideas and fresh combinations for your jewelry creations. This type of inspiration from juxtaposition is a unique aspect of the tradeshow layout.

Pricing and discounts at tradeshows are the same as on our website. However, at tradeshows, we have no order minimum, so it’s a good way to sample just three or four things for your next collection.

If that’s not enough, come to our shows to talk with our helpful and knowledgeable staff! Our tradeshow manager, Clara, is happy to make suggestions and brainstorm solutions to your design challenges (when she’s not too busy invoicing orders, of course). Come to our next tradeshow and introduce yourself – we love meeting our customers in person!

Juanita brainstorming at our Tucson show.

These fabulous earrings are an example of inspiration by juxtaposition. Yolanda made them during a slow tradeshow moment.

• Scan every booth as you walk up and down the aisles. There are hundreds of new products at every show, so give each booth a good look before passing it by. Ask the vendors about new products or which products have been popular. Nina Designs isn’t the only company that realizes having new designs is important to customers who want to stay on top of the trends.

• Ask vendors for their recommendations. If you like their product, it probably means you trust their taste. I am always happy to recommend my favorite vendors.

• As you scan the booths, also pay attention to your experiences with the vendors. I prefer to develop relationships with vendors who are friendly and knowledgeable about their products. Having a relationship with your vendors can be really beneficial. Not only will they be helpful and courteous, but they will listen to your suggestions, bring special products just for you, and possibly even give you better discounts – this is especially true if you are buying stones.

An Awesome Street Vendor in Tucson

• Ask for prices on everything. You may be surprised at how affordable or  unaffordable some beads can be. Sadly, I wish I had thought to ask about pricing earlier that time I carefully chose three rutilated quartz bracelets from a plastic bin and was told that they totaled more than $600 combined!

• Don’t be shy. Jewelry designers tend to be really excited about jewelry and beads and will be more than willing to talk about them. If you see someone who is wearing a piece of jewelry you like or have fashion sense that you admire, ask them where they buy their jewelry parts. They may not be willing to give away all of their trade-secrets, but will likely point you in an inspiring direction.

• If you find something you really like check with the vendor to see if you will be able to re-order it from their website or catalog. If not, buy more than you think you might need. When we were in Tucson this year, we found some fantastic crystal geode bracelets that we knew would be perfect office gifts. That night I realized I really wanted at least a couple more to give as gifts (and to keep for myself). Unfortunately when I went back the next morning, every single bracelet had been sold! Luckily Nina Designs has a great website and catalog which make re-ordering a breeze, but you can’t always rely on that.

• Keep an open mind. If you go into a show with a narrow idea of what you are looking for, you may miss some true gems. I always find beads that I didn’t know I was looking for.

More Offbeat Jewelry Findings from Tucson

Fabulous Geode Bracelets