Bead Source

Fantastic place! Great variety and wonderful service. Two girls in particular, Crista and Noelle were especially helpful and knowledgeable. They knew the products in the store well and Noelle is incredibly creative. I highly recommend this place for your specialty needs and advice.

The options in Ventura County are pretty slim when it comes to bead stores and, that said, Bead Source may be what you need to find something for a project. Your best bet is to already know what you’re looking for, but not to know so much that you do something the wrong way from what they expect.
My first visit here was some time ago, though I still remember it well…
Unlike other stores I’ve been in that use things like muffin tins or otherwise already sorted trays for you to carry around your treasures-​to-​be-​purchased in, this store asks you to put the beads in a bag and write the price on the bag with a marker. I thought this sounded like a waste of plastic bags and I’m not keen on waste so as I added beads to my bag, I wrote things like «2 x $ 0.30» and «6×0.45» etc. This kept a nice little tally of what I wanted to buy. When I went up to pay, however, the woman behind the counter became very angry, saying I had done it all wrong and that I must have one bag per price! (as if I should have known this by instinct) She said she would have to re-​do everything and literally poured all my beads out into the tray and then ran around the store attempting to find the prices on everything. She did not succeed and I know the final price she charged me was incorrect, though I was so shocked I didn’t bother to do the math calculation (of the difference) myself. I just know I saw her taking prices off «similar» but different beads in place of the prices I had worked up.
If there were any other good sources in town I would go to them after that experience. Sadly, the options are limited and this store is very close to my work so I have been here several times since that awful first visit.
They have a very nice selection of Swaravski crystal accents. They have a good selection of findings and tools and chains and cords. They have a good selection of beads. This is a small store, and they do well getting a lot of variety in it. If I recall, they keep their seed beads on string, which is a must in my book if you have to string more than a few beads onto a necklace or something.
That said, the staff average is «cool» to «unhelpful» when I’ve been here. I mostly just do things on my own and then wait for someone to notice I want to pay and leave (by standing at the front counter. waiting). The times I have had questions, it has been difficult to get someone to help me as they are often chatting with another customer or with another staff member. They are not forward about assisting.
I recommend checking out the bead store in Newbury Park or in Agoura Hills before coming to Bead Source, if either of those cities/​suburbs are near enough to you. Last note, prices are average here (which is to say high, since this is a bead store and bead stores aren’t cheap). My rule of thumb is if you see a necklace in a store and it costs $ 80 and you think to yourself, «well hell, I could make that myself!» the cost of buying the materials at retail prices like this will usually cost you roughly the same $ 80. I recommend bead stores to satisfy the itch to create, or for custom projects you can’t get elsewhere.

Bead Source has the best selection of beads and charms that I’ve found. While it might be cheaper to buy accessories like clasps, jump rings, etc at chain art stores, this is a better place to find beads in various colors, shapes, sizes and materials. Plastic, glass, metal — even a selection of semi-​precious stones. It’s the only place that I’ve consistently found cheap but good quality charms in a variety of themes.

What kind of store has zero return policy? Not even exchange for unopened, unused product? Pretty ridiculous…

I’ve never written a Unilocal review but was compelled to after the horrible service i received yesterday. We were never (not once!) greeted by the employee, and the first thing she said to us after we had been in the shop for about twenty minutes was that she needed to use the restroom and we were in charge of the store. When she returned I spent a lot of time trying to look at trays below the counter at the front of the store (where I was hoping she would ask if I needed help since this is the first time I’ve attempted making jewelry). She never asked if she could help us find anything, or needed help with our project. We even had to stand in front of her a few seconds before she realized we were there to ring us up.
That being said, the store does seem to have a large selection of beads and supplies. I was looking specifically for copper beads to make earrings for my mom for Christmas, but was unable to find any I liked. Might’ve been nice if she had asked if she could point us toward anything, as she should know her stores inventory and be able to show different designs.
Would not recommend to anyone besides someone highly experienced with jewelry making.

After a year of trying to find another bead source, I simply failed. I must not be looking in the right place. The problem is that my bag of costume jewelry requiring replacement stones has been growing by leaps and bounds. Out of desperation, today I returned to this store to see if, perhaps, they might have a better selection of Austrian crystals than they did last year. Yaaaaaaay, they did… however, their service left a lot to be desired.
The young girl behind the counter started to bring me several boxes of crystals, separated by sizes and colors, when some woman comes up right next to me, very clearly in MY personal space. I tried to ignore her but was bothered by how pushy she was appearing. As soon as the store helper brought the last of the boxes, she and I were then going to start the hunt for what I wanted… when this lady next to me started asking questions of the helper. I let her ask… until… she asked the girl to help her find some things. I stopped what I was doing and looked up at both the girl behind the counter and this pushy customer. I said to both of them, «Excuse me, but does it mean anything to you that I was here first, and she’s helping me?» The pushy one looks at me stunned, BUT the helper said, «Oh, I’m supposed to help everyone whenever they ask for it.» I asked her how that’s being helpful if she’s being pulled in several directions. She just looked dumbfounded, and I’m quite certain I looked pissed. I was so angry that I just wanted the other customer to leave especially since she was up in my space and annoying me.
I ended up finding and selecting the stones all by myself. Keep in mind, I’m used to this place… and most places… offering one-​on-​one assistance and customers waiting their turn till they get the same service. What the heck is this that someone interrupts and is given the go-​ahead to do it? That’s not right… and by the way, having shopped here plenty of times, I don’t think this young store helper has her instructions straight. I think she was told to help… but not cutting off some to help others. I’m really glad they had my stones this time, but they need to clean up their customer service protocol.