Greetings! What do…read moreyou know about the local legends in the Northwest Suburbs.? Today's installment features Bead World, an absolute gem and what I truly love about local small business owners. I first learned about Bead World when our daughter got her ears pierced for the first time. Bobby was everything this over protective father needed to allay any first piercing jitters that I had... Our daughter had her second piercings done at Bead World and suffice to say that Bobby is a consummate professional in the world of piercing. He explained the entire process, focused on sterilization techniques, and put our minds at ease in every way possible. He is truly gifted for this role. The shop is spotless and the piercing process took place with precision. Aside from the piercing aspect of Bead World, the namesake hobby of beading is well represented as far as this beading noob can discern. Theres something for everyone at Bead World...so you'll never know what you'll find. Last time I was there I bought a spectacular totem pole! Hats off to this family-run neighborhood gem! Until next time...tk

Sweetest family owned small business around for 30+ years! Bobby did a great job with our 6yo's ear…read morepiercing. Very thorough after care instructions. Felt great comfort coming here knowing their focused expertise and experience!!

Fabulous selection of beads and jewelry making supplies. Owner is knowledgeable and helpful. If you…read moreneed it, they have it!

Stopped in recently-- bead stores seem to be increasingly rare. This one had a decent selection of…read morethings given its size including higher quality materials like demi-fine findings and some higher quality stone beads. There were some North African artifacts that caught my attention. Run by elderly women with the power to ignore or be nice as they choose (and patronized by the same) One star off for price point, some basic or lower quality things were inappropriately high.

Please, let's all take a moment to appreciate this absolute gem of a place…read more I'm an avid seed beader, and one of my favorite parts about beading is experimenting with colors and textures. Perhaps when one imagines seed beads, the silver-lined variety comes to mind. But there's so much more out there! City Beads not only has the largest collection and inventory of colors and finishes, they also have them in substantial quantities. I make semi-large tapestries with size 15s (the smallest seed bead and usually not sold at chain retailers), and the selection is divine. I shop online retailers and make a point to visit brick and mortars wherever I travel, and I have to say that this is the most impressive collection I've experienced. Thank goodness I live in Chicago. Inventory is great, but what about the customer service? Well, it's outstanding. The woman who helped us there is truly interested in the craft and is clearly an expert - she gets it. And the people working on projects ( did I mention there's a workspace and people can drop in and actively create while you shop???? ) are truly invested as well. This was hands down the best bead shop experience I've ever had, and I'll certainly be back to get those magnificent colors and work on some projects.

Great service and selection. One of the best values is that they will teach you to make whatever…read moreyour heart desires as long as you buy the beads and supplies there. They will know how to hope you complete your project. Can't beat that! My only negative is their hours. It looks like they may have just added Tuesday hours, but recently they have only been open 4 hours on Saturday. Tuesday hours will really be a bonus for me! I highly recommend City Beads.

I am IN LOVE with the Mustard Seed. It first caught my attention because it is a fair trade shop…read more Turns out that it is run by volunteers so the money earned goes directly to the artists. The people who make the goods here are from all over -- from Chili to Ghana. When I purchase gifts, they often include brief information about the artist as well as the shop. Friends and family -- including my super cool teenage nieces and my mom -- who have received gifts from this store before are always excited when they see the familiar box. In fact, this Christmas I did the majority of my shopping here. They carry an amazing array of jewelry. From beautiful beaded necklaces to metal cuffs to swingy earrings. They also carry clothing (sweaters were a huge item this winter), colored scarves (I can't get enough!), wooden bowls, purses, blankets, rugs, wall decor, children's items and frames. During the holidays they even carry ornaments. I've posted a pic of a couple of them. The people who volunteer here are extremely nice and dedicated to helping the artists they show -- often women trying to support their families. But when buying here be prepared for a slow process. Because they are volunteers it's not like walking into a well oiled retail shop. But who really cares? It feels great to help out people who are trying to help themselves (hint -- it's the artist) and give gifts that have meaning to me and the recipient. It's been an amazing teaching tool for my nieces while giving them things they love. Hmmm. I think it's time for a new fashion scarf. Can't stay away too long!

This is a great little shop with so many items to choose from, I may go in for a pair of earrings…read moreto give as a gift but then find a pair for myself, a necklace, and 10 other things I want! The items are all fair trade and the employees are volunteers so you know you are shopping for a good cause! Great for gifts and each product has a story!

I recently had a 108-bead Tibetan mala and a wrist mala restrung at Beadniks and I'm very happy…read morewith how everything turned out. My mala had a specific layout with lapis lazuli marker beads placed at exact positions and Courtney was great about working through that with me. She sent photos of the bead layout before starting which I really appreciated. It gave me a chance to confirm placement and make a small correction before they began. The finished piece is exactly what I was hoping for: Evenly knotted, well-balanced and it feels great in the hand during use. The wrist mala they fixed up for me also came out perfectly. Everyone I interacted with was friendly and helpful and it's clear they take care with custom work. I'd definitely come back for future projects.

We came here for a friend's birthday and had the best time! It's such a fun and creative spot to…read moremake your own jewelry -- perfect for a group activity. The process is really straightforward but still gives you so much room to be creative. First, you pick your charms -- and the selection is adorable and endless. My favorites were the whale, dagger, butterfly, zodiac signs, and initials -- but honestly, there are sooo many to choose from, you'll want them all. Next, you pick your chain (bracelet, necklace, or both). Pricing is per charm plus per meter for the chain, so you can keep it simple or go all out. I ended up making both a bracelet and a necklace, and I absolutely love them. The staff are friendly and helpful without hovering, and they'll walk you through how to attach everything or step in if you get stuck. The vibe is relaxed and welcoming, and it's easy to spend an hour or two just browsing, designing, and chatting while you work. Highly recommend for birthdays, girls' days out, or even a creative solo afternoon. I'm already planning my next visit to make more pieces!

If I could give zero or negative stars, I would. This store and its ownership lack any semblance of…read morebusiness integrity or savvy. Shop there at your own risk, but I recommend you don't. Loads of other small business bead shops in the Chicagoland area won't scam and condescend to you. Visit #1 - Joe helped me select some beads and supplies, totaling $322. Toward the end, it got hectic, and all employees were preoccupied. I needed to get somewhere, and I had some questions to ask before finalizing my purchase. I eventually gave up, realizing they were too busy, and decided to purchase the items I had and return if I needed more. I told Joe I needed to leave to get somewhere on time and I'd like to check out. Instead of beginning the checkout process, he upsold me on other items. The checkout process took 15 minutes as they do not have an electronic register and process transactions manually. At no point did Joe mention that the checkout process would take longer than is typical when I said I needed to leave. I felt like I wasn't listened to and was being sold to without regard for my time or business. Throughout our interaction, I mentioned that I was new to beading and was purchasing supplies for a jewelry-making party. I mentioned that I wasn't sure I needed all these supplies and may need to return some. At no point did anybody mention the return policy is store credit or exchange only. Visit 2 - A week later, I had returns to make, about $99 worth. I called to ask about the return policy and was informed it was only an exchange or store credit. I politely asked if an exception could be made, considering this was not communicated before completing my purchase. The person I spoke with said she would ask the owner and call me back. They never called me back. I went in person with my boyfriend and we spoke with Joe. I told him I had items I needed to return and asked if it would be possible for an exception to be made to the policy, since I wasn't told the policy before they completed my transaction. He said no, that they only offer exchange and store credit. When I asked why an exception couldn't be made, he said, "Because that's how we've always done it." My boyfriend asked again if he would consider making an exception and Joe said he would ask Ayla. He went to the back to ask and returned, saying that Ayla said they would make an exception. I was appreciative, and we went to the counter to process the return. He used the card reader to attempt a return but kept getting an error message, and he said he did not know how to process a return. Regardless of whether a business offers returns/refunds, it is essential to understand the key functions of your systems. Eventually, we gave up trying to process the return, and he once again offered store credit and explained that the return policy was on their receipts. I told him that having the return policy only listed on the receipt and nowhere else when the return policy is no returns is not helpful because, at that point, the transaction is complete, and nothing can be done. This does not allow people to decide whether they want to make a non-returnable purchase. He responded, saying, "Well, we're a small business; we don't just want people to pay and to just say to them 'thank you for your money.'" (implying there is no way to get that money back now.) And yet there we were, in that exact situation. We asked if we could get our refund in cash. Mind you, there was a sign on the counter that said, "We're a small business, we prefer cash." implying they accept cash and likely have it in the register. He said he would ask Ayla. He went to the back once more, which is separated from the store by a curtain. Shortly after he went back, we heard Ayla (the owner) SCREAMING "NO. NO!! ABSOLUTELY NOT! I DON'T HAVE A HUNDRED DOLLARS! I'M NOT GIVING THEM ANY MONEY! I'M WITH A CLIENT!" and on and on and on. Everybody in the store could hear her. Joe returned and told us that wouldn't be possible, to which I said, "Oh, don't worry, I heard her." At this point, we had been there too long. I should have asked to speak directly to Ayla to resolve the issue and address her abhorrent behavior, but at this point, all I wanted was to leave and never return. Unfortunately, I caved and accepted store credit, which Joe insisted I did not need to use that day and could return and use any time. Did he think I would ever want to make a trip here again? As I tried to gather items for exchange, Joe felt it necessary to say, "You know this is one of the strands you returned." Yes, I know, but that was when I thought I could get a refund. This entire time, I remained polite and tried to offer feedback for a better experience, but was only condescended to. After leaving, I discovered they broke my debit card with their machine! It kept declining, and my bank said it was showing as "expired" despite the exp. date being months away. Don't waste your time or money here.

A gem of a place with gem people. A very sentimental necklace broke and I could not fix it for the…read morelife of me. I was absolutely delighted in my search to find Ayla's close by and stopped in to see if they could help. The staff was beyond friendly and helped with my necklace immediately. I left 15 minutes later with a fixed necklace and a restored sense of peace. The staff could not have been more helpful and nice.

I saw a simple necklace at another store that I liked but it was so overpriced and I knew I could…read moremake it myself. So I stopped here to see what was available. The owner was very nice and helped me find exactly what I was looking for. I added a small bead to it to make it an extra special gift. It was so affordable, under $20! Very happy with the help I got when I needed it. There is a great selection of fun jewelry to create or buy there. Will definitely be back!

If you are into beading or want to learn how to get started, this is definitely the store to visit…read more The owner is super friendly and even more knowledgeable. The prices are absolutely spot on and better than other places I've been. Highly recommend a visit to check out the bead merchandise as well as the candles, crystals, charms and other items in the store.

I love this place. It's so calm and peaceful there. I personally say you should definitely go there…read moreif your into crystals

Laura and her store are absolutely amazing. I've been to the store a million times and each time…read moreI'm blown away by how beautifully she designs the layout and how at peace I am every time I walk in! She has items that she creates herself and from all over the world. The wall of beads convinced me I needed to have a girl's night here! So I got a small group of girls together to make some jewelry. They were absolutely blown away with the wall of beads! We all came early to pick out our beads and had some guidance from Laura. We brought food and drinks and made a great night of it! All of our items turned out great! It's a great place to have a get together and to do something different and let your creativity flow! It's also just a great place to look for a unique gift or something for yourself!

we have so few quality places to get beads. Goldies is a great location for any bead artist to…read morevisit. they've got just about everything your amatuer beader needs. staff is very helpful. prices are pretty reasonable.

Kind of a hole in the wall, but the assortment of beads is wowable. You'll need a lot of time to…read morespend in the shop as it's anything but organized ~ tiny plastic bins overflowing with beads all on top of each other. You'll eventually find what you're after, however.

Amazing! I call the owner "The Magician" because in the blink of an eye (rarely do I need to leave…read moreanything) he repairs whatever broken and twisted treasure I bring in. What would I do with his help!

I brought a watch in for a battery replacement on June 15. They told me that the battery would fall…read moreout because the gasket that holds the back of the watch in needed to be replaced and they would have to send it out and order a new gasket. Since then I went to the shop a number of times to check if it was back. Each time I was told that it was still on order. Earlier this week they told me that they we're picking it on Wednesday and it would be there any time after 11 AM. On Saturday I went to pick it up and again I was told that the part hadn't come in yet. I think that it is really terrible that they would lie to me. I will never do business with them again and strong urge everyone else not to do business with them.