The glistening beads hanging from wall to wall can catch any customer’s attention at first glance in Beads & Things, but for storeowner Jo Merkle, collecting those beads isn’t just a matter of ordering from a supplier.
Merkle and co-owner Phil Berry travel the world in search of the best beads to stock the shelves of Merkle’s jewelry shop. Their travels have taken them as far as Mexico and Indonesia.
“We love to travel; it’s a lifestyle for us and it’s also a part of work that is fun,” Merkle said. “Our business is a part of many micro-businesses because we go to homes and villages produce beads and other jewelry supplies.”
The modest shop, located at 8 N. Shafer St., was born 22 years ago out of Merkle’s passion for jewelry making and the need for a new job.
Merkle had worked with beads since grade school and had always collected a wide variety of beads, so turning her hobby into a career seemed like an obvious choice.
“I’m amazed that it has been 22 years and it’s still as fun as when I started,” she said. “I wasn’t sure how it would go, but I knew if I followed my passion then everything would work itself out.”
The store sells all types of beads, including glass, metal, shell, bone and organic-based beads. It’s a popular stop in Athens during events such as Moms Weekend, and Mary Anne Erwin, a store employee, said she witnesses a variety of people coming into the store to buy one-of-a-kind beads.
“We have customers who are hobbyists, craftsmen or just people looking to learn a new technique,” she said. “Customers will wear their pieces to work and others like what they see so much that they come in to buy their own supplies for jewelry.”
And Beads & Things doesn’t just support itself. Three years ago, Sam Sloma, a senior studying organizational communications and film, started his own jewelry line called Rust Belt Americana. When he buys his supplies, he usually turns to Beads & Things first.
“I go to Beads & Things because I love the environment,” he said. “I love the employees and I enjoy the conversations. On top of that, their products are from all over the world and genuine, just like my pieces.”
Running a business can be time consuming and hard work, but for Merkle the enjoyment is well worth it.
“My favorite part about this job is the people I meet locally who come in the store and the local villagers I meet when I travel to other countries,” she said.
“Winter is our main time to travel and buy our beads and other jewelry supplies, so it allows me to experience something new each season.”
kh845809@ohiou.edu
