I love bead shows, art shows, bead shops, fossils, and on and on. Back in Michigan there was the GL&W show and it was held near Detroit. Over the years its dealers dwindled. It was a shell of its former self and I wondered if the only way to get to see another great wholesale show was to attend the annual in Tuscon, AZ. Something I'm sure I will never be able to afford. By the time you paid for plane ticket and hotel - although I have a friend close by I could stay with - you could say a total goodbye to any funds to spend. And then I'd still be paying off that plane ticket for awhile.
Anyway, I digress. So we moved here to NC from Michigan. I love the area - one set of children are fairly close by (although I miss the others) and low and behold... There isn't only one wholesale show nearby - - - there are THREE. And two sets a bi-yearly. The ones in Franklin are by far the biggest but the ones in Spruce Pine are larger than the old one in Michigan. The Asheville one is only the GL&W Show but considering the other two were early in the year, I'll take it.
You're not supposed to take any photos in these shows so I snuck these. I'm not quite sure what it is people were doing with the photos they took that made them ban them. But, since I have no ulterior motives I hope no one will be too upset.
Attending these is entirely too much fun. After we parked, in a parking garage instead of on the street somewhere, we found we were at the back of the Civic Center. Around the center we went - - up the darn hill. Really? Does any place I need or want to be around here (Asheville) have to be a low incline? Some how I figure it's heaven's way of forcing me to exercise. Around we go and then - whammo, so not done yet - - - another block to the front of the Center and there are photocopied signs plastered in each and every door in the building. OH TELL ME IT ISN'T SO! Yup, the entrance is moved. We must have had this really befuddled and pitiful look on our faces. A sweet guard came to the door and said, "Oh my, I bet you walked around this building - Come on with me....I've an elevator and can take you right down to the show floor!" Whew, and thank you southern hospitality.
We still had to walk up a hill and back to the parking garage but the reprieve provided by that sweet lady certainly made my day.
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