Consider for a moment a string of plastic beads. Individually, there is nothing spectacular about a collection of fake jewels manufactured in Taiwan. Easily purchased from any costume or party store, they seem a curious thing to desire. They cannot be used as currency or as an escrow item; indeed, when one encounters them, the beads are usually being thrown away by their owners.
Their use as ornamentation can be severely limited; they don’t shine in the sunlight, most don’t glow in the dark and, as accessories, they seem guaranteed to clash with most formal evening wear ensembles. It is painful to imagine James Bond sporting a dinner jacket, dress shoes and several purple and green Mardi Gras beads. Likewise, the First Lady hosting a state dinner would never select red beads made to look like dice to go with her evening gown.
But for a few weeks during the Gasparilla parade season, these beads will be the most rabidly sought-after item Tampa.
For Betsey Lee, manager of the Bead Barn, it will mean a lot of business in a very short time.
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2010.