North Beach Treasures Sea Glass Shop on Etsy

As of the 1st of January this year, I have started a new venture to share some of the sea glass I find with collectors and artists around the world.

Although Etsy is probably best knows as a place to find handmade goods of many different kinds, the site also has an area where people can sell supplies-- in this case, I have started a small online "shop" to offer jewelry quality sea glass from the Pacific Northwest.

This will include both "lots" with multiple pieces in specific colors and sizes, as well as individual pieces for jewelry and art-- or just for a sea glass collection.

I hope you'll take a moment to stop by my new show, to see what's there!

North Beach Treasures Sea Glass on Etsy

Looking at colors: Kelly Green

Green sea glass-- alternately referred to as "common" green, "Kelly green" or sometimes "Heineken green"-- is the third most common color in sea glass collecting.

Although quite a common color, it is actually also fairly "new", when it comes to collecting sea glass. Green, as a color for sea glass collecting, comes in a great many different shades some of which can be extremely rare. Most sea glass experts and collectors limit the "distinct and named" shades to about 6-7, but I have identified close to 30 distinct (repeating) shades of green in my own collection.

If you examine antique (100+ years old) green glass , you'll find that most of it comes either in very bluish or olive green shades. The "pure" kelly green we typically find on beaches today has mostly been mass produced during the past 60-70 years, most often for beer and soda bottles-- it is more common in some countries than others.

To see more pictures of green sea glass, please visit my Green Sea Glass Photo Album on Flickr!

Looking at Colors: Brown

Along with clear and kelly green, brown is one of the three "common" sea glass colors. Common is a relative term, of course-- but this color can be found on most beaches around the world. That said, it was quite uncommon on the beaches of Denmark (where I grew up) because 99% of beer and soda bottles there were green, rather than brown.

A large and thick nugget of brown sea glass

In the US and most other countries, the majority of brown sea glass comes from beer bottles. Thicker pieces generally come from older glassware-- in the US, Clorox bottles used to be made of dark brown glass; a practical matter as chlorine in photosensitive and tends to lose its potency when exposed to light. For this reason, quite a few other cleansers and chemicals were put into brown bottles-- it was also a relatively inexpensive color to manufacture. Brown was also used for medicine containers. Growing up in Denmark, I remember various pills from my mom's medicine cabinet would be housed in dark brown jars.

Brown sea glass actually comes in a number of different shades, ranging from "almost black" to amber. The paler shades tend to be scarcer. There are practical reasons for this: the brown color is obtained by adding iron oxide to the glass "batch," and the more is added, the more durable the glass becomes. Collectors generally find that any large pieces of brown also tend to be darker colors. The true "honey" or "mustard" colored amber sea glass is very rare in larger sizes. The difference between golden/honey amber and brown glass can fairly easily be seen when you hold each color up to the light, side by side.

As stated at the beginning of this post, brown sea glass is fairly common. I'd estimate that for every 100 pieces of sea glass I find (US beaches) about 20-25 will be some form of brown.

Because most brown tends to be somewhat dark and often looks "blackish" away from strong light, this color is rarely used by artists and jewelers for their creations. That said, it can be very pretty when used for framed art to be hung in a window, backed by natural light. The pieces in the photo at left are mostly smaller (1/2" or less) and are shown here in bright sunshine-- where they show in a more vibrant and "warm" color.

To see pictures of more pieces of brown sea glass, please visit my Brown Sea Glass Photo Gallery on Flickr!

How is that POSSIBLE??

Occasionally, I receive slightly "accusatory" letters (emails) from sea glass collectors. Usually, they have recently looked at my sea glass sales listings and have concluded that I "must be selling fake sea glass."

The reason?

They insist that it's "not possible" for me to have as much high quality sea glass-- and in rare colors, to boot-- as I have. At least, it's "not possible" if the sea glass was actually "real."

Of course, all my sea glass is "real." What is missing from the equation is a sense of perspective.

I live near the beach. As the crow flies, the ocean is about 100 yards from my back porch.

I beach comb... a lot. Because I am self-employed, and my work is not dependent on "business hours," I could pretty much beach comb every single day, if I wanted to. As it is, I'm probably on the beach 150-200 days a year.

Beach combing isn't a "short stroll" for me. Many of my outings cover 15 miles over 10 hours... or more.

I've been beach combing since I was a child. 45 years, give or take a few. Not everything I offer for sale was found "recently."

So let's say-- for example's sake-- that I find 10 pieces of sea glass per hour. A lot of collectors can look at that and say "Yeah, I find that on MY beach, too!"

Then, let's extrapolate: That's 100 pieces in a 10-hour day. Or-- conservatively speaking-- fifteen thousand pieces a year. Now, let's extend that and just talk about the last 25 years of my adult life... that becomes four hundred and fifty thousand pieces of glass! Keep in mind, I didn't start seriously trading/selling till 2007-- so many of those years I simply "accumulated" glass, common and rare.

I hope this post doesn't come across as sounding too defensive. I just wanted to illustrate that it's all a matter of perspective. If your perspective is that you beach comb once or twice a month during the summer, for about an hour each trip, then of course it seems like I have an "unreasonable amount" of sea glass.

As for the rare colors, I am fortunate to live in a place that has had an active seaport since the 1850's, so all colors of "old" glass can be found here... which is not generally true of places that are "newer" population centers.

Looking at Colors: Clear

Clear (sometimes called "white," although this is a misdescription) is the most common sea glass color. For every 100 pieces of sea glass found-- on pretty much any beach around the world-- it's a good bet that half or more will be clear. This is not really surprising, if you stop to consider just how many containers and other objects are made out of clear glass.

Piece of clear sea glass from old insulator

Most people who have walked on a beach and looked down have probably come across a piece of clear sea glass. Once the glass has been rolled about in surf and salt water for many years, gets a soft almost luminous glow-- hence clear sea glass has sometimes been called "ocean moonstones." Another popular term for sea glass is "Mermaid tears," and I feel pretty sure this name originally came into use in association with clear sea glass.

Clear sea glass is often overlooked and dismissed as "boring," on account of its lack of color. This is a bit unfair, as the variety of objects originally made with clear glass is vast, and there's no telling what might turn up. Over the years I have found Victorian era doorknobs, cabinet and drawer pulls, bottle stoppers, intact handles from small pitchers, pieces of laboratory glass, security glass, window glass and many many pieces with writing on them, along with all sorts of other unusual items.

The shown piece-- which is about 1 1/2 inches across-- shows the clear lines from the threads of an old glass electric insulator. Such large thick and frosted pieces are actually somewhat uncommon-- I was very happy to find this piece washed up on the beach, after a winter storm.

To have a look at some of the many and varied types of clear sea glass, visit my Clear Sea Glass Photo Gallery on Flickr!

New Seaglass Auctions Ending Saturday, February 16th

Although it is still cold around these parts, there are signs that spring is just around the corner, here in Western Washington. Just this morning, I noticed that the first spring crocuses were starting to bloom.

Spring means more "friendly" tides for sea glass collecting, and I look forward to starting a new season of beach combing. There have been some good large storms this winter, which means the landscape of the beach has been changed considerably, and some of the gravel (and sea glass) that once was several feet below grade has been brought to the surface. There are upsides and downsides to this-- the downside being that the rough surf (unfortunately) tends to put fresh breaks and chips into a lot of the glass.

In the meantime, I have been sorting more glass from the bins in the office-- mostly saved items from last year's beach trips. Yesterday (Saturday) I finished listing about 100 new lots on eBay, including both "bulk lots" chosen for jewelry and mosaics, as well as individual collector pieces and rarities. As always, auction lots are open to bidding, or items can be purchased immediately, using eBay's "buy it now" feature.

The current series of auctions are scheduled to close on the evening of Saturday, February 16th. At the request of a number of people, sales now close at one minute interval, allowing more ready participation for those who enjoy "live" bidding. In addition, I am hoping to add some new lots to store inventory by the beginning if this coming week.

Some highlights from the current group of auctions are shown here. This time there are some particularly nice REDS, as well as pink, turquoise, orange and other scarce colors. I am also offering a couple of very large "bulk" type lots with 100s of pieces.

eBay Sea Glass Auctions closing Monday, February 4th

It has been cold-- even snowy-- in Western Washington, so my beach combing has been limited. I may be quite "dedicated," but 27 degrees and windy is NOT my favorite kind of weather for going to the beach.

Instead, I have spent the last couple of weeks sorting two gallon sized (yes, I said GALLON) pickle jars full of unsorted seaglass from the last couple of years. The result is a new series of sea glass auctions, as well as many new items in the North Beach Treasures eBay store.

This time, I have listed over 110 new lots, including both "groups" chosen for jewelry and mosaics, as well as individual collector pieces and rarities. As always, auction lots are open to bidding, or items can be purchased immediately, using "buy it now." The current series of auctions are scheduled to close on the evening of Monday, February 4th.

Some highlights from the current group of auctions are shown alongside. There is a very nice representation of rare colors in the current set, including several shades of ultra rare ORANGE sea glass. Orange is widely regarded as the single rarest color in sea glass collecting, and many collectors will beachcomb for a lifetime, and never find a single piece.

Sea Glass Auctions: Group 1

My first group of seaglass auctions for 2008 are now listed on eBay!

North Beach Treasures auction listings

I like to group the glass together the way actual brick-and-mortar auctioneers do, so there are multiple "lots" all being offered with approximately the same end time.

The first sale of 2008 has a total of 30 lots, including both some individual better pieces that might be of interest to collectors, as well as some nice "groupings" that are more offered for jewelry makers or crafts people.

The highlight of the sale is the nice piece of bright turquoise, pictured above. Genuine turquoise is one of the rarest of all seaglass colors, and eludes many collectors, even if they have walked the beach for many years. Along with orange, turquoise tends to be the highest priced color in the collector market. A fairly large flawless piece of turquoise seaglass sold for $176.00 on eBay, in early 2007. On the rare occasions when high quality shards of this color are offered, the prices tend to reach $50+ very quickly.

Winter Sea Glass Collecting

First post of 2008. Happy New Year!

If you live in the northern hemisphere, collecting sea glass in the winter can be somewhat of a challenge. Not only are you dealing with a high likelihood of inclement weather, but the days are short and typically the highest tides are during daylight hours, and the low tides occur in the middle of the night.

I went to the beach exactly twice in December, and found very little of interest. Some of the better and more interesting items will end up on eBay, later this month.

Happily, there are some better days (tide-wise) coming up towards the middle of January, and I just hope the weather isn't completely horrible. Spending three hours on the beach with rain being driven into my face at 25mph, while the temperature is about 40 (4C) is really not my idea of a fun time.

End of Season Reflections

It has been a year, of sorts. Frankly, had anyone (in the past) told me that I would end up actually selling some of my seaglass to other collectors and to jewelry makers around the world, I would have looked at them like they were nuts. It surprises me a little, in a way, because I have been seeing jewelry made with seaglass for many years. I suppose I always figured that the jewelers got their own glass from personal trips to the beach.

Now that I think about it, that doesn't necessarily make sense-- some of them lived in locales 100s or even 1000s of miles from the nearest coastline. And, as one person at a street fair pointed out to me, earlier this year: "Making jewelry and going to fairs takes up all the time I have. I can't really afford to give up a bunch of days to go find my own glass, and then not be assured that I even get what I need, when I give up an entire day."

The thing I had "overlooked" is that a lot of artists live in financially precarious positions, and so the $100 they could save by doing their own beachcombing doesn't make up for losing three days of work. Apart from which being able to buy a batch of glass that has already been sorted by color, and selected for "jewelry quality" is a lot more reliable than depending on whatever turns up, on any given day at the beach.

North Beach Treasures eBay Store

I have been encouraged by the favorable response I have received from people, as a result of my seaglass auctions on eBay. Seems that a few folks out there believe I am "doing it right."

I never really envisioned my selling some of my "excess" seaglass as being more than something I "dabble" in. Certainly, I never contemplated it as "a business," and I still don't. It's a hobby, first and foremost.

That said, I have had a few of my seaglass-for-jewelry customers suggest to me that I put up an eBay "store," rather than just rely on periodic auctions. I understand their point. As I have been going, so far, I just bulked up whatever I had left to sell every 3-4 weeks and put it out for auction. In a way, an "all or nothing" approach.

An online store makes sense (from a buyer's perspective), because people can go there and buy supplies when they need it, not based on when I happen to have time for auctions.

Of course, it costs money to have a store on eBay, but since I'm not really trying to have a business, per se... the cost seems negligible, vs. the benefits to people out there.

So, with no further ado, I am pleased to announce the "opening" of my eBay store:

North Beach Treasures

If you're a sea glass collector, you'll find some better individual shards-- unusual and rare. If you're a jewelry maker or doing crafts projects with sea glass, you'll find bulk lots and "selections," often listed by quality grade and color.

2007 Sea Glass Festival

I am feeling a bit bummed that the 2007 NASGA Sea Glass Festival is October 7-8, which overlaps with a retreat I am co-hosting in Estes Park, CO.

One of the people who buys glass from me on eBay asked if I was going, and I had to admit that I am not. The Colorado thing was a prior agreement.

It will probably be a couple of years before I can go to a seaglass festival, as rumor has it the next one they schedule will be on the east coast. I don't really know enough people back east to be sure I have a free place to stay.

Summer Beachcombing

Although I do try to make it to the beach pretty much year-round, summers are more fun. The tides are more favorable (most of the fall and winter, low tide occurs in the middle of the night), and the longer days make for more time to walk further and pick things up.

It seems to be a general rule that the further you are willing to walk, the better the pickings. When I say walk, I am referring to how far you walk from the nearest land access to the beach. Once you get much beyond three miles (or an hour+), the pickings start to get better, especially if part of the hike is difficult, over a beach that is mostly large round rocks, making footing rather treacherous.

I have been finding a few rarities, recently. I have a much better sense of why they are "rarities," now. Sea glass marbles seem to be getting scarcer every year, too... I guess it may be a product of modern times-- kids don't play with maerbles anymore.

Customer service?

So far, it would seem, I have done fairly well with my sales on eBay. People seem fairly pleased with the lots I have offered, and and the majority of my lots have sold.

I experienced some "trickiness" around going to the retreat in California-- it's hard to run an Internet business when you're not actually somewhere where you can connect to the Internet.

I had expected summer to be a pretty good season around here, but I am discovering that this is such a tourist town that most of the beaches are actually picked clean, around this time of the year. Seems that leaves me either with "friendly" tides and little glass, or "unfriendly" tides, and better glass. Not sure what to do about that. Of course, I am not really running a "business," per se, so maybe I just shouldn't worry.

But speaking of business, I have been surprised at the number of people who have actually been surprised that I answer emails, and answer questions on eBay. I find that a but mystifying. Why would a seller not take the time to answer and inquiry? Not that I am necessarily all that surprised, since I heard much the same kind of feedback in the stamp business.

I really haven't found a great number of rarities around here. Naturally, there's lots and lots of common glass in common colors, but not very much in unusual colors. Heh! Maybe that's what makes them "unusual!"

Summer Solstice

It's hard to believe that it is already summer, and that we have rounded the longest day of the year. The extreme summer tides that make beach glass collecting so enjoyable are still here for a few more months, before the times start to become "unfriendly."

Since I have started selling glass on eBay, I have also started wondering how I will manage to have anything to offer during the winter months when tides are unfavorable. Ironically, those who make jewelry with sea glass probably have the greatest need before the Christmas holidays, and in early spring, before the spring and summer crafts fairs start up again.

eBay and Sea Glass

After poking around a bit with searches, I have created an eBay account to try to sell sea glass on eBay.

When I looked, it appeared that there are lots of people who offer sea glass, and quite a few of the listed items actually end up selling. From what I can tell, their glass isn't necessarily any better or different from what I typically find.

The spectacular emerald heart was what got the whole thing started-- it's flawless and large, and people seem willing to pay good money for sea glass hearts in almost any condition.

If I could use this to add a couple of hundred dollars of "pocket money" a month, it would not only answer the question of what I am going to "do" with the glass I am finding here (which is significantly more than I have found on other beaches where I have beach combed), it would bring some much needed supplementary income to the stamp business... which is not really going as well as I might like.

Fortunately, the new camera has a decent macro setting, so I should be able to present decent photos in my auctions.

As I pondered this (yesterday), I decided I am going to take the same approach I have always taken with stamps-- and anything else I have sold on eBay: Have better and more attractive photos and better descriptions than anyone else in the market. It either forces others to "snap to" and up their game... or their stuff will simply just not look as appealing.

I am thinking I will use starting prices of $2.95 for better individual pieces, and $3.95 for "lots." Some people seem to start all their stuff at 99 cents-- I suppose, to take advantage of eBay's lowest listing fee-- and some seem to have a horribly inflated sense of what their glass is worth. I guess I'll be going along the "middle way," until I settle into a pattern. I just can't visualize selling anything for 99 cents. What's the point? It's not that I'm trying to be greedy... but after eBay and PayPal and packing materials? That 99 cents would be eaten up. As Brian Hunt used to say "It takes no talent to GIVE away good material, it takes talent to SELL it for a fair price." Of course, he was talking about stamps... but still...

Wishing myself luck here, with this new endeavor.

Changing Scenery

The beach I typically visit is forever changing. Perhaps it's because I live in a place that has large tidal variations, and because it faces the often wind-whipped Straits of Juan de Fuca.

Some people might say "So what? Don't all beaches change?"

Truth be known, they don't.

Our house in Denmark, when I was little, was about 1/4 mile from the beach. It was a beach on a fairly protected sound, close to the Baltic-- tides were minimal, and rarely did storms do much to alter the beach landscape.

As a teen, I lived on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, near the straits of Gibraltar. Although there were strong currents and occasional storms, those beaches changed very little-- and tides in the Mediterranean tend to be fairly limited, proximity of the Atlantic Ocean notwithstanding.

There's a significant difference in what treasures you might find on a beach where the most exciting thing a storm brings up is some seaweed, and a beach where the storms wash up logs the size of a small house.

Having lived near both kinds of beaches, I prefer the changes-- even when they have a negative impact on what I find, during my beach walks.

40th Anniversary?

It would be a pretty good guess that I could be having my 40th anniversary as a seaglass collector this year.

Of course, I am just guessing.

I do know that I first became fascinated by these small treasures from the sea when I was maybe six years old. My parents would go to the south of France a lot-- and while my dad was at work, I would go with my mom to the beach. At some point, I noticed that there were "small blue stones" on the beach, so I started collecting them. Of course, the "small blue stones" weren't stones at all, but tiny shards of sea glass.

I don't have any of those original bits of seaglass from my childhood-- they were long lost through a series of moves. However, I still have the fascination with things found on the beach, and these days I am fortunate to not only live just a half-mile from the beach, but also in a location where there is a fairly good supply of glass to be found.

These, then, are the ramblings of a beachcomber.