I Love Rings and Things!

Honestly, I do! I found them on line a while back. I needed some gun metal chains. They had them. I ordered them. I was extremely satisfied. This is not a paid endorsement. This is another one of my, you should check this out blogs.


I met Dave on Twitter. He tweets for R & T. I told him that I had planned to blog about R & T, as a result of the conversation, he agreed to an interview. Cool! Here it is, in all its glory. By the way, Dave is a new dad for the 4th time.
Dave tells me that what is on his head is not hair. They are actually African trade beads. Somehow, knowing he works for Rings and Things, I believe him!

1. All right, Dave, when a person looks in the Rings & Things catalog, there are 7 color-coded sections: Gemstones, Swarovski Crystals, Beads and Pendants, Cord and Chain, Findings, Precious Metals, and Tools and Supplies. Where are the rings?

Great question, since we call ourselves "Rings & Things"! We do have finger "Rings": look in the teal Findings section for ones to glue stuff onto, and in the purple Precious Metals part for beadable rings. (Jump rings, split rings etc. are really easy to find.) The "Things" are everywhere else!

2. I know what section is my favorite (Tools and Supplies). What’s your favorite section of the catalog? Why?

I'm really partial to the "African Trade Beads" feature in Beads & Pendants section. Every single item there has a glorious handmade feel that would make any Etsian proud.

3. “Quality products, Personal service, One Stop.” True or not true?

Two-and-a-half out of three ain't bad...mostly true...we try to tell the painful reality. You can't get everything at the best price at one place. But Rings & Things works awful hard to figure a way to give you nice prices and quality stuff.

4. What’s the history of Rings and Things?

Here's what I know: This company was started in bucolic Spokane, Washington, by Russ Nobbs in 1972. Being apparently the hardest working man in bead business, Russ managed to turn a teeny tiny startup into an expanding company. Over the years, Russ started putting together a little catalog by hand, doing some trunk shows, and creating a website. A mere 37 years later, he's got a lot of helpers, Rings & Things is a worldwide supplier of beads & findings, and we put on bead shows across the country... And I think it's extremely cool that we're still known for listening to our customers, just like back in the day.

5. Your prices are great! With this economy, how do you do it?

Simple! Now's not the time to raise prices, and we'd be in trouble if we cut them. So we heroically keep our prices steady. Um, can you tell I don't work in the accounting department?

6. I know you’re on Twitter. Where else can we find Rings and Things?

Shhh, you have to be in the know to find us on Facebook. Special message to readers of this blog: you can follow our incognito "Russ Troll". It's an experiment to see if we can get 2,500 followers without mentioning the name "Rings & Things"...

7. I know you're a new Dad. How's it going?

Esme was born a few days ago, and she's being very nice to my wife and me. Every baby is a great experience...she's our fourth...and last? Funny moment from the home birth: our 2-year-old got a notion to pass the time waiting for the new baby HOW? By stringing beads!