About a month or so ago, I decided to order some beads from....China! Yep. I was gonna eliminate the middle man, keep my prices for my new business adventure low, yet still make a decent profit to make it all worthwhile. Even with the outragous shipping, (I later discovered it wasn't so outragous, as my box weighed 22 pounds! lol) the beads I ordered from China were still waaaaaay cheaper than anything I could find anywhere else. So, I placed my order and a few days later, I received an email from China telling me that, "They no had some beads in store. Wait please," they said. I waited. About a week later, they sent another email saying that, "some of my beads could just no be had. Choose again, please." I chose again. A week later, I was informed once again that, "some beads could no be had. Choose again, please." This time I sent back an email asking them to just send me what they had and cancel the ones that could no be. A week later they said, "We be shipping!" I was so excited! Then....a week later....they sent an email telling me that, "Fed Ex was holding my beads until I should give them my F & L license number." I know! I thought the same thing. What the heck is an F & L license number??? So, I called Fed Ex and guess what it was? A Fishing and Wild Life license! Apparently some of the beads I ordered were shells and in order to receive them, I needed a license. I tried to explain to the Fed Ex lady, that I didn't want to go fishing or hunting, I just wanted to make pretty things! She laughed and explained the import/export deal and emailed me an application. I had to fax it back (signed!) and with a copy of a $100 (I kid you not!) check made out to the F & L people in order for her to "release" my shell beads. I did send her a copy and the next day I received my 22 pound box of shells! Then I promptly tore up that F&L application and my check. My ordering overseas days are over. Sanity doesn't come cheap, but it's worth the price in the long run!
22 pounds of beads and a little wire!
(I have over 6000 beads!)
It was naptime when the Fed Ex Man delivered,
but Karter was awake and was more than happy to
help me sort through them!
The F & L shells!
Wouldn't you know it, after all that...
The little holes were too small to do
what I had planned to do with them!
Back to the chinese checker board....
