Indus Beads

I have had a very friendly reception at this store, and I have been here 5 or 6 times. I just looked up their number and saw the reviews, and was surprised at the anger and hostility expressed. I have met several family members and they have all been very friendly, as well. It is definitely a great source for authentic beads. I even bought a necklace that is a beautiful old shard of Roman glass — and at a very reasonable price! If you want something unique, this is the place — coptic crosses, trade beads and all! Great shopping to you!

For the record, I never got a pretentious vibe from this place. The staff (ie, the one girl that was there to help me) seemed very friendly and offered some great advice after it became obvious that I had to idea what I was doing when it came to picking out the right beads for my project. She also offered me a glimpse into her social life, by chatting with her friends on her cell phone just loudly enough for me to figure out what her plans were going to be that night.
Also, they had a lot of beautiful beads there.

Indus Beads has a wide selection of beads, courteous and knowledgeable staff. A great place to buy beads, I love the all the neat things you can buy. A great place, I highly recommend it if your in the market for beads or make your own crafts

I love Madison. A lot. So anytime I get to go I really look forward to it, especially when I get to check out places I’ve never been to before.
I’m not a super crafter when it comes to beads and jewelry, believe me, but I do enjoy making things from time to time. It’s really fun for me to just browse through bead stores, too.
To get right to it, Indus Beads is bullshit.
Unfortunately, there’s always kind of an pretentious air when someone walks into a place that caters to a very specialized and specific area that they (the customer) aren’t completely familiar with. I think a lot of that has to do with a customer’s own personal insecurities (a casual music lover walking into a tiny record store and feeling like the clerk is a total elitist asshole right off the bat, for instance) but sometimes the customer isn’t crazy and the store IS just run by a bunch of jerks.
Hello, Indus Beads!
Seriously, would it have helped if I walked in wearing an, «I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING, I SWEAR!» tshirt? Would you have treated me with a little more respect, Indus Beads? Would you have made me feel like my business was actually appreciated? Whatever, it doesn’t matter anyway. The place was filled with crappy stock that looked like it had been collecting dust for years.
Stupid Indus Beads!

I was a loyal customer of Jade Mountain beads for years, until they moved down the street from their original location. After that, the employees seemed to think that their shit didn’t stink, because they looked at every customer as a potential shoplifter. If they weren’t basically accusing you of stealing by demanding to hold your purse while you shopped (although you were purchasing $ 100 worth of merchandise, I’m not even exaggerating), they were making snide remarks about customers when they thought people couldn’t hear them. I seriously heard them talking about how fat a woman was who was shopping in the store. This was not a one-​time thing either. I had also heard them making plans about going out to «get wasted» after work, and talking about their sexual exploits. Then apparently, the owners couldn’t make the rent anymore and had to close. They had a liquidation sale, and all of their good merchandise was sold. Good riddance.
Now fast forward to 2008, I had no idea that one of the former offenders at Jade Mountain had relaunched as «Indus Beads» and actually went in the store. I was horrified when I first walked in and saw that face behind the counter. I was kind of waiting for her to ask me for my purse. Thankfully, she did not. I still felt that my prescence in the store was a nuisance to the shopkeeper, as usual. At least some things never change.
ANYWAY, as for the store itself, all I saw was the old remaining stock from Jade Mountain that they couldn’t give away at the end (including the awkward fixtures) and some crappy belts and shirts laying around at extremely inflated prices.
I think I will just keep going to Burnie’s, which always seemed a lot more friendly to their patrons.

Indus used to be right around the corner from me, and I used their beads as a reward for a job well done. like if i finished all of my ice cream. indus has quite a selection of beads (and ties with burnie’s as my fave bead shop). indus has lots of funky and from-​all-​around-​the-​world beads like my very favorite mali wedding beads. there are lots of bright colors and choices here. it is a great place to find a one-​of-​a-​kind centerpiece for a necklace, though there are also ropes of beads to be had. another favorite are the skull beads that seem to be made from a nut. you could buy a whole rope of them or just a couple.
another cool nook in this store is devoted to local music, just coffee, and peruvian belts and blouses. it’s always nice to promote local.
the shop itself has a sleek and uncluttered feel which is nice in a bead shop. with so many fun choices, the blonde hardwood floors are soothing. downstairs is used for art shows and such, while the back rooms offer classes. there’s even a table near the window where i suppose you could sit and string, but it’s probably better for reading. the shop can be a bit pricy, but quality beads are. besides it is just like going to a candy shop where one or two pieces can satisfy.