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News BEAD THE MESSAGE Go Back Bead The Message kit now carried in 139 stores in 20 states + Washington DC, Guam, Panama & Canada! Alaska Just Imagine Toys in Wosilla Over the Rainbow Toy Store in Anchorage Simply Bella in Ketchikan California Adventure Toys in Los Altos, CA Beverly Glen Pharmacy in Los Angeles C M School Supply in Upland Cheeky Monkey Toys in Melo Park Exploratorium in San Francisco Games Unlimited in Danville Gepetto’s in Carlsbad Gepetto’s in Chula Vista Gepetto’s in Del Mar Gepetto’s in La Jolia Gepetto’s in San Diego (4 locations) Henry’s Toyshop in Mill Valley HobbyTown USA in Concord Jeffrey’s Toys in San Francisco Karen’s Toys in Encino Kumquat Art & Home in Santa Monica Mr. G’s Toys & Expressions in Los Angeles Nature at Play in Burlingame Thinker Things in Solana Beach Sand Castles by the Sea in Carmel Star Toys in Los Angeles Sweet Dreams in Santa Monica Thinker Things in Solana Beach Three Cheeky Monkeys in Los Angeles Toy B Ville in Healdsburg Toy Box in Eureka Treehouse in the Glen in San Jose Wee Three Children’s Store in Santa Rosa Whiz Kids! In San Luis Obispo Wooden Horse in Los Gatos Zeum in San Francisco Connecticut Educational Warehouse in Norwalk Jesse’s Toys in Orange The Age of Reason in Westport The Perfect Toy in Avon District of Columbia Sullivan’s 1 in Washington DC Florida A To Z Toys in Miami Beach Lighten Up in Winter Park Guam Games Unlimited in Tamuning Illinois Toys and Teachers in Galesburg Toys Et Cetera in Chicago Kansas Four & Twenty Blackbirds in Manhattan The Learning Tree in Prairie Village Louisiana Magic Box in New Orleans Maryland Fun and Games in Kensington Shenanigans Toy Shop in Baltimore White Flint Toys in Gaithersburg Tiddlywinks in Bel Air Massachusetts Belmont Toys in Belmont Boing! JP’s Toy Shop in Jamaica Run Little Towne Toys in Littleton The Toy Box in Vineyard Haven Tom’s Toys in Great Barrington Michigan Amerikid in Bloomfield Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth Dexter Pharmacy II in Dexter Doll Hospital & Toy Soldier Shop in Berkley Frankenmuth Toy Company in Frankenmuth Genuine Toy Company in Plymouth Great Turtle Toys in MacKinac Island Lucky Duck in Brighton Mudpuddles in Ann Arbor Toy House Inc in Jackson Village Toy Company in Grosse Pointe Warren Prescriptions in Farmington Hills Yesterday’s Child in Laingsburg Minnasota Hub Hobby in Little Canada Missouri Brookside Toy & Science in Kansas City Circle of Knowledge in Saint Louis New Jersey Distinctive Toys in Fair Haven Fun & Games in Blairstown * Hobby Shop in Aberdeen HobbyTown USA in Newton* Jacks Toy, Books & Gifts in Jersey City Jazams in Princeton Learning Express in Westwood Prints Charming in Nutley Toy Towne in Hackettstown Toys With Love in Chester New York Auntie Penny in Chappaqua Dinosaur Hill in New York Educational Warehouse in Spring Valley Fantastic Kids Corp in Huntington Fun Stuff Toys in Seaford Funky Monkey in Greenvale Homboms in New York Kidding Around in New York Lee’s Art Shop in New York M.J. Beanz in Plainview Parkslope in Brooklyn Scarsdale Child’s Play in Scarsdale Stationary and Toy World in New York Steve’s Toy Box in Mamaroneck Stevenson’s Toys & Games in Southhampton The Craft Studio in New York Toy Loft in East Aurora West Side Kids in New York Young International in Babalyon Ohio Ben Franklin Crafts in Bowling Green Bennett’s Rt 18 in Medina Blue Turtle Toys in Dayton Deluxe Novelty in Marting Ferry Larson’s Toys/Games in Columbus OK, Let’s Play in Avon Once Upon A Time in Rocky River Smartickles in Medina Ted’s Toy Store in Cincinnati Toyfirix in Smithville Panama Los Girasoles Enterprise in Los Portales Pennsylvania E Squared Toys 2 Try in Pittsburgh Fosters Toy Shoppe in Doylestown Herb’s Hobbies and Crafts in Doylestown HobbyTown USA in Reading Of Silver in Doylestown Playthings Etc in Butler South Carolina Hollipops in Mt Pleasant Tennessee Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga Virginia Doodlehopper 4 Kids in Springfield Go Bananas in Ashburn Toys That Teach in Richmond Washington Acadmeic Toolbox in Wenatchee Calico Cat Toys in Bainbridge Island Curious Kidstuff in Seattle Izilla Toys in Seattle Kazoodles in Vancouver Math N’ Stuff in Seattle Read Me a Story in Anacortes Red Wagon in Seattle Reigning Imagination Toys in Mill Creek Snapdoodle Toys in Kenmore Teaching Toys & Books in Tacoma Third Place Company in Seattle Tree Top Toys in Redmond University Book Store in Kirkland Yeagers Sporting Goods in Bellingham Canada Memory Lane Boutique in Montreal *Offers Bead The Message Parties

Wednesday, 04 August 2010

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Bead The Message is proud to support Abilities of Northwest Jersey Inc in their mission to improve the employability and quality of life for people with disabilities by providing training and individualized services. Due to significant growth, Bead The Message’s award winning bead kit will now be assembled by the very capable employees at Abilities. For more information about the great work being done at Abilities please visit their website at www.abilitiesnw.com.

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Bead The Message exhibited at CHA Convention & Trade Show Table T1842 in Rosemont, IL July 27-29, 2010. The secret message kit was selected for the Innovations Showcase and Media Event.

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Bead The Message was awarded 2010 Toy of the Year by Creative Child Magazine, June 18, 2010.

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Bead The Message exhibited at ASTRA Marketplace Table T10 in Providence, RI June 13-16, 2010

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Bead The Message is now offering Secret Message Bead Party/ Group Activity in New Jersey

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Bead The Message founder Marci Braunstein and her family went to Give Kids The World in Florida on April 6, 2010. The *Wish* children and their families enjoyed making secret emessage projects.

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Bead The Message sponsors Girl Power Expo in Washington DC April 24, 2010

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Bead The Message receives 5 out of 5 stars in review by WTS (What the Stuff) March 19, 2010 http://www.wtstoyreview.com/REVIEWS/Bead-the-Message-Secret-Messaging-Kit-Kids-Teens-Tweens-Toys-Product-Review.htm

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Bead The Message successfully exhibited at the TIA Toy Fair booth 5746 at the Jacob Javitts Center in NYC on February 14-17, 2010

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Bead The Message Sponsors Art Contest in Jewish State Newspaper Nov/Dec 2009.

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Brightly colored baubles with a message Article in Mendham, Chester, Washington this week.com January 6, 2010

Why did you start the business?
Marci Braunstein:   I had volunteered to run the bead booth at a local charity carnival. I was dreaming up ways to make the craft interesting and fun for boys and girls when I had an epiphany. I thought of making each color bead stand for a letter, number or space. Each child could use them to create secret-message bracelets. I also created a decoder so kids could allow friends and family to read their messages. I explained my idea to my husband, and he encouraged me to apply for a patent and turn my idea into a business. I subsequently added a fun online decoder; children can recreate their bead projects on my Web site and hit a button to decode it.

If you could do it again, what would you do differently?
The photos for my Web site were taken this past summer, with everyone wearing shorts and T-shirts. I wish I'd have had the foresight to take pictures in attire appropriate for other seasons as well.

What's the best business advice your parents gave?
My mother has advised me to stay focused. She has enabled me to concentrate on launching my business by increasing the amount of time she spends with my children.

What personality trait helps you the most?
I work well with people which makes doing business a pleasure and also fosters an environment where everyone I work with goes the extra mile to help me succeed.

What's the hardest part of the job?
I am struggling with how to let people know about my product, especially on a limited budget. People often see my bead kit and assume it's just like all the other bead kits they've seen. When I have the opportunity to explain the secret-message aspect of it, those same individuals love my kit and buy it.

The easiest?
I've found the easiest thing is getting creative ideas and solutions. In speaking with people about my company, I've been given many great ideas, which I've implemented or am planning to implement as time and money permit.

What's your least expensive product or service?
Most kit refills and accessories, including holiday charms and specialty beads, are priced at 99 cents.

The most-expensive?
The entire kit, which contains almost 1,000 beads, 45 feet of elastic, 20 decoder cards and instructions, housed in a sturdy plastic double-locking container — costs only $19.99.

How do you manufacture the products?
Almost all kit components are made in New Jersey: The beads are manufactured in Oakland, the decoder cards and labels are from Budd Lake, the plastic container is produced in Newton and the entire kit is assembled in Long Valley.

Describe your most unusual customer, job or work experience.
Many of my customers are extremely creative. I've been told that my secret-message beads have been used by a teacher to create entrance wrist bands for a school event, by several troop leaders to achieve Girl Scout goals, by a mother as unique invitations, by a coach on cleat shoelaces to rally the team, by a preschool teacher to encourage letter recognition, by an occupational therapist to work on fine motor skills and by a religious group as a fundraiser, to name a few.

We hear you support an important charity for a very important reason.
BeadTheMessage.com is a supporter of Give Kids The World (gktw.org), a 70-acre, nonprofit resort in central Florida that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. BeadTheMessage.com offers a charity bracelet for $5, with 100 percent the of profits going to GKTW. The bracelet features Bead The Message beads and a GKTW's red mushroom charm with white crystals. A special-edition decoder card with the Give Kids The World's mission statement is included.

I chose this charity because it is a special place where our family enjoyed a Make-A-Wish trip with our oldest daughter, Heather, who had been fighting leukemia since just before her third birthday. My husband and I treasure the memories we have of Heather on that trip, as she lost her heroic fight 2-1/2 months later.

If and when you leave the business, what will you do?
I am enjoying this business so much that the only way I would sell it would be if the proceeds were sufficient for my husband and me to retire and travel around the world. I expect to be running this business for quite a long time.

In one sentence, tell us why customers should buy your product.
Anyone looking for a fun, unique and educational activity for a child, slumber party, birthday, class or group will find the kit to be very manageable, easily adaptable and well-received by children of all ages.

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Article in The Sandpaper, Beachcomber and Free-Time News Magazines December 1, 2009
Don’t just say it – bead it By SUZANNE MARINO Staff Writer

MARGATE – Trying to find a different gift that kids will enjoy and not shove under the bed after a day is a challenge whether it is for Christmas or Chanukah. But a woman from North Jersey may have come up with an idea that could be the favorite present this year, called Bead the Message.

Creator Marci Braunstein traveled from Long Valley, N.J. to be at the Chanukah bazaar at Beth El Synagogue Sunday, Nov. 22 because she said it was the perfect place to launch her bead kit in southern New Jersey. She said she believes it might be the hottest thing going, and could be the 2010 must-have holiday gift. With the kit, children use brightly colored beads to create bracelets, anklets and key chains with a color-coded message. There is a different color for every letter of the alphabet and numbers zero through nine. The kit comes with a decoder sheet, string and about 1,000 beads – enough to make dozens of bracelets and anklets.

Braunstein said she came up with the idea when she was asked to run the bead booth at a local fundraiser. “I had to come up with something different and wanted it to be fun for the boys as well as the girls. The boys loved it,” she said. She launched the kit just recently and has been featured in Discovery Kids and several other publications, she said.

Braunstein is making stops at other holiday craft shows and has booked a booth at the annual toy show in February at the Jacob Javitz Center in New York City, where toy and hobby stores buyers from all over the country come to check out new toys and trends.

If the steady line of kids stringing bracelets at the Chanukah bazaar is any indication of what’s hot and what’s not, Bead the Message is a hit. The kits sell for $19.99. Refills are available in each color for 99 cents. Braunstein said she can ship the kits in time for Chanukah and Christmas. See www.beadthemessage.com to check out what a little creativity has generated in the way of a new slant on secret messages.

To comment on this story email marino@catamaranmedia.com.

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Press Release November 20, 2009
Long Valley Firm Creates Color Coded Secret Message Bead Kit

Long Valley, N.J. – It’s a fundraiser. It’s a great gift. It’s a party, scout, class or group activity. It’s educational. It’s Bead The Message.

Bead The Message combines beading, secret message making and decoding in a fun new way. The product allows users to create any message using 38 different colored beads. Every color represents a number, letter or space. The secret message is revealed using a special decoder card or online decoder.

“Parents are always looking for fun educational toys for holiday and birthday presents,” said Marci Braunstein, president of BeadTheMessage.com. “Teachers and group leaders are pleased to find a fun way to engage children and can easily tailor a Bead The Message activity to their lesson. It can help build communication skills – some creative users are using text messaging abbreviations in their messages.”

“I created Bead The Message because it was something I would enjoy and I could share with my children. This is a toy that’s educational and fun,” Braunstein said. “But don’t tell the kids. Right now, they just want to have fun. The learning will happen naturally.”

Bead The Message can also be used to create invitations, event entry bracelets, spelling aids, and shoelace adornments. Accessories are available to create secret message key rings, earrings, backpack clips and zipper pulls. Many of the beads are custom colors and the five extreme glitter beads are sought after by crafters.

Each kit contains nearly 1,000 beads, 45 feet of elastic and 20 decoder cards housed in a reusable container. The website sells replacement parts to ensure the longevity of the kit.

Almost all kit components are made in and assembled in New Jersey.
“Given the current economy, buyers appreciate products made in the USA,” she said.

BeadTheMessage.com is a supporter of Give Kids The World (gktw.org), a 70-acre, non-profit resort in central Florida that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. BeadTheMessage.com offers a charity bracelet with all profits going to Give Kids The World. The bracelet features BeadTheMessage.com beads and a Give Kids The World’s red and white mushroom charm. A special edition decoder card with the Give Kids The World’s mission statement is included.

Bead The Message kits are available at BeadTheMessage.com and select New Jersey toy and hobby stores. Bead The Message will be featured at the Toy Industry Association’s annual Toy Fair (Feb. 14-17) at the Jacob Javitts Center in New York City.
The learn more, visit BeadTheMessage.com.

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