The Bead Monkey

A little too overpriced, but that’s fine and somewhat expected for a local indi store in this neighborhood.
The service is what will not make me return. It was my first time to this place and not knowing every bead store’s rules, I felt almost like I was being yelled at by this older woman behind the counter. It’s a bead store. And I’m not going to steal your beads by no means.
No more words, just remember to use the tray and put everything in individual clear baggies, k?!

I had a great time here. I came into re-​string a necklace of my grandmother’s and make a bracelet for my mom. The saleswoman was incredibly nice and patient with me. She taught me the techniques and recommended good products that fit my project. I got to bead in a beautiful space filled with warm sunlight. They didn’t care that I spent at least 1 hour there beading away and carefully selecting my beads. Wonderful selection, good quality. I highly recommend this bead shop!

If you are looking for a bead shop which has a curated collection of on-​trend items this is your shop! This is not a bead mega-​store which will cater to every type of beader. But that’s also what I like about it.
Other bead shops may have larger collections, but the Bead Monkey is great for me, I am a hobby crafter that makes contemporary jewelry who only occasionally needs to pick up a few supplies. I know I will not have to sort through a bunch of things I am not interested in,.
I could buy similar supplies online at a lower price point, but most likely I would also end up having to buy in bulk, and frankly sometimes having to buy more, then figure out what to do with the extra supplies is more of a hassle for me.
Plus online shopping is not the same experience as visiting this lovely store. The shop is also stocked with beautiful designs which always inspire me, plus the craft kits or instructions are amazing. Shopping there feels like a little luxury. The staff has always been great. This is a great small business which I am happy to support. :)

The Bead Monkey is continuing its decline. I started shopping the St. Paul location years ago. Sure the prices were high, but the selection was good, the products were classy, and the staff was experienced and very helpful. The first thing to go was the staff. Too expensive to keep the best people? They were my reason for tolerating the high prices. Then they closed the St. Paul store.
I reluctantly switched to the Minneapolis store. Out of the way for me, but the atmosphere was nice, the product selection even larger, and the staff knowledgeable and friendly. Still pricey, but worth it.
The new Minneapolis location is a disappointment. It isn’t a warm place where you want to sit down and get a start on a piece where additional supplies are handy. The old location was just that. The staff is alright, not fantastic and experienced. They don’t drive me away, but they don’t make me want to drive across town for them either. Product selection seems to have decreased. Where are all of the amazing stones and the classy, unique strands? Prices are as high as ever. That’s justifiable only if you have the service and products to match. The problem is Bead Monkey is now charging premium prices for mediocre products and experience.

I took a class there and it was great. I learned what I needed to and the class was small. They have a great selection and the staff is helpful and knowledgeable. The prices are a little high but the quality is better.

This place is terrible. No natural stones, very bare selection of sterling chain (big, thick, hammered chain only), and sales associate was pretty curt when I had questions. Not a place for anyone under age 50 to buy jewelry supplies from. Sad that JoAnn’s had a more unique selection than this place.