Changing Times: End of an Era

Today I started the slightly sad process of organizing my office, specifically to pack down and get rid of the final few remnants of what was once my thriving beachcombing business.

Yes, we're changing pace completely today from my usual fare; instead I'm going to talk a little bit about something I did for a living for many years!

Sea glass in many colors

When I first moved to this part of the country I actually lived in a camper van and it was mostly parked in a State Park that was close to the beach and I would walk on that beach every day. I had this crazy inclination that it would be the greatest thing in the world if I could actually make a living from walking on the beach because it was one of my favorite things to do. I was basically engaged in a blend of creative visualization and wishful thinking!

To make a long story short, I subsequently discovered that there are actually many jewelers and artists around the world who work with "found objects," and this can include anything from driftwood to old pieces of pottery that have been smoothed out by waves, to sea shells and unusual rocks, to sea glass... which is essentially pieces of glass that were once broken and sharp shards and — thanks to the polishing/tumbling action of the ocean and rocks and sand — it slowly becomes quite smooth and soft looking.

Clear sea glass is sometimes referred to as "Mermaid Tears"

Anyway, just for a lark, I started offering some of this *"sea glass" for sale on eBay back in 2006 and to my surprise it became quite popular... eventually to the point where about three or four years later I was substantially making the majority of my income from beachcombing and selling sea glass online!

I'm actually incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to turn one of my favorite hobbies into a way of life, even if it was only temporary.

And I say "temporary" in a slightly bittersweet tone because — like all such things — once a few people discover that one person is making money with something they all descend on your venture like a flock of vultures and try to exploit something that is actually not really exploitable, but can definitely be destroyed in the course of the exploitation attempt.

The dark blues were always the most popular

Unfortunately, sea glass is not a renewable resource. Well, at least not the kind that you walk on the beach and pick up... some people "fake it" with rock tumblers, even though the end appearance is NOT the same. It's not renewable because in 2024 we get all our stuff not in glass containers anymore, but in plastic, and the sea glass that was once the result of glass trash has long since been replaced by an ocean of plastic bits that nobody cares about.

It simply doesn't EXIST anymore.

Because sea glass gets to become "sea glass" as a result of being worn down by the ocean over years and decades, it also has a finite life once it is on the beach and in the ocean. By most estimates, pieces essentially turn back to sand after about maybe 50 to 75 years unless they're in a very sheltered bay somewhere. And since we've had environmental laws in place to discourage people and companies from throwing trash everywhere since the 1960s, the supply of sea glass has gradually become nothing... aside from the fact that a bunch more people started competing for that ever shrinking supply.

Pale green sea glass. This was once part of a white wine bottle.

And so, this business gradually fizzled out until I've now reached the point where it's simply not worth my while to even pretend that there is a business. Let's just say it has come to its natural conclusion.

I suppose I could sit back and feel bitter about that, but instead I'm just choosing to focus on being grateful for having had the opportunity and merely sad that it doesn't exist anymore.

Times change. We also aren't riding in horse drawn carriages any more, most people don't know what a "landline" phone is, and art is becoming more digital than done by hand. These are just simply the things that happen.

Red is one of the rarest colors of glass... because it is very hard to make.

But since the blockchain is sort of a "permanent repository" of information and a place to refer back to in the future (I hope!), I thought I would share this bit here today, and share some of my pictures from both a distant past and from recently as I wind down this particular phase of my life.

Time to re-invent myself, for the 47th time!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful weekend!

How about you? Have you ever turned a hobby or favorite pastime into a business? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)

Created at 2024.06.15 00:37 PDT
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