Tiger Tiger

What Tiger Tiger does

Tiger Tiger Beads, LLC is a privately held, family-operated e-commerce business founded in 1992 by Matt (Matthew Brody) and the late Susan, headquartered at PO Box 28215, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The company imports and resells rare antiques, beads, rugs, Dharma items, and handicrafts sourced over 30+ years from Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, and other Himalayan-region countries. It serves three primary customer segments: antique and artifact collectors, jewelry makers and designers, and wholesale buyers/vendors, with museums and institutions as a secondary segment. The current online catalog spans roughly 1,500+ unique items across 24 product categories, including dZi beads (112 items), Bob Burkett vintage silver and shibuichi beads (161 items), collectible beads (226 items), pendants (208 items), and jewelry (114 items), among others.

The underlying technology stack is a WordPress/WooCommerce e-commerce site at tiger-tiger.com, supplemented by a secondary Etsy storefront (TigerTigerTreasures) and a parallel clothing brand site (Tiger Tiger Trips). There is no proprietary software platform; the company's differentiating capability is human expertise in authenticating rare Himalayan artifacts — including dZi beads, Pyu and Pumtek beads, and exclusive product lines such as Robert Burkett vintage pieces and the only known global source of Human Bone Malas. WeChat QR integration is the only notable interoperability feature, supporting Chinese-market customer engagement.

The business operates a dual-channel revenue model: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through the website and Etsy, and B2B wholesale through Wholesale Buyer Accounts with a $300 minimum first order, $75 subsequent minimums, prepayment required for the first three orders, and a 3% credit card surcharge. The go-to-market motion is heavily event-driven, with 10+ annual trade show appearances (Tucson Gem Show, JOGS Las Vegas, Bead & Button, Objects of Art Santa Fe, Intergem Denver, and others) supplementing online channels. A single physical display partnership with Qilosophy in Tucson, AZ, extends physical retail reach. All sales are one-time purchases; there is no subscription, recurring, or licensing revenue.

Name

Tiger Tiger

Legal name

Tiger Tiger Beads, LLC

Website

https://tiger-tiger.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Tiger Tiger Beads is a family-run e-commerce business founded in 1992 that imports and sells rare antique beads, Himalayan artifacts, Buddhist ritual items, and textiles to collectors, jewelry makers, and wholesale buyers across the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Retail Sales: Direct online sales of antique beads, dZi beads, Himalayan artifacts, jewelry, and collectibles to individual consumers and collectors through tiger-tiger.com website.
2. Wholesale/Bulk Sales: Bulk quantity sales to other vendors and shop owners through Wholesale Buyer Accounts, with $300 minimum first orders and $75 subsequent minimums.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tiger Tiger imports and sells antiques, beads, rugs, Dharma items, and handicrafts from the Himalayas and Southeast Asia (Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Laos, etc.) via its own e-commerce site, an Etsy storefront, wholesale buyer accounts, and trade shows. The catalog spans 1,500+ unique items across collectible beads (dZi, Himalayan, Burkett), antique singing bowls, Tibetan tiger rugs, prayer flags, Buddhist statues, jewelry, and Asian weavings.

Product overview

Tiger Tiger is an e-commerce retail business that imports and sells quality antiques, artifacts, beads, rugs, Dharma items, and handicrafts from the Himalayas and Southeast Asia. The company has been in operation since 1992, sourcing items from Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Laos, and other countries. The core product portfolio centers on collectible beads (dZi Beads, Himalayan Beads, Bob Burkett Beads, Bruce St. John Maher beads), Tibetan and Himalayan artifacts (singing bowls, prayer flags, Buddhist statues, Gau prayer boxes, tingsha, gongs), textiles (tiger rugs, weavings, prayer flags), jewelry (pendants, mala beads, Thai gold amulets), and antiques. The business operates both retail and wholesale channels, with a presence at trade shows and events. The company maintains approximately 1,500+ unique items in stock across 24 product categories including dZi Beads (112 items), Bob Burkett collection (161 items), Collectible Beads (226 items), Pendants (208 items), and Jewelry (114 items).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tiger Tiger Trips: Clothing site operated by the company, accessible at TigerTigerTrips.com
• TigerTigerTreasures

Products and services

• dZi Beads Ancient Tibetan agate beads believed to be approximately 2,000 years old, sourced from Tibet, Bhutan, Ladakh, and Nepal. Sold to collectors and jewelry makers seeking authenticated dZi beads backed by Tiger Tiger's authentication expertise.
• Bob Burkett Beads & Pendants Handcrafted silver and shibuichi beads and pendants created using lost-wax casting by Robert Burkett, who is widely regarded as the finest bead-maker in America. Sold to jewelry makers and collectors.
• Himalayan Beads Vintage and antique beads sourced from the Himalayan region including Burma, Nepal, Thailand, and Laos. Sold to collectors and jewelry makers.
• Collectible Beads Broader catalog of vintage and antique collectible beads including Peking Glass, Pyu & Pumtek beads, and German Marble Beads. Sold to collectors and jewelry designers.
• Antique Himalayan Singing Bowls Finest quality antique singing bowls from the Himalayan region, including Burmese temple gongs. Sold to collectors, meditation practitioners, and sound-therapy buyers.
• Tibetan Tiger Rugs Pure wool Tibetan tiger rugs handcrafted in Nepal featuring traditional designs. Sold to collectors and home decor buyers.
• Prayer Flags Tibetan prayer flags (Lung Ta, or 'wind horse') intended to carry blessings to all beings when hung in high places. Sold to spiritual practitioners and decor buyers.
• Bruce St. John Maher Vintage Glass Faceted Beads Glass faceted beads by Bruce St. John Maher depicting landscapes and forests with a 3D effect, made using layered painting and kiln-fusing techniques with phosphorescent paints. Sold to collectors and jewelry makers.
• Mala Beads Buddhist prayer mala beads for meditation and spiritual practice, including Human Bone Malas. Sold to meditation practitioners and jewelry designers.
• Tibetan Gau Prayer Boxes Traditional Tibetan Gau prayer boxes worn as protective amulets and spiritual ornaments. Sold to spiritual practitioners and collectors.
• Rare Antique Gongs

Quantifiable outcome

• 1500+ unique items in constant online stock
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• QilosophyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 July 2016Tiger Tiger formed an alliance with Qilosophy, an acupuncture and cupping massage center in Tucson, AZ (2532 E. 6th St.). Tiger Tiger has a display case of merchandise at Qilosophy's new location. Both share common passion for ancient traditional/medicinal practices derived from Chinese culture. Unique pieces on display complement the relaxing environment created by Qilosophy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sacred Source: Retailer of Tibetan Buddhist and Himalayan religious items including malas, prayer beads, singing bowls, and ritual objects. Comparable product mix in the Buddhist/spiritual artifacts segment and similar focus on authentic, sourced-from-Asia merchandise.
• Tibet Imports: Online retailer specializing in Tibetan and Himalayan imports including Buddhist ritual items, prayer beads, singing bowls, and Dharma supplies. Overlapping inventory categories (prayer beads, singing bowls, Tibetan textiles, Dharma items) and similar direct-to-consumer e-commerce model.
• Tibetan Refugee Handicrafts: Online retailer specializing in handmade Tibetan and Himalayan crafts, jewelry, prayer items, and textiles. Directly comparable product mix (Tibetan jewelry, Dharma items, prayer beads, textiles) and similar specialty e-commerce positioning serving collectors and spiritual practitioners.
• Nomad Beads: Independent bead retailer based in Boulder, CO specializing in collectible and antique beads from Asia and the Himalayas. Identified in Tiger Tiger's data as a trunk-show partner - directly comparable size, product focus (rare/antique beads), and target customer base of collectors and jewelry makers.
• Morning Star Gallery: Santa Fe-based gallery specializing in Asian antiques, ethnographic art, and Himalayan artifacts - same geography and overlapping product categories (Tibetan/Himalayan antiques, jewelry, ritual objects). Comparable business model of curated, authenticated collectibles for serious collectors.
• Lotz of Beads: Specialty bead retailer with focus on collectible, vintage, and antique beads including Asian imports. Overlaps with Tiger Tiger in collectible bead categories (Himalayan, ethnographic, vintage) and similar e-commerce/wholesale distribution approach.

Others

• JOGS Gem & Jewelry Show: Major US gem, bead, and jewelry trade show (Tucson and Las Vegas) where Tiger Tiger is a regular exhibitor. Comparable as an ecosystem participant driving customer acquisition in the same collectible bead market - not a competitor but a channel through which Tiger Tiger and similar vendors reach wholesale and retail buyers.

Broad incumbents

• Fire Mountain Gems: One of the largest US bead and jewelry-making supply companies with extensive online catalog covering beads, findings, and jewelry components. Significantly broader product range and scale than Tiger Tiger, but competes for the jewelry-maker customer segment with commodity bead inventory.
• Beadshop.com: Established online bead retailer offering a broad catalog of beads, jewelry-making supplies, and accessories. Comparable in serving jewelry makers via e-commerce but with a wider, less curated assortment than Tiger Tiger's specialty collectible focus.
• Artbeads: Large online bead and jewelry components retailer serving the jewelry-making market. Overlaps with Tiger Tiger's Jewelry Makers & Designers customer segment through commodity bead and component inventory, but operates at much larger scale with broader assortment.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tigertiger.beads
• Pinterestpinterest.com/search/pins/?q=Tiger%20Tiger%20Beads

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tiger Tiger