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I've been watching eBay lately, and I see some beautiful beads with appalling technique flaws being sold for pretty hefty prices and it worries me. Every purchaser that pays premium prices for shoddy work will then have a reason to shy away from all lampwork.
I'm not targeting any auction....any lampworker....BUT here are some buying points to pay attention to so you won't get stuck on quality.
First, surface decoration should not sit on top of the bead with a contact point that is smaller than the bulk of it. A tracing, dot, scroll or whatever should not have a neck. It needs to be melted down enough that there's no angled gap between bead surface and the decoration. Why? Fragility issues. Glass applied this way is very likely pop off under regular use. Annealing does not fix this situation. It isn't necessarily shoddy work. A heavily decorated bead takes time and it's easy to miss something; however, it's still too fragile for wear.
Second, very thin hollow beads are just that . . . very thin. A bead used in jewelry must be sturdy and thin-walled hollow beads are much like those lovely crystal champagne flutes that don't last. Too fragile. Hollows are wonderful, easy to design around, lightweight, and often more sparkly (A good thing !!) than a solid bead....but they must have some heft to them to be functional.
Third, a bead with pointy ends cannot be fixed with bead caps, wonderful design or wishing...the glass is crunchy at that point, will shatter and isn't worth the effort to pay for it.
Fourth, pressed beads with dimpled lips don't work for most jewelry. The mouth swallows the bead next to it, and the design doesn't have enough light to be beautiful.
As with everything, appearance doesn't make up for quality in lampwork. A beautiful bead that's too fragile or too flawed to use is useless and you've been ripped off.
There are many not-so-perfect things that can be designed around, past, and with....but wearability issues can't be fixed after the bead is purchased.
There are exceptions, by the way. Many pieces are beads because they are pieces of glass with holes in them. But, because of intricate design, realistic features and graceful appendages, they are not sturdy enough for jewelry. If you love them, buy them, prepared to use them as display, a beautiful part of your collection. Just know that you will have to keep them on bead stands.
Make those purchasing decisions wisely. (One example that comes to mind instantly are some of the very realistic fish beads one sees....they are wonderful work, they are beautiful, and beautifully made...and they are glass.... Buy them knowing that you have purchased art, not jewelry components.)
One last offer....if you are interested in lampwork, and are concerned about wearability, I'll help. Email me. | 
wonky!