Over the years I worked with Beadventures for their tour through the Tucson bead shows, we always arrived well after the first week (the last week in January), and were there near the beginning of February, for five nights. We always found lots of great stuff.

I don't think you miss too much by not being there at the beginning. But certainly some really good and rare pieces will be snapped up the first or second days of the Shows—and you will probably not hear or know about these exchanges. But after the first two days, things calm down considerably, until the end of the Shows, when there may be a resurgence of interest to look over whatever is remaining before it all folds up.

Have a great time. Jamey