Bead prices are up and down, prices are too subjective to properly evaluate here without accurate data. To say prices are down would be an incorrect generalization. I found the more desirable beads for collectors have held their values and the prices have gone higher again this year. For example Amazonite strands took a big price dip last year but rebounded and are much higher this year. Kiffa beads have gone up as well, the quality was fairly nice, there were 3 strands from a private collection out of N. Africa (the condition of the strands leads me to believe they were 1990's collected), 2 were shorter and went for $3,000 each and a longer one was $3,500... Bully had an average strand for $5,000, that would be the highest I have seen so far in any year at any Tucson venue! There were several nice Bodom beads that were up in price and also a few rare chevrons in the thousands....I did not price the "trade" strands but the a Speo strand I liked was almost $3,000, also up from previous years. Nice Coral was up almost $2 per gram, I saw some starting at $8-12 per gram (great color), and some a low as $2 per gram, the better grades were higher..... also Amber and Phenolic were up from past years. More when I get the chance to reflect