[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Don't go to big shows unless you want to overspend. For me, they have been an almost complete waste of time for decades. Sadly, the same can be said about the vast majority of retail stores. It's cheaper and easier to buy online.

I would much rather have the best of both worlds, as attending shows 35 years ago was fun and exciting. For the longest time, it's just been a case of walking around and wishing I had used the time to accomplish something more productive.

If you like the idea of attending shows and have the goal of buying items at agreeable price points, perhaps smaller, local/regional shows might still be the best option. Booth space is cheaper and travel costs for dealers are usually a lot less if they're native to the area. As an added bonus, you will be more prone to encounter people who aren't doing this full time and may have their items priced more in tune with your actually being willing to purchase something! It's a roll of the dice, but to me, the smaller shows are far more worthy of further exploration. As an added bonus, the promoters of these shows should be easier to contact. You could phone or email ahead of time to see if they might know if there's anyone selling who fits your needs. This has definitely helped save me time in the past.