1) Print a map of the floorplan, take a picture of the card that interests you. Type notes in your phone with table number and negotiated price. Once you walk the show go back to your favorites and pull out your wallet.
2) Bring a fully charged back up battery charger for your phone to recharge as you won't have access to an outlet. Also everyone is on their phone at the same time so your phone is constantly seeking out a signal and it'll die faster than normal. Makes sure it's fully charged before you arrive.
3) Don't bring a rolling suitcase of cards to sell or trade please, don't be that guy everyone has to walk around or try not to trip over. You look ridiculous and it's just not considerate of others. Bring those suitcases to trade night.
4) Walk the floor quickly if your looking for something particular. Go in with clear intention of what you're seeking. If your not focused you will constantly be distracted and waste time. If you're looking for graded vintage you can skip 60-70% of the tables easily.
5) I have a small european traveler backpack with zippers facing your back so no exposed zippers can be opened, everything is nice and secure. Have a storage container for your cards, penny sleeves, top loaders, whatever you need. Also, snacks and drinks are critical. Don't waste time and money on concessions, your there for the cards!
6) Cash. No matter your budget, keep it secure. You worked hard for it.
7) Know your comps before negotiating, walk away from the table if you need to do some research, then double back. Knowledge is power, use it to your advantage. Also, if you need to overpay slightly and it's a hard to find card you better pay up or somebody else will.
8) Nobody wants to be hungover the next day at the National. You want to be on top of your game and have fun. Keep the alcohol intake reasonable unless it's your last day there, if that's the case, then by all means, throw another back.
9) If your able to make the Wednesday sneak peek and Thursday first full day of the show that's when you want to be there. Sure you'll get better deals on Sunday...once everything's been picked through by 10's of thousands of people but if you want to see the good stuff get there early in the show.
10) Be polite to the dealers, there's a lot of not so nice people they're going to be interacting with, these are very long days for them, and are often busy non-stop. Wait your turn, be polite, don't scoff at their prices. If they won't budge on price, say thank you and move on. Respect goes a long way.
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