I went on Saturday, and I can confirm that this is by far the largest East Coast National since the Gloria Rothstein glory days of the Nineties. Dealers everywhere, and while a large piece of the overall action involved the newer shiny stuff, there was enough available to make things interesting for the likes of us.
As for prices - well, if you're looking for graded stuff or top tier cards and/or condition, yes, the dealers all seem to have had Christmas in their eyes. But I'm a bottom feeder, and when you collect off condition stuff or oddball items, you can find bargains. I picked up an even quantity of sports cards and non-sports cards at very attractive prices. One dealer announced in no uncertain terms that he was retiring, and he priced his inventory to sell. Another had a few interesting non-sports lots and was willing to discuss prices.
I didn't find everything I was looking for, but that's always the case. The show was well worth the trip, and it's nice to be getting out of the house for a change. The large crowds seem to indicate that lots of collectors are emerging from the pandemic eager for the card show experience. Ebay remains an important part of collecting, but it's not the only part of collecting.
Alan