My first show was Thanksgiving 1976 in NYC:
Finished my run of Topps Willie Mays cards at the show (boy do I wish I still had that 1952...).
My first National was 1991 Anaheim. Stood in line for four hours the first day in the broiling sun. Totally worth it but I wasn't keen to repeat it the next day. I ended up making a tentative trade with a dealer there and conditioned my coming back to close the deal on him getting me into the show. He walked me in on his dealer pass (yeah, this was pre-lanyard days) and I had a hell of a buying day at the discounters tables.
My next one was 1996 Anaheim. Then 2000 Anaheim. By that point I was on eBay and active on nascent chat boards, so in 2004 I decided to travel to a show for the first time and meet the N54 crew. Cleveland. I made it to every National after that through 2019. In '21 I chickened out because of COVID. In '23 I had a trial that conflicted with the date (we settled it on the courthouse steps but by then it was too late). I hated AC with a passion the first time I went there and was not going to go back so I skipped ‘22. This year, I had to choose between visiting my daughter in NYC or going to the show...it was close
but the dealer pass crackdown and lack of a central hotel complex and amenities clinched it for me. At least I am getting the East Coast National and Fanaticsfest as a consolation prize. Then I have the 800-table Anaheim show the week I get back and Front Row's Pasadena show the first weekend in September, so lots of card shows for me in a four-week span.
Definitely plan on Chicago next year; I miss you guys (well, most of you anyway).