You have to realize that the National has changed focus over the years. It is not really a place to get bargains anymore. Much of the memorabilia is priced very high and probably will end up in an auction catalog if it doesn't sell at the show.
I definately am going to the National, even if I am a low-end collector & can't afford to buy much stuff. After hotel, gas, food, parking, admission, etc,... I really don't have much money left for any memorabilia. But, I usually make the trip a mini-vacation as I usually go downtown for the nightlife. The Net54 dinner is easily the highlight of the entire National weekend. It is one of the most rewarding aspects of the being at the National. I truly enjoy meeting other collectors & dealers from this forum. GO TO THIS SHOW !!! You will have a fantastic time, regardless of how much or how little you find/spend. I can't stress enough how enjoyable the show is, especially meeting fellow collectors.
Last year in Chicago, I tried organizing a get together for vintage collectors on the Friday night. It didn't really work the way I had hoped, because most guys (if they didn't go to the Mastro live auction) flew into the National and had no way to get to the restaurant that I picked (which was a few miles away). It might have worked if I picked a restuarant across from the hotels/convention. Cleveland is actually worst in that respect, because there are no hotels and/or restaurants withing walking distance of the Expo Center, so I'm organizing anything like this I don't think.
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