How does a new seller get into ANY major card show these days?

[Hankphenom]

This thread is a revelation to me. I set up at Chantilly, Philly, Tuff Stuff, and other East Coast shows for 20 years until retiring in 2016, and I never imagined that any dealer application for any of those would ever get turned away. In fact, for a long time I think it was pretty much assumed that most shows were dinosaurs that would be gone soon, surviving only because of promoter revenue from autograph guests. I'm surprised nobody has invoked the classic Yogism: "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded." Maybe it turns out that people are social creatures and want something more from their collecting than sitting at a computer bidding in auctions and on eBay.