ShadowNix
UP and GN Modeler
Sounds like fun, man. I used to go to a great show in Kent, WA...was medium sized but they had GREAT sales, brass, FSM kits, etc. at REASONABLE prices, as well as great new vendors (smd's were just becoming mainstream...)...They also had silent auctions, the works...it was a blast. Great layouts too, but the swap/sales was the focus. Ah, the good ol' days.. .still looking for a show as good as that one was. Now I live in Michigan and the local show is nice, but not like that one... Sounds like I need to road trip to Amherst....I know for some people they may think I am crazy to look forward to this show but this is the biggest one around these parts. Having 4 buildings full of trains is an awesome venue. Lots of vendors and variety here. I have been to a lot of big big shows over the years this does rank in my top 5.
I have been to St. Louis MO shows, Chicago, IL shows, Milwaukee, WI shows, Tampa/Orlando, FL and Scranton, PA. I even been to one in Cincinati OH which was impressive as well.
They really do usually have good deals and most will bargain with you if you are polite and diplomatic about your approach. Also it helps if you do purchase more than one item/multiple sales is key for them and me. I always do well. I take my time. What I do when I first get there, is I do one quick moving sweep of all of the HO tables in all of the buildings. I only stop if something is rare or on my list then I quickly make the buy. Then I continue my sweep. Later I go back over everything thoroughly and slow. I usually find what I am looking for. My methods and madness works for me lol. It is a lot to cover but I have all day and I do take breaks in between. By the end of the day I am ready to go and get dinner.
And, btw, you aren't crazy...I go in with multiple pages (a spreadsheet I keep printed out) with the road names, numbers and models I am looking for...of course, I often buy things NOT on the list, but I start focused....