Sadly, I cannot attend this year and I'm jonsing like an addict at the thought of all those booths out there not getting at least a once over from me. I contemplated making my friends carry an iPhone and face-timing me as they walked through the aisles but that seems to be a bit of a hassle for them.
I seem to post this every year and it still holds true for me.
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Hershey is so big and so well attended that every person has a unique experience that may offer you a slight idea about expectations but literally cannot give you a full grasp of the event.
Here are my pieces of advice.
Be prepared to walk. I've never used a pedometer and there are a lot of tall tales about distances involved but expect to walk several miles each day. Comfortable shoes and a bottle of your favorite pain reliever will make it more enjoyable.
It is going to rain. You're going to get wet. Invest in a good quality raincoat or a very nice rain poncho before you get there. Regardless of what the forecast says; bring it with you and keep it with you.
I've gone on Tuesday with disappointing results (not a lot of vendors set up selling, real high "first day" prices etc). I've gone on Tuesday with great results. I've had incredible finds and deals every day of the week. My experience; the day of the week doesn't have too much of an impact on deals or quality. Differs from what others have expressed but that is mine.
Like Tom said, don't ever think "eh, I'll think about it and if I change my mind I'll come back for it." You will either be unable to find the vendor or the item will be gone. The time to buy is when it is in your hands. And never put it down. I have literally seen a guy holding a part, set it down while contemplating whether to buy it or not and someone else leans it, picks it up while simultaneously handing the vendor cash and walks away.
Leave the heavy items at the vendor's spot if he'll allow you (they almost always do after you pay), each vendor has a sticker on the ground with their spot number, I take a picture of it with my cellphone so I don't have to worry about writing it down incorrectly. All the light poles in the fields are numbered as well so write down a nearby pole number so you have a way-finding landmark.
I've never bought a map or a vendor index and have done more than OK. Those are helpful if you know you need to get to Vendor XYZ cause you're picking up a part that only he has but otherwise half the fun is finding the hidden Model A gems buried in a box that says "T-Bird parts."
Don't walk the car corral during the day. The vendors will start to close up around 5 or 6 but the cars in the corral almost always stay there overnight. It is well lit so I prefer to concentrate on the vendors while they are open and do the corral later.
Lots of good greasy food vendors set up but they naturally have bumped up prices. If you budget for it no big deal but if paying $5 for a hotdog isn't in your wallet then you might want to bring some snacks from home.
Have fun. Be prepared to see things you have never seen before. You'll meet a lot of good people but don't be offended if they don't stop and chat with you for a long time...everyone is in a rush to get in as much as they can.
-Tim
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