Shows are always good to go to in the beginning to meet new people and see new things. Just be careful there are a lot of shady dealers out there. Once you meet the right people you can get better deals directly through them than even at shows and not have to worry about contaminating your own stuff. Also be very careful with winter shows due to weather, I have seen so many horror stories from either reptiles getting sick from getting to the show and from the show. I personally like shows but am very selective when making purchases. Happy hunting