Good thinking! They are awesome little snakes, but I think it's a good idea to wait and handle a few. Try to handle a juvenile and an adult if possible. Something tells me after handling a hognose you'll be bringing a hognose home.
If your mind is set on a morph of some sort, yeah, they can get pricey, but a normal is very affordable. I personally think you can't go wrong either way. You should be able to find what you're looking for at an expo though.
Keep us posted!