There are a lot of replies so I'm going to try to avoid (You)spamming everyone here. I really appreciate all the answers though.
>cosplay
Glad to know that I'm not going to be looking like an idiot just by throwing together a basic cosplay for my first (large) con. I'm kind of a weeaboo so I was more concerned about the opposite perception (Western fans judging Eastern media cosplays) but it's good to see that's not the case, at least not at most of the general purpose conventions I know of. I also expected budgets to be way higher, $150 for something that looks decent is a shocker.
>scheduling
It seems like it's mostly just keeping an eye out but animecons.com is exactly what I was looking for. And holy shit you weren't lying, this weekend is packed.
>getting invited
I should probably get a Facebook and Telegram then in order to actually start seeking people/groups out. I already follow a couple of cons on Instagram but that doesn't offer much from what I can see.

>>10907382
I feel retarded for not picking that up but it's hilarious, thank you.

>>10907384
>do you get sick regularly when going to events?
Yes, mainly because cons are pretty much the only time I'm around crowds as someone who works remote and doesn't get out much.

With regards to cosplay, is it more common for people to buy preproduced ones or make them from scratch? I know several sites sell dedicated cosplay gear.