Well, now that the trip is over, let me add my own 2 cents for anyone searching in the future:
If you're doing general admission to the induction, place your chair at the site as early as they'll let you. 5AM before? The night before? As soon as.
If you have tickets to the induction for "reserved seating," know that it is just a friendlier form of general admission and you should get in line by 9AM for good seats. If you just want "decent," you can push it to about 11AM. They begin seating around noon.
Park in the Blue, Yellow, or Red trolley lots and take the trolley into town. It's $2, saves a ton of headaches, and you get all-day on/off privileges.
If you have an eagle-eye, you'll spot former players and coaches all over the place on Saturday and Sunday. Charlie Hayes struck up a conversation with my wife just because he needed a place to relax and she was waiting in an alley for me. If you don't have an eagle-eye, the vast majority of returning HOF members sell autographs for a fee at various spots. Most, but not all, are what I'd call reasonable for the privilege of an auto, photo op, and brief hello. Piazza and Randy Johnson were signing for $179+
The Parade they do on Saturday is MUST SEE. Try to get a spot near the Tunnicliff Inn, if possible, since you'll hear the emcee and be close to the HOF...
... which gets me to my next tip: Want a Cal Ripken Jr autograph for free? Place your chair for the parade as close to the Post Office (across from the HOF) as possible that morning, or ditch the parade a few cars early and work your way to the front of the mass near the HOF. He signed for about 150 people after the parade ended. Some years, he does so even longer. Other former players signed sporadically.
Most former players stay at the Otesaga Hotel on Lake Street. The MLB rents out the entire thing during HOF weekend. The golf course next door is a good spot for autograph seekers between the hours of 7 and 10 am, but you have to be patient and basically give up a lot of opportunities for a random chance. We spoke with one guy that showed us pictures he took with Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg on the course. The hotel itself is bad for autographs, as it is locked up like a prison during the weekend.
Getting chance photos/autos with the current inductees is a challenge. The best odds are to hang around in the plaque gallery inside the Hall of Fame prior to the Legends of the Game roundtable on Monday. A few lucky fans got pictures with Griffey and Piazza... I got to see these after the fact because I "stupidly" tried to get a good seat during the roundtable.
About that. Buy a Hall of Fame Membership and then spend the extra $10 to go to the Hall of Fame roundtable. It's a one hour discussion with the inductees and a host (Peter Gammons). A few audience questions are asked. It's very off the cuff and a real treat since the Doubleday Field bleachers are barely 10 feet from the stage.
Just in general, BUY THE HALL OF FAME MEMBERSHIP. They have individual and family options for between $50-$150 (and up). A single adult admission is $23/day. Members get in "free" and have a VIP line. Members get a 10% discount and free shipping home in the gift/book shops. That's right, if you show up in person, they will ship your stuff home. Members also can get tickets to the Hall of Fame roundtable event. And, at higher levels, you can get "reserved seats" at the induction. If going to an Induction is your thing, buy the highest level you can and it will pay for itself that weekend. My wife and I went to the museum 5 days in a row, had a decent spot for the ceremony, and got tickets to the roundtable. We also used the VIP line for random "We need air conditioning" breaks throughout the weekend. Membership is WORTH IT.
Lodging is difficult to chime in on, so all I can say is if you want to be near town, you need to book BEFORE December of the previous year. Yes, before inductees are announced. Even then, options are limited. The town gets packed to the gills, especially since a youth baseball tournament is scheduled around the same time. We lucked out with a B&B that had a spot cancel when I contacted them in January. There's no big loss if you stay in Oneonta or another surrounding city and drive in ... just park in the free Red, Blue, or Yellow trolley lots. There's a downtown lot also at $20-$30/day, but it's utility is debatable.
Food options are plentiful. Places stay open late, so don't worry there. Options on Main Street are packed, but the waits are no worse than Red Robin on a Friday night. We enjoyed all but one of the places we ate at. The exception was Pioneer Patio, which served school lunch quality fare at Red Lobster prices. My wife's hockey puck burger was a sight to behold. Alicia's Bistro was my favorite in terms of shortest line, quality food, and good service. It's down an alley across from the Cooperstown Diner (which serves a GREAT burger, btw). There are a few BBQ and American restaurants on the road leading into town. Or, if you just want quick groceries, there's a Price Chopper up the road as well.
Lastly, let me just say that Cooperstown isn't just a baseball town. Yes, the HOF is the main attraction for some, but between the beautiful scenery, the art gallery (with an Ansel Adams exhibit right now), and a popular music/opera spot (Glimmerglass), the whole region is a touristy joy. I would highly recommend extending your stay as long as possible to enjoy as much as you can. You still won't be able to see and do everything.
