I'm a fan of a lot of fandoms and I often prefer the smaller ones. There's less fics and discussions but it's easier to keep track of them. I gave up on huge fandoms like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter except for specific authors and story searches because it was just impossible to feel like I was really a part of it.

The big fandoms can be intimidating. You certainly can't keep up with everything! It was worse in the days before the 'Net when you had to shell out money for zines! ;)

In smaller fandoms, I've often found that fans are more dedicated to producing good fics. That's a generalization, of course, but the amount of crap in larger fandoms can be a big turn-off.

Very true! The only problem with the smaller fandoms is while you get quality, you might get very few fics, and when you've got a craving, it's frustrating.