AZS
03/24/2004, 14:37
I originally posted this in the Articles section, but maybe here some people can add their own two cents to it as well.
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Planning on going to one of the many comic book conventions this summer? Hoping to get your grubby hands on an eater of worlds? Well, if you’ve never been to a con, or maybe even if you have, here’s some tips and tricks to get the most out of your weekend.
First things first, figure out how many days you’re planning to attend, all three, just two? Can’t escape for more than a day? Its all good.
Planning ahead will allow you to order your passes in advance, and get them in the mail. This will save you the time of waiting in line when you get to the con to get your badge (about 30min – an hour+). Also some Cons will offer extra “goodie bags” to people who order 3 day passes in advance.
On that note, you don’t need to pick up your goodie bag as soon as you arrive, since you’ll have to wait in the same line. Swing by in the afternoon to get your swag and save some time.
What do you want from your Con?
You’re *not* going to get a date with the Vampirelia model, so pick some more realistic goals.
Are you going to the con to game (HeroClix anyone?)? To find good deals on comics and collectables? To meet your favorite creators and get books signed? You can do several of those things over the weekend, but you’ll have to plan your time out accordingly.
If you want to go to a panel discussion or Q & A by a favorite creator or celebrity, it may coincide with a game you hoped to play. So you’ll have to make a choice. If either one has a capacity limit (ie, you might not get in), then plan to go to the other as a back up.
Also keep in mind that waiting in line for an autograph can sometimes take more time than you thought (much more for headliners like Jim Lee, Alex Ross, etc.) So don’t count on getting in line and then hitting another appointment right away.
*Tip, pick up some comics from a dollar bin to keep you busy while you wait in line. :)
If you want to play some games and still see the rest of the con, make sure you know what you’re getting into. WK “Battle Royale” games can go fairly quickly, while other tournaments could be 3 – 5 games long and consume most of your day. Plan accordingly. And if you’re not there to –compete– but just want to play for fun, you can fit several Battle Royales into a single day.
Money money money!
You’ll need it, and you’ll spend it.
Figure out a budget ~before~ you go. How much are willing to spend over the course of the *entire* weekend and what do you want to spend it on? HeroClix (gaming), comics, art, collectables?
Its easy to get carried away and spend all your cash on something cool. But you don’t want to blow your whole wad on the first day and then be left either drooling over other stuff, spending more money than you intended, or rummaging trash cans for food.
So figure out what you want, how much it should cost, then go shopping!
Also don’t forget to budget in food and souvenirs. You may plan on picking up comics and collectables, but there might also be a t-shirt, poster, or bootleg DVD that you can’t live without either.
Shop around. You’ll find lots of things at different prices all over. If you’re really ambitious write down where you saw what you want and how much it was, so if you walk away you can find that deal again. (Believe me, after 20 minutes all the dealers start to look the same!) Also *do not be afraid to haggle!!* There’s absolutely nothing wrong with making a dealer an offer, and if he say “no,” its not like he’ll jack the price up on you. Also be willing to walk away if you think the price is too high. You can find it elsewhere, and even get it after the con (online, mail order, local shop, or even get a business card from the retailer).
Finally, you can often get good deals towards the end of the con. On Sunday afternoon many dealers would rather sell things at a discount rather than pack it to bring home with them. So haggle away. If you get turned down, don’t get discouraged, there’s other dealers to haggle with.
But also know that hot items may not last until the end of the Con either. So you’re hedging your bets on if the thing you seek will still be available at the end of the weekend.
Bring plenty of cash - and keep it in a safe place; like a front pocket, or a button closed side pocket, and not all in your wallet in the butt of your jeans, or in your backpack.
Not every place will take credit cards, and sometimes you can negotiate a better price with cash. Also keep in mind that while the Convention Center will have ATM’s, you’ll also pay a *premium* fee to use them.
Other things to pack:
Still looking at what you want to accomplish for the weekend; pack accordingly. If you plan on buying a lot of something, bring an appropriate bag. A back-pack is fine for picking up loads of comics, but will fill up quickly with just a couple of action figures.
And if you plan on buying lots or large items, buy towards the end of the day so you don’t have to schlep the stuff around for hours and risk damaging it or worse, losing it.
If you want autographs, have your books handy!! Many big names will only sign a few books at a time, so rather than bring your entire run of Transformers: Armada, just carry a few key issues.
If you are looking to get artists to do sketches for you, bring a decent sized artists pad (aprox 8x10 or a little bigger) or Comic Backing boards make for great impromptu sketch pads.
Looking to get a lot of gaming goods? Bring a big bag, and maybe even your trade stock so you can unload your extras and have a place to put the new stuff.
Finally, the last thing to bring with you, sustenance – You gotta eat, and Convention hot dogs get real old real quick (as in, before you actually buy them.)
Feel free to jam as much goodies as you want into your pack. Soda is OK, but you can refill bottles of water at the water fountain (as opposed to $3.50 a pop at the convention stand). Also keep in mind that 32 oz mountain dew may come back to haunt you at a most inopportune time!
Energy bars are also a good quick meal for when you don’t want to get out of line to feed that sugar low. Candy bars and junk are ok to tide you over for a short time, but they will not help when you get really hungry. So you can also pick up a sandwich at a shop on the way to the con in the morning, or something easy that will keep; like a bagel or piece of fruit (yeah, fruit.).
Lastly, comfort.
You’ll spend most of the day on your feet, among hordes of fellow geeks. Wear comfy shoes, and comfy, cool clothes. It tends to get warm in there. Sure that layered goth outfit may make you stand out and convey your apathy towards the world, but really, do you think you’re going to impress anyone? Just be comfortable. You’ll appreciate it during the second hour you’re in line to get your forehead signed by Stan Lee.
And leave the Superman t-shirts at home. There’s ~nothing~ less original at a con that the same old t-shirt that everyone (and their girlfriends) are wearing.
Be original, wear a Liberty Meadows t-shirt. :)
Oh, and don’t forget to have fun! There’s a lot to get caught up in, getting something signed, meeting a creator, or the competition of a game. But you made a point to go there for a good time, so have fun.
-------------------------------------------------------
Planning on going to one of the many comic book conventions this summer? Hoping to get your grubby hands on an eater of worlds? Well, if you’ve never been to a con, or maybe even if you have, here’s some tips and tricks to get the most out of your weekend.
First things first, figure out how many days you’re planning to attend, all three, just two? Can’t escape for more than a day? Its all good.
Planning ahead will allow you to order your passes in advance, and get them in the mail. This will save you the time of waiting in line when you get to the con to get your badge (about 30min – an hour+). Also some Cons will offer extra “goodie bags” to people who order 3 day passes in advance.
On that note, you don’t need to pick up your goodie bag as soon as you arrive, since you’ll have to wait in the same line. Swing by in the afternoon to get your swag and save some time.
What do you want from your Con?
You’re *not* going to get a date with the Vampirelia model, so pick some more realistic goals.
Are you going to the con to game (HeroClix anyone?)? To find good deals on comics and collectables? To meet your favorite creators and get books signed? You can do several of those things over the weekend, but you’ll have to plan your time out accordingly.
If you want to go to a panel discussion or Q & A by a favorite creator or celebrity, it may coincide with a game you hoped to play. So you’ll have to make a choice. If either one has a capacity limit (ie, you might not get in), then plan to go to the other as a back up.
Also keep in mind that waiting in line for an autograph can sometimes take more time than you thought (much more for headliners like Jim Lee, Alex Ross, etc.) So don’t count on getting in line and then hitting another appointment right away.
*Tip, pick up some comics from a dollar bin to keep you busy while you wait in line. :)
If you want to play some games and still see the rest of the con, make sure you know what you’re getting into. WK “Battle Royale” games can go fairly quickly, while other tournaments could be 3 – 5 games long and consume most of your day. Plan accordingly. And if you’re not there to –compete– but just want to play for fun, you can fit several Battle Royales into a single day.
Money money money!
You’ll need it, and you’ll spend it.
Figure out a budget ~before~ you go. How much are willing to spend over the course of the *entire* weekend and what do you want to spend it on? HeroClix (gaming), comics, art, collectables?
Its easy to get carried away and spend all your cash on something cool. But you don’t want to blow your whole wad on the first day and then be left either drooling over other stuff, spending more money than you intended, or rummaging trash cans for food.
So figure out what you want, how much it should cost, then go shopping!
Also don’t forget to budget in food and souvenirs. You may plan on picking up comics and collectables, but there might also be a t-shirt, poster, or bootleg DVD that you can’t live without either.
Shop around. You’ll find lots of things at different prices all over. If you’re really ambitious write down where you saw what you want and how much it was, so if you walk away you can find that deal again. (Believe me, after 20 minutes all the dealers start to look the same!) Also *do not be afraid to haggle!!* There’s absolutely nothing wrong with making a dealer an offer, and if he say “no,” its not like he’ll jack the price up on you. Also be willing to walk away if you think the price is too high. You can find it elsewhere, and even get it after the con (online, mail order, local shop, or even get a business card from the retailer).
Finally, you can often get good deals towards the end of the con. On Sunday afternoon many dealers would rather sell things at a discount rather than pack it to bring home with them. So haggle away. If you get turned down, don’t get discouraged, there’s other dealers to haggle with.
But also know that hot items may not last until the end of the Con either. So you’re hedging your bets on if the thing you seek will still be available at the end of the weekend.
Bring plenty of cash - and keep it in a safe place; like a front pocket, or a button closed side pocket, and not all in your wallet in the butt of your jeans, or in your backpack.
Not every place will take credit cards, and sometimes you can negotiate a better price with cash. Also keep in mind that while the Convention Center will have ATM’s, you’ll also pay a *premium* fee to use them.
Other things to pack:
Still looking at what you want to accomplish for the weekend; pack accordingly. If you plan on buying a lot of something, bring an appropriate bag. A back-pack is fine for picking up loads of comics, but will fill up quickly with just a couple of action figures.
And if you plan on buying lots or large items, buy towards the end of the day so you don’t have to schlep the stuff around for hours and risk damaging it or worse, losing it.
If you want autographs, have your books handy!! Many big names will only sign a few books at a time, so rather than bring your entire run of Transformers: Armada, just carry a few key issues.
If you are looking to get artists to do sketches for you, bring a decent sized artists pad (aprox 8x10 or a little bigger) or Comic Backing boards make for great impromptu sketch pads.
Looking to get a lot of gaming goods? Bring a big bag, and maybe even your trade stock so you can unload your extras and have a place to put the new stuff.
Finally, the last thing to bring with you, sustenance – You gotta eat, and Convention hot dogs get real old real quick (as in, before you actually buy them.)
Feel free to jam as much goodies as you want into your pack. Soda is OK, but you can refill bottles of water at the water fountain (as opposed to $3.50 a pop at the convention stand). Also keep in mind that 32 oz mountain dew may come back to haunt you at a most inopportune time!
Energy bars are also a good quick meal for when you don’t want to get out of line to feed that sugar low. Candy bars and junk are ok to tide you over for a short time, but they will not help when you get really hungry. So you can also pick up a sandwich at a shop on the way to the con in the morning, or something easy that will keep; like a bagel or piece of fruit (yeah, fruit.).
Lastly, comfort.
You’ll spend most of the day on your feet, among hordes of fellow geeks. Wear comfy shoes, and comfy, cool clothes. It tends to get warm in there. Sure that layered goth outfit may make you stand out and convey your apathy towards the world, but really, do you think you’re going to impress anyone? Just be comfortable. You’ll appreciate it during the second hour you’re in line to get your forehead signed by Stan Lee.
And leave the Superman t-shirts at home. There’s ~nothing~ less original at a con that the same old t-shirt that everyone (and their girlfriends) are wearing.
Be original, wear a Liberty Meadows t-shirt. :)
Oh, and don’t forget to have fun! There’s a lot to get caught up in, getting something signed, meeting a creator, or the competition of a game. But you made a point to go there for a good time, so have fun.