Post by G on Jun 23, 2008 12:41:10 GMT -5
This is going to be a bitch session on what I felt was wrong when I go to big conventions. I overall had a good time going to the show and being with my friends as we tried to search out good deals which was nearly impossible to find. If you can just go away from the show knowing you tried and thats the best you can do then you can live with it. But there are things about the show that make a bad show of not getting the books you want even worse. You might be able to put up with these things when you have a good show. But, when you have a bad show, its even worse. Here is a few of my pet peeves I picked up during Charlotte.
1. If you're looking at comic boxes, there should be a 2 box minimum on either side of you on how close someone gets to you.
Before day #2 began Azbatx informed me of some good $2 boxes he found. I asked him to show them to me when we got to the show. When we got in we went straight there. We were the 1st ones there. This was a HUGE collection of probably 100 boxes. I settled in and started looking through. Not 2 minutes later with still no one else there but us a rather ugmo lady came and started digging 1 box away even though she had 99 other boxes to choose from!!! Even worse this was a display booth that had boxes below the tables too. She then went below the tables and searched boxes below my legs. I thought any second she was going to blow me. Frustrated, I moved to a whole other section of the display. She then proceeded to dig for books next to Azbatx's crotch. We figured she wasnt around crotch much and this was a good chance for her to be around them. I hate to say this was a lone incident. It wasnt. I cannot count how many times I settled in at some boxes only to have someone start digging for books either in the box next to me or even trying the same box!!! Some like to rush 3 boxes away and catch up to you and act like you need to move. As me and Az discussed. Time to slow down and Start looking over books with a fine tooth comb. Make them impatient. And yo....Get off my Jock!
2. There is nothing wrong with bathing, deodorant and haircuts when you go to shows.
You can understand during the course of a show with it getting hot with tons of people crammed in a room that you might be a bit musty by the end of the day. But there is no reason to have the funk flying like you havent bathed in 3 days when the show just started. A few people I was near I just had to back up immediately. Also, whats the deal with 50 year olds having nappy long hair? The 70s are over. Also, black seems the color of choice for clothes. It seems to fit well with the smell.
3. Dont forget to wear underwear if you are wearing a costume.
Before you walk out of the door at your hotel room or house in your costume, make sure to take a look in a full length mirror. I dont know why, but it appears if you dress up as Superman or Spiderman, you cant wear underwear. WHY?
Its kind of comical seeing someone so seriously dressed up in a comic outfit and you have a Pocket Rocket so fully outlined without any support of underwear. Its gross too. Also, just because you dress up as Batman or Wolverine during the show doesnt mean you're Batman or Wolverine. So, stop walking around like you're trying to intimidate people. You'd be very lucky not to get your ass kicked anywhere else in that outfit.
4. For the love of god, is it against the rules to have a few seats to sit down at here and there???
Walking around on extremely crowded uncarpeted concrete floors for 8 hrs non-stop is a killer on the feet. I know for safety reasons and the sheer # of people there that its pretty difficult to have a lot of seating, but damn, there can be at least one area to sit and chill out when you want. Every dealer has at least 1 chair, if not 3 or 4. Dont forget the paying customers too! Having 5,000 people in one room, after awhile you need a damn break. I find it a bit offensive to have to go sit in a hallway on the floor if I want to get off my aching feet. As long as Heroes Con has been around, you would think someone would try to do something like this for the fans. Sure, you cant accommodate everybody and spacing is money, but I noticed 3 or 4 areas that could have had 50 - 100 seats and a few tables to sit down from time to time. If they can expand Artist Alley the way they did (and they did!) Then they can think about the fans too.
5. 50% off is not a deal if it is NM Guide prices for VG to Fine books.
The major reason Heroes Con blew this year was no one had a deal. A few made feeble attempts to appear to have a deal, but Im not going to buy a SpiderMan #38 in VG for $195 even if slap 50% off of it on it. I dont know how much old Silver Age I seen in absolutely crummy shape with unbelievable high price tags on it. I seen an FF #22 in like GD condition with a $200 price tag on it. Come on! It looks like crap! $20 - $40 is more reasonable. $200 is unthinkable! Yet, dealer after dealer treated Silver Age (and a lot of Bronze) like we were in the boom years of 1991 and 92! And even worse, I watched customers ask dealers if they could do anything on certain books and multiple times I heard multiple dealers say "Its priced as marked". Greedy bitches! Keep them, Im moving on to the next table! Finally towards the end I found a dealer with a combination of good books and respectable prices. Guess what? That is where I spent my money.
6.Neatness Counts
It's has to be hard to compete with big dealers who have massive collections and very desirable books while you sit there with a scattered collection of so-so at best books and hardly anyone at your table. The only way to compete is to lower your prices and hope someone notices you have decent stuff at good prices. But if Mr. BigTime Seller has all his books in Mylar and you're sitting there with a collection of so-so books in moderate shape (not NM) in bags and boards that look older than some adults at the show, there isnt much chance Im going to look through the milky looking bags to notice that this one is in decent shape and worth the couple bucks you put on it. Everything costs money, but I swear having neat, clean comics and boards counts for something. Now if you have blow away prices we might find you anyway and buy you out. But if your price is just the same as the next guy, your dingy, grimy bags and boards just aint going to cut it. Some dealers just need serious self evaluation. Please note this isnt directed at all dealers. If there is a good dealer to be found at a show, I'll find them and Im sure you will too. But its amazing how many dealers think showing up with 10 boxes of so-so books is enough. If you pay $500 - $700 for a table, I think you need to have your act together just a little bit if you want it to pay off.
These are just a few bad moments I experienced over the weekend. You wouldnt know it from reading this, but I actually had a good time. But it would be so much better if a little etiquette, hospitality, cleanliness and respectable pricing can make a big difference in a show. I think with comics struggling along with the rest of the economy, it pays to not treat things with the status quo. If you have comments or a few complatins to share of your own. Please list them.
1. If you're looking at comic boxes, there should be a 2 box minimum on either side of you on how close someone gets to you.
Before day #2 began Azbatx informed me of some good $2 boxes he found. I asked him to show them to me when we got to the show. When we got in we went straight there. We were the 1st ones there. This was a HUGE collection of probably 100 boxes. I settled in and started looking through. Not 2 minutes later with still no one else there but us a rather ugmo lady came and started digging 1 box away even though she had 99 other boxes to choose from!!! Even worse this was a display booth that had boxes below the tables too. She then went below the tables and searched boxes below my legs. I thought any second she was going to blow me. Frustrated, I moved to a whole other section of the display. She then proceeded to dig for books next to Azbatx's crotch. We figured she wasnt around crotch much and this was a good chance for her to be around them. I hate to say this was a lone incident. It wasnt. I cannot count how many times I settled in at some boxes only to have someone start digging for books either in the box next to me or even trying the same box!!! Some like to rush 3 boxes away and catch up to you and act like you need to move. As me and Az discussed. Time to slow down and Start looking over books with a fine tooth comb. Make them impatient. And yo....Get off my Jock!
2. There is nothing wrong with bathing, deodorant and haircuts when you go to shows.
You can understand during the course of a show with it getting hot with tons of people crammed in a room that you might be a bit musty by the end of the day. But there is no reason to have the funk flying like you havent bathed in 3 days when the show just started. A few people I was near I just had to back up immediately. Also, whats the deal with 50 year olds having nappy long hair? The 70s are over. Also, black seems the color of choice for clothes. It seems to fit well with the smell.
3. Dont forget to wear underwear if you are wearing a costume.
Before you walk out of the door at your hotel room or house in your costume, make sure to take a look in a full length mirror. I dont know why, but it appears if you dress up as Superman or Spiderman, you cant wear underwear. WHY?
Its kind of comical seeing someone so seriously dressed up in a comic outfit and you have a Pocket Rocket so fully outlined without any support of underwear. Its gross too. Also, just because you dress up as Batman or Wolverine during the show doesnt mean you're Batman or Wolverine. So, stop walking around like you're trying to intimidate people. You'd be very lucky not to get your ass kicked anywhere else in that outfit. 4. For the love of god, is it against the rules to have a few seats to sit down at here and there???
Walking around on extremely crowded uncarpeted concrete floors for 8 hrs non-stop is a killer on the feet. I know for safety reasons and the sheer # of people there that its pretty difficult to have a lot of seating, but damn, there can be at least one area to sit and chill out when you want. Every dealer has at least 1 chair, if not 3 or 4. Dont forget the paying customers too! Having 5,000 people in one room, after awhile you need a damn break. I find it a bit offensive to have to go sit in a hallway on the floor if I want to get off my aching feet. As long as Heroes Con has been around, you would think someone would try to do something like this for the fans. Sure, you cant accommodate everybody and spacing is money, but I noticed 3 or 4 areas that could have had 50 - 100 seats and a few tables to sit down from time to time. If they can expand Artist Alley the way they did (and they did!) Then they can think about the fans too.
5. 50% off is not a deal if it is NM Guide prices for VG to Fine books.
The major reason Heroes Con blew this year was no one had a deal. A few made feeble attempts to appear to have a deal, but Im not going to buy a SpiderMan #38 in VG for $195 even if slap 50% off of it on it. I dont know how much old Silver Age I seen in absolutely crummy shape with unbelievable high price tags on it. I seen an FF #22 in like GD condition with a $200 price tag on it. Come on! It looks like crap! $20 - $40 is more reasonable. $200 is unthinkable! Yet, dealer after dealer treated Silver Age (and a lot of Bronze) like we were in the boom years of 1991 and 92! And even worse, I watched customers ask dealers if they could do anything on certain books and multiple times I heard multiple dealers say "Its priced as marked". Greedy bitches! Keep them, Im moving on to the next table! Finally towards the end I found a dealer with a combination of good books and respectable prices. Guess what? That is where I spent my money.
6.Neatness Counts
It's has to be hard to compete with big dealers who have massive collections and very desirable books while you sit there with a scattered collection of so-so at best books and hardly anyone at your table. The only way to compete is to lower your prices and hope someone notices you have decent stuff at good prices. But if Mr. BigTime Seller has all his books in Mylar and you're sitting there with a collection of so-so books in moderate shape (not NM) in bags and boards that look older than some adults at the show, there isnt much chance Im going to look through the milky looking bags to notice that this one is in decent shape and worth the couple bucks you put on it. Everything costs money, but I swear having neat, clean comics and boards counts for something. Now if you have blow away prices we might find you anyway and buy you out. But if your price is just the same as the next guy, your dingy, grimy bags and boards just aint going to cut it. Some dealers just need serious self evaluation. Please note this isnt directed at all dealers. If there is a good dealer to be found at a show, I'll find them and Im sure you will too. But its amazing how many dealers think showing up with 10 boxes of so-so books is enough. If you pay $500 - $700 for a table, I think you need to have your act together just a little bit if you want it to pay off.
These are just a few bad moments I experienced over the weekend. You wouldnt know it from reading this, but I actually had a good time. But it would be so much better if a little etiquette, hospitality, cleanliness and respectable pricing can make a big difference in a show. I think with comics struggling along with the rest of the economy, it pays to not treat things with the status quo. If you have comments or a few complatins to share of your own. Please list them.
