Con season is almost here and I couldn’t be more far from “Yippee!” It’s come to light recently we won’t be attending any anime conventions this year thanks to a deer and our Civic tangoing after dark 10 miles past Carbondale. While we really would love to attend every single con in the continental US, it’s simply not possible to do this year round. Even with some financial wrangling the guys at Enron would be proud of, the numbers still come out as a con no-go. Bummer.
I know many fans are die-hard con goers and forgo even the basics, such as food and a bed, to attend cons. On the second day of the con I always see people eying my food the way they would a scantily clad cosplayer. That and the kinked necks suggest sleeping arrangements akin to a shoddily stacked set of Lincoln Logs. That’s dedication to the con spirit, but at my ripe old age of 31, dedication is running from panel to panel, staying up late to update the site and interviewing whoever I can whenever I can.
I can’t see myself sharing a room with any but my closest pals and I’ve gotten attached to eating at least once a day. I also suffer from an acute case of Princess and the Pea Syndrome. It’s a horrible malady which makes it impossible for me to sleep on anything that doesn’t have at least six inches of padding, i.e. a mattress.
When con season rolls around, are you ready for it? Were you scrimping all year and living off ramen to save for a convention? Have you saved up big time for the big cons, or are you going to buy a ticket and wing it from there? Do you have a con ticket and a hotel but can’t pay the rent? Are you set to converge at a convention or are you the guy with the sign, “WiLl GloMp fOr FoOD?” Do you go without meals? A bath? A room? Merchandise? What do you sacrifice to attend a con?
Share what you’ve forgone, or will forgo, to attend an anime convention in the comments below!
Me and my friends don’t go to any huge cons like Otakon, so first off, badge rates and hotel room rates aren’t that bad.
The next con me and my friends are going to is Colossalcon in Beechwood/Cleveland. Pre-reg is $30. Hotels are around $100 per night. Me and my friends usually get 3-5 people in a room. Thus the per-person spending isn’t ever that much.
Food? Wendys, subway, pizza places, whatever. 6 inch subs at Subway are $5. I would bet that there’s a subway within a mile or two of almost any hotel in the USA, so that shouldn’t ever be an issue (especially if you have a car).
As for getting there? We drive. We also don’t live that far away.
So really, for me, the biggest thing spent is time. Homework and RSS feeds really pile up after being gone 2.5 days.
unfortunately, I live in Canada, which means there’s pretty much only 1 con on my side of the country. fortunately, it’s within 40 minutes of driving from my house and the pre-reg only costs 25 bucks. I give up absolutely nothing besides 2 times worth of eating out and 2.5 days of my time.
Well, I’ve sacrificed only one day of school the most for Fanime 2008. Living in the San Francisco bay area, I annually attend Fanime Con in San Jose, just 35 miles from where I am.
I don’t feel like wasting 2 gallons of gas going up and down to SJ for the 4 consecutive days, therefore, I book a hotel room with my *BEST* friends only.
Buying tickets/badges is nothing, though, what you plan to purchase at the con is a big deal to me.
Of course, my friends and I don’t slack off on food. The night before the con, we would get those clear plastic bins, and fill them up with what we think we need(eg. drinks, endless cup noodles, POCKY, and snacks) so we don’t pass out.
The only one I’ve been to is Otakon and one of my friends lives in Baltimore. I didn’t sacrifice anything getting there but on the way back home, I got stuck in the DC beltway and missed my exit. I wasted 2 hours of extra driving time taking an alternative route to get home.
I’ve actually turned down photography jobs with my photography boss to attend an anime convention. Though I ended up taking photos at the con itself, but I wanted to go since I haven’t seen a number of friends who are attending in months.
I tend to accidentally sacrifice eating. It’s not that i don’t want to eat it’s just that I have such a good time i almost forget to eat at all. either way it winds up saving me the couple extra bucks I need for the latest Rei plushie i want. hahaha
Money is the main thing we sacrifice, as in, we get very frugal before a con and don’t go out and do anything to save money to buy tons of crap in the vendor room.
My first con was Sakuracon a couple weeks ago. I sacrificed eating (I didn’t pack great food, just should have bought something as it wasn’t that expensive and its only three days so eating junk won’t kill you), sleep, health (I was S-I-C-K), peace of mind….ya it was awsome
Well, I took off two days of work for SD Comic-Con last year. Since I live in town, there was only the major expenses of the con pass (I think I ended up paying $60 for all four days, since I bought way ahead of time), my public transportation pass (I live a block from a trolley station and took it all the way downtown each day), and food. I usually thought ahead enough to pack something to eat, especially since I’m a vegetarian and there’s really not a ton of options for someone like me anyways.
This year, I’m getting a media pass since I’ll be writing something up for work. So, that’s some serious money saved. Hopefully, I’ll also be able to pick up a one-day free pass from my old company so my hubby can come with on Saturday. And I try not to purchase too much merchandise, except for the obligatory T-shirts that we purchase to commemorate the experience.
@dkong, that’s great you have a con like that so close to you! But eating out at place like Subway always makes me so queasy o_0
@hypertoast, bummer about there being only one con around where you live. You should save up some time and go to AX; it’s worth it if you ask me.
@Piroko, if my friends liked anime, I’d be set for roomies, but alas, they either are disinterested in it or dislike it. Bringing your own food to the con is the only way to go! We flew out to Long Beach last year for AX but still stopped and bought a cooler’s worth of food. And then brought it back on the metro train through Compton at midnight…
@Caitlin, you haven’t gone to the Tokyo Anime Expo? Is it too far from you? I hear it’s nothing like these fan based cons, but it’d still be interesting to check out.
@Adun, turning down a paycheck? That’s hardcore con dedication.
@Carey, I wish I could forget to eat, and I bet many, many people here feel the same way. Cons would never be the same again without someone following you and your food around like lost and rabid puppies.
@ViciousWarGoose, money, yep, that’s our ultimate sacrifice as well. The con gods won’t be getting any of that from us this year.
@Marie, you were sick? That sucks. Nothing’s worse than being sick while traveling.
@Rena, I commiserate with you on food options at cons. I usually only buy merchandise from individual artists when I attend cons, so it’s a well made investment IMO.
@Rachel, Yeah, I can see that. That’s why I like all my friends. We all go over to each other’s houses and watch the new releases of anime, and keep tabs on each other on MyAnimelist.net and such. I strong agree with bringing your own food. The food offered at cons(if they so exist) are extremely expensive.
I’m sorry that you can’t make it to any cons West-coast side this year.
@Rachael: Can’t…it’s during work days and it’s nearly impossible to take those off unless you’re sick. And possibly dying.
Plus, if everyone found out I like anime enough to go to a con, ostracism at work.
@Caitlin, That’s rough. I do understand it a tiny bit, but I can’t even imagine what’s it’s like for you, though. There are some things I don’t think I like too much about a society that would ostracize someone for their legal entertainment preferences.
@Rachel
Well I live in seattle so it wasn’t to horrible but sickness means you need MORE sleep so that was suckish…I’m already thinking about my next con!
Well, my company pays for it now, but before I had a corporate card, I think it was mainly privacy and real food. I’d room with several people I didn’t even know and stock up on cheap eats at Target rather than pay for food anywhere near a convention center!
@Summer, does your co. pay for a private room? See, now that would be luxury. A private room, one in which you don’t need earplugs to get a decent night sleep, is a generous perk.
Last year,when we went con hopping, we roomed with another site associate, and he snored, loudly. All night. Never again. There are very few people I can ever considering rooming with, and sadly, they don’t even like anime.