tfpredaking wrote:Master Maximus wrote:Now that's 2 years I won't have. Bad enough I haven't been able to afford to go to the cons since FunPubs took over, but I thought I'd at least be able to get one set of the non-attending toys with my tax return.
I miss the 3H days, sure you didn't know what the toys were until the con, but they were affordable the conventions had decent hotel prices, and I don't remember them moving the convention from late summer to mid spring.
I guess I'm not sure what you mean by the 3H cons being more affordable. The first few Botcon's I attended were run by 3H and the price to get in the door for 1 day was $20 +. The last few years its been $10.
Don't get me wrong, I think my favorite Botcon's were the 2002 Fort Wayne and the 2003 Chicago, both 3H, but FunPub has done a decent job and in my opinion the exclusives have been much better.
And just so people know, I ordered my set the day it went up and I will be opening (key word = opening) and playing with my toys as soon as they are in my hands. Thursday April 24th can't come fast enough
By more affordable I meant primarily the locations and hotels. I remember St. Paul and Ft. Wayne being only about $99 per night with tax for the hotel rooms, don't remember Durham cause I was at a remote hotel that year (I think only about $50 per night)and Chicago I just drove in daily as I lived less than an hour away. Even getting into the convention was about half what it is now for the full weekend. Heck, if I could afford the hotel and just the protoform package I'd go as it's not just about the exclusives, it's also the atmosphere created by the other fans and the guests. Based on the atmosphere, 2002 was my favorite. Especially the way Wankus and Neil Kaplan hung out in the lobby/bar area just hanging with those of us there. 2000 is a very close second for the similar atmosphere generated by Venus Terzo, Ian James Corlet, and Alec Willows. Heck, how many Transformers fans can say Blackarachnia bummed them a smoke?
I do agree, the exclusives are better. I'm also happy with the club exclusives (Astrotrain & Air Razor). I also think that it's cool that they have extra incentives for those who are able to make the con, but I just wish that the cons themselves were more affordable.