The Energon Pub

So, every year Botcon approaches and every year so many people find so many reasons NOT to go. Below are some of the top excuses why people flake out, followed by my reasons that people should stop making those excuses!

1) They didn't put it in my city/county/state.

I hear this one time and time again. You guys do realize that there are Trasnformers fans all over the country and the world? FunPub and/or the organizers of any roving conventiom such as Botcon aren't participating in a conspiracy against you simply by not placing said event within spitting distance of your home. What they do, however is give you a good excuse to visit a lot of cool places all across the country.

2) This figure set is crap, I don't want it. It's not worth the money they are charging. Repainst suck!!!!

Well, that's pretty easy to fix. First off, they generally offer several attendee packages, some without toys. However, the price of these box sets on the secondary market usually more than doubles so you can actually turn around and sell them pretty quickly if you so choose. And if you hear people bash the set, don't worry....that always happen and then people always end up paying super high prices for them, anyway.

3) I can't justify a car/plane/train/moped trip that far.

This year, being in Pasadena, it's a bit harder than some, but particularly when it comes to driving, there are often some fellow Seibertronians that don't mind splitting the driving/fuel costs and often they are closer than you think.

4) I'm not Paris Hilton, I can't just stay anywhere I want for free!

True, but an increasing number of us are now sharing rooms to cut down on costs. Counterpunch's room last year had more people in it than a stray dog has fleas (and only one or two of the people there had fleas of their own)

5) I already have plenty of places to buy Transformers. I can already get what I want. Besides, I heard those Botcon dealers ask way too much for their stuff...like 2 kidneys, a spleen and my firstborn goat.

Well, it's true that a lot of what you see you can also get online or at retail but some of it is just so much more awesome in person. When you walk into that dealer's room for the first time it is like walking into a giant toy box. In a lot of ways, it is a safer place to buy figures (especially vintage figures) than ebay/online sellers because you can inspect the product firsthand and don't have to wait for shipping. And while a few dealers are high, most of them are pretty reasonable and a few can be even downright cheap at times.

6) I'd love to go, but I have no one to go with it. It would just be weird.

It's hard to explain to those of you who haven't been there, but when at Botcon us Seibertronians are really good at meeting up and spending quality time together. It doesn't matter if you've never met each other or if you don't post here often, we're all one big happy family at Botcon. Plus, Ryan (Seibertron) makes up these rally cool T-shirts he sells for a modest price with the Seibertron logo on them, so it's easy to find "friends."

I could expound a lot more on the overall awesomeness of Botcon but honestly the best way to find out is to experience it for yourselves!

Delicon wrote:I could expound a lot more on the overall awesomeness of Botcon but honestly the best way to find out is to experience it for yourselves!

I cannot repeat that enough. I'm Canadian and I'm making plans on going. Last year was my first and I do not want it to be my last. Even may skip a few days of school to head there.

Delicon, you may want to straighten up that first paragraph a little bit. I think you have two trains of thought colliding mid-track there.

Hope to see you there!

Amen, brother!

Cali is a huge trip for me, and I'll be flying this year instead of driving like I did for past BotCons, but I can't help but see this as an awesome excuse to visit a state I've never been to before. And believe me, I've visited more than half. I'm a travel junkie.

how much is it to goto botcon? i can't seem to find this out.

if its not rediculous i'll probably end up going. Its only a 5 hour drive from here

Delicon wrote:I could expound a lot more on the overall awesomeness of Botcon but honestly the best way to find out is to experience it for yourselves!

So you'll be sending me a few thousand dollars to cover my airfare from Australia then so that I can experience this "overall awesomeness experience for myself"?

I hate traveling, and when you combine all the costs it's not worth the trouble to me.

Burn wrote:

Delicon wrote:I could expound a lot more on the overall awesomeness of Botcon but honestly the best way to find out is to experience it for yourselves!

So you'll be sending me a few thousand dollars to cover my airfare from Australia then so that I can experience this "overall awesomeness experience for myself"?

since you're a mod declair HMW as a job, and your covering botcon as a business expense, so its tax deductable and get a gov. refund. if your taxes work the same as over here

Yes well the problem with that is the tax office would like me to declare some income from said job, of which I receive none to begin with.

Trust me, ripping off the tax system? Been doing that for over a decade.

Burn wrote:Yes well the problem with that is the tax office would like me to declare some income from said job, of which I receive none to begin with.

Trust me, ripping off the tax system? Been doing that for over a decade.

isn't this considered a non-profit orgaization?lol

but anyone know how much entry is at botcon?

Name_Violation wrote:

but anyone know how much entry is at botcon?

One day Admission is usually less than $15 USD.

There are various event fees and packages available. Go to Botcon.com and look up the registration from last year.

If you want the convention toy set that runs about $250. If add on your dinner to make it a premium package which lets you in to the dealers room early, go to seminars, and you get a "so called dinner" and it will be $350. Tours and class fees are separate. Figure $80 for a tour. Don't forget your hotel fee at $125 a night and parking fees.

Many folks plan on it costing $1000
You could spend little or you could spend a lot.

Mkall wrote:Delicon, you may want to straighten up that first paragraph a little bit. I think you have two trains of thought colliding mid-track there.

Haha, I was so busy making sure all my bolds showed up properly that I didn't realize I accidentally pasted part of one paragraph into another. Thanks, I fixed it.

Burn wrote:So you'll be sending me a few thousand dollars to cover my airfare from Australia then so that I can experience this "overall awesomeness experience for myself"?

The way I see it, you have 2 possible options.

Option #1 - Smuggle yourself aboard a garbage scow. That is, if you can find one, that goes from Austrailia to California. But either way, you could still pretend you're a Junkion.

Option #2 - Attend Kangaroocon instead.

I'm on very tight budget and I know that I can't afford the travel expenses, room and board, the admittance fee to get in, and the dealer room.

Even if I could afford it I don't know California is a too weird for my tastes.

I was upset at first that they decided to put it all the way over in California this year, but what can ya do, right?

I had enlisted my father to aid me in making it this year, but we have done extensive research and neither of us has the kind of ENORMOUS money needed to ensure I can travel over 1400 miles, with the economy and all.

I think that is why a lot of people bitch and moan about the location....money is tight for many people this year, and California is a tough place to get to and afford on a shoestring budget.

Ah well, there is always NEXT year, right?

Delicon wrote: Counterpunch's room last year had more people in it than a stray dog has fleas (and only one or two of the people there had fleas of their own)

Look, I told you guys that I stopped to use a public restroom somewhere in hicksville and go the fleas there.

Please, just let me be.

Pyrostrata wrote:I was upset at first that they decided to put it all the way over in California this year, but what can ya do, right?

I had enlisted my father to aid me in making it this year, but we have done extensive research and neither of us has the kind of ENORMOUS money needed to ensure I can travel over 1400 miles, with the economy and all.

I think that is why a lot of people bitch and moan about the location....money is tight for many people this year, and California is a tough place to get to and afford on a shoestring budget.

Ah well, there is always NEXT year, right?

How much were you looking to spend? You can't get to Botcon on $1.99 but the amount of money spent really depends on the person. Seriously, First Gen last year had a seriously limited budget and was still able to make it and have the time of his life.

Oh, and speaking of which...

First Gen wrote:

Delicon wrote:Counterpunch's room last year had more people in it than a stray dog has fleas (and only one or two of the people there had fleas of their own)

Look, I told you guys that I stopped to use a public restroom somewhere in hicksville and go the fleas there.

Please, just let me be.

You should just fess up and tell the truth. We all know you had a long car ride with Fender Bender.

Eh... it would be prohibitively expensive for me... it'd take between $1000-$2000 just on hotel/airfare costs, never mind meals and the registration costs and such. (Especially since I'd have to stay at the convention hotel since I don't drive, which always ups the cost.)

My only hope for ever going to BotCon is if it comes back to New England again, which I suspect will be never. (I'm surprised it even got held here once... we're pretty much a no-man's-land for conventions, much to my constant disappointment.) Or possibly if it gets held in North Carolina or Michigan.

Delicon wrote:

Pyrostrata wrote:I was upset at first that they decided to put it all the way over in California this year, but what can ya do, right?

I had enlisted my father to aid me in making it this year, but we have done extensive research and neither of us has the kind of ENORMOUS money needed to ensure I can travel over 1400 miles, with the economy and all.

I think that is why a lot of people bitch and moan about the location....money is tight for many people this year, and California is a tough place to get to and afford on a shoestring budget.

Ah well, there is always NEXT year, right?

How much were you looking to spend? You can't get to Botcon on $1.99 but the amount of money spent really depends on the person. Seriously, First Gen last year had a seriously limited budget and was still able to make it and have the time of his life.

My total budget was limited to $1000. That would be eaten up in JUST getting there and getting a place to stay....I would have nothing left to get into the Con, let alone BUY anything! I could not even afford to EAT the whole trip! Even if I rode with others or shared a room, I'd still be plagued with financial difficulties!

Money was not the only issue either. Should I have driven, it would have easily taken 2-3 days one-way...and I only get 7 days off work. Flying there is WAAAAAY too high, and the train is just as expensive as flying, and takes 2 days!

I have reallocated the money already to other things...like saving for BotCon 2010! I am already praying they put it a bit closer!

My airfare from Orlando to LA would be $338 round trip.
Hotel is $200 per night. (and that is for the Sheraton with outdoor pool across from the convention center, also it is the cheapest hotel in the area with the cheapest rooms, not including any discounts) The more people to a room, the more economical it becomes.

So if I split room costs, get attached to someone as a minicon, cause everything else is so expensive this year. I believe I can do the con for $1000 including taxi and maybe a tour.

Last year I survived the con with a box of poptarts and had one good meal on Sunday night. I mostly didn't have time to eat. We did call out for pizza once.

I too, am going to be more broke than last year, simply due to travel expenses. It appears that it will cost me approx $350 for airfare. Estimate $600 for hotel. Primus Package for the Con is, what, a hair under $300 if memory serves. I suppose I could go down to Protoform Package if I just absolutely hate the exclusives (yeah, like that'll happen). I'll probably have a more limited budget for the dealer room, but I can live with that.

Thank God for tax refunds, that's all I gotta say. That's a good bit of my Con fund right there.

My airfare is $200-250 round-trip from Portland, Oregon but of course, I am not traveling as far as other people would be doing. I got on the hotel block and there are two other people in my room at this point. So, it would be about $40/night/person. In terms of which package, I would just wait and see over the next month or so. I am currently a member so I will get a slightly cheaper price based on last year's prices. I am using my holiday money to help pay for this trip.

I'm really kind of bummed about this year's Botcon with so many of my friends already knowing that they can't go.

My upcoming wedding is just three months before this too...I have to work some stuff out.

I might have to call in a few favors to some of you too....

Counterpunch wrote:I'm really kind of bummed about this year's Botcon with so many of my friends already knowing that they can't go.

My upcoming wedding is just three months before this too...I have to work some stuff out.

I might have to call in a few favors to some of you too....

If you ask me nicely, I'll let you be my Minicon.

If you don't go I'd be shocked, not to mention dissapointed. Fender Bender and First Gen (and their fleas) might want to stay with me instead.

Delicon wrote:1) They didn't put it in my city/county/state.

I hear this one time and time again. You guys do realize that there are Trasnformers fans all over the country and the world? FunPub and/or the organizers of any roving conventiom such as Botcon aren't participating in a conspiracy against you simply by not placing said event within spitting distance of your home. What they do, however is give you a good excuse to visit a lot of cool places all across the country.

I do think this one is overused. I've gone to 10 in a row and have saved for it every year. Of course each one of those 10 years the prior years economy was good and the upcoming year looked financially safe.

Delicon wrote:3) I can't justify a car/plane/train/moped trip that far.

This year, being in Pasadena, it's a bit harder than some, but particularly when it comes to driving, there are often some fellow Seibertronians that don't mind splitting the driving/fuel costs and often they are closer than you think.

I have a travel partner already, did have two but marriage and kids have stalled him the last 2 years. The one cost that is not splitable is airfare. Anywhere east of the Mississippi River you are looking at $400 ball park lowend. With 5 months to go and the prior 6 months not being favorable for savings it does make this a very valid excuse. Hotels and Rental cars are splitable but your pt.3 is strictly travel and in many cases for Pasadena that means airfare which is not a shared cost.

Delicon wrote:4) I'm not Paris Hilton, I can't just stay anywhere I want for free!

True, but an increasing number of us are now sharing rooms to cut down on costs. Counterpunch's room last year had more people in it than a stray dog has fleas (and only one or two of the people there had fleas of their own)

As I said I have one buddy and at most another who go. That is 3 to a room. At age 32 I like the hobby but I'm also an adult not a 19yr old college Freshman. Sleeping 7 to a room that holds 4 with guys in the tub is just not acceptable anymore. Sorry. I have standards and I'd suspect a larger percentage do as well.



The economy has been running badly for most of '08 and looks to get worse in '09. I think a more central location would have served them better. I'm all for the traveling show. I've done it. I think 2010 the economy will be better and the West Coast an option. I do believe that they have severly limited attendance in choosing this location for this particular year.

Personally, my reason is simple. I would freak out if put onto a plane. Like rip peoples heads off freak out. And driving is just out of the question. The sheer time it would take to go that far to and from would literally eat up what vacation time I get. Still say it's a stupid place to put it. You guys over there already get E3 and SDCC.

Good point about E3 and SDCC.

My one friend who hasn't gone due to marriage and kids did manage to go with us to SDCC this year. The wife came as well. SDCC offers more for more people and BC just does not. He said regardless of money that if he was going to spend money on airfare to California it would be for something more diverse than Botcon. He'd have been out regardless but some may share that sentiment.

I mean hey SDCC or Botcon? I love my bots but SDCC is way cooler if your spending airfare out there. Not to mention 4 days for SDCC is $75 and Protoform Pckg(no toys no nothing) for 2 days is $120. Not a tough call really.