The Cost Of Conventions

[filkertom]

There seems to be a bit of a kerfuffle, possibly with some impending blowback, regarding how much it costs to get everything you want from a con these days.

peacelovefandom, posting in con_central, points to an article noting that Patrick Stewart and Leonard Nimoy (who will both be at Dragon*Con) are charging a lot for their autographed photos and extra panels. As in, a lot. And being restrictive as to how many people can be in the photos.

There was also an article about TwiCon, which apparently is even more over the top. (I admit I have very little sympathy. When I heard that the con admission was $255.00, I knew that they knew they were trying to suck as much blood from their fan base as Edward Cullen would. They're hoping for one, maybe two years, depending on how the next movie does, and then gettin' while the gettin's good.)

For me, it's pretty easy, but then I'm not an autograph seeker or photo hound. I have a picture of Bill Mumy as Lennier; I have another picture of Frank Gorshin as the Riddler. Each cost me $20, which I thought was perfectly reasonable. If Patrick effing Stewart needs $200 for a snap with him, maybe his agent should see about bumping up his acting fees a touch.

How much is too much for you? Where do you cut back? Remember that there are many ancillary costs to a convention, most notably food, hotel, parking, and services such as internet. For many people, there's dealers' room and art show browsing, or a specific item you'd like to buy from a specific dealer or artist (or musician, which pays a lot of my bills, thanks). Gaming conventions have separate entry fees for many tournaments. There are the special things, like the photos and autographs. There are parties to be run, costumes to be created and displayed, charity and Interfilk auctions. And you'd be surprised how often you forget about travel expenses -- gas, Mickey D's, and the pop and chips on the road do all add up.

Comments

[dechant]

*wry grin* These days, "too much" is anything not in Rochester, where admission costs more than $10 and I'm expected to shell out more than $20 for a picture with a favorite personality. I won't have too many congoing opportunities, but at least I'll have money for the real necessities in life!

[filkertom]

That's truly the biggest consideration. I see many, many friends at cons, and I do most of my business at them, but I have dropped some here and there for reasons of finances, distance, logistics, or sheer exhaustion. You can only do what you can do.

[wingus.livejournal.com]

I'd love to go to BotCon (Transformers con) every year, but to get into all the good panels and autograph lines and such, you have to go with the big package that gets the con exclusives, which kicks up into the $300 range.

So I may just go once here in a few years and stick to sci-fi cons rest of the time. For the total BotCon cost, I could probably go to both MidSouthCon AND MarsCon and have enough left over to buy a small load of CDs.

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

$200. For a picture with Patrick Stewart. No.

Have I mentioned that I am NOT a Star Trek fan? (I stopped being a Star Wars fan with the Prequels.)

I would easily pay $200 for an original, signed piece of artwork by Wendi Pini. And I'm not talking a thirty-second Sharpie sketch. (I paid $20 for one of those from Mike Mignola at NYCC a few years ago. I thought that was fair.) But that is for artwork, something someone put time and effort into. I would not pay anything more than $50 for a photo with someone, and even then, it would have to be someone that I am a die-hard fan of.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Dealer's room, and the paid autographs.... and I haven't done a costume in years. Just not my speed. $20-30 for autographs is probably enough.....

One thing I am going to start contributing to is Interfilk...

I haven't been to Dragon since 1998, IIRC... way too big for me now. ComicCon would just be nucking futz. NorWes is really about my speed...

[ladysmith.livejournal.com]

The only time I've ever paid for an autograph or photo was at Gencon in 2004, when I paid to get Erin Gray's photo. All proceeds went to a charity for battered women.

I refused to pay to get David Carradine's autograph, but I think I did get his picture. I have to look and see where it is.

How much is too much? I think the most I've ever spent on a con was for Worldcon, and I don't remember how much it was for Buccaneer. But when Worldcon is 20 minutes from your house, you kinda HAVE to go!

[aiela.livejournal.com]

I won't pay for autographs. They're just not that important to me.

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

Heh. TwiCon, as I recall, also did not guarantee any cast members' appearances.

When I go to a convention, I spend on membership, hotel (unless it's local or I'm crashing on a friend's floor, which I've done), and transportation (which can be "gas to Ohio," "bus to Boston," or simply "subway to the Javits Center" which barely counts), and then food, drink, and swag once I'm there. I used to be more willing to break down and spend on Internet if I had to--now, I have an iPhone, so that isn't a problem. *grin*

I don't go in for photos or autographs (in the past, I've gotten those for friends, but that's not money out of my pocket. Just time standing in line), I don't run room parties--though I've been known to help out, and I always throw money into the donations cup (or pay for my drinks), I'm not a costumer. Hence, expenses (not to mention size of luggage) is low for me.

Charity and Interfilk auctions fall under "swag," as do dealer's room and direct-from-artist/musician purchases.

I keep it pretty simple, anyway. I set aside money for a con (it comes out of my salary/live-off money as entertainment, basically). Normally I'll hit an ATM before I leave (or after I arrive) and withdraw my food, drink, and swag budget. Barring emergencies or sudden expenditures, that's all I need.

I'd like to do more elaborate things at cons, but with my life in fair flux right now (I'm moving around a lot, not to mention the whole law school thing), that'll wait until I'm more settled.

[banjoplayinnerd.livejournal.com]

I'm the only guy with a job in a four-fan household where the youngest just turned 12. We used to be able to get her in for free or half price; not so much anymore. Combine that with travel, hotel and food costs, and we pretty much have to limit our congoing to what we can reasonably drive to. Still, four cons a year -- Conflikt in January, Norwescon in early spring, VCon in October and this year we're adding Orycon over Thanksgiving -- is probably nothing to complain about. (It would have been five, but we just didn't have the money to go to Pondfilk.)

[blackpaladin.livejournal.com]

My perspective is a bit skewed, as it's been a while since I've been to a "big" convention (other than Pennsic, which kind of doesn't count ;-) ). The biggest I've been to in several years have been the last two MarCons. That being said...

Admission: If I'm paying more than $50 for at-door admission to a weekend con, there better be a damn good reason why: exclusive stuff, a guest who is coming out of the proverbial woodwork (and who will be doing lots of fan-friendly stuff), etc.

Hotel: Costs are rising, so my bar may have to soon rise to match them, but as of right now, I blanch at a convention rate of more than $99/night. That's when I open up the idea of sharing the room with more than one person (who is usually an SO). Allowances can be made, for example, if extra amenities are thrown in -- although at this point I will usually look askance if wireless Internet is not free.

Parking: I've gotten spoiled by hotels with free parking, so having to pay for parking throws me for a bit of a loop. (Doesn't help that my office, being about 15 miles south of downtown Pittsburgh, has its own free parking lot.) At this point, the only con I reliably go to that doesn't have free parking is MarCon; I pay it, but I'm not happy about it.

Moichandizing, moichandizing, moichandizing: I'm a compulsive collector, who likes new and shiny things. Thus, I have a love-hate relationship with the dealers room at any con -- I love buying stuff, I hate trying to find space in my increasingly overcrowded house for it. ;-)

[ladysmith.livejournal.com]

Some years ago, at a Highlander convention, the fangirls were going bazonkers during the art auction, bidding over photos that the stars had drawn all over (IIRC, the stars had gotten into the dealers room after hours and vandalized some of the tables. I don't know how true that is. I do know that there were a LOT of unhappy vendors at that con.)

We snagged an original Ruth Thompson for $30. We win!

[banjoplayinnerd.livejournal.com]

You mean other than the costume you normally wear?? ;p

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

That so beats the time I found all four original ElfQuest Starblaze books in a used book store for $50. Now, of course, they're all over eBay.

[hughcasey.livejournal.com]

RE: Stewart and Nimoy charging $200 for photos.

If a celeb (esp. an actor) appears at a con, then one of three things is going on:

1. The convention is paying them an appearance fee. Since signing a contract to appear at a con can mean they have to forgo a paying gig, appearance fees can be high, esp. for an A-list star. The con may be able to work out a way to get a cut of any autograph or photo fees, in order to help cover expenses. (Not usually, but sometimes.)

2. They are appearing at the con on their own dime, either partially or in total. In this case, the only money that they're making at the con is on their autographs and photos, and they may then need to charge more to cover expenses. (BTW, this scenario is actually pretty rare, in my experience.)

3. The celebrity has been brought in by a third party, who is covering the costs of their appearance. Cons love this, as it lets them off the hook for a LOT of the expense. However, the third party is probably getting a cut (if not all) of the autograph and photo fees. This is especially true with promotional and autograph companies who bring in guests (which is how Wizard World in Philly got Edward James Olmos and Michael Hogan this year).

Another thing... some celebs will charge high prices for autographs and photos at appearances because it's a way to "thin the herd". Seriously, if Patrick Stewart were autographing at $20 a pop, just how many people do you THINK are gonna be in that line!? Also, let's be honest, there are a lot of people who will take advantage (taking a bunch of photos, getting a bunch of books, CDs, or DVDs signed, "Just one more for my Aunt Petunia"... the list goes on). At $200 a pop, well, they can afford to be taken advantage of. :-\

What's important to remember is that these are people who don't just make a living from what they do... they make a living from WHO THEY ARE. Their image is their business, literally. While you or I may balk at paying $200 for Stewart's signature on a photo, there may be legitimate business reasons behind it.

Having said that, it still doesn't mean I'm shelling out that kinda money for Picard. ;-P

[sunfell.livejournal.com]

I'm not an autograph seeker, so stuff like that doesn't phase me. But I am still a little unhappy with certain conventions milking the fen for all we're worth. That's why I won't go to a Creation Con- $85 to eat breakfast in the same room as Zachary Quinto? Er, no. I hate being herded- and those cons herd people like nobody's business.

I still go to the occasional convention- mostly for the company and some of the dealers room goodies. And I'll go to fan-friendly cons where the guests can mingle with the Rest of Us. I got to spend some quality time with Mark Lenard and John DeLancie that way.

Besides, I'm saving my money for a major AV system upgrade- I want to have a nice 37" flat panel TV and Blu-Ray player ready to rock when Star Trek comes out on DVD.

[angka.livejournal.com]

I'm not a big spender at cons. Can't imagine that anyone's signature who goes to conventions is worth more than about $30, unless you have way too much money to care about costs. Anyone who gives out signatures has put enough out there to make the value minimal, so all you're paying for is personal satisfaction -- or the item that the signature is on. Some people get a lot out of collecting them, but I'm not one of them.

I do several conventions over the course of a year -- mostly for the socializing and panels where I can learn stuff that I'm not year-round geeky enough to keep up on. I use them like crash courses in all the newest info about my favorite shows, book genres, etc. But most of that is fan-driven and free. I'd pay (if I had to) to see the latest presentations by our NASA or JPL folks, but even that would have its cost limits. Why pay a ton for something you can probably find online? I'd be happy to give $20 for a decent presentation, and up to about $50 if it included some really good swag. Can't imagine going higher than that.

I used to enjoy going to Art Auctions, but I find that the only one I go to any more is in Interfilk acution at OVFF. Not because it's a good cause (which I wholeheartedly support), but because they keep it so darned entertaining! I'd love to bid on more, but all the stuff I'd like are also enjoyed by the folks who have a LOT of money to spend at the auction. They drive up the costs because they want to donate the money (and who can argue with that?) but it keeps a lot of the little guys out of the bidding.

As to the Mega-Bucks conventions, I just avoid them. I went to one in Chicagoland once because a west-coast friend of mine was going to be there. Big lines, occasional glimpses of big names, and very few of the things I truly enjoy about a well-run fan-based con. Still, as long as they keep getting customers, they'll keep doing what they're doing.

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

For one thing, the "celebrities" at Pennsic are not the same as the ones you see at sci fi cons. For one thing, they wear armor and you can hit them, which Patrick Stewart seldom lets you do.

Don't think the SCA has a celebrity culture? Ask Paul of Bellatrix and get back to me.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

That's not a costume, that's a t-shirt.

Unless you count the Utilikilt, and I wear that for more than just cons...

[blackpaladin.livejournal.com]

I'm running the Performing Arts Pavilion at Pennsic; trust me, I'm well aware of the fact that Pennsic has celebrities! (And not all of them wear armor! ;-) )

[hughcasey.livejournal.com]

Back when I ran Philcon, a very nice hotel manager (that would be sarcasm there) explained the business reality of conventions quite plainly:

"I will make more money on an afternoon wedding than I will on your whole convention."

Hotels have gradually become more expensive, and less friendly, to cons. It's not like the golden age of the '80's and '90's... we are often not that welcome anymore. This is why the average cost for a regional con is now $60 for the weekend, with the big ones (Dragoncon, SDCC, etc.) in the three-digits... the con has to cover more and more of the costs that they used to get comped for by the hotels.

Things may swing back again, but it'll be a while. :-\

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I liked the idea that Pat Tallman's autograph proceeds go to her charity, Penny Lane, which is a home for abused kids... needless to say, I got a pic... :)

(Matter of fact, I think just about everybody off the B5 cast that year had some charity or other their pic fees were going to....)

[hyrkanian.livejournal.com]

I've only paid for a photo with an actor/actress one time. That was $5.00, at Dragon*Con a few years ago, with Tricia Helfer. And the sign at her table said proceeds went to Hurricane Katrina relief, so that should pin down what year it was. She was quite nice in spite of me being a fangirl doofus. :D

I much prefer people like Hattie Hayridge, who always flags me down from across the room to squeee at my Smeg Off t-shirt and chat and offer to have photos with her for FREE. I hang out most cons with comic book artists that most con-goers wouldn't recognize except die-hard fans.

[dement1a.livejournal.com]

I'm all about charging fair prices for artists. Patrick Stewart wants $200 for a picture? Ok, I think that's a bit much, but if it means that I get 10 minutes of his time, then fine, that's fair. If it means it's a cattle line and I get to say not much more than "hi" to him? Not no, but hell no. If he's trying to make it cost prohibitive because he doesn't want to do it, why is he even doing it?

I'm finding the more I travel with Luke the more I'm having to watch every little cost of a convention. You want to cut costs, you have to find corners you didn't know you had. Food and hotel is usually where I try to find some corners. Usually I estimate gas prices with AAA's gas estimator (http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/), so I'm not surprised when suddenly I've dropped $150 on gas that I was planning on having for food. I also try to pre-reg for cheap, or offer to teach some dance classes/be a merch monkey in exchange for a badge, but sometimes that just doesn't fly.

Hotwire is my friend - I often book a hotel at half the rate the convention hotel is charging, and only have a 2-3 mile drive from the con hotel. (Luckily, Luke doesn't imbibe much, so I always have a designated driver!) Unfortunately at places like DragonCon, if you don't want to fight for parking each day, you need to find a local hotel - and that usually means packing a room with as many people as you can. Not too much fun, especially as I get older. Staying at somewhere other than the host hotel also not an option if you're flying in and don't rent a car, or if your physical situation just doesn't lend itself to driving back and forth to a hotel once or twice a day.

As far as food goes, I often pack a cooler full of sandwich stuffs, cheese, crackers, fruits, soups, stuff I could make in a crock-pot, etc. Packing that cooler costs money - probably about $50-75 for the weekend. But consider for two people you spend an average of $30/day/person for food - averaging $5 for breakfast, $7 for lunch, $10 for dinner, and $8 for snacks - and the 4-day convention turns into $200 for food for 2, even if you do fast food for every meal. You can mitigate that a little with the ConSuite, but that's often unreliable at best, depending on the convention.

Unfortunately I just can't spend much if anything in the dealer's room these days, especially with house buying and wedding stuff coming up. If I know I can't buy anything, I don't even go in. No sense in wasting anyone's time.

[awfulhorrid.livejournal.com]

$200 for a picture? No, I most certainly do not think so! It's not a convention, but I just paid $190 for an entire four day private 'adults' camping event. If it's a choice between a picture with Patrick Stewart and four days of naked camping, it's pretty clear which one I'm going to do!

(I accept that other people may take the picture, but I'm just not that big of an autograph / celebrity picture fan.)

[dement1a.livejournal.com]

Pat Tallman's is the only photo I've ever paid for because of the charity. Otherwise I'm really not an autograph hound.