Whats the right amount of money to...

The Non-Professional · Post by **The Non-Professional** » Thu Sep 05, 2002 5:38 pm

What is a good amount of money to take into a dealers room, in the hundreds thousands what? i need to know cause i wanna start saving for a CON. 8)

The Wired Knight · Post by **The Wired Knight** » Thu Sep 05, 2002 5:44 pm

Are you kidding? You can never have enough money for a dealer room. There will always be more available than you have brought money to purchase with. Normally you will spend a minimum of $200 and the average is around $300 but most fans can easily make short work of $500 at just about any con.

AbsoluteDestiny · Post by **AbsoluteDestiny** » Thu Sep 05, 2002 6:09 pm

If you want to make sure you spend the right amount, just don't go in

Castor Troy · Post by **Castor Troy** » Thu Sep 05, 2002 6:26 pm

I dunno... I brought 300 to AX and only spent 200 of it. Depends if you buy big or small things...

iserlohn · Post by **iserlohn** » Thu Sep 05, 2002 6:38 pm

I only spent $45 at the last con I went to...I spend less and less each time. Most things you can get cheaper online but I like to buy character goods in person so that I can examine them up close first...

The Non-Professional · Post by **The Non-Professional** » Thu Sep 05, 2002 7:04 pm

i plan on buy DVD CDs Posters PLushies Figures Models Statues Games and many other things... and ill buy big and small things... so about 300

iserlohn · Post by **iserlohn** » Thu Sep 05, 2002 7:32 pm

Save yourself the money. Seriously. DVDs are almost always cheaper online (except for Sunday at the Media Blasters table when they do $20 discs and some specials at the ADV/Suncoast table), and if you're getting CDs you are almost always better off making a big CDJapan or AMOTokyo order with some friends and paying S&H than the markup that most CD retailers will charge you (especially when you consider the exchange rate and getting 15% off because of it...suddenly that $37 CD doesn't sound so hot when you see it for 3000 yen along with 5 other CDs...) Manga can be bought from amazon or any comics store, unless it's japanese. Then you should get it imported direct or find a friend near a BookOff! or Mandrake or Kinukuniya. Paying $9-10 per volume of Berserk untranslated is high but standard at most cons.

Plushies, scrolls, etc. should be purchased in person so you can see the image up close. Just make sure the scroll is legit (it should have either a GE on it for Great Eastern and the US copyright info or a price in yen, japanese company sticker, and japanese copyright).

At my last con I bought:
1 used manga brick - $3
1 One Piece PenciL Board - $4
1 12" DoReMi DX Plushie - $6
2 One Piece 6" Plushies - $6 each
1 Talking Lupin and Zenigata - $8
2 Keychains - $3 each, both now broken, don't buy character chains they all break.

Not a bad haul IMHO. Just watch what you spend and ALWAYS scour the entire room before you buy and keep track of who has what cheapest. You can save a LOT of money, especially on toys by doing this. Waiting for Sunday is also hit or miss, depends on how far the store is coming. The smaller guys will be more likely to cut you a deal, too, as they don't want to have to carry stuff back. The big places will get someone else's money instead of yours if you choose not to haggle usually. It all depends...

The Non-Professional · Post by **The Non-Professional** » Thu Sep 05, 2002 7:36 pm

manga brick>?

iserlohn · Post by **iserlohn** » Thu Sep 05, 2002 8:33 pm

manga brick. aka manga phone book. the big 700 page anthologies printed on crappy paper. i have one of these just to show people what they look like.

Red Wolf · Post by **Red Wolf** » Thu Sep 05, 2002 8:45 pm

How friendly are the various dealers to price matching (other dealers in the room I mean)? I'm assuming straight out negotiating is really only feasible on Sunday. Stupid supply/demand curve