I always find it difficult to buy things at anime conventions. Prices were high throughout the floor. That kept me from bothering at most booths. I think I may have too many savvy online options.

What I didn't like about this convention in regards to the floor was an unwillingness to negotiate or move on prices for buying multiple things. I bought one book and a handful of trading figures. I was willing to spend some cash, but there wasn't really any point to it. I know what a Revoltech figure costs. I know what a PVC figure costs. Prices there weren't even competitive for the most part.

Looking back, I don't remember seeing many pvc figures move at all. I really wanted to come home with a nice statue, but...no dice.

[quote]I always find it difficult to buy things at anime conventions. Prices were high throughout the floor. That kept me from bothering at most booths. I think I may have too many savvy online options.

What I didn't like about this convention in regards to the floor was an unwillingness to negotiate or move on prices for buying multiple things. I bought one book and a handful of trading figures. I was willing to spend some cash, but there wasn't really any point to it. I know what a Revoltech figure costs. I know what a PVC figure costs. Prices there weren't even competitive for the most part.

Looking back, I don't remember seeing many pvc figures move at all. I really wanted to come home with a nice statue, but...no dice.[/quote]

The funny thing is that the prices were way better this year than they were last year. Not only that, but the selection was better also. You would've been quite disappointed last year. I sure know I was!

I know it's just how it goes with these kinds of conventions. I wasn't really upset or anything, just a bit bummed that we gots no plastic boobies to take home...

Some of the prices weren't bad at all, like the $40-55 Nendoroids and whatnot. It all depended on what you were looking for, I suppose! Some of the more full-scale PVC figures, yeah, they were very high priced, even considering import and shipping fees. In my experience, that's just every anime con, though. You might get a lucky find, but for the most part, prices might be a bit higher for most things. On the bright side, I didn't spot any bootlegs.

Some booths are worse then others in terms of markup - but usually I find the prices fairly comparable if you use usually use EMS shipping from overseas.

I do find other deals like on manga - this year at Otakon I bought 3 volumes of Vampire Knight for $21 total, as compared to a regular comic book shop retail 8.99 price +tax. I went to another con earlier in the year and one booth had %50 off manga.

BTW, I got a sticker from that booth you mentioned in the vid (I got a big RedSuns sticker for my car :D) they had quite a selection, I was impressed

Sad I couldn't go this year, seems like prices were lower. However, last year I got Shoujo M for a ridiculous deal and MF's swimsuit Mao for $40, so there are always deals if you look! Except on prize figures, those always seem to be double the cost at cons.

Costs seemed pretty standard for cons with some deals if you really hunted.

But what got me is that one booth was selling open boxed trading figures that they had actually glued to their bases/joints. I've never seen this before, so I didn't even think to check for it when I bought a few. And to top it off, one of the figures I got from them had its arm glued in backwards, so I had to break it to try and fix the arm. The booth was Good Guys/Bad Guys, the one with the large DBZ figure display.

I don't think any of the figures are bootlegged (some are actually pretty nice and are of characters I really like and haven't seen much merchandise for) and the prices weren't terrible.

But still, gluing figures into their bases and joints? Do people actually do that?

I went to the first 4 Otacons before the corporations really came into play and they stopped showing fansubs. I'd be able to go into the dealer room and find really good deals, now that there are so many anime enthusiasts, everything is close or over full price and not really worth it. When I stop being lazy, I'll take pictures and post some of my collection.