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Re: A little disappointed with TFCon dealer room this year
Still thinking about my analysis.
Obviously, I cannot and do not fault dealers for selling what sells--they are trying to make a living or at least make a few bucks selling their collections/handicrafts/whatever, and transportation has costs. It only makes sense that they would stock things in high demand. It's utterly unreasonable to expect people to lose money bringing stuff that doesn't have wide appeal.
And as third party becomes increasingly popular (and isn't allowed at some other shows) I don't blame 3P companies for getting booths to advertise and sell their product. I was drooling over that MMC Kultur and that makes me not innocent in this regard, though I can see how the new trend would be less interesting to those who aren't 3rd party collectors.
I did notice that...Usually me and Phalanx hoard some money for Sunday when the reset happens, so he can go hunting GI Joes and Gundams and I can go hunting ponies and dolls. This year the Sunday seemed very similar to the Saturday; not as much different stuff on the second day. I think it was the first year in a while he didn't bring home Gundams and I didn't bring home ponies (the only pony I got was a gift). Again, maybe the general 80s stuff isn't selling as well and we're a minority in looking for it? Maybe there are more third party dealers and fewer general toy dealers wanting to get tables, or making a good profit off tables and deciding to come back? Maybe I've just been at this con so long that I already have the ponies most of the dealers are selling?
Maybe part of it is that after over a decade of cons, I'm getting used to the usual suspects--the vendors I see year after year, the items that are regularly for sale that were super awesome ten years ago and now I'm all "have that, have those, have them..." This in no way makes that stuff any less awesome for people who don't have it, or who're at their first con and haven't seen this stuff before.
Gods, maybe this is my cranky old geezer rant, where I'm feeling nostalgic for when the dealer's room was a vast uncharted wilderness of toy magic to explore.
And I still can't feel too hard done by, not when I spent all my money, got a great deal on something, got an import I'd been looking forward to finding, got pleasantly surprised when something I thought long gone was suddenly on sale again for a very reasonable price, and had a nice drool over Artfire's table (too broke to buy anything off of it by then, but wow, those were some pretty toys.)
Nor can I complain when I keep giving certain tables my money year after year....got some great bookmarks from Wayward and two different plushies from two different creators, plus always happy to see Retro Joad and the folks with all the G1 parts. So it's not as though there was nothing there I wanted (again, see the small handful of change that's all I've got left in my wallet).
TL: DR
The more you buy off your want list, the less you have left to find and buy, and the harder it may be to find it;
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The more cons you go to, the more the vendors and goods will start to look familiar;
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Trends come and go--right now the trend is 3rd party, which is awesome for 3P collectors and maybe less awesome for those not interested, but the same can be said for Alternators and Henkai and basically every other trend this fandom's ever had;
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I still spent all my money so I don't feel too sorry for myself. Now get off my lawn, you kids with your Sphinxs and pokeymans.
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