Toy and comic conventions have become the nerd equivalent to a Caribbean cruise. And to be honest I find the smaller conventions are the better ones. The smaller shows tend to be under $10 to get in and you get better access to the seller and their goods without some smelly dude dressed as Naruto breathing over your shoulder. Also when you are really just there to buy, paying $30-$60 for a ticket better get you more than just a chance to meet Lou Ferrigno (again). I attended the Dallas/Fort Worth G.I. Joe Convention this past Saturday, took some pics, and put together a little convention primer for buyers that can help you make the most out of your convention experience and hopefully save you a few bucks.
1. Attire - Hey if you enjoy dressing as Snake Eyes to attend a con, more power to you. I opt for a funny t-shirt over the generic Superman tee or something with a fancy graphic from Hot Topic. One of my faves is "He who has the most toys wins” or “My wife approves of this purchase.” This helps make you memorable to sellers so when you come back around to look at something a third time, they’ll remember who you were. Then you can cut the conversation down to the negotiation and you might save a few bucks if you made them chuckle.
2. Cash is King - Sure, most vendors have Square or some other way to take credit/debit card payments, but those vendors pay fees for those services. When purchasing more expensive items, the service fees can add up, so you'll be much better negotiating with a couple Benjamins in your pocket. And don't forget the small items that only cost a few bucks, so if you negotiate a price down from $20 to $11, don't hand the guy a $20. This can make the seller feel like he got taken or at the very least make you look like a schmuck. You should try to have exact change for anything you're going to negotiate under $10.
3. Negotiate - My wife is a terrible negotiator. I'm the dad from A Christmas Story at the tree lot—very shrewd. I never pay sticker price. I feel that until the item I desire is at a price worth paying, I can wait. How long are most of our "want lists?" I doubt they contain only one or two figures, so in my mind I can wait on a piece if the price isn't right. When you're at a con, everything has a price and everything is negotiable, but you need to be considerate as well—don't start at $10 for $100 item. Be reasonable, but also know the max you'd pay for something before moving on to something else. Also, whether this is true or not, I use the "this is my last $20 man, c'mon" to maybe push the seller in my direction and make that cash sale.
4. Bundle - If a seller has 2-4 things you want, try to bundle them up for a flat price. This works more often than you'd think. You can save up to 20% sometimes and the vendor unloads a handful of items all at once.
5. Bring Trade - This may seem odd to people, but bringing one or two trade items to a con can save you some serious dough. Granted you have to know the market (no one wants your MOC Crystal Ball figure) and you might get less than you would on eBay, but it could be worth throwing an unwanted item in your backpack if it will save you some cash and help you obtain something more desirable. It also helps too when you attend very specific cons (G.I. Joe, Comic, Transformer) because you're dealing with a specialized market looking for specialized items.
6. Timing - Most sellers will cherry-pick other sellers before the public can come inside, so if you're looking for something very specific or rare, you need to be there when the doors open so you have the best change at finding that grail piece. If you're looking for something large, say the Hot Toys Tumbler, hit the show an hour or two before it closes. Vendors don't want to take home big pieces if they can help it and will soften towards the end of the day or the end of the weekend. I'll even use that in my negotiation. "C'mon, you don't want to repack that and lug it back to the car, right? Let me take it off your hands."
7. Smell Nice - This has to be said. No one wants to stand next to the guy with b.o. so bad it makes their eyes water, but some reason there are always a few dudes who forget their Axe body spray before leaving the house. Don't be that guy.
8. Be Nice - Just like the late, great Patrick Swayze says in Road House, "Be nice." Yes, be nice. You get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.
Nathan is a life-long toy collector with a serious Peter Pan complex and an addiction to plastic smells. If he could ride an adult-sized Big Wheel to work, he would.