First time attending - what to expect?

[Stormrave]

Elfpony is bringing me this year.  It's my first pony fair   I'm not so nervous about the con since I've run the TFCon dinner for more years than I care to count, it's more a curiosity about the difference between the giant robot fandom and the pony fandom  

I always make a want list for things I would like and how much I can expect to pay for them, and also budget myself some extra money for things I want but didn't know existed until I got there (I made a group selling pins at TFCon rich last year!)  I keep food and taxi money in a separate pouch so I don't end up with no money to eat/get home again.  If I have to go to a bank machine near the con I do it early because the one at TFcon is infamous for running out halfway through the first day! 

When I am on a tight budget (or worried about time) I try to buy/bring some meals like energy bars, crackers and almond butter, rice cakes, jerky.  Having at least one "pocket meal" both saves me the cost of going to a restaurant and means I don't have to choose between eating or missing something I wanted to take part in.  It also means I don't eat sweeTarts and cola out of a vending machine for dinner because I found out the hard way I'm too old for that!!

[Elfpony]

Definitely, if you can afford it, bring more spending money than you think you'll want.  I've never had an issue with not being able to find something I want to buy in that room FULL of ponies! 

At my booth I'll probably be doing mainly cash transactions, but if there's free wifi somewhere nearby I'd be up to paypal as well.  I'm also very open for trades, negotiating on prices, bundling, anything really.  Although to be honest, I'll be running around buying myself, so my Roommate will likely be maning the table for me.  She's good with all of the above, though, and if she's not sure on something she'll flag me down.

Ideally, I'll be posting a thread here prior to the Fair with what I'm bringing for sale, so if anyone sees anything they want, we can work out a hold or something.  Of course, I'm also moving house before the Fair, so we'll see if time allows for this.

I'll also second the "don't wait" mentality on anything rare or that you really, really want.  By the time you're on your second pass of the room it will be gone.

Elf

[Sunshine]

Definitely, if you can afford it, bring more spending money than you think you'll want.  I've never had an issue with not being able to find something I want to buy in that room FULL of ponies! 

At my booth I'll probably be doing mainly cash transactions, but if there's free wifi somewhere nearby I'd be up to paypal as well.  I'm also very open for trades, negotiating on prices, bundling, anything really.  Although to be honest, I'll be running around buying myself, so my Roommate will likely be maning the table for me.  She's good with all of the above, though, and if she's not sure on something she'll flag me down.

Ideally, I'll be posting a thread here prior to the Fair with what I'm bringing for sale, so if anyone sees anything they want, we can work out a hold or something.  Of course, I'm also moving house before the Fair, so we'll see if time allows for this.

I'll also second the "don't wait" mentality on anything rare or that you really, really want.  By the time you're on your second pass of the room it will be gone.

Elf

Uuggghhh see that makes me kinda nervous again! Like the whole -scramble to buy it ASAP and elbow people out of the way... LOL I'm just trying to picture my reaction to seeing a pony I've been dying for in a room full of ponies. I need to probably take a big giant chill pill right before the convention, LOL... but I do appreciate all this advice... Still, going back and forth now being worried about whether the items I want will be there or not, and if I'll be the first to see it, lol and buy it!

Ah well, I hope that if I don't score ponies, I'll score some new friends out of this whole thing!

[Elfpony]

Believe me, you'd have to have a pretty small/specific want list to NOT find something you'll want to buy in that room!  There won't be people knocking each other down to get to the sales stuff either or anything like that. But often the sought after items will sell early on Saturday morning.  Still, you'll find plenty of great stuff right up to the last moment before the doors close on Sunday.  I usually find some things that I didn't know I wanted until I saw them, too.

Elf

[Stormrave]

SunshinePony:  Think less "hordes of maniacs" and more "the most desirable items sell fast."  So, if you see something you absolutely, positively, have to have, or something that's really rare and you want, buy it asap.  There are times at TFCon I've bought something and saw it on the other side of the room for $30 less; but when there were only two in the whole dealer's room, I'm happier to pay $30 more than go home without one. 

Usually what I do is one quick first pass of the dealer's room, snap up the super-wants and super-rares, and get an idea of what's all there and  the price range for other stuff, then go back through more slowly the second time, taking time to look around, making my decision about who has good prices/the condition I want and enjoying my shopping.  After that I take the time to dig through boxes for less desirable stuff like custom baits, or items that they have plenty of, look for gifts for friends....

and of course don't spend a whole con in the dealer's room, be sure to go to panels and meet people too!

[MoonStars]

Definitely, if you can afford it, bring more spending money than you think you'll want.  I've never had an issue with not being able to find something I want to buy in that room FULL of ponies! 

At my booth I'll probably be doing mainly cash transactions, but if there's free wifi somewhere nearby I'd be up to paypal as well.  I'm also very open for trades, negotiating on prices, bundling, anything really.  Although to be honest, I'll be running around buying myself, so my Roommate will likely be maning the table for me.  She's good with all of the above, though, and if she's not sure on something she'll flag me down.

Ideally, I'll be posting a thread here prior to the Fair with what I'm bringing for sale, so if anyone sees anything they want, we can work out a hold or something.  Of course, I'm also moving house before the Fair, so we'll see if time allows for this.

I'll also second the "don't wait" mentality on anything rare or that you really, really want.  By the time you're on your second pass of the room it will be gone.

Elf

Uuggghhh see that makes me kinda nervous again! Like the whole -scramble to buy it ASAP and elbow people out of the way... LOL I'm just trying to picture my reaction to seeing a pony I've been dying for in a room full of ponies. I need to probably take a big giant chill pill right before the convention, LOL... but I do appreciate all this advice... Still, going back and forth now being worried about whether the items I want will be there or not, and if I'll be the first to see it, lol and buy it!

Ah well, I hope that if I don't score ponies, I'll score some new friends out of this whole thing!

lol...Pony people are so polite,  the closest they come  to elbowing people out of the way is someone standing patiently (maybe rocking from foot to foot) behind someone else, clearly hoping the person in front of them doesn't pick up the pony she's spotted. :-D

[Roogna]

and of course don't spend a whole con in the dealer's room, be sure to go to panels and meet people too!

actually, all the panels, and games are in the same room. We even use a microphone for panels so you can listen from your booth! The only time everything wasn't in one room was when we visited Hasbro's site in Rhode Island.

[Elfpony]

lol...Pony people are so polite,  the closest they come  to elbowing people out of the way is someone standing patiently (maybe rocking from foot to foot) behind someone else, clearly hoping the person in front of them doesn't pick up the pony she's spotted. :-D

LOL, I've totally done that!

Elf

[sparkleset80]

SunshinePony, we are kinda in the same boat. First time going to the fair and not knowing what to expect but it's going to be sooo fun! You live in Illinois too, right? So you and me newbie fair goers from Illinois are gonna have an awesome time!

[Sunshine]

SunshinePony, we are kinda in the same boat. First time going to the fair and not knowing what to expect but it's going to be sooo fun! You live in Illinois too, right? So you and me newbie fair goers from Illinois are gonna have an awesome time!

YES! We should have a little meet and greet for people in Illinois who are going - so that maybe we could do some in state type get togethers. Maybe make a board regarding it when it's closer to the fair?
I'm glad to hear you're going too! How fun!

[NoDivision]

lol...Pony people are so polite,  the closest they come  to elbowing people out of the way is someone standing patiently (maybe rocking from foot to foot) behind someone else, clearly hoping the person in front of them doesn't pick up the pony she's spotted. :-D

LOL, I've totally done that!

Elf

hahaha, exactly!

[Peppie]

the event badge you pick up at sign in is your real name printed on it or your user name?

speaking on deals: Roogna I can never thank you enough at the 2007 fair for finding me PE for $35! Do you mind if I ask what your name is?

[NoDivision]

The badges are usually blank so you can write whatever you like on there I usually put my real first name on the fair badge and have one with my arena name as well so people can call me whatever they like.

[MoonStars]

The badges are usually blank so you can write whatever you like on there I usually put my real first name on the fair badge and have one with my arena name as well so people can call me whatever they like.

I like being able to see real name AND forum name; it's nice to put faces to the forum names. :-) Lots of people either make their own "persona" art badge or commission one, then use the blank from the fair admission for their real name. I love the art badges. Someone here was taking orders not long ago, but I forget who it was. ***sorreee*

[Roogna]

I generally put my Roogna name --on BOTH sides. The badges tend to flip around and often people have a blank side showing.
My hubby goes by Grasshopper

My business cards have my real name on them, but people know me by Roogna


*edit - Peppie you have a PM