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Conventions.
Jul. 5th, 2024 02:33 pmI used to attend fan conventions quite a bit for a time not too long ago. It started with attending a specific fandom convention (Supernatural, for when I was deep into that show for a hot minute), then I attended Dragon*Con, and then I ended up exclusively just attending local anime conventions, which wasn't every single time they appeared but it was more convenient should I decide to go to one and usually only for a day. Of course this all paused indefinitely due to the pandemic and my ongoing fear and anxiety of attending crowded indoor spaces with people who aren't wearing masks (and just in general too, I get overwhelmed), but while I do miss the general vibe of going to conventions and being amongst other fannish people it has given me some thought about why I'm upset about not going anymore, and it's not what most would think.
During the last couple of anime conventions I attended before the pandemic struck I didn't even go to any panels. I was mostly there for the vendors, and standing beside my sister waiting in autograph lines but not really getting any autographs or photo ops.
I think as I've gotten older the less patience I have for sitting in at panels where the guests on stage will be asked ridiculous fan-pandering questions and repeat stories or answers I've already heard before, and getting an autograph or photo op can be nice but those can be incredibly expensive and depending on what kind of convention it is you're going to have to deal with the actors being incredibly exhausted and burnt out from the event and so whatever interaction you may have with them will not live up to that expectation you may want. I much prefer the vending area of conventions where you see what is being sold, and you tend to find a lot of interesting and unique goodies, from fanart to merchandise and other things you will not find anywhere else, even if the person there has an online store a lot of times the things they bring will only be exclusive to their table setup. That is way more exciting to me panels or autographs/photo ops, plus you get a chance to see people wandering around in cosplay.
If there was a chance for an event where it's just that experience, the vendors, I would be down for it. Like a flea market but for fandom/nerdy/geeky stuff.
(Also, due to Etsy's new policy update, since many in fandom have used the site to sell/buy fanmade items, including those who attend conventions as vendors, this creates a massive issue to them and those of us who cannot attend conventions and want to support their work.)
During the last couple of anime conventions I attended before the pandemic struck I didn't even go to any panels. I was mostly there for the vendors, and standing beside my sister waiting in autograph lines but not really getting any autographs or photo ops.
I think as I've gotten older the less patience I have for sitting in at panels where the guests on stage will be asked ridiculous fan-pandering questions and repeat stories or answers I've already heard before, and getting an autograph or photo op can be nice but those can be incredibly expensive and depending on what kind of convention it is you're going to have to deal with the actors being incredibly exhausted and burnt out from the event and so whatever interaction you may have with them will not live up to that expectation you may want. I much prefer the vending area of conventions where you see what is being sold, and you tend to find a lot of interesting and unique goodies, from fanart to merchandise and other things you will not find anywhere else, even if the person there has an online store a lot of times the things they bring will only be exclusive to their table setup. That is way more exciting to me panels or autographs/photo ops, plus you get a chance to see people wandering around in cosplay.
If there was a chance for an event where it's just that experience, the vendors, I would be down for it. Like a flea market but for fandom/nerdy/geeky stuff.
(Also, due to Etsy's new policy update, since many in fandom have used the site to sell/buy fanmade items, including those who attend conventions as vendors, this creates a massive issue to them and those of us who cannot attend conventions and want to support their work.)
