New to Cons, Seeking Advice

[Collectorchris]

Good morning, I have never been to a Con, however I am interested in going to some to try and get some Star Wars memorabilia and prop replicas signed for my personal collection. Being new to this, how do I find out the who, what, when, and where certain actors will be and how to get access or purchase tickets to signing? I am looking at maybe winter 2022 or 2023 cons.

I would like to meet folks like Hayden Christisen, Ewan McGregor, Mark Hammil, etc..... Any advice on where to look for scheduled appearances would greatly help.

 

[JPH]

Wow! You have to find a con that has those guest, then buy tickets for the photo-Op, then queue for it.

It depends on what lengths you are willing to go to, to achieve your goals.

You can also write them a flattering letter, and sometimes they will send you an autographed pic.

 

[JediMichael]

Are you hoping to find one near where you live, or plan to travel?
A lot of citys have cons, but the bigger ones, like where all these big name Star Wars actors go, will probably involve traveling.
Star Wars Celebration would be your best way to meet these guys.
Looking on Google, the next one will be next year in Europe at ExCeL London.

 

[Collectorchris]

I am not opposed to travel inside CONUS if I had to, I have not been able to locate any forum/group that tracks this type of information. I guess I may have to wait until 2024 for Celebration to return to the US.

 

[Lost in Trek]

The Internet is your friend. I'd start with basic searches... If you go to the actors webpages they will often list where they will be appearing.

Lastly, and you should seriously do what makes you happy, but many people, me included, will not buy props that have been signed. I'd say get a photo signed and display that next to your prop. Something to think about if you may ever need or want to sell any pieces from your collection.

 

[Tommy]

Lastly, and you should seriously do what makes you happy, but many people, me included, will not buy props that have been signed. I'd say get a photo signed and display that next to your prop. Something to think about if you may ever need or want to sell any pieces from your collection.

Haven't a clue what you're talking about...

But seriously Collectorchris , one thing you'll want to keep in mind if your goal is specifically signing of photos / stuff, the photo-op sessions may not be your best bet. I've only been to a few cons myself, so this comes more from what I've heard, but at least at some conventions and with some guests, you're more likely to get the time for signings as well as chatting a little with the guest if you get in line for their "walk-of-fame" style signing booth, whereas the photo-ops can be literally just a quick pose and you're out. Some conventions / guests probably allow time for both, but it's worth inquiring about before you reserve a ticket.

 

[masterjedi322]

And be prepared to be pay big bucks!

Ewan was at Star Wars Celebration back in May, and he was charging ~$300 for an autograph...

Hamill is hard to nail down for appearances as he doesn't do many cons...

Good luck and MTFBWY!

Sean

 

[AaronHorrocks]

Every convention is unique.
Any advice that I might be able to give, might not even be relevant to your specific convention.
I would suggest getting into contact with people that go to whichever convention that you're thinking of, and ask them for some tips and tricks.

Even some conventions that I've been to, I didn't know how they worked. For instance, I had been to StocktonCon twice as a guest.
So when I went there "just for the day" as an attendee, I had no idea where to buy tickets. Most conventions have a booth set up to sell tickets inside, as such, I walked through the main doors, walked in about 20 feet, then stood there, confused, as I started looking around for the ticket booth. Security grabbed me (physically), and was extremely rude. They demanded that I buy tickets "out front", yet there was nothing set up "out front". It turned out that the place to buy tickets was a window on the side of the building, which was staffed inside. There were no signs or ropes set up to corral people next to the ticket window. I literally walked right past the thing on my way in from the parking lot and didn't even notice it. Think like early 1900's baseball diamond, where the ticket booth was an after thought, and they cut a hole in the side of the building to make a window to sell tickets.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

I advise finding each celebrity’s autograph rules ahead of time if you can. Most celebrities have autograph tables to make money and many will ONLY sign one of the photos they sell at their table. The signature is ‘free’ you’re paying for the photo.

As a result if you bring your own photo or memorabilia they may either refuse to sign it (actually their manager/handler will tell you) or you still have to pay their autograph photo price to get your item signed.

In my experience less famous celebrities are good to sign anything as long as you pay their price. Bigger celebrities usually have more conditions and it’s hit-or-miss if they only sign their own photos or they will sign merchandise.

If you reach out to the Con admin directly they can usually point you in the direction of each signing celebrities policy.

 

[Chevyh0tr0d]

I haven't been to a convention in a few years due to covid... but I will give u a few extra helpful hints that I experienced first hand

First "stay hydrated" bring a refillable water jb
obottle you can carry on you.. I can tell you my first con ever I went to just all the walking around I was very tired after just an hour or 2 had I not run into abbydsrkstar and her husband(I think boyfriend or fiance at the time) Keith who had a booth had not noticed my condition and let me sit down and offered me a whole 1 liter water bottle that I chugged I might of passed out later on.


2- expect to get hungry quickly if going to a con outside of a few hours drive from u and you get a motel room do not be afraid to step out and go back to your hotel to eat something or find a venue outside the convention for food, most places inside the con hall sell extremely over priced food

3- wear comfortable shoes lol my first con I went in my aliens colonial marine costume in boots and had many blisters after lol

4-if parking near the convention make a note on your phone/text yourself along with a written note in your wallet..my first con I had trouble remembering where I parked and took me almost an hour and the only thing that saved me is I was driving a 66 chevelle station wagon at the time so was very recognizable

 

[Dr Jones Sr]

Chevy you're so right!

My personal asides to your points:

1) Stay hydrated. Usually at Cons there are drinking fountains near the restrooms, take a wee sip every time you pass a fountain by.
When suitable I carry a drinking cup as part of my cosplay; my Chief Hopper carries his coffee mug, and my Dr Jones Senior carries the Holy Grail (which I coated with food-safe clear coat). I fill these from time to time from the drinking fountains.

2) Eat. I usually don't get hungry until around dinnertime. I go back to the hotel, change into ordinary clothes, and walk to the closest brewery. My Con day is done. (I scout out the breweries when I make my travel plans, months in advance.)

3) Wear comfortable shoes. YES! Why do so many cosplayers torture their feet? I'm too old for that. All of my cosplays have extremely comfortable shoes. It's a must-have for me.

4) Make a record of where you park. What I do, whenever I attend anything where I'm parking in an unfamiliar place, is to take a series of pics on my phone looking BACK to my car. When I leave the event I just follow the landmarks and go straight to my car.

Whenever possible I stay within walking distance of the Con. I've done at Seattle, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and was going to do to SiliCon until I cancelled my trip. I took the train to San Diego.

 

[ThreadSketch]

I have a con-related question/request for advice, though it's a little different than what's been discussed here so far - if any of you have done so, what's been your experience traveling with lightsabers? I'm extremely rusty in terms of traveling long-distance to cons; before now, I haven't flown to one since 2008. I'm in Montana heading to Los Angeles Comic Con in about a week and a half. I know I have no choice but to check the bag containing my blades, since they're too long to fit anywhere else, but after the profound spike in lost luggage this past summer, needless to say I'm terrified of checking $2,000 worth of replica sabers (trip insurance will only cover $500 in lost baggage). My research has turned up mixed information. Have any of you successfully traveled with powered saber hilts in your carry-ons? Mine have the 18650 Li-Ion battery hard-wired in, so they're leaning more toward the gray area of "personal electronic device" similar to a laptop, etc. I even Tweeted the official TSA account and they advised going with checked because they can't predict the independent judgment of all their employees. But I'm worrying myself sick over the notion of my bags being lost. I'd appreciate any thoughts on this.

*I've also invested in tracking tags, but knowing where my lost gear is doesn't necessarily mean it can make its way back to me.

**And no, there was no one I could ship the sabers to at the site to hold on for me until I arrived.