Great first day

[steevofromglasgow]

This was my first signing event outside of Scotland and wanted to share my honest opinion of the weekend. From speaking to a few of the dealers, they said that the organisers read all comments and take everything on board. Apologies in advance for the length of this or if anyone doesn't agree with any of the comments below.

 

My partner, son (aged 4) and I stayed in Manchester the night before and arrived at 8am on Saturday morning. We left just after noon, having collected the 12 autographs we wanted. We would have spent more money, but the comments below will indicate where we didn't do so.

 

The Good

- Jay Laga'aia (This guy was brilliant, made our son feel special and generally made our visit very worthwhile)

- The range of guests

- The layout of the hall

- The theory behind the virtual tickets system

- The quality of the photographs for signing

- John Rhys Davies (a big gentle giant who also appeared really pleased to see his fans)

- Ray Park (another down to earth and very friendly guest who was busier than many of the other "bigger guests")

- The overall atmosphere with Stormtroopers and Jedis wandering around

- Most of the items for sale and the prices we saw

- The pink panther car (great to see and for my son to sit in - quality of their photographs was crap though)

 

The Bad

- The location wasn't great or easy to find as another arena was signed not far from this one. We spoke to a dealer in the car parks who said they would not be returning as they also had problems trying to find the place. The parking prices were also appalling (but we knew this in advance).

- The inevitable mad rush at the beginning for VTs (I expected this but saw one young girl getting hurt at the start)

- The queueing before the event started. Queues are inevitable but I don't think it would have hurt to have barriers indoors so that most the queues didn't spill outside. It was freezing cold and the three of us have been loaded with the cold since Saturday morning.

- Toilets (very bad) - no toilets before entry (at least that we could see) and when we did get in we were told we couldn't use the toilets near the guests and to use the toilets further down. When we got to the other toilets they were being closed off as most the cubicles and some of the urinals were down and advised to return to the toilets we were told we originally couldn't use. By the time we got back to the first toilets, our son had wet himself and we had to leave the venue to get another change of clothes from the car.

- The practical side of virtual tickets. It was difficult to tell which staff had tickets for whom and it was obvious that tickets were being handed out to all and sundry at the beginning in some queues. Also, staff were too busy chatting to fans about all sorts of stuff at times than handing out tickets at the beginning.

- Attitude of some staff at the event. Some staff were very friendly, others could have used a lengthy session at the samaritans.

- Annoying fans who had lengthy chats with the guests. We had to wait 10 minutes to see John Rhyss-Davies because the fan in front was telling them their life story. Staff weren't moving the person on and the same thing happened with Brent Spiner when someone asked them about the possibility of an asteroid hitting earth.

 

Suggestions

- As paying fans, I expect all guests to pose for a quick photo if required. Some guests had signs saying "no posed photos". I gather this is because the photos take time, but in actual fact it's the daft and lengthy conversations some fans have with the guests that waste time for everyone (if a queue is busy, restrict the chatting times, not the photos). Photos take far less time than most chats. I got the chance to chat with mosts guests in under a minute and keep the queues moving. Avery Brooks at 12:15 had no-one in his queue and a sign saying he wouldn't pose for photos. If we were allowed a photo, I would have paid to get an autograph. If a guest has little (or no queue) then yes, some fans can feel free to recite Shakespeare for all I care.

 

Suggestions for the stalls

- I know you aren't running a nursery here, but there were many young bored children and I heard many parents bribing their kids with the prospect of a toy if they stayed interested for a short while. If your kid isn't into star wars or star trek then forget about it, but if there was a stall aimed at a younger audience then it would have made a killing (I'm thinking of spongebob, thomas the tank engine, cheaper Disney toys, etc)

- I also can't understand why there isn't a stall selling frames for 8*10 shots as it would also have made a killing. We bought several on the way home, but I heard other collectors looking for some at the venue. Maybe there were some for sale, but I couldn't find them.

 

We never went to any of the talks (wasn't interested) or the cafe area (didn't need to) so I can't comment on them.

 

We did have a terrific day, but I've dwelled more on the bad than the good as what went very well doesn't need justifying.

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[barney]

This was my first signing event outside of Scotland and wanted to share my honest opinion of the weekend. From speaking to a few of the dealers, they said that the organisers read all comments and take everything on board. Apologies in advance for the length of this or if anyone doesn't agree with any of the comments below.

 

My partner, son (aged 4) and I stayed in Manchester the night before and arrived at 8am on Saturday morning. We left just after noon, having collected the 12 autographs we wanted. We would have spent more money, but the comments below will indicate where we didn't do so.

 

The Good

- Jay Laga'aia (This guy was brilliant, made our son feel special and generally made our visit very worthwhile)

- The range of guests

- The layout of the hall

- The theory behind the virtual tickets system

- The quality of the photographs for signing

- John Rhys Davies (a big gentle giant who also appeared really pleased to see his fans)

- Ray Park (another down to earth and very friendly guest who was busier than many of the other "bigger guests")

- The overall atmosphere with Stormtroopers and Jedis wandering around

- Most of the items for sale and the prices we saw

- The pink panther car (great to see and for my son to sit in - quality of their photographs was crap though)

 

The Bad

- The location wasn't great or easy to find as another arena was signed not far from this one. We spoke to a dealer in the car parks who said they would not be returning as they also had problems trying to find the place. The parking prices were also appalling (but we knew this in advance).

- The inevitable mad rush at the beginning for VTs (I expected this but saw one young girl getting hurt at the start)

- The queueing before the event started. Queues are inevitable but I don't think it would have hurt to have barriers indoors so that most the queues didn't spill outside. It was freezing cold and the three of us have been loaded with the cold since Saturday morning.

- Toilets (very bad) - no toilets before entry (at least that we could see) and when we did get in we were told we couldn't use the toilets near the guests and to use the toilets further down. When we got to the other toilets they were being closed off as most the cubicles and some of the urinals were down and advised to return to the toilets we were told we originally couldn't use. By the time we got back to the first toilets, our son had wet himself and we had to leave the venue to get another change of clothes from the car.

- The practical side of virtual tickets. It was difficult to tell which staff had tickets for whom and it was obvious that tickets were being handed out to all and sundry at the beginning in some queues. Also, staff were too busy chatting to fans about all sorts of stuff at times than handing out tickets at the beginning.

- Attitude of some staff at the event. Some staff were very friendly, others could have used a lengthy session at the samaritans.

- Annoying fans who had lengthy chats with the guests. We had to wait 10 minutes to see John Rhyss-Davies because the fan in front was telling them their life story. Staff weren't moving the person on and the same thing happened with Brent Spiner when someone asked them about the possibility of an asteroid hitting earth.

 

Suggestions

- As paying fans, I expect all guests to pose for a quick photo if required. Some guests had signs saying "no posed photos". I gather this is because the photos take time, but in actual fact it's the daft and lengthy conversations some fans have with the guests that waste time for everyone (if a queue is busy, restrict the chatting times, not the photos). Photos take far less time than most chats. I got the chance to chat with mosts guests in under a minute and keep the queues moving. Avery Brooks at 12:15 had no-one in his queue and a sign saying he wouldn't pose for photos. If we were allowed a photo, I would have paid to get an autograph. If a guest has little (or no queue) then yes, some fans can feel free to recite Shakespeare for all I care.

 

Suggestions for the stalls

- I know you aren't running a nursery here, but there were many young bored children and I heard many parents bribing their kids with the prospect of a toy if they stayed interested for a short while. If your kid isn't into star wars or star trek then forget about it, but if there was a stall aimed at a younger audience then it would have made a killing (I'm thinking of spongebob, thomas the tank engine, cheaper Disney toys, etc)

- I also can't understand why there isn't a stall selling frames for 8*10 shots as it would also have made a killing. We bought several on the way home, but I heard other collectors looking for some at the venue. Maybe there were some for sale, but I couldn't find them.

 

We never went to any of the talks (wasn't interested) or the cafe area (didn't need to) so I can't comment on them.

 

We did have a terrific day, but I've dwelled more on the bad than the good as what went very well doesn't need justifying.

 

Cheers

 

Steve

925922[/snapback]

 

 

 

THIS IS THE BEST SUM UP I HAVE READ !!!

 

Everything was said correctly, and hopefully people shopuld take notes of the comments above !

[steevofromglasgow]

Cheers Barney

 

I can only speak from the heart but we are very glad we attended.

 

Steve

[ptenbob]

Suggestions

- As paying fans, I expect all guests to pose for a quick photo if required. Some guests had signs saying "no posed photos". I gather this is because the photos take time, but in actual fact it's the daft and lengthy conversations some fans have with the guests that waste time for everyone (if a queue is busy, restrict the chatting times, not the photos). Photos take far less time than most chats. I got the chance to chat with mosts guests in under a minute and keep the queues moving. Avery Brooks at 12:15 had no-one in his queue and a sign saying he wouldn't pose for photos. If we were allowed a photo, I would have paid to get an autograph. If a guest has little (or no queue) then yes, some fans can feel free to recite Shakespeare for all I care.

 

Cheers

 

Steve

925922[/snapback]

 

Hi Steve,

 

Although I'm not speaking in any official capacity on behalf of Showmasters here, I've crewed every event since Collectormania 4, and in particular, my role over the last few events has been at the front of the busier queues, giving instructions where needed on photograph issues and so on - so I know what I'm talking about!!

 

While I wholeheartedly agree with you that some people *do* want to go chapter and verse with some guests, about their theories on why Mr X said what he said to Ms Y in Series 14 Episode 432Z, many are happy with a quick hi or just a simple question.

 

If I may be so bold, I'd like to ask you a question: Which of the following statements would you rather hear?

 

"There'll be no posed photo's today, sorry."

 

"Take all the photo's you want, just don't speak to the guest and he won't speak to you or acknowledge your presence"

 

I know that may be taking it a little too far, but I'm sure you understand the thrust of what I'm trying to say.

 

Not everyone who meets the guests actually wants a photo with them, you'd be surprised at how many people are happy to approach the table, smile, thank the guest for entertaining them/however they phrase it, get their autograph and leave.

 

There's a flip side to the coin however, and there are people (obviously such as yourself,) for whom the photos are as much a part of the event as the autographs are.

 

In the morning, when the rules are set for the day (usually around the time when the guests arrive,) we have no idea how many fans are going to be showing up to see the guest, and so for the larger guests, decisions have to be made on whether or not to allow photos.

 

Imagine how you'd feel, if you were the very first person through to see one of your favourite actors of all time, with a queue stretching out behind you to Stockport, being told "I'm sorry, there won't be any posed photos today", only to walk past a few hours later when the queues are lighter, to see people taking photos.

 

This is why the decisions have to be made in the morning and adhered to throughout the day.

 

I *can* say that I was speaking to one of the agents about this very matter, and although there are many ways of approaching the subject, there could be ways to improve it - one of which I intend to email the organisers about (it's a suggestion from the front line!!!)

 

I hope you see the point in what I've said, I don't mean to be rude to you, I'm just putting my side of the discussion across.

 

 

Hope you and all yours are well,

 

 

Troy.

[Little Miss Idiot]

As paying fans, I expect all guests to pose for a quick photo if required

 

How rude.

 

I've met a few guests who after a while the persistant flashing from cameras gave them a migraine, I respected that and didn't take a picture.

 

The pleasure wasn't in a poxy picture, or even the signature, it was the moment I stood, exchange words and thanks with someone I admired.

 

They are people, they owe us nothing and you should be grateful that they make the effort to appear in public, many don't.

 

Gah some people

 

If it worked like that I expect Ray Park to nip off for a quickie with me as I admire and think he's hot, I'm a paying fan. I demand it.

Edited February 14, 2006 by Little Miss Idiot

[In2flicks]

We had a stall at the the show, and came with the opinion to get a feel for Machester, and who wants what. Granted there were a lot of the same for sale. but like it was the first one for showmasters, it was the first for us. You will always get the regular dealers, but this time there were a lot of scottish and middle coutry dealers compared to the mix at MK, we personally will try our best to offer something "different"

 

In terms of being overpriced, i think people came thinking £50 was enough to spend, just not realising how much stuff costs. Think of the approx basic costs for a dealer to come to a show:

 

2 stalls £ 270

Hotel £100

Van hire £100

Petrol £60

 

Thats £500 to make before even making the cost of what we have to sell, so please spare a thought for us on the stands.

 

We still had a lot of fun, and would like to thank everyone who we met at the show.

 

Ash

[obiton]

I thought the stalls were much of a muchness but they were good because thats what you get at these type of events.

GMex was OK,I thought there may be slightly more stalls at MK but dont know, even though they may be more crammed.

I personnally enjo MK more because of the whole atmosphere of it.

As Ive said in a previous thread this seemed alot like a the Birmingham event, which of course MK doesnt.

Dont get me wrong i thought it was good maybe a bit more room needed between guests and stalls and maybe more stalls

 

keep up the good work Sm, looking forward to Empire Day now

 

obiton

[jennylouise]

As paying fans, I expect all guests to pose for a quick photo if required

 

 

 

The pleasure wasn't in a poxy picture,

925956[/snapback]

 

I don't think pictures are poxy - I think they are fab . And I got pictures with all the guests I wanted so came back from the event happy. Special thanks to the crew (Troy) that were letting us know that we could take pics with the guests whilst they were signing even if we couldn't get posed photos as this helped us get our cameras ready in time and all the guests happened to look up at exactly the right time in the photos for me for me so - go team *bg*

[Little Miss Idiot]

As paying fans, I expect all guests to pose for a quick photo if required

 

 

 

The pleasure wasn't in a poxy picture,

925956[/snapback]

 

I don't think pictures are poxy - I think they are fab . And I got pictures with all the guests I wanted so came back from the event happy. Special thanks to the crew (Troy) that were letting us know that we could take pics with the guests whilst they were signing even if we couldn't get posed photos as this helped us get our cameras ready in time and all the guests happened to look up at exactly the right time in the photos for me for me so - go team *bg*

925972[/snapback]

 

The point is, it's just a mere reminder, the actual moment meeting them is what matters to me.

[showmasters]

This was my first signing event outside of Scotland and wanted to share my honest opinion of the weekend. From speaking to a few of the dealers, they said that the organisers read all comments and take everything on board. Apologies in advance for the length of this or if anyone doesn't agree with any of the comments below.

 

No need to apologise. Praise to let us know what we are doing right and constructive criticism to help us work at fixing what we are doing wrong is always welcome.

 

My partner, son (aged 4) and I stayed in Manchester the night before and arrived at 8am on Saturday morning. We left just after noon, having collected the 12 autographs we wanted. We would have spent more money, but the comments below will indicate where we didn't do so.

 

The Good

- Jay Laga'aia (This guy was brilliant, made our son feel special and generally made our visit very worthwhile)

- The range of guests

- The layout of the hall

- The theory behind the virtual tickets system

- The quality of the photographs for signing

- John Rhys Davies (a big gentle giant who also appeared really pleased to see his fans)

- Ray Park (another down to earth and very friendly guest who was busier than many of the other "bigger guests")

- The overall atmosphere with Stormtroopers and Jedis wandering around

- Most of the items for sale and the prices we saw

- The pink panther car (great to see and for my son to sit in - quality of their photographs was crap though)

 

The Bad

- The location wasn't great or easy to find as another arena was signed not far from this one. We spoke to a dealer in the car parks who said they would not be returning as they also had problems trying to find the place. The parking prices were also appalling (but we knew this in advance).

The G-Mex is fairly well-signposted, but that said, I can't disagree that central Manchester can be confusing to navigate if you are unfamiliar with it. I certainly got lost the first time we went to view the G-Mex, and drove round for a couple of hours; the next time I went I (metaphorically) kicked myself, because I realised just how many signs pointing me to the place I'd missed (and in some cases driven straight past) the first time. I do personally feel the location is good - Manchester is central and easily accessible to so much of the country, and the G-Mex is located just off the ring road for those driving, and not far from the main train station (and with its own stop on the tram system) for those using public transport. But I can understand people getting lost finding their way there the first time - hopefully that wouldn't be a problem for someone the second time round, and so not put them off coming to another show there.

 

- Toilets (very bad) - no toilets before entry (at least that we could see) and when we did get in we were told we couldn't use the toilets near the guests and to use the toilets further down. When we got to the other toilets they were being closed off as most the cubicles and some of the urinals were down and advised to return to the toilets we were told we originally couldn't use. By the time we got back to the first toilets, our son had wet himself and we had to leave the venue to get another change of clothes from the car.

 

There was a problem with the toilets inside the venue which we learned of just before the show. Not something we could do much about ourselves, and something the venue did it's best to deal with, but a problem nonetheless.

 

- The practical side of virtual tickets. It was difficult to tell which staff had tickets for whom and it was obvious that tickets were being handed out to all and sundry at the beginning in some queues. Also, staff were too busy chatting to fans about all sorts of stuff at times than handing out tickets at the beginning.

 

Staff shouldn't be chatting with friends, but equally, if a member of the public asks them for information, they also are required to be helpful.

 

- Attitude of some staff at the event. Some staff were very friendly, others could have used a lengthy session at the samaritans.

 

To this I will say what I have said after many shows - if a member of staff is rude or unhelpful, we need to know exactly which ones, preferably at the show where we can address the issue immediately. While I recognise you don't mean it in this way, a general "some staff were rude" isn't constructive criticism, as there's no way for me to identify who they might be. And, before anyone says anything "the guy working on XXX's queue handing out tickets" is only marginally better, as crew can and do get moved around during the day.

 

- Annoying fans who had lengthy chats with the guests. We had to wait 10 minutes to see John Rhyss-Davies because the fan in front was telling them their life story. Staff weren't moving the person on and the same thing happened with Brent Spiner when someone asked them about the possibility of an asteroid hitting earth.

 

While we're a bit "damned if we do, damned if we don't" as far as trying to speed people through queues, I do agree that no fan should get to monopolise any guest to the extent where other fans lose out. It can be tricky when the actor themselves seems to want to prolong the conversation (they can hear the same, well intentioned but repetitive comments all day, so sometimes when they get a new and interesting question posed, they grab the chance to chat).

 

Suggestions

- As paying fans, I expect all guests to pose for a quick photo if required. Some guests had signs saying "no posed photos". I gather this is because the photos take time, but in actual fact it's the daft and lengthy conversations some fans have with the guests that waste time for everyone (if a queue is busy, restrict the chatting times, not the photos). Photos take far less time than most chats. I got the chance to chat with mosts guests in under a minute and keep the queues moving. Avery Brooks at 12:15 had no-one in his queue and a sign saying he wouldn't pose for photos. If we were allowed a photo, I would have paid to get an autograph. If a guest has little (or no queue) then yes, some fans can feel free to recite Shakespeare for all I care.

 

Its not always just because of time constraints - though yes, photographs do take up more time than you realise, especially when you factor in people handing their camera to the next person in the queue who then takes five minutes trying to figure out how to turn on the flash on an unfamiliar camera. Sometimes its because the actor has learned from experience that having a camera flashed in their face hundreds of times through the day will give them a migraine or leave them half blind by the evening, sometimes its because they feel they're not looking their best and they don't want pictures of them with bags under their eyes or messy hair all over the internet (What? Actors worried about how they look? Sometimes.) - there's a whole host of possible reasons. At the end of the day, if the guest doesn't want photos taken, then we can't and won't force them.

 

Suggestions for the stalls

- I know you aren't running a nursery here, but there were many young bored children and I heard many parents bribing their kids with the prospect of a toy if they stayed interested for a short while. If your kid isn't into star wars or star trek then forget about it, but if there was a stall aimed at a younger audience then it would have made a killing (I'm thinking of spongebob, thomas the tank engine, cheaper Disney toys, etc)

- I also can't understand why there isn't a stall selling frames for 8*10 shots as it would also have made a killing. We bought several on the way home, but I heard other collectors looking for some at the venue. Maybe there were some for sale, but I couldn't find them.

 

We can't choose who decides to buy stall space - someone with stuff for younger kids might well make a mint, but we can't force them to come to the show. We'd happily sell them space if they wanted it.

 

We never went to any of the talks (wasn't interested) or the cafe area (didn't need to) so I can't comment on them.

 

We did have a terrific day, but I've dwelled more on the bad than the good as what went very well doesn't need justifying.

 

Cheers

 

Steve

 

Again, thanks for your comments. We will take them on board (including the ones I haven't directly answered), and as always, see what we can continue to do to improve our shows.

 

Stuart

[shaqarava]

please !!! giving them stuff ! for £20 a shot id expect them to give me a few bars of dairy milk !, The reason he was smiling was the fact that as u turned away he was grinning thinking to himself "£20 ....nice" "theres one born every minute"!

There normal people believe it or not, and sure its great to meet them but i wouldnt suck ass like that !

925193[/snapback]

 

The candy didn't cost that much, anyway, what's a another few quid next to the £600 i spent, lol. I don't care whether they eat them or not, it's just a little thank you for the work they've done. And Brooks wasn't the only one i gave candy too, i gave it to all the geusts i met, and it was well worth it they remembered me the following day, Sackhoff and Callis were kind enough to thank me again on the photos; http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b335/sha...va/Sackhoff.jpg + http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b335/shaqarava/Callis.jpg Brings a smile to my face when i see them.

 

And you just prooved my point; They're normal people, not genetically engineered supermen with flash-immune eyes, they have days where they don't feel like doing posed photos, and if they don't i'd respect they're decision. Shanks for example wasn't doing any posed photos the first day, probably tired from the jet-lag but was kind enough to do them on Sunday. If you felt like you wasted £20 then why did you bother paying it when the signs said no posed photos?

Edited February 14, 2006 by shaqarava

[steevofromglasgow]

Hello again

 

Thanks to everyone who has commented on my post earlier - as I said I can only speak from experience and I apologise if I made any comments that others didn't agree with.

 

With regards to the whole "photos vs lengthy chats" argument I am merely trying to say that a using a bit of intuition comes into play. I thanked all guests, didn’t take shots to give them migraines and had a very good day. I get the impression photos were stopped at some queues as a result of the lengthy chats when it was obvious that it was actually a few fans that were spoiling it for others by chatting for ages, thus forcing the “no posed photo†signs. If there’s no queue, then fine – chat for hours if you want, but if things are busy then keep the photos and chats as short and sweet as you can.

 

We travelled many miles to attend, spent a lot on overnight accommodation and we weren’t allowed to take a picture with Jorge even though it would have taken a few seconds of his time (literally) - whereas I could have taken loads of him signing or chatted to him about the hatch, etc, etc.

 

I'm not in favour of fans hogging the guests for 10 minutes at a time when there is a lengthy queue. I kept my chats brief with the guests so that others could meet those signing. I feel that some of the other attendees (a very small minority) were not as considerate when it comes to this attitude.

 

I also fully sympathise with some of the stalls – I don’t know how some of them survive financially (I overhead a conversation between two in the toilet when it was working about how poor things were moving). My comments about what I think might sell were there for some of the stallholders who may read this.

 

 

My partner or I took the photos of my son with the guests and it literally took under 5 seconds. As I’ve said, I am all for fans chatting to guests for ages where there is very little or no queue but there were some huge differences depending on the crew at a particular guest. I am not exaggerating when I say that on two occasions fans were chatting to the guest for 10 minutes while a queue was stretching far behind them. If I had the choice, I would rather take photos than chat. Remember, I got the chance to take photos in all but one instance and ask a question or two and thank them, usually in less than a minute and a half.

 

I will say it again; we had a great day and saw everyone we wanted to. There will be those who agree with my opinion and those who don’t. Thanks to everyone for making the show a success.

 

Regards

 

Steve

[shaqarava]

You can't entirely blame people for lengthy chats. When I queued up for John Rhys-Davies there was no one there. I gave him candy and he kept asking me questions like where i was from and what i'm studying. I told him I was studying military history, and John is very much into history and we got into a chat about pikemen Alexander's army, lol. I notcied there were a few people standing behind me and so i unfortunately had to cut the conversation short.

Edited February 14, 2006 by shaqarava

[jennamckay]

I was lucky enough to get a posed shot with Michael Shanks before his little notice went up (yay for the Gold Pass getting me there first thing!!).

To be honest his notice didn't really mean anything. I got posed photos on both days (I didn't see the sign), and he was happily posing for photos with other people all day both days too.

 

I must say, I was dissopinted about not being able to take photos in any of the talks however. One of the perks of going to them is the opp to take some photos (without flash) and as a result I ended up not going to any. If you can take photos of the actors at conventions, and at the tables, why not at the talks? (though I overhead that was due to a certain agent). It really put a dampner on the day for me, and I hope this won't be something that is going to become a standard for SM events.

[TommyT]

As paying fans, I expect all guests to pose for a quick photo if required

 

How rude.

 

I've met a few guests who after a while the persistant flashing from cameras gave them a migraine, I respected that and didn't take a picture.

 

The pleasure wasn't in a poxy picture, or even the signature, it was the moment I stood, exchange words and thanks with someone I admired.

It takes all sorts. Some people like the verses, some people like the chorus, some people like the guitar solo. For some people a "poxy picture" is more of a memento than a few words of conversation. Each to their own

Still, it is a pleasant change to see some constructive criticism and even-tempered debate here.

 

They are people, they owe us nothing

Although having joined the queue and ponied up a few fivers, one presumes they owe you something

 

If it worked like that I expect Ray Park to nip off for a quickie with me as I admire and think he's hot, I'm a paying fan. I demand it.

925956[/snapback]

dufresne will shortly be organising a poll as to how many guys are going to turn up at the next event trying to look like Ray Park...

[Little Miss Idiot]

It takes all sorts. Some people like the verses, some people like the chorus, some people like the guitar solo. For some people a "poxy picture" is more of a memento than a few words of conversation. Each to their own

Still, it is a pleasant change to see some constructive criticism and even-tempered debate here.

 

Sarcasm doesn't become you. His line was hardly mature and constuctive and I manage diplomacy 99% of the time, I'm allowed a day off.

 

Although having joined the queue and ponied up a few fivers, one presumes they owe you something 

 

You're paying for a signature, anything else is a bonus.

 

dufresne will shortly be organising a poll as to how many guys are going to turn up at the next event trying to look like Ray Park...

 

Why waste poll space? I look like Jabba the Hutt.

[The Emperor]

Avery Brooks at 12:15 had no-one in his queue and a sign saying he wouldn't pose for photos. If we were allowed a photo, I would have paid to get an autograph.

In some ways he shot himself in the foot, or possibly shot Showmasters in the foot, depending upon how he was paid. The amount of people who weren't prepared to pay for his autograph because he wasn't doing pictures with was amazing. But then he, like another Star trek Captain, have a deal with another company where they will happily pose for pictures with for a big price. Like a lot of these things I think it boils down to money.

[TommyT]

It takes all sorts. Some people like the verses, some people like the chorus, some people like the guitar solo. For some people a "poxy picture" is more of a memento than a few words of conversation. Each to their own

Still, it is a pleasant change to see some constructive criticism and even-tempered debate here.

 

Sarcasm doesn't become you.

No sarcasm intended. I've been impressed by the generally mature and balanced level of debate on this thread.