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My Day


Quoasis
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I'm not gonna give loads of details, more of a bite-sized overview.

 

= Got up at 6 to travel from Telford (Shropshire) with my sister, got dropped off at Nothampton station because someone decided to get hit by a train at MK station. No-one from the rail firms had a clue so we decided to split a cab with 2 others. £30! Got there late

 

= Went straight to get a ticket for Brandon Routh, ended up being almost 800th in the queue so we were in for a wait.

 

= Found the Simpsons original art I wanted to be there after seeing it last time. Got 2 cracking pieces (one Homer, one Milhouse) which will take pride of place over my PC.

 

= My sister got a brilliant chunky 24 hoody and I was hmmmmming and ahhhhhhing about getting a CTU man-bag but I'll save it for another day.

 

= Eventually got to meet Brandon Routh, we were the first to see him after his lunch, really nice guy, my sister went a bit weak at the knees when we met him. I've met Superman!!! He said I had big hands!!!! Superman thinks MY hands are big!!!

 

Anyway just wanted to say thanks to SM for putting on another great event (especially Donna, cheers for your help) and bring on October!

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We were first in the queue after lunch and he personalised our autograph, talking to the staff whilst waiting they were telling us he'd been "too" nice during the day, chatting too much and writing too much on the photos causing a backlog so you shoule be ok today.

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I have to say, this was the first Collectormania in Milton Keynes I have been to - and the last! It was an awful day, it was totally overcrowded, I left having met 2 out of the 6 guest I'd wanted to meet, I aimed to meet Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Charisma Carpenter, Brandon Routh, Tony Head and James Marsters. In the end I met Avery Brooks and Rene Auberjonois. I travelled all the way down from Stoke-on-Trent for what turned out to be almost a complete waste of time. So I left quite annoyed and disgusted. A shopping centre is an inappropriate venue for such a show, not only do you get people there who want to be there because they are interested, but also people who are there because it's free, then you get the regular shoppers who have every right to be there. It was disorganized and chaotic, so I won't be bothering again. I'll stick with the Birmingham Collectables Show, at least at that one I have on the 3 occasions I've been so far, been able to meet all the guests I wanted to (Tony Todd, Alice Krige, Garrett Wang, Marina Sirtis, Toyah Willcox, Doug Bradley, Claudia Christian), get their autographs and get a photo with them. It's not the having photos with guests which holds everyone up as I experienced yesterday, it's people who stand there giving their life story, something which we witnessed 3 times yesterday whilst we were queuing. If there weren't selfish people doing that, there would be time to have photos taken with guests at the signing. Collectormania GMEX wasn't too bad, again I got to meet who I wanted to meet, Julie Benz and Dwight Schultz, plus have photos with them so that was a great experience... but Milton Keynes... forget it! I came home disappointed!

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Yes, I very much agree. The overcrowding situation is a concern and you could hardly walk down the stalls without bumping into people. I'm surprised that health & safety regulations haven't come into play from the shopping centre's point of view.

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Well I don't know about anyone else but yesterday was FANTASTIC. I left in a dream world. Yes its overcrowded but I have been going since it started and its always busy. There are not masses of conventions where you get to see that many people all in one place and in such little time. Its one of the best I have ever been too!

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I left early because of the over-crowding. Someone had collapsed and had crowds walking either side of him while he was being attended to by Ambulance guys - not ideal.

 

I got bored of waiting in the hussle - couldn't look at the stalls properly because of the crowds.

 

I did manage to meet Terry Jones yesterday, and I was there on Friday to get Peter Mayhew and Michael Winslow, but got ticket 568 for James Masters, 268 for Anthony Head and 397 for Brandon Routh. I left at half one because none of them were near the numbers I had and, having been there since before 8, I couldn't stand the hussle and bussle any longer. I figure that MSPG will be selling these guys at their usual fair price in the weeks to come so went on my way.

 

I don't think the shopping centre works for this event any longer. I went to the first few held there, and while it was busy, it was bearable. Now, I feel, this show has gotten too big for such a venue. It must be really frustrating for the shoppers.

 

I really wouldn't mind paying an entrance fee to be in a more controlled, spacious venue - like the one in Birmingham, where waiting is a lot less stressful and you can actually mill about the stalls without too much bother.

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Got there at 7 on Saturday to queue for Brandon and got ticket 30, so I got to meet him almost as soon as he got there. I'm sorry some of you missed out on meeting him becauce he's a really nice bloke. When I told him he'd "done a damn good job as Superman" he stopped signing my stuff and shook my hand, that will be the memory that lasts from C11 for me.

 

I met Rene, Zach and Winslow on the Friday all were chatty and posed for pics. I even got Winslow to write "Dr. Monsignor Larvelle Jones Esq. MD. Jr" on my photo.

 

On the Saturday I met Brandon (a legend), Tom So (who's an even bigger Casino Royale fan than I am!), Terry Jones (very friendly) and Grace Park (who was quite rushed when I met her in the afternoon).

 

The only let down really was the photo shoots, but thats on another topic.....

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When we were just coming out of the toilet in a nearby shop, my friend apparently held the toilet door for Terry Jones who was also coming out of the loo, to be honest I'm not a Monty Python fan so I didn't recognise him. We were walking around the car park when Peter Davison walked past and my friend turned and said... that's Dr Who! I said where?? another one I'd completely missed... then later on when we were in thecentre:mk I walked past James Marsters and completely missed him as well and he was apparently next to us as we passed each other, again I had to be told who I'd just walked past haha. I was very impressed with Avery Brooks, he was so friendly and he had a really beaming smile, he wasn't allowed to pose for photos but he said to me "If you crouch down next to me while I sign your photo, then you can get a picture... so he was basically telling me how to get a photo with him without anyone making a scene out of it, which was really nice of him... only trouble was when the photo came out, I'd got my eyes closed on it! Oh well, I'm still glad to have met him anyway! :thumbup:

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There is a simple lesson we've all had to learn at one point or another. If you're gonna go to Collectormania in MK on a Saturday and you wanna meet the big guests, be there VERY early. I was there around 6.30 and there was already a queue.

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It was my first one in Milton Keynes.. and the first one where I really tried to meet people. I wouldnt ever do it without a gold pass I just wouldnt be able to cope.. I did hate the amount of people wandering around, I dont like crowds, I just had to be one of those people I hate pushing through to get places.

Other than that I so cannot wait to go, well worth not eating for a few weeks to save up and the 2 hour drive

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There is a simple lesson we've all had to learn at one point or another. If you're gonna go to Collectormania in MK on a Saturday and you wanna meet the big guests, be there VERY early. I was there around 6.30 and there was already a queue.

 

Well said! I recall someone on here saying people who queue before the centre opens were "Silly", 5 years of show/con experience says otherwise!

Edited by A007
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i had a great time. got all 5 of the ones i wanted to meet and was very happy. didnt take all day and no real fuss. its just a case with mk of knowing what to expect and once youve been once or twice you become so used to it that you just know what to do to get it all done. i got there at 8.45 and i was fine. was expecting to queue outside tho which was nice when we didnt

Edited by kiefers_bird
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I have to say, this was the first Collectormania in Milton Keynes I have been to - and the last! It was an awful day, it was totally overcrowded, I left having met 2 out of the 6 guest I'd wanted to meet, I aimed to meet Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Charisma Carpenter, Brandon Routh, Tony Head and James Marsters. In the end I met Avery Brooks and Rene Auberjonois. I travelled all the way down from Stoke-on-Trent for what turned out to be almost a complete waste of time. So I left quite annoyed and disgusted. A shopping centre is an inappropriate venue for such a show, not only do you get people there who want to be there because they are interested, but also people who are there because it's free, then you get the regular shoppers who have every right to be there. It was disorganized and chaotic, so I won't be bothering again. I'll stick with the Birmingham Collectables Show, at least at that one I have on the 3 occasions I've been so far, been able to meet all the guests I wanted to (Tony Todd, Alice Krige, Garrett Wang, Marina Sirtis, Toyah Willcox, Doug Bradley, Claudia Christian), get their autographs and get a photo with them. It's not the having photos with guests which holds everyone up as I experienced yesterday, it's people who stand there giving their life story, something which we witnessed 3 times yesterday whilst we were queuing. If there weren't selfish people doing that, there would be time to have photos taken with guests at the signing. Collectormania GMEX wasn't too bad, again I got to meet who I wanted to meet, Julie Benz and Dwight Schultz, plus have photos with them so that was a great experience... but Milton Keynes... forget it! I came home disappointed!

 

If you thought Saturday was crowded, it's a good thing you didn't go to the events a few years ago. Yesterday was quiet compared to say 2003 and 2004 when you couldn't move. I judge how crowded it is by how easily I can get somewhere to put my backside down for a rest around the main signing area. No problems yesterday.

 

You do need to get there early if you want to see certain guests. I made sure I was there for 9.30am having crawled out of bed at 4.45am. I saw Avery at 11.30am when due to the miracle of fate, I saw he'd got "open queue" written on his board. I've never moved so fast in my life. Was disappointed at the no photos sign by him, but it was expected. Even at 9.30am, I only got VT 261 for him. He wasn't signing too fast (only up to 200 by the time I saw him) so it would've been at least another hour had the miracle not happened.

 

I find it often helps if you hang around the end of the queue for a guest if you've got VT 200+. Most staff will let you in if the queue drops off at any point regardless of your number. It's a case of picking your moment. After all, all they want is your money.

 

You'll always get the life story prats who go in to self obessesion overdrive when they meet their idols. Sadly, that's part and parcel of autograph collecting. I often find this :headscratch: helps to move them along.

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I have to say, this was the first Collectormania in Milton Keynes I have been to - and the last! It was an awful day, it was totally overcrowded, I left having met 2 out of the 6 guest I'd wanted to meet, I aimed to meet Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Charisma Carpenter, Brandon Routh, Tony Head and James Marsters. In the end I met Avery Brooks and Rene Auberjonois. I travelled all the way down from Stoke-on-Trent for what turned out to be almost a complete waste of time. So I left quite annoyed and disgusted. A shopping centre is an inappropriate venue for such a show, not only do you get people there who want to be there because they are interested, but also people who are there because it's free, then you get the regular shoppers who have every right to be there. It was disorganized and chaotic, so I won't be bothering again. I'll stick with the Birmingham Collectables Show, at least at that one I have on the 3 occasions I've been so far, been able to meet all the guests I wanted to (Tony Todd, Alice Krige, Garrett Wang, Marina Sirtis, Toyah Willcox, Doug Bradley, Claudia Christian), get their autographs and get a photo with them. It's not the having photos with guests which holds everyone up as I experienced yesterday, it's people who stand there giving their life story, something which we witnessed 3 times yesterday whilst we were queuing. If there weren't selfish people doing that, there would be time to have photos taken with guests at the signing. Collectormania GMEX wasn't too bad, again I got to meet who I wanted to meet, Julie Benz and Dwight Schultz, plus have photos with them so that was a great experience... but Milton Keynes... forget it! I came home disappointed!

 

If you thought Saturday was crowded, it's a good thing you didn't go to the events a few years ago. Yesterday was quiet compared to say 2003 and 2004 when you couldn't move. I judge how crowded it is by how easily I can get somewhere to put my backside down for a rest around the main signing area. No problems yesterday.

 

You do need to get there early if you want to see certain guests. I made sure I was there for 9.30am having crawled out of bed at 4.45am. I saw Avery at 11.30am when due to the miracle of fate, I saw he'd got "open queue" written on his board. I've never moved so fast in my life. Was disappointed at the no photos sign by him, but it was expected. Even at 9.30am, I only got VT 261 for him. He wasn't signing too fast (only up to 200 by the time I saw him) so it would've been at least another hour had the miracle not happened.

 

I find it often helps if you hang around the end of the queue for a guest if you've got VT 200+. Most staff will let you in if the queue drops off at any point regardless of your number. It's a case of picking your moment. After all, all they want is your money.

 

You'll always get the life story prats who go in to self obessesion overdrive when they meet their idols. Sadly, that's part and parcel of autograph collecting. I often find this :headscratch: helps to move them along.

 

 

LOL! great idea, they had those kinda chairs for the guests.. downside is the assault charges following heheh. I do get a bit impatient sometimes and make it known verbally if someone is holding the queue up. It hasn't happened at collectormania yet, but at memo-rabilia in Birmingham some bloke was holding the queue up for Tony Todd and people were visibly getting annoyed and making loud sarcy comments to the bloke holding us up, he was a life story teller and Tony looked bored :WINCE:

 

p.s the website is doing weird things when i type the word mem-orabilia as a whole, it keeps changing the word to collectables... I thought I hadn't typed that!

Edited by SilvaNemesis
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Well I arrived at about half 10 on saturday morning and got everyone by the time I left at 6PM, including waiting around for about 2 hours for the Brandon photo shoot!

 

And when I say everyone I mean Brandon Routh, Anthony Head, James Marsters, Terry Jones, Rene Auberjonois, Anthony Montgomery, Aron Eisenberg, Bernard Cribbins, Zach Galligan, Michael Winslow, Peter Davison and Sophie Aldred.

 

And today I got Guy Siner and my photoshoot pic of Brandon signed and personalised by the great man himself!

 

A fantastic (and expensive) weekend! ;):D:D

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I got there after work this afternoon around 3. Wanted Brandon, ASH, and Charisma, plus Mr Jones. CC was due nback off a break in 15 mins, so had time to look around. Small queue even when she got back.

 

Someone decided that placing a Dalek was just great right in the narrowest part of the side aisle (organisers side) so you had fokls stopping to look, or just meandering down. I was trying to get round, but practically push past these dawdling lopers.

 

I just thank God that Daleks weren't back around the LOTR craze. Just imagine, the Saturday crush, (Now THAT was a crush worth watching...) or the crush up by John Lewis near them Hobbits....

 

Anyway, Avery looked very cool in the shades. Looking back, Wish I'd gone for an autograph.

 

Got Terry Jones' last autograph of Sunday. Long chat. Didn't disappoint at all. Charisma was very efficient, and not hung up on signing her Playboy. Too Tall told me she was cool with it. Hopefully got some good ranged candids, but one of the crew kept slipping into view ;) (Not Too Tall) Open Q

 

Seems Anthony Head had done Sundays before (the crush round him at vthe Hobbits show on the Saturday.. oy vey! Thank GOD I just watched that day...) Open Q

 

Brandon was open Q, and very pleasant.

 

In a few previous shows, I've had the $$ and time to do all the days of the show. It's hit and miss whether its worth sleeping outside the night before (like the Hobbit-stalkers), or getting in late, but definitely worth trying to do a circuit to locate where folks are and then prioritise.

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I had a great day!! got to the centre around 10 on Sunday,went and sat by the photoshoot area till 11.30 so got quite near the front for the James Marsters shoot.James was lovely and got 2 great photos which was a bonus ;) after that we walked passed and noticed that Mark Lutz had no que so decided to meet him,and he was LOVELY!! had a lovely chat with him and got a posed photo with him,even my hubby was impressed with how nice he was,he even jokingly asked who James Marsters was LOL,we then popped over to the cinema after collecting a VT for Charisma.Came back and collected my photos and got in the que for Charisma who had gone for a short break,hubby then gave me the money and told me to go and get one of my James photos signed while i was waiting as he didn't have much of a que and it was an open one so i ran round and met James again LOL he said it was a fantastic photo and even swore!! lol went back and got Charisma to sign,she was very pleasant seemed really nice :D After that we went home..I will definately be going again and hopefully Mark Lutz will come again and do a photoshoot next time would definately have that done he was the highlight of my day :D

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I had the best day yesterday!

 

It was my first collectormania ever and it was amazing! I got there pretty early so I met Brandon pretty mush straight away and he even put my quote on one of my items - one thing that really touched me was I struggling a bit to carry my items away and he put everything in my hands for me, it was so sweet!!

 

Zach Galligan was great, I can't remember a time not loving gremlins so it was so cool to meet him and I got to have a proper chat with him! He was such a great guest

 

And the photo shoot with brandon was also great cause he complimented my shoes and even remembered me from the signing which I wouldn't expect with the hundreds of people he's seen - I made an impression on Superman

 

All in all a great day I will never forget!

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Having been to several Collectormania's at Milton Keynes before, I knew to expect the crowds etc. but I do sympathise that some people missed out seeing people due to time and travel etc.

 

I didn't get to the centre until 3pm on Saturday and was really pleased to see that Sir Terry Jones had an open Q :pyth: I wasn't planning on meeting him that day but it was too good an opportunity to miss.

 

I arrived about 11ish on Sunday and went straight to the photo sessions to meet James.

 

Around lunchtime I saw that Zach had a open Q too, so I went and met him.

 

I didn't feel that Sunday was too bad for queues etc and several guests did have open Q, I guess you just have to time these things.

 

I have always been happy that Collectormania use the mkcentre as I even managed to get some shopping in whilst waiting for my pic of James to come back :P

 

Well done Showmasters for another excellent weekend!

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p.s the website is doing weird things when i type the word mem-orabilia as a whole, it keeps changing the word to collectables... I thought I hadn't typed that!

You may wish to toddle along to the post which has the forum rules in it and refresh your memory about it being forbidden to mention events by rival organisers, and consider that in tandem with the problem you have reported..."

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I had a fantastic few days. I go to alot of signing events and the MK Collectormania is without doubt my favorite. I actually enjoy visiting the shopping centre (I think its a fantastic centre - ground breaking when it was opened). It also allows visitors to shop if they wish to and provides no shortage of restaurants, cinemas and bars, which gives more activity to the visitors. I think it is much better than the events at Earl's Court and G-Mex.

 

Ofcourse it was crowded, but aren't they all? If these things weren't crowded they wouldn't have them. You try running an event no one comes to and see how long they last. The guest line-up was brilliant, I got to meet everyone I wanted. The Sunday night party was out of this world, Tony Head singing and Michael Winslow doing comedy stand-up, excellent.

 

I do go to other SM events, but only if there are guests I really want to meet and I don't usually stay the weekend, because I simply don't enjoy it the way I enjoy the MK events. I love Milton Keynes (didn't want to leave after spending a full three days there). I am trying to think of something to complain about, but nothing is coming to mind.

 

Don't ever change Collectormanias. Roll on October.

 

Thank you for everything.

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