A Small Criticism

[Woodyuk]

I have being going to the collector shows in MK since it was in the Woughton Centre as a small comic fair (assuming this is where Collectormania evolved from) and the London fair was my first time as a dealer. I too relied on these shows to find new things to collect or just pick up a movie poster, but it has swung towards being more of an autograph hunt for most people, but that's what brings in the crowds and I'd be a liar if i said it bore no interest to me!

 

We tried something new, failed and lost loads of money.

But at least we tried!

Hasn't put us off as I believe in what we are selling, but dealers will sell the same items because that's what the majority of guests want.

So it's a little daunting to try new things, but as Del Boy said "He who dares..Rodney, he who dares!"

 

I believe the Cosplay is one of the most successful things I've seen evolve just recently and hope that Jason and Mark stick at the Steam Punk and comic/artists alley.

 

Yeah, it did evolve from those Woughton Shows! I used to sell comics at them.

 

What sort of stuff were you selling this time? I admit that I didn't do London, because I never seem to do well there (which I recognise is not any fault with SM!), but conversely, I had insanely good sales at the Collectormania MK event!

 

I probably bought my comics from you then! Mostly Spider-Man, still all boxed up and currently getting damp in my loft space!

We were selling limited edition movie and gig silk screen posters, which are very big in the US.

We also commissioned a silk screen print just for the show, kind of souvenir poster, but alas no-one was interested in much of it! Some might say the prices were too high, but importing can be expensive, our poster was £10 and some were even signed by John Rhys Davis and Heather Lagenkamp! (These were a little more to buy, granted).

[chris_mk]

I probably bought my comics from you then! Mostly Spider-Man, still all boxed up and currently getting damp in my loft space!

We were selling limited edition movie and gig silk screen posters, which are very big in the US.

We also commissioned a silk screen print just for the show, kind of souvenir poster, but alas no-one was interested in much of it! Some might say the prices were too high, but importing can be expensive, our poster was £10 and some were even signed by John Rhys Davis and Heather Lagenkamp! (These were a little more to buy, granted).

 

Doesn't sound excessive to me! I hope you have better luck at future shows!

[Collector1985]

id like to see more props and more things like the klingon charity shoot, things like the cars and tardis ect could be in a corner with a background and photo shoots done or allowed with ppls own cameras, i mean if for example you had a load of who guests, get the tardis in and backdrop and set up there shoot around the tardis. how cool would that be or something to similar effect, i noticed in some past cm mk photo thread a star wars speeder with back drop ppl could sit in and take pics, more stuff like that would be cool.

 

but either way, awesome shows, loved my weekend at CML, thankyou SM

 

I'm with you on this one, I liked they had the Dr who monsters there. Tardis would be cool :-)

 

If there is one small point i'd like to pick at, is that when there is noone in a cue why can't we just speak to the guests with out paying for an autograph, i mean if your waiting for a photo shoot and they are by themselves looking bored then what is the harm?

 

I know it has to be run as a business, but think of it this way if you let people approach guests when they are sitting there with no one signing. They may think i enjoyed that chat with whoever and encourage more guests to go.

 

At collectormania milton Keynes I was allowed to just say hello for a min, at CL with one of the supernatural guests I was told that i had to buy an Autograph to speak and yet there was no one there.

 

Milton Keynes gave free entry and I was allowed to do this, CL you pay a £10 for entry which is a joke for some little booklet which to be honest i could do with out if it ment for going the door charge.

[chris_mk]

Milton Keynes gave free entry and I was allowed to do this, CL you pay a £10 for entry which is a joke for some little booklet which to be honest i could do with out if it ment for going the door charge.

 

The door charge is mostly down to the venue hire. I suspect that renting the shopping centre, or MK Dons stadiums are WAY cheaper than hiring Olympia!

[DavidB]

Plus, as MK was always free entry in the centre, they wanted to keep it that way to keep people coming.

 

Other non-MK events are generally pay ones, especially London ones. I would imagine they are the most expensive to hire.

[House_of_K'Bragh]

id like to see more props and more things like the klingon charity shoot, things like the cars and tardis ect could be in a corner with a background and photo shoots done or allowed with ppls own cameras, i mean if for example you had a load of who guests, get the tardis in and backdrop and set up there shoot around the tardis. how cool would that be or something to similar effect, i noticed in some past cm mk photo thread a star wars speeder with back drop ppl could sit in and take pics, more stuff like that would be cool.

 

but either way, awesome shows, loved my weekend at CML, thankyou SM

 

It might be worth considering "themed areas", ie Star trek in one area, Star Wars another, Dr Who.. etc. This would enable like minded fans to meet in one area.

 

I noticed at another event, there was a "chill out" zone where people could sit down and rest without getting in everyones way.

[BeatrixKiddo88]

Plus the £10 entry wasnt just a booklet, its was also a free autograph from Steve Blum

 

So...yeah lol and yes the only event that is free entry is MK, all the others are pay.

[Collector1985]

Plus the £10 entry wasnt just a booklet, its was also a free autograph from Steve Blum

 

So...yeah lol and yes the only event that is free entry is MK, all the others are pay.

 

Who???????

 

I did notice on the back but wasn't sure who he was.

 

You think that they must make so much money out of everyone £20 sigs and sometimes £20 photo seasons, when they use cheap boots kiosk not even a 8 x 10 photo as you get at other events in the states.

 

Also i was standing next to a guy with a gold pass and they wanted to charge him £2 to have it sent on in the post. (gold passes should include everything i believe they pay £175)

Edited December 4, 2009 by DavidB

[DavidB]

Don't forget that SMs also have to cover travel expenses etc. You can't really compare overall with American events, as the majority of guests will be from over there anyway so far cheaper to get along etc.

 

As for making 'so much money' .. unless you know how much a venue costs to hire, and how much all the guests cost etc, you really have no idea. They've made losses at some events, so believe me it's not as profitable as it looks a lot of the time.