"How much money do you spend on sellers at conventions?" Topic

Kind of an informal poll idea.
Here's the scenario, (and please be realistic).

"You go to "Miniatures Convention Bonanza!", (MCB for short). MCB is a large con sort of Historicon/Adepticon size-ish, with a nice large flea market, traders, and actual vendors there.

How much would you generally spend at this con? (This doesn't include rooms, food, drinks, dancing girls, or any registration swag you buy, etc., but simply a check of vendor/fm/trader sales.)

A: $ 0 – 10
B: $ 10 – 20
C: $ 20 – 30
D: $ 30 – 50
E: $ 50 – 100
F: $ 100 – 200
G: Over $200.00 USD
H: other (explain)
I: none of these/no opinion
J: this is ridiculous
K: not my cup of tea
L: I don't go to conventions.
M: I don't buy anything at conventions.

Not sure there's a "general" answer. Last MCB, I might have spent $50 USD, and might not have. Certainly not much more. But I've gone over $200 USD at the same convention, given more time, better lighting and the right merchandise. (Or could I just not find the merchandise, given the lighting? Hard to be sure.) With one exception, I've never gone to a convention to pick up an army in 25mm or larger, but even without that, it could be E, F or G depending on what's available, and whether I'm able to find it.

I went to Genghis Con last month, which is a significantly smaller convention and in Denver, near the middle of the country. My expenses were in the lower part of E. Next year, there will be another Genghis Con, and I'll be able to go again and buy another E worth of goodies.

Your convention is probably going to be somewhere "back east," and I'd have to drive 2-3 days to get there (or spend a day in line at the airport), so this is probably going to be a once in a decade thing or even a once in a lifetime thing. Given that, I'd probably spend well into F territory, or maybe even the lower part of G.

Grelber

Also Genghis Con, free entry to dealer's hall. Spent around $200.00 USD at their booth and 0 elsewhere. Miniature picking were thin on the ground.

Generally about $200. USD This depends on what is available.

N. Whatever I make selling my trash at the flea market. I hardly ever made a real profit.

I've spent $0 USD and I've spent > $150. USD Completely dependent on my mood, the product and what I'm looking for at the time.

H.. I bring cash incase I find a deal,,, like buying both sides in a new period etc,,, -Mike

As said above, my spending at the MCB isn't driven by being at the MCB.

If I want something and I have budget, I buy it. If not, I don't.

There are very few things I can get at the MCB that I can't get at my FLGS or online.

I've been keeping track of my spending at the big east cons for decades. Maxed out at $1,492 USD back ~2005, but nowadays it's usually $400 USD-500.
So "H".

Just noticed I didn't name the company at Genghis Con, it was Badger Games. Large walk-in booth with an awesome selection.

Mongrel miniatures and Baron's War figures accounted for almost all my purchases.

A

Since I have to drive a LONG way to any conventions that I attend I am definitely going to spend my money on things that I can see in person and want/need. I have never spent less than $200 USD and usually a lot more. But again, I am not going to drive a long way to not spend my hobby budget. So, I am definitely in the G category. If I see a well-painted army up for sale and it's in a period that I game or collect, then I am buying said army. That almost certainly breaks the $200 USD barrier.

There is no consistency. I have spent as little as $0 USD and as much as $2,000 USD (roughly). Most of the time I spend between a few dozen and a few hundred bucks on various and sundry items (rules, terrain bits, a unit or two from the flea market), but once in a while I find a whole painted army in the flea market that has to come home with me.

- Ix

I only have gone to one in the past 10 years and spend $90 USD on terrain

OFM has a point, by the way. I've attended maybe 30 conventions in the ten years since retirement and held a flea market table or equivalent in every one. I've come out ahead three times at most--once when I left a day early and twice when I was given a percentage and expenses to walk a newbie through the army disposal process. The other 27 times I found homes for my stuff and mitigated somewhat the overall expence of the convention. Money spent on miniatures, books and terrain is nothing next to the cost of an 800 mile round trip and two or three nights in a motel room.

I tend to attend 1 or 2 per year in the UK and spend about £150.00 GBP-200 generally so about $200 USD-250 almost always a bit on rules and mostly on terrain.

Depends on if there's anything I want to buy. I've spent as little as nothing and, in one case, over $300. USD

It's been awhile since I've been to a convention but $200 USD plus would be the low end. I usually pick up small things and always something I didn't know I needed until I saw it.

I try to limit it to 1-15% of what I sell.

It varies a lot, depending on what I want/need, and what I sell in Flea Market. Probably averages somewhere between D and F.

No average. There has to be something I want. I have spent zero dollars and I have spent the better part of 2,000 USD. It all depends on what I find (or don't find.)

I don't have the records to develop an average spending per convention. I've been going to an average of 3 local conventions per year for about 25 years. Sometimes, I don't spend anything at the flea market or dealers' room. I think that the most I ever spent at single convention's flea market or dealers' room was about $100. USD

(This doesn't include rooms, food, drinks, dancing girls,

Wait, you have dancing girls at your conventions? I'm clearly attending the wrong conventions.

"Booth babes!"

And at Lancaster, Lapp's Dancers.

Depends on the dealers in attendance. Also, what's a seal in the flea market.

A to G….next year maybe different. Between G and A.

It varies pretty widely. It depends on what is on offer and what I have in funds. I have spent as little as nothing and as much as $400. USD I have come to some shows and was prepared to spend heavily only to be disappointed in what was on sale.

I plan to spend heavily at Little Wars, but we shall see.

G.

I used to just take 100 GBP in cash to shows, and that was my spending limit. I'm less bothered these days but rarely spend more then 50 as few traders carry anything I can't get elsewhere but sometimes it is nice to see stuff in the flesh.

If I've got a detailed shopping list or a pre order, then obviously things are different.

C-D yet didn't get anything last 2 trips

Ovre last few years it has been very variable, with recent cons scoring A, D or F.

Variable between from B through D. Depending on there is a hardcopy rule book I want to buy. Mostly some terrain or painting/basing supplies. Since I started 3d printing I rarely buy minis at conventions anymore.

C to D early on. Now it is closer to E.

Usually E. But there has been the occasional G.

Easily G.

Last Historicon a buddy & I went to the roof top bar next to the convention center and had a few. We then proceeded to the vendor hall were he dropped over $600 USD at a certain terrain vendor. Lol.

Depends on how I am traveling. If I am flying I don't buy much. If I am driving I buy more. Also depends on how many vendors there are and what they are selling.

Typically B to E range, I guestimate.

Usually G, sometimes F. I only attend HMGS cons Cold Wars, Historicon, and Fall In and consider my trip a failure if I can't find $200 USD of worth of stuff to buy in the Dealers Hall and flea market combined.

Most I've ever spent at one con was around $800. USD

Anywhere between D and G.