Once again it was over faster than it should have... I'm home, but feel like it went so fast that it felt like I missed it. Where did all the time go? I was away for 12 days, and can remember each day if I stop to think about it, but it just feels like I was only away for a day.
Anyway, the Sunday was spent mostly in the Panel Room, from 10am to 2pm covering four of the five panels. The last hour and a half was spent in the Dealer room, not for toys (as I didn't take out any more money, so didn't plan to buy anything else), but for other things, just for me - trying out the DotM Game, talking to some of my friends, giving out Ozformers Calendars to various important people, and inviting some Asian dealers to our forum (as a source for JP and HK toys for you and me). I also spent much of the time just walking around the dealer room, soaking it all in without having to worry about photos, reports or toys for others... which was the thing that spoilt it a little last year. I even found a toy I could afford (I only had $42 on me that day).
The Dealer Room closed at 3.30 (no extra hour like in 2009), and I hung around as long as I could before it got a little too empty, with just dealers and official guests dismantling their stalls and displays.
That's when you get a real feeling that it is all over... the annual event that takes up 5 days, being dismantled for another year. And all that is left are the photos and memories... and the new friendships.
The Australian board members there this year (Paulbot, UltraMarginal, Loophole, Chileno & Demonac) and any relatives they brought with them, were a great bunch, and helped make the adventure this year one of my best - Thanks guys.
After the show closed I was back in the room packing up the rest of my stuff into a third box, and left at about 6pm. I checked out 3 stores on the way to the airport but found nothing. I got the car back to the rental yard, and the shuttle got me to the International terminal... only to find out at the QANTAS counter that the Brisbane flights now leave from Terminal 4 (the terminal next door). A few minutes later, with a trolley full of luggage, I was checking in with about 30 minutes to spare.
Now, I had 3 boxes of toys, one big bag, a backpack and a roll of posters with me...
If I posted the extra boxes, they would have been $150+ each (and one would have been too big to post).
If I was flying V-Australia, I would have 2 free (up to a total of 32kg) and pay extra for the the others.
Since I was flying QANTAS, I got 2 free with each being up to 23kg. If I had pre-paid the additional 2 pieces it would cost me $210 online. At the check-in desk it would cost me $316.
But since 3 of my 4 items were less than half the maximum weight for checked baggage, the check in lady was so nice and creative - she got me to tape two boxes together (coming in at 22.6kgs, so just scraping in) and said my big bag should be small and light enough to carry on (it was just a little over the 7kg limit, but squishable enough to fit the baggage box). So instead of paying about $450 postage, or $316 excess baggage fee... I ended up paying nothing extra, and don't have to wait for stuff in the mail. Everything is here now for me to play with.
It even makes up for being stuck on a window seat, and leaving LA an hour late due to a problem with the personal entertainment system (which meant limited movies, music and no games or tv shows - it had to be reverted to a cycling schedule of about 30 movies that replayed every 2 hours). I slept most of the way anyway.
The female Cabin crew member on my section wasn't very nice though - she totally ignored me on 3 occasions (dinner, coffee, hot chocolate - the latter 2 I didn't want anyway, but not even asking was very poor service). The other cabin crew were great though, and usually are at QANTAS. This one was just being a real b*tch.
Home by about 8am (got one of the few white cabbies too, who could understand me and where I wanted to go), and checked my mail to find several items I had bought on ebay over the last 3 weeks.
Another 7 toys to add to the 128 I acquired while in America... now I gotta find space for them all in the collection room.
Now to process the rest of the photos I took while away, and start working on my usual comprehensive BotCon adventure report.
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Originally Posted by griffin
