Botcon 2015 - Chicago June 18-21

[griffin]

Yes... for most people, between the $400-ish cost of FunPub at-show toys and Hartmans toys, there will be even less money left in people's pockets than usual for the other dealers in the Dealer Room. I certainly don't open the wallet much in the Dealer Room anymore after spending a heap of money at the Club Store, and getting as much of the Retail items as possible before the Convention.

The Hartmans tables will be my first port of call on the Friday for the Playskool toys, and then Sunday will be the spectacle worth watching.

[griffin]

This year's Registration is now officially the shortest period before the Convention starts... and there has been no hint at it starting in the next few days.

I feel bad for those who will be going for their first this year, because it is so much more of a panic organising your travel plans before Registration has started, because you don't know what you are in for before you have to lock in your expensive travel & accommodation.

I remember how bad it felt in 2010 when it felt like last-minute for me, but I didn't realise it was still 6 weeks before the convention. Back then I would wait until Registration before booking flights, so that I didn't spend more time than I needed (or not enough time), which means missing out on cheap seats or whole flights when it is that close.
Now that I tend to plan and book before Registration (and look for options to fill in time if needed), I don't get as stressed out... but I'd be a nervous wreck this year if I had waited.

[fatbot]

It's really starting to shit me that these fools can't get their act together & get registration started. Surely Hasbro needs to do something about how inept Funpub is.

[prjkt]

this just came through the emails

Hello Everyone!

We are in final testing for the registration system now. So I'm gong to say it won't be up this week. I'll give you an update at the first of next week. Thanks for your patience!

See you in St. Charles!

Brian

[fatbot]

What a crock, if I haven't already paid the airfares, I'd tell em to piss off

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

The title on the box bugs me for being bad grammar.
I thought it was "Cybertron's Most Wanted", but now it sounds wrong in my head when I say "Cybertron: Most Wanted".
It doesn't even make sense to me. It's almost like it is copying a TV show title, but I don't recognise it.

The only way it would work is if that person's desk had mulptiple planets with most wanted lists.
Betelgeuse 5:
Mostwanted
Alpha Centaur:
Most wanted

I guess.

Mind you, fun pub, has never, really, had a grip on, grammar.

[fatbot]

There may be a 4th ozformer coming along, still early days so no names no pack drills.

[griffin]

Ooo... mystery.


So, another week wait... and that's IF it is ready by next weekend.
Monday is 30 days before the start of the convention (which I count as Wednesday, as there are events and package pickup on that day), so if it is next Weekend, that will be just 25 days... or a little more than 3 weeks for most people to head off to America for the convention.

[UltraMarginal]

it boggles the mind how they seem to get less organised year after year.

[griffin]

it boggles the mind how they seem to get less organised year after year.

I know... it just doesn't make sense.

They started the online registration in 2010, so they've had 10 Conventions use it, and yet each one gets later and later before they can "get it working".
So where has all that money (online processing fee) gone? They never charged a fee when you had to fax in the forms, so after 10 conventions of at least 1000 orders each time (probably a lot more than that), with at least $5 processing fee... that's well over US$50,000 raised just from the fee that was supposed to be one-off in 2010. I'm sure that could have paid for a really good website by now.


At least with the manual registration method before 2010, it was out fairly early... usually 3 months before the Convention started, so it was enough time to know what you are signed up for (or if you got a boxset to be worth going), and still get the cheaper airfares or wait a 2-3 weeks for a sale.
So maybe FunPub should consider falling back to the old manual method (allowing for emailing in copies as well as faxing), if the online Registration website isn't working before a set date (like 2 months before the convention).