griffin's BotCon 'blog'

[blackoptimus]

Nice update! But what happens when you miss a flight? Do you need to pay some sort of a penalty fee?

[TheHandsomeCrab]

I fail to comprehend just how much time Griffin spends keeping the forum updated about BotCon news. It seemed like every time I saw him he was taking notes or buying toys for the benefit of people who weren't there.

I, on the other hand, am far more self-centred and spent most of my free time in the pool.

[liegeprime]

I fail to comprehend just how much time Griffin spends keeping the forum updated about BotCon news. It seemed like every time I saw him he was taking notes or buying toys for the benefit of people who weren't there.

I, on the other hand, am far more self-centred and spent most of my free time in the pool.

It's to burn off all the calories from all the fatty american fast food he's been scarfing there

[griffin]

I'm back!
Nothing much to report since my last post, so you'll just have to wait for the full report, full-o photo goodness...

The only interesting thing to mention really - Customs seemed to be a bit relaxed today. No sniffer dog out (that I saw during the 40 minutes I was there), and even though I had 4 big items of luggage (including 3 dodgy looking boxes), they asked what was in them, and I told them - toys, clothes and some food items. THey didn't even look in anything, x-ray anything or question my reply (it's a lotta luggage for 'toys'). I coulda been smuggling anything in...

Still loving the new passport (with the computer chip) - bypassing the 500+ people queued up at the manual checkpoint (probably for up to half an hour), and going straight through the express checkpoint, taking a whole 60 seconds to get through (it scans your passport's chip and takes a photo of your face to compare it to - and that's it).

I fail to comprehend just how much time Griffin spends keeping the forum updated about BotCon news. It seemed like every time I saw him he was taking notes or buying toys for the benefit of people who weren't there.

I, on the other hand, am far more self-centred and spent most of my free time in the pool.

I can agree with that sentiment, at least to the point of balancing my needs with others. I was just so misguided this year, trying to help out as many people as possible, and ended up relegating myself as a last priority.

Last year I didn't realise how much of a difference it was having all those other aussies getting stuff for others. But this year, I came back with 72 BotCon toys for other people, plus half a dozen toys from the dealer room... that added up to a lot of hours queueing up for toys and hunting for others in the dealer room - and it was only towards the end of the convention this year that I realised how little time I spent on myself, looking for stuff I wanted (only ended up with 11 toys this year), or time with friends (THC, you weren't the only one I had to reject in favour of other duties).

Don't get me wrong - I love reporting on the convention, because I go back over past reports all the time and reflect on what an awesome time I had. It's just that, outside of the many hours spent covering the convention's panels and events, I'm left with less time than most for other things (like toyhunting and friends).

And I'm not trying to make people feel guilty about me buying stuff for them this year, because it was my decision to offer to help in the first place. For me to be ignorant of the time and resources needed to carry it out makes it my fault, no one elses.

It just sounds so simple, doesn't it? - get toys while at a toy convention... but when there, you suddenly realise just how many other people are fighting over these things, and how much time it takes to queue up to get all those extra sets.

In future, I will only buy extra figures they allow at the time I buy mine (at pre-registration and at the convention - this year they limited it to 1-per-person), and any extra they have left when there is no queue at the Club Store, if I have my own money spare. I would then just auction them off when I get back.
That way, I don't get anyone's hopes up with pre-ordering, and I don't end up over-committing myself to not let anyone down.

I just don't want to risk coming home from a future convention, thinking that it was a total waste of the 3-5 thousand spent going there.

At least next year, the location is closer and cheaper, so should be an incentive for most of you to go there and get yourself a set on your own.

[griffin]

Ah, there was one thing I should mention, that happened on my last day in America.

After I had taped up all my boxes, I found that I had my roll of posters/BC Litho left over (I was going to stuff the roll with plastic bags and pack them in a box). So I ended up just having to carry them with me, separate, and just carry them onto the plane with my backpack.

Unfortunately (probably due to lack of sleep), I lost it somewhere during the 17 hours I was in LA... and I just can't remember if I took it off the plane at LA (the first flight from Orlando), or if I left it on the luggage cart in the V-Australia checkin Terminal, or in the taxi I took from the Airport.

They weren't great posters, and I'm not really upset about not having them (just upset about losing something I spent money on).


It was really weird - it wasn't until boarding of my V-Australia flight that I realised I was missing something (I had been running around for about 8 hours without it, without even noticing that it was missing). If only I had remembered just 20 minutes earlier, I could have at least gone back to the check-in counter to see if it was still lying around somewhere or was handed in.

I'll give Delta airlines and V-Australia a call tomorrow (during their daylight hours, to see if it has found its way to a lost-and-found holding area.
(even if it did show up, shipping them back to me might be expensive - it'd probably be cheaper to just wait until next year and buy the three again... and staple them to my arm or something... ).

[Kyle]

Welcome back griffin! Looking forward to your report. Thank you so much for everything you've done for us!

[1orion2many]

Tattoo might be easier. I thought you might be over burdening yourself with all the toy hunting for other people. My wife has mentioned going to Botcon next year but I said no and that I'd aim for the following year so I can save a massive stack to buy things I really want. Thanks for you help this year Griffin, I'll send Kyle over next year to do all the toy hunting

[Kyle]

There are so many potentials with me going to America...

[optimus1]

Good to hear you made it back safely, even if it looks like you might have lost those lithos....

Can't wait for the main write up!!

[1AZRAEL1]

My wife has mentioned going to Botcon next year but I said no and that I'd aim for the following year so I can save a massive stack to buy things I really want

Funny, my missus said the same thing but I will only go if I get this new job I am going for, higher paying, more money I can save. And only if we both get it lol.