Vancouver Fan Expo - The Show Nobody Wants To Go To?

[Jugger Grimrod]

Fan Expo for 2016 will be moved to Sept, 2016 so that Vancouver may be able to attract and hold guests that actually show up to Canada. Keep in mind, the April calendar is opening up as the bigger Calgary Expo (not run by Reed Productions) is slotted for April 28 to May 1, 2016.

 

Wow, Fan Expo Vancouver 2016 is moving to September 2016? Interesting, but perhaps a good call on their part. With ECCC dominating the northwest in March/April each year, Vancouver always tends to follow by a week or so and they would get more fans from the Seattle area if they had the show at a different time, so hopefully the move to September will be a good thing and also have less guest cancellations too.

[Flatliner1313]

been a decent buying show so far, but unfortunately not many comic vendors from out of town, so most of the books are the same ones I see at all the local shows.

 

The best deals on supplies I've found were the local guys.

For safe holders for prints and original Art, Big Pete's were quite cheap.

For Mylites & Fullbacks, Aaron at RX has the best prices I've ever seen. He gets cleaned out pretty quickly, though.

 

Got Sabine Rich working on a full Commission piece for me. Should be finished tomorrow.

 

[Fan Boy]

Fan Expo for 2016 will be moved to Sept, 2016 so that Vancouver may be able to attract and hold guests that actually show up to Canada. Keep in mind, the April calendar is opening up as the bigger Calgary Expo (not run by Reed Productions) is slotted for April 28 to May 1, 2016.

 

Are we thinking the long Labour Day weekend in Sept? That would be a good move in dates. Yes, with Seattle ECCC too close to ours by dates... not good. If move to Sept - it means the collectors' funds will be refill to buy more, more better chances for guests to show up.

 

I'm in if that happens. Good Luck to Reed Productions!

[Jugger Grimrod]

Fan Expo for 2016 will be moved to Sept, 2016 so that Vancouver may be able to attract and hold guests that actually show up to Canada. Keep in mind, the April calendar is opening up as the bigger Calgary Expo (not run by Reed Productions) is slotted for April 28 to May 1, 2016.

 

Are we thinking the long Labour Day weekend in Sept? That would be a good move in dates. Yes, with Seattle ECCC too close to ours by dates... not good. If move to Sept - it means the collectors' funds will be refill to buy more, more better chances for guests to show up.

 

I'm in if that happens. Good Luck to Reed Productions!

 

Flatliner mentioned not many new comic dealers, I think that really has to do with the border crossing issues. If it didn't require going through a broker and the hassle of crossing the border, I think you would see a lot more dealers here from the USA coming up and setting up. When I did Vancouver Fan Expo its first two years, I was I believe one of only two exhibitors from the USA but I dont offer comics at my booth. I will admit the first year all of the faces were new, most of the exhibitors I didn't recognize and the fans were all local to the Vancouver area and other parts of Canada, most having never been to a con they said and unsure if they were supposed to bring money with them.

 

Moving the show to September would be best, you want to distance yourself away from SDCC and September is far enough to do just that. You then start to compete a little bit with Rose City Comic Con in Portland, but I don't think that will be much of an impact.

I hope they don't have the show on Labor Day weekend as that is when PAX is here in Seattle and that is 4 days long and is always that weekend, and I generally attend with my nephews, but if its later on in September I would consider setting back up at the show, Vancouver is a beautiful city and I always enjoy it up there and their money is quite colorful unlike ours.

[Fan Boy]

Flatliner mentioned not many new comic dealers, I think that really has to do with the border crossing issues. If it didn't require going through a broker and the hassle of crossing the border, I think you would see a lot more dealers here from the USA coming up and setting up. When I did Vancouver Fan Expo its first two years, I was I believe one of only two exhibitors from the USA but I dont offer comics at my booth. I will admit the first year all of the faces were new, most of the exhibitors I didn't recognize and the fans were all local to the Vancouver area and other parts of Canada, most having never been to a con they said and unsure if they were supposed to bring money with them.

 

I believe recently in news that the U.S.- Canada border dept had worked out a deal in improving the transcription process, custom stuff and such ... didn't they? If so, that might help these comic dealers a bit out, I hope.

 

Yeah I see where you are saying about border crossing issues and the hassle. I had done a bit myself bringing lot of comics over into U.S. to send them out by U.S. postal there. It's not only the Canada customs - the U.S. customs is the same. They do check the boxes where I store the comics in my van. I leave the boxes open (not taped) for their inspection. However I do like their custom duty fee, which is quite reasonable, at $10.50 no matter how much books I bring. As long I have documents to prove. I'll admit is bit of a hassle, yes.

 

Jugger, when I bring into Canada of the comics I brought from U.S. - I make sure I have receipts/documents for them with me. If Canada border agent tell me to go to customs if needed to. I can act as a broker myself and pay the duty fee only (no need to pay custom broker fee). Don't know if the U.S. customs has such that allowed for Americans? Otherwise if the agent at border see no reason, I'm waived and go home .

 

Then again ... I'm only doing as a collector, not as a dealer. So maybe there is a difference?

 

 

Moving the show to September would be best, you want to distance yourself away from SDCC and September is far enough to do just that. You then start to compete a little bit with Rose City Comic Con in Portland, but I don't think that will be much of an impact.

I hope they don't have the show on Labor Day weekend as that is when PAX is here in Seattle and that is 4 days long and is always that weekend, and I generally attend with my nephews, but if its later on in September I would consider setting back up at the show, Vancouver is a beautiful city and I always enjoy it up there and their money is quite colorful unlike ours.

 

Yup, as long it's set in September whenever... I'm good for that. I'll admit I had no idea what PAX is - I had to look up google to know what the heck that is! Oh... I see, for gamers, huh? Yes, I do see why your nephews would go for it. Make sense. Hope to see you with your booth set up next time.

[aardvark88]

I believe Fan Expo Canada (Toronto) is usually held during Labour Day weekend each year which means Fan Expo Vancouver may be scheduled 1 weekend after that. May collide with either 2 day Rose City con, Portland, OR and getting close to 1 day Red and White con in Calgary, AB.

 

Teenagers in cosplay did not bring enough cash so they were lined up to pull more loot out of the 5 money machines on the same floor as the Expo.

Hotflips had mylites that were 7.75 inch golden age width. They already posted that they were waiting on a shipment of more popular 7.25 inch width SA mylties.

 

I waited 1.5 hrs for artist Steve Skroce to appear at his table. Unfortunately, he had no original art for sale as he has switched to digital/computer. Skroce was doing commissioned sketches. He and Carey Nord (X-O Valiant) were next to each other. Nord was working on a nice brush Conan drawing for a collector.

 

Anthill Books and Comics will also be at Calgary expo in 2 weeks. Nels's wall:

 

 

[aardvark88]

If you squint, I got a pic of the top of the back of Wm Shatner's head. Krazy line up from a cheering crowd:

 

[aardvark88]

Harley's booths had some aggressive prices but he always has that comic you desire in stock when other vendors run out.

 

This is the end of my Vancouver Fan Expo market report. Hope you enjoyed it.

Pic of the Fan Expo convention site which also held the TED Conference that was broadcast online about 2 weeks ago.

 

See you again in September, 2016:

 

[Jugger Grimrod]

Based on what you saw, would you say people were focused on just meeting celebrities or were people buying from exhibitors? Last year it seemed a lot of the people were more concerned with getting an autograph or photo from a celeb and the exhibitors section were not as busy as the first two years.

[Beamer]

1 of my fave local independent artists Camilla d'Errico who was also at Seattle's ECCC last week:

 

 

Flatliner, Beamer and Ray were running around looking for SA Marvel or Venom hot books

 

I was running around getting sketches. Didn't buy any books at this Con or even at ECCC.

[aardvark88]

would you say people were focused on just meeting celebrities or were people buying from exhibitors? Last year it seemed a lot of the people were more concerned with getting an autograph or photo from a celeb and the exhibitors section was not as busy as the first two years.

 

The above is true as media guests bring in families and cosplayers to the Expo. Back issues were selling surprisingly well on Good Friday and Saturday of the Expo perhaps due to less competition as several quality vendors did not renew their shrinking booths from the previous year.

 

Moving this Expo to Sept, 2016 should be a boon unless it falls on same weekend as Portland, OR's Rose City con run by the fine folks at ECCC and now Reed Productions. (thumbs u

 

Beamer:

Surprised you did not buy 1 of the 4 Tim Vigil pencil drawings moderately priced at btwn $30 to $40 Cdn funds from Castle Rain Entertainment (Jestercrow comic) near Big Pete's booth. Good value there.

[Jugger Grimrod]

Moving this Expo to Sept, 2016 should be a boon unless it falls on same weekend as Portland, OR's Rose City con run by the fine folks at ECCC and now Reed Productions.

 

You have a good point regarding Rose City, that show is in September too and starting with 2016 they will be vying for fans from Seattle/Vancouver to come down there, and with Fan Expo moving to September they will be vying for fans to come up their way. Perhaps September may not have been the answer, maybe August in Vancouver would have been better, or perhaps October.

 

Rose City wasn't run by ECCC, as ECCC only helped them during the con's second year, but beyond that the staff at Rose City pretty much handled it. ECCC basically assisted and mentored them when they went from a small show at a hotel the first year to a much larger show at Portland's Convention Center. After that, they let Rose City run it more and more themselves.I heard last year's Rose City show wasn't that good, the problem with it is they can't seem to break free of relying on local creators as guests. Guests bring a lot of people to shows, that's a given, but you can't put on a big show and rely on the majority of guests being local to the Pacific Northwest, because people can meet them at pretty much any show and that won't bring people to the con, you need to bring in guests from outside the area and rely on quality of guests, not the quantity of them. So far the three comics guests mentioned all live in the Portland area and are generally at most of the local shows. Rose City needs to really focus on that, the show has a lot of promise.

 

Also ReedPop I don't believe bought up Rose City, they purchased ECCC but it would not surprise me if they eventually buy up Rose City.

[thehumantorch]

Thanks for the con report. Well done.

 

See some of you in Calgary at the Citadel Comics booth.

[Jugger Grimrod]

Well dismiss what was said about Rose City and Vancouver Fan Expo competing for 2016 as I just spoke to a friend of mine who is set up at the Vancouver show and he told me that the 2016 show is not in September, it's actually November 11-13, 2016. That will put it a few months after Rose City in Portland and also will perhaps bring in people shopping for the Christmas season as well.

[Fan Boy]

Well dismiss what was said about Rose City and Vancouver Fan Expo competing for 2016 as I just spoke to a friend of mine who is set up at the Vancouver show and he told me that the 2016 show is not in September, it's actually November 11-13, 2016. That will put it a few months after Rose City in Portland and also will perhaps bring in people shopping for the Christmas season as well.

 

What? Gee... November for Vancouver? A tad bit longer for the local fans to wait after this year's con (ending today), But maybe that would get some of us to go for ECCC next year in March 2016?

 

And to wrap up today - I finally got the photo out of my phone. Had to buy a data cable to transfer into my computer.

 

For to all Deadpool fans!

 

[JakeM]

Didn't have the chance to hit up ECCC this year, so I was hoping Fan Expo Van had a few good deals for me to improve the collection. Unfortunately, way too few vendors for my liking compared to last year. Harley's booth had the best stuff, and he obviously had his ACTUAL best stuff down at Wondercon. Kept my money for another day. Only thing I bought was this cute knit Groot from artist alley:

 

 

Maybe SDCC just spoiled me... Oh well!

[aardvark88]

Any other bigger 2-3 day comicons in Western USA usually slated for Veterans/ Remembrance Day weekend 2016? Else I don't see how moving the Vancouver Fan Expo show to November will help get artists/inkers to actually show up to a city where it rains every day in November.

 

Also, the Vancouver Comic Show is usually at the end of Oct. plus the 2 day Ifcon (Sci-fi, horror, cosplay, some comic artist/inkers) in Victoria, BC is always on Hallowe'en weekend.

[Flatliner1313]

Today was dead.

Went and picked up my commission from Sabine Rich.

She took inspiration from an old Houdini Poster for my Zatanna piece.

That was about the only good part of Sunday at this show.

 

[Fan Boy]

Any other bigger 2-3 day comicons in Western USA usually slated for Veterans/ Remembrance Day weekend 2016? Else I don't see how moving the Vancouver Fan Expo show to November will help get artists/inkers to actually show up to a city where it rains every day in November.

 

Also, the Vancouver Comic Show is usually at the end of Oct. plus the 2 day Ifcon (Sci-fi, horror, cosplay, some comic artist/inkers) in Victoria, BC is always on Hallowe'en weekend.

 

You might have a good point. We can't always predict how weather be like in November right now. At this moment, all we know is that it is said "Nov 11-13, 2016" but has it been inked on paper - final decision?

 

I would like to know why they didn't consider on September and for what reason?

[aardvark88]

flatliner,

I was expecting Zatanna riding My Little Pony but that is a great drawing. Was it colored with Copic markers or brush? I collect Houdini also.

 

fan boy gregory,

Also the Heritage Hall con is traditionally Nov. 8 so that means three (3) comic or pop culture events in the Vancouver/Victoria area 11 days before Vancouver Fan expo 2016.